Contents of Ramana Jyothi, July 2009

BRUNTONS A SEARCH IN SECRET INDIA SOME !"#T ON A Search in Secret India $ on%on, &9'() ma%e the Maha*shi +no,n the ,o*l% o-e*. !n his late* /u0li1ation The Quest of the Overself, B*unton ,*ote a0out his ea*lie* 0oo+. Some info*mation a0out the 0oo+ is also foun% in The Note Books of Paul Brunton /u0lishe% afte* his %eath 0y his son in &2 -olumes. The following is from The Quest of the Overself (London, 1937) India holds an ancient heritage of spiritual thought fro its past that stands unparalleled for profundit! and un atched for "idth# $oung Indians, therefore, should clai this %irthright, finding "hat is "orth! and applica%le to present needs# The! should neither %e a"ed %! &estern s'epticis , nor corrupted %! odern aterialis , nor stupefied %! religious "rangling, %ut go to their %est thin'ers for guidance# (!sticis , too, has its representation in India and in the !sterious personalit! of the (aharishee I found its highest e %odi ent# )nli'e that of religious edieval *urope, his !sticis too' a thoroughl! rational turn# +is "as, indeed, the outstanding figure in ! %oo', and it "as %ut fitting that I should have devoted so uch of its space to a portra!al of hi and his environ ent# A Search in Secret India has %een ver! "idel! read# ,s the novelist, -ohn .nittel, generousl! "rote in the /ore"ord to the 0er an edition3 In this %oo' a %ridge "ill %e %uilt 1 *uropeans and , ericans a! no" appraise India a little ore highl!, I hope, and %esto" a little ore respect upon her# I ust no" touch upon a atter a%out "hich I have long lain silent# The e2traordinar! nature of the contents of ! %oo' %rought several criticis s "hich either scouted their possi%ilit! or sneered at ! veracit!# 3eing, so e"hat selfishl! perhaps, ore interested %! ha%it in ! private 4uest of truth than in pu%lic controversies a%out it, I co placentl! ignored ! critics# ,nd even "hen an Indian gentle an of good standing and govern ental associations "rote and accused e of having "ritten a ro ance or se i5 novel, adding that he "as 4uite sure that the (aharishee did not e2ist outside ! i agination, and ! pu%lishers passed the letter to e for co ents, I thrust it aside in proud silence, too hurt to a'e a repl!# If I sa! so ething on the atter no", it is %ecause ! %oo's of the past have no" provided a foundation for ! essage of the present# /irst of all, it is surel! needless to re ar' that 6ir /rancis $ounghus%and 1 so distinguished an authorit! on India7 1 "ould not have lent his na e, as "riter of the /ore"ord to ! %oo', if he thought I had co posed an i aginar! account# *ven if he had nothing ore, he had proofs in the large nu %er of still unpu%lished photographs "hich he e2a ined in London one afternoon at the Traveller8s 9lu%# 3ut I a glad to feel that I en:o! his confidence on other and deeper grounds# 1

