________________ (32) તેણે તો ત્યાં પોતાના દેહને જતો કરવો એ જ યોગ્ય છે. કદાપિ આત્મહિત ઇચ્છવું ન હોય તેણે કેમ કરવું? તો તેનો ઉત્તર એ જ અપાય કે, તેણે નરકાદિમાં પરિભ્રમણ કરવું; અર્થાત્ સર્પને મારવો એવો ઉપદેશ ક્યાંથી કરી શકીએ ? અનાર્યવૃત્તિ હોય તો મારવાનો ઉપદેશ કરાય. તે તો અમને તમને સ્વપ્ન પણ ન હોય એ જ ઇચ્છવા યોગ્ય છે. 27. Q. If a snake is about to bite me, should I allow myself to be bitten or should I kill it, supposing that, that is the only way in which I can save myself? A. One hesitates to advise you that you should let the snake bite you. Nevertheless, how can it be right for you, if you have realized that the body is perishable, to kill, for protecting a body which has no real value to you, a creature which clings to it with love ? For anyone who desires his spiritual welfare, the best course is to let his body perish in such circumstances. But how should a person who does not desire spiritual welfare behave ? My only reply to such a question is, how can I advise such a person that he should pass through hell and similar worlds, that is, that he should kill the snake ? If the person lacks the culture of Aryan character, one may advise him to kill the snake, but we should wish that neither you nor I will even dream of being such a person.
