In plain words
There are 21 lakh species of these. Piṇḍaja means those born through the womb. Men and beasts: these too are 21 lakh species. Next, the svedajas. There are many creatures born through sweat. These too are 21 lakh species. Then udbhijja means those born from the earth. These too are 21 lakh species. All these together make the 84 lakh living beings. Of these, saying that man is the very highest, they said, ‘Jantūnāṃ narajanma durlabham.’ Among the 84 lakh living beings, they said, man alone is the best. They said it is rare. Rare in what? Is it rare in form, rare in intelligence, rare in cleverness and cunning, rare in good looks, rare in property and possessions, rare in learning and pastimes? Nothing of the kind. None of these is rare at all. All these are gained by practice. If a monkey practises, it rides a bicycle in the circus. The tiger, a fierce beast, sits meekly beside the ringmaster. It obeys just as the ringmaster tells it. All these come by practice! In man too, these are only what comes by practice! Then what rare quality is there in him? Beasts, birds, insects and worms cannot recognise their own nature. Unlike them, man's quality is to long for the vision of his own svarūpa, discover it, follow it and rejoice in it. ‘Āhāranidrābhayamaidhunāni samānametat paśubhirnarāṇāṃ, jñānaṃ narāṇāṃ adhikaṃ viśeṣaḥ.’ Without that Jñāna, man too is no better than a beast! This is the very difference between beasts, birds and animals and man. What is this Jñāna? Is it physical knowledge, worldly knowledge or knowledge from books? No, no. The vision of non-duality is Jñāna. To recognise the truth that all is one: that is Jñāna.
The body is the kṣetra; the indweller is the kṣetrajña
Today we study so many things. Music, literature, dance, painting, sculpture: in this way we study many śāstras. All these are only learning of the material world! Only learning that belongs to the world!