In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the psychological danger of public adulation and Pharaoh's arrogant claim to divinity are vividly illustrated through the metaphor of a jackal masquerading as a peacock. Rumi explains that Pharaoh, intoxicated by the constant prostrations of his deluded followers, became utterly blind to his own spiritual poverty. Just as a lowly jackal might falsely assume the majestic identity of a peacock to demand respect, Pharaoh adopted a divine persona. However, Rumi warns that such deceit is unsustainable; when confronted by genuine spiritual majesty—represented by the true 'peacocks,' Moses and Aaron—the tyrant's fraudulent display is instantly exposed. The passage emphasizes that worldly wealth is a venomous snake, and public veneration acts as a destructive dragon that fatally inflates the ego, inevitably leading to absolute disgrace when tested by divine truth.