Sanskrit Wisdom - 84

nirvisheNaapi sarpeNa kartavyaa mahati phaNaa |

vishamastu na chaapyastu phaTaaTopo bhayankarah ||

inaiva-YaoNaaip sapo-Na kt-vyaa mahit fNaa a
ivaYamastu na caaPyastu fTaTaopao BayaMkr: aa

Explanation

A non-poisonous snake should imitate the poisonous one and raise its hood as if to bite a potential adversary. Regardless of whether the snake has poison or not, the hissing sound is enough to strike terror in the adversary's mind.