On the night this incident happened, it was
pitch dark outside. A ‘Ramayan Path’ (recitation of the Ramayan) was going
on after the prayer and then we lingered around talking about various
things. Having finished the programme, Devdas went out. As soon as he
stepped out, he heard the hissing of a snake. He turned back and told me,
“Something is lurking outside. Please bring the lamp.” I went there with
Maganlal Gandhi. Maneuvering cautiously in the dark we saw the trail of a
snake. Tracking down the trail we found a big snake hiding behind the water
tank near the house. We used to keep a stick with a silken noose for
catching the snakes. We caught the snake with that noose and dragged it out.
It would spring up erecting its hood, again and again. We were trying to
suppress it with sticks. We were feeling the jerks. At that instant Bapu
came there and saw the snake. He exclaimed, “Oh! It’s such a beautiful
creature! Don’t pull the noose very hard. It will hurt the creature.” Then
he asked us to put it down. We thought, why was he asking us to put it down
instead of releasing it in the jungle. But we put it down. Bapu said,
“Loosen the noose a bit and be careful not to strangle it.”
We loosened the noose so much so that it could
easily escape if it wished to. Could anyone imagine what Bapu would do next?
He bent down and caressed that eight feet long snake and exclaimed what a
beautiful creature it was! What emotions did he have about that venomous
reptile? He was caressing the snake affectionately as if he was caressing a
child. He caressed it not once but thrice! The reckless creature calmed down
with his affectionate touch. The snake seemed to forget its stinging
instinct. He lay there motionless. After a while Bapu got up. He said, “Both
of you lift it up carefully and leave it far enough.” It seemed as if the
violent reptile did not want to be free from that amazing touch. We carried
it up and left it near the spring. It crawled away calmly.