Whether feet are burnt or buried in the earth, dogs and jackals will still bite and gnaw at them.

This ancient couplet reflects on the ultimate fate of the physical body. It suggests that regardless of how a body is disposed of—whether through cremation (burned) or burial (buried in the ground)—its earthly form eventually perishes. The imagery of dogs and jackals gnawing at the feet vividly illustrates this inevitable decay and consumption by nature. It's a profound reminder of life's impermanence and the body's transient nature, emphasizing that material form eventually returns to the elements, consumed by the cycle of life and death. It speaks to the universal truth that all physical forms ultimately dissolve, highlighting our shared mortality.