M6:735 — هم‌چو آن شیری که در چه شد فرو / عکس خود را خصم خود پنداشت او

Rumi is explaining the Prophet's saying, “Die before you die,” which he interprets as the death of the egoic self (manī). The preceding lines argue that when we feel aggression towards another, we are actually fighting a projection of our own negative qualities. This couplet provides a famous illustration for that idea.

The beyt alludes to a well-known story from Book 1 of the Masnavi, where a clever rabbit tricks a tyrannical lion. The rabbit leads the lion to a well, and the lion, seeing its own reflection in the water, believes it to be a rival. In a fit of rage, it leaps into the well to attack the “other lion” and drowns.

Here, the lion symbolizes the arrogant self, which is so blinded by its own pride that it cannot recognize itself. It projects its own aggression onto an external image and, in trying to destroy this perceived enemy, ultimately destroys itself. The spiritual lesson is that the real battle is not with others, but with the internal “lion” of one's own ego.