6econdl!, the pictorial i pressionist st!le of the %oo' created the false i pression a ong other critics that I had e %roidered the stuff of truth "ith the coloured "ool of fiction# The! "ere "holl! "rong# I have ever! right, if I choose to do so, to %rea' a"a! fro the anner of conventional travel %oo's in order to present ! aterial as interestingl! as possi%le# The fact that I tr! to report unusual incidents and scenes, to intervie" unusual en and to record ! o"n unusual e2periences, does not a'e e less a reporter for that, %ecause I have to present the to the popular ind# In that sense, ! %oo' is %ut glorified :ournalese# I clai , therefore, the right of ever! reporter to a'e the ost of his aterials and "or' the up into effective :ournalistic results# I do not see "h! I should render these reports in the dullest, ost colourless and %loodless st!le I can find; I do not see "h! I should refuse to a'e ! e2periences as living to the reader as the! "ere to e# ,nd even if I "ere to clai , "hich I do not, that ! %oo' is a piece of literature, I "ould surel! have the privilege of the artist consciousl! to select and reshape his aterial rather than present it casuall! and s!llogisticall! as the professor# ,nd it ust li'e"ise %e re e %ered that I tried to co e do"n in ! conversations "ith these !ogis to the 4uintessence of things, to get at the final eaning "hich these en had for e, and then for the reader8s sa'e I distilled our tal's into still ore concentrated for s# The %oo' is a faithful and honest narrative, "ritten to record truth "ithout its dullness# Indeed, "hen I re5visited <a!al%agh, near ,gra, last !ear, +is +oliness 6aha%:i (ahara: "as 'ind enough to re ar', that ! pu%lished account of intervie"s "ith hi had evinced an a a=ingl! accurate e or!# >, chapter in A Search in Secret India covers 3runton8s visit to <a!al%agh#? /inall!, it is a a=ing for e to re e %er that "hen I first ade tentative en4uiries a%out the (aharishee in the cit! of (adras several !ears ago, no one had even heard of his e2istence, and I could discover nothing at all a%out hi prior to a'ing ! visit# Toda!, one a! as' al ost an!one in the sa e cit! a%out the (!stic of ,runachala and a great deal of infor ation "ill 4uic'l! %e forthco ing# It "as left for e, as infidel foreigner, to a'e the (aharishee fa ous in his o"n countr!# If an! other dou%t e2ists, let e add that this @ro antic creation8 of ine, this @i aginar! literar! figure8 "as recentl! granted a special and uni4ue e2e ption %! the 0overn ent of (adras fro attending to give evidence in a la"5court# This "as in connection "ith a civil suit a%out the o"nership of the land upon "hich his ne" ashra ( onastic %uilding) had %een erected# It is unli'el! that the 0overn ent "ould have granted such an e2e ption to a person "ho did not e2istAB The following is from volume 8 of the Cote 3oo's of Daul 3runtonE Brunton had met Bhagavan in 1930 But the !oo" was first pu!lished in #ondon in 193$ %egarding the dela&' and where the !oo" was written' Brunton sa&sE It "as onl! after the nearl! t"o !ears "hich "ere needed to get rid of the %lac' "ater fever "ith "hich India had dragged e do"n that I "as a%le to %egin "or' on A Search in Secret India# 3uc'ingha shire "as ! favoured *nglish countr!# I "ent there to "rite the %oo'# The t"o roo s over an ancient village inn gave an open vie" of 4uiet countr!side# The %u2o red5faced landlad! %rought up the si ple and rather plain vegetarian eals ever!da! 1 ho" deliciousl! garden5fresh the! "ereA (p# FFG)H A Search in Secret India and the Spiritual (risis of )an "ere the onl! %oo's "ritten at a leisurel! pace# ,ll the others "ere thro"n F

together at a so e"hat fast speed, o"ing to the pressure and travel that acco panied their co position#B (p#1G3)#
7 6ir /rancis $ounghus%and, "ho "rote fore"ord for A Search in Secret India, "as a legendar! figure of his ti e# +e "as 3ritish Dolitical (inister to 6tate of .ash ir, 3rigadier 0eneral of the 3ritish ar ! in India, 9o ander of the 3ritish ilitar! e2pedition to Ti%et and Dresident of the Io!al 0eographical 6ociet! of *ngland# +e "as %orn in the +i ala!an region and %elonged to a 3ritish ilitar! fa il! "hich has %een associated "ith India for generations# 3! his incredi%l! daring e2peditions of the (ount *verest he anaged to thrill a "hole generation of *nglish en# India Toda& revie"ed his %oo' @The *pic of )ount *verest+ in its issue of Octo%er F3, FJJJ# The fore"ord %! hi contains a historic tri%ute to 6ri Ia anaE #e ,as the s/*in4 ,hen1e s/i*ituality 1ame 4ushin4. #e *e/*esente% the t*ue 4enius of !n%ia. B*unton foun% in the Maha*ishee, the -e*y em0o%iment of all that !n%ia hol%s most sa1*e% #

