This proverb means that a person who has done harm to others will eventually face the same fate. The sorcerer, typically a feared and malevolent figure, receives the retribution for his past actions. His grave is trampled by passersby just as he might have trampled others’ graves. This Merina proverb highlights the principle of reciprocal justice and beliefs. An equivalent English proverb would be ‘He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword’.