By good luck, O ascetic, thou art not like them. By good luck,
thou art not a jackal, nor a worm, nor a mouse, nor a frog, nor an animal
of any other miserable order. With this measure of gain (that thou hast
won), thou shouldst, O Kasyapa, be contented! How happy, again, shouldst
thou feel at the thought that amongst living creatures thou art a
superior Brahmana! These worms are biting me! For want of hands I am
unable to drive them off. Behold this my miserable plight! I do not cast
off life because to do so is a very sinful act, and lest, indeed, I fall
into a more miserable order of existence! This order of existence, viz.,
that of a jackal, to which I now belong is rather tolerable. Miserable as
it is, there are many orders of existence below it that are more
miserable still. By birth certain classes of creatures become happier
than others who become subject to great woe. But I never see that there
is any order of being which can be said to be in the possession of
perfect happiness. Human beings, obtaining affluence, next wish for
sovereignty. Having achieved sovereignty their next wish is for the
status of gods. Having won that status they then wish for the chiefdom of
the celestials. If thou becomest affluent, thou wilt never succeed in
becoming a king (for thou art a Brahmana by birth), nor in becoming a god
(because, in reality, thy status of Brahmanahood is equal if not superior
to that of a god). If by any means (led away by the alluring prospect of
heavenly bliss) thou becomest a god (instead of attaining to a superior
position), thou wilt then covet for the chiefdom of the gods.
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