ESSENCE O5 R6J6 7O"63 0od resides in ever! one of us# To attain +i , the practice done through the ind and %od! is called $oga# /ro the %otto of the trun' to the top of the head, sushumna (the consciousness) runs through the verte%rate# On its path there are si2 centres, na el!, mooladhara' swadhishtana' manipoora"a, anhata (heart), visuddhi (nec'), aagna (forehead) and a%ove that is sahasraram, "hich is stationed at the top of the head# ,t the mooladhara' "undalini (,eeva sa"thi) coils li'e a s all serpent facing do"n"ards and in slu %er# 3! %alancing the %reath, inhaling and retaining the air of prana, if one gets "um!ha"a, prana %eco es strong, heats up and raises the "undalini fro sleep# &hen this "ondrous po"er "a'es up, it turns upright in a light for , %rea'ing the si2 centres and reach via sushmna, the sahasraram# ,fter "a'ing, this ,eeva sa"hi %eco es 6iva sa"thi swaroopa and %urns a"a! the attach ent "ith the %od! helping the !ogi to enter sahasraram' giving the freedo of Brahma -nana, leading to mo"sha. Sadhu .m !ADA"CHETANA"#RANTHI3 &ith the nadis, the chaitan&a light is totall! tied "ith the %od!# This is called granthi or 'not# 3ecause of this, 6elf gets %od! consciousness, na el!, nadi !andhan# ,nd "ith that co es the delusion that @I a the %od!#8 3! re oving @I a the %od!8 consciousness through sadhana %! persistent atma vichara, churning of the nadis "ill ta'e place, leading to the rise up of /undalini# &hen the effulgence of chaitan&a' turning a"a! fro all nadis' resorts to one nadi called sushmana, the 'not is %ro'en# Once the 'not is %ro'en, the state of 6upre e peace is achieved# 1 Sri %amana 0ita !NCRE6S!N" 686RENESS3 Three ti es a da!, sit 4uietl! "ith no thoughts and no i agining, and %e a"are of ,ll of !ourself# 3e a"are of !ourself, this is ost i portant# If !ou are sitting on a chair %e a"are of !our "eight on the seat and of the %ac' of the chair# 6ense the pressure of !our feet on the ground and so on# &hile sitting 4uietl! %e full! rela2ed and alert# &hen o%serving the %od!, carr! out an @inventor!8 of all parts# Ie e %er that in doing so, one senses the %od!, and not loo' at it# <on8t fight for 4uietnessKstillness in ind# Iela2 and let it occur# Thoughts cannot %e s4uashed, :ust let the naturall!, %! giving the no attention# &hen o%serving the %od!, the flo" of the %lood and the pulse can %e sensed "ithin the %od!# One should %e patient in all this 1 never rush or hurr!# 1 *2cerpted fro )ountain 1ath, -an#5(arch# FJJ9# 6N 6USTR6 !6N TR69E ER 9!S!TS SR! R6M6N6 3

The follo,in4 e:t*a1ts a*e f*om the 0oo+ The Son$ of India 0y 5*an+ Clune, ,hi1h ,as fi*st /u0lishe% in 6ust*alia in &9(2. (! ne2t pilgri age "as to the ,shra of 6hri (aharshi, the @6aint of Tiruvanna alai#8 I sta!ed a da! and a night in this ,shra , and had a tal' "ith the 6aint, "ho is not a silent one, li'e the $ogi of Dondicherr!# (aharshi is a li'ea%le old chap, ver! hu an and approacha%le# +e @radiates8 spiritual peace and :o!# 6hri ,uro%indo is a @learned8 saint, "hile 6hri (aharshi is a si ple saint 1 %oth have arrived at the sa e goal of purification %! the spiritual discipline of !oga, the Indian s!ste of ind control# The ai is @ecstas!8, to %e attained through editation# The 9hristian saints do"n the ages have also achieved ecstas! or @union "ith 0od8, %! pra!er and editation# This a! %e the sa e thing as @!oga8 %ut under a different na e# 3efore leaving the ,shra , I atte pted to intervie" the 6aint 1 %ut he turned the ta%les and intervie"ed e for half an hour, 4ui==ing e a%out ! adventures in an! lands# &hat interested hi ost, I thin', "as ! ention of the 6tone ,ge a%origines of central ,ustralia and of the stone 1 )luru 1 the %iggest desert stone in the "orld, an a%original place of pilgri age# I got onl! one good 4uestion in, as'ing hi the eaning of tiger s'in on "hich he sat# It is a s! %ol of ! fierceness to protect ! religion,B "as his s iling repl!# 3ut "hat is !our religionLB I innocentl! as'ed# 6ee'ing the truth,B "as his pro pt repl!# I thin' it is not so uch his actual teaching as his cal and serene at osphere "hich attracts disciples# +e appears, in so e indefina%le "a!, to have entirel! purged his soul of evil, and to e anate 0oodness in a 'ind of auraH+e is i ensel! dignified and convincing# 6o e 9hristian %ishops have also this 4ualit! 1 %ut I dou%t "hether the! could radiate it, sitting clothed onl! in a loin cloth, on a tiger s'inA ()ountain 1ath, -an#5(arch, FJJ9) #O8 TO SECURE ;E6CE3 Deace is not so ething one can get fro outside# Co%od! can give it to us# &e have to discover it in our o"n heartsH Deace can %e of different 'inds# In the cre ation ground there is @dead peace8# In deep sleep there is lifeless peace# &hen a desire is fulfilled there is content ent "hich is a te porar! rest fro restlessness# &ith the use of tran4uili=ers one gets negative peace# &e "ant positive peace 1 a peace "hich leads to happiness, creativit! and progress# (an! pro%le s are solved "hen the ind is at peace; it gives us a feeling of %eing near the 6upre eHTo live in peace a idst all distur%ing factors is "ithin our reach, provided "e have a st*on4 %esi*e for it and "e a'e the ne1essa*y an% /e*sistent effo*t in proper direction# 3oth a!ha&asa and vairag&a are essential for peace# 1 S Sudharshan TE U"U 6N< SR! R6M6N6 6ri Ia ana used to address his father %! the Telugu ter @ na&ana8 (father) and not the Ta il "ord @appa8# There "as a relation called La'sh ana I!er in their house "ho 'ne" Telugu and "as ver! fond of our Men'atara an# ,lthough others called Men'atara an %! his full na e, La'sh ana I!er called hi %! the pet na e @Ia ana8# ,s that na e su%se4uentl! %eca e 3hagavan8s chief na e, "e cannot forget its originator# It is %ecause N

of La'sh ana I!er that 6ri Ia ana learnt to spea' Telugu in his %o!hood# 3ecause 6ri Ia ana called his father na&ana, not onl! other children in the house %ut the entire village called hi %! this na e# /ro this it can %e seen that the people of Tiruchu=hi had a fatherl! regard for 6undara I!er# If the 6upre e 3eing Itself had chosen hi as father, is it a "onder that he attained such popular estee L ,%out 6ri Ia ana8s aster! over Telugu, Drofessor 0#M# 6u%%ara a!!a has the follo"ing to sa!E I had %een reading the "or's of 6ri Ia ana# (! ain interest had %een literar! rather than philosophical# I had %een struc' "ith "onder at the st!le of the Telugu 2padesa Saram, "hich in its si plicit!, felicit! and classic finish, could e4ual that of the greatest Telugu poet Ti''ana, I had felt convinced that a Ta ilian "ho could co pose such Telugu verse ust %e divinel! inspired, and I had "anted to see hi # ( Aurunchala+s %amana, Mol# I, infor ation %ased on the note of 0anapati (uni, and Sri %amana %eminiscences %! 0#M# 6u%%ara a!!a) 7este*%ay is histo*y. Tomo**o, is myste*y. To%ay is a 4ift. Thats ,hy it is 1alle% the /*esent. i-e in the /*esent. 1 The Internet

T#E RA%A&ANA 6N< !TS S'NDARA (ANDA 3! 6"a i Tapas!ananda7 The stories and achieve ents of divine incarnations a! loo' li'e literar! fiction or ere poetical narratives to a an "ho studies the fro the purel! literar! or narrative point of vie"# 6ages li'e Mal i'i and M!asa, "ho had gained penetrating vision through their spiritual develop ent, could see in the a "ealth of eaningH , s all particle of atter is nothing to the na'ed e!e, %ut the sa e is found to %e intricate and co ple2 under the icroscopic vie" of a scientistHThe Sundara /anda as also the "hole of the %ama&ana, has got its spiritual as also its literar! and narrative aspects# In the great epic, this chapter ar's the ac e of Mal i'i8s literar! and poetic e2cellence, and so it is Sundara or %eautiful# It is also suggested that it is Sundara, %ecause it relieved 6ita of her sorro"# Sundara can ean a essenger, and the /anda includes the essage sent %! Ia a to 6ita# Sundara is also a na e for an inter ediar! "ho esta%lishes a utual contact %et"een a hero and a heroine, as +anu an did in the case of Ia a and 6ita# Sundara is said to %e a na e for a on'e! and this chapter is so called %ecause it deals "ith the achieve ents of the on'e! +anu an# The recover! of so ething lost is so eti es descri%ed as Sundara, and in this section the topic dealt "ith is the discover! of the a%ducted 6ita# The stud! of the Sundara /anda is considered as %eing e4uivalent to the stud! of the "hole of the %ama&ana as far as spiritual erit is concerned# -ust as the )panishads are said to contain the supre e purport of the Medas, this /anda is supposed to %e heart of %ama&ana# (The Times of India) 7The 6"a i "as head of Ia a'rishna (ath, 9hennai, for t"o decades# +is re iniscences of 3hagavan 6ri Ia ana appear in the second edition of 3ace to 3ace with Sri %amana )aharshi' to %e %rought out %! our .endra shortl!#

6N 6CCOUNT O5 SR! R6M6N6S ;#7S!C6 5E8 <67S ON T#!S ; 6NET

;RESENCE <UR!N"

6ST

;*of. <. "u*umu*thi 1ame to see Bha4a-an %u*in4 his last %ays. #e ,*ites3 On the da! of our visit, "e found 6ri Ia ana "al'ing a fe" steps to the verandah "ith great effort# +is %od! loo'ed e2tre el! "ea', pale and li p# +e could scarcel! stand the "eight as he oved for"ard# 3ut the o ent he ascended the chow"i and settled do"n for one hour pu%lic darshan, a arvellous change ca e over hi # It "as as though the "as su oning the spirit to d"ell visi%l! in his %od!# +is face shone radiant "ith peace# It "as a arvel of con4uest over the %od!# ,s devotees advanced to the presence of the (aharshi and %o"ed do"n in utter faith and fervent dedication, vi%rations of po"er could %e felt# ,t ever! %o" a "ave of devotion "ould flo" to"ards the sage, and there "ould co e a po"erful flood of %enediction fro hi to the devotees on the ground# , verita%le iracle "as %eing perfor ed# ,n aged %od! %ent do"n %! terrific penances, e2hausted and enfee%led %! a ortal illness, and !et the i ortal spirit of the e ancipated sage triu phed over the "ea'ness of the %od!, "hich "as resplendent and shedding %enign grace on the asse %led devotees# /e" a ong an'ind have had the great privilege of participating in such a spiritual feast# &hen I sat in the evening session of darshan, a 4uestion for ed in ! ind# &hat "ill happen to the hundreds that "ill %e deprived of spiritual nourish entL ,s I "as entall! addressing this 4uestion to 6ri Ia ana, radiance "as felt %! e# +is ph!sical for on the chow"i graduall! %eca e shrun'en, s aller and s aller and vanished into radiance# ,s the radiance gre" deeper and ore po"erful, I felt I had the ans"er to ! 4uer!# *ven though the %od! a! disappear, concentration of spