Manava Dharmashastra 1.96

1.96

pṛthivyāṃ ye bhāvāḥ sthāvarā vṛkṣādayo jaṅgamāḥ kṛmikīṭādayaste bhūtaśabdenocyante teṣāṃ ye prāṇina āhāravihārādiceṣṭāsamarthāste śreṣṭhāḥ | te hi paṭutaraṃ sukhamanubhavanti teṣāṃ ye buddhyā jīvanti hitāhite vicinvanti śvaśṛgālādayaḥ | te hi gharmeṇopataptāḥ chāyāmupasarpanti, śītenārditā ātapaṃ; nirāhāraṃ sthānaṃ tyajanti | teṣāmadhikatarā manuṣyāḥ teṣāṃ ca brāhmaṇāḥ | te hi loke pūjyatamāḥ, na ca sarveṇa paribhūyante | jātimātrāśrayaṃ hi tadvadhe mahatprāyaścittam |

Among beings, aminated ones are regarded as foremost; among aminated ones, those that subsist by reason: among rational beings men are foremost; and among men, Brāhmaṇas. (96).

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The word ‘being’ stands for all such things on earth as Trees and other immovable things, and also such movable

things as insects, beetles and the like.—Among these, the ‘animated ones’—i.e., those that are capable of such activities as eating, moving and so forth,—are ‘foremost’; being aminated, they experience more powerful pleasures.—Among these latter, ‘those that subsist by reason,’—i.e., those that discriminate between wholesome and unwholesome, such for instance, as dogs, jackals and other animals [are foremost]; these animals, when suffering from heat, more into the shade; when suffering from cold, they betake themselves to the sun; they give up a place where they find no food.—Among these latter again, ‘men are foremost’; and of them, ‘Brāhmaṇas.’ They are the most highly honoured; they are never ill treated by any person; in fact the killing of the Brāhmaṇa involves a serious expiatory rite, which is due entirely to considerations of caste. (96).