At night, those calls should be answered facing the south. By so doing one does not shorten his life. One who wishes to live long should never disregard or insult any of these three, however weak or emaciated they may appear to be, viz., the Brahmana, the Kshatriya, and the snake. All three are gifted with dreadful poison. The snake, of angry, burns the victim with only a look of its eye.
दक्षिणाभिमुखो रात्रौ तथा ह्यायुर्न रिष्यते॥ त्रीन् कृशान् नावजानीयाद् दीर्घमायुर्जिजीविषुः। ब्राह्मणं क्षत्रियं सर्प सर्वे ह्याशीविषास्त्रयः॥ दहत्याशीविषः क्रद्धो यावत् पश्यति चक्षुषा।