subhashitabhartrhariniti-shatakaarts

Sahitya Sangita Kala Vihinah

Sahitya Sangita Kala Vihinah in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Anytime, especially while taking up the study of arts, music or literature·📜 Niti Shataka of Bhartrhari (Subhashita)

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

One of Bhartrhari's most famous Niti Shataka verses, this Subhashita proclaims that art, music and literature are what truly distinguish a human being from an animal. With characteristic wit, it calls a person ignorant of the arts 'a beast without tail and horns,' adding that it is only the good luck of real animals that he is not numbered among them. The verse is a timeless celebration of culture and the refinement of the human spirit.

Origin & Story

Niti Shataka of Bhartrhari (Subhashita) · Bhartrhari · Classical Sanskrit literature (c. 5th century CE)

Bhartrhari's Niti Shataka is a garland of a hundred verses on right conduct, wisdom, fortune and the cultivation of the self. Among them, this verse celebrates the arts as the true mark of humanity. By comparing the uncultured person to a tailless, hornless beast, Bhartrhari drives home with humour his deep conviction that literature, music and the fine arts are not luxuries but the very essence of civilised life.

✦ As told in scripture

It is often remarked that this single verse has done more to inspire devotion to the arts in Sanskrit-learning households than any sermon could, planting in generations of students the conviction that a life touched by poetry and music is a life truly lived.

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The Mantra

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sāhitya-saṅgīta-kalā-vihīnaḥ sākṣāt paśuḥ puccha-viṣāṇa-hīnaḥ। tṛṇaṁ na khādann api jīvamānas tad bhāgadheyaṁ paramaṁ paśūnām॥

Meaning:A person devoid of literature, music and the arts is, in plain truth, a beast without a tail and horns; it is the supreme good fortune of the other animals that, though he lives without eating grass, he is still counted a man and not one of them. Bhartrhari wittily declares that the cultivation of arts and letters is what raises a human being above the brute.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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sāhitya🔊literature, poetry

saṅgīta🔊music

kalā🔊the (fine) arts

vihīnaḥ🔊devoid of, lacking

sākṣāt🔊literally, directly, in plain truth

paśuḥ🔊a beast, an animal

puccha🔊tail

viṣāṇa🔊horns

hīnaḥ🔊without, lacking (here: a beast without tail and horns)

tṛṇam🔊grass

na khādan🔊not eating

api jīvamānaḥ🔊though living, yet alive

tat bhāgadheyam🔊that is the (great) good fortune

paramam🔊supreme, greatest

paśūnām🔊of the (other) animals

Benefits of Chanting Sahitya Sangita Kala Vihinah

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Inspires devotion to literature, music and the fine arts as marks of a refined life

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Reminds us that culture and learning elevate humanity above mere existence

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A memorable, witty verse for teaching the value of arts education

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Encourages parents and teachers to nurture aesthetic sensibility in the young

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Sharpens appreciation for the cultural heritage of Sanskrit and Indian arts

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Motivates lifelong cultivation of taste, knowledge and creativity

How to Chant Sahitya Sangita Kala Vihinah

Repetitions3times

Best TimeAnytime, especially while taking up the study of arts, music or literature

Recite the verse and reflect on how the arts ennoble human life and separate it from a merely animal existence. Use it as encouragement to engage with music, poetry and the fine arts. It is meant for contemplation and inspiration rather than ritual repetition, ideal as a motto for students of culture and the humanities.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Sahitya Sangita Kala Vihinah written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It means 'one devoid of literature, music and art.' The verse from Bhartrhari's Niti Shataka declares that such a person is, in truth, no better than an animal, only without a tail and horns — emphasising that the arts are what make us truly human.

It is from the Niti Shataka of Bhartrhari, the great Sanskrit poet-philosopher who composed three celebrated Shatakas on ethics, love and renunciation.

That the cultivation of art, music and literature is essential to a fully human life. Without the refinement they bring, a person merely exists; with them, the human spirit is elevated and ennobled.