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Gandhi's Teachers : Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta
attract one to the true path, but it is not a certainty.
Q. 25 Who are Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh?
A. It is possible that these might be representatives of the three fundamental functions of the universe, creation (Brahma), maintenance (Vishnu), and disruption (Mahesh).41 If so, their personification as deities is well and good. Or they might be allegorical names of some other trinity (such as, the three aspects of primeval Lord Vrasabha: first as Vishnu - the great ruler who laid down the foundation of state and society, secondly as Mahesh - the Mahayogi who destroyed the worlds of birth, death, and old age, and thirdly as Brahma - the omniscient sage who gave the knowledge of great truths of the eternal drama of life). Taken in this way, the idea becomes intelligible. But the accounts as given in the Puranas42 do not at all appeal to me. My interpretation finds support for this fact also that there are many great truths which have been described in the Puranas in allegorical forms for teaching by lessons. We should try to derive the benefit from the lessons of this allegory without entering into the controversial matters about Brahma etc. To me, the allegorical interpretation looks very nice.
Q. 26 If a snake comes to bite us, what should we do? Should we remain calm and quiet and allow it to bite or kill it outright to save ourselves?
A. If I reply this question in the affirmative and simply say that let the snake bite, it would of course become a great problem. But, any how, for those who have realized the truth that body is a transient thing, it would not be at all reasonable to kill the creature. So my reply to this question is that those who are anxious for their spiritual good, should, when confronted with such a situation, offer their body to the snake rather than take its life. You may well ask, well, what about those who care little for spiritual good? For such people, my simple reply is that let them wander in wretched forms like hell etc. How can one, like myself, advise them to kill a snake? It is the non-Aryan attitude of mind which teaches the killing of serpents or other creatures. We should ever aspire to
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