अपिमानुष्यकं लब्ध्वा भवन्ति ज्ञानिनो न ये ।
पशुतैव वरा तेषां प्रत्यवायाप्रवर्तनात् ॥
api mānuṣyakaṁ labdhvā bhavanti jñānino na ye |
paśutaiva varā teṣāṁ pratyavāyāpravartanāt ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2052)
“For those who even after attaining human birth do not become educated, being [born as] an animal would have been better as they would [in that case] not engage in degrading behavior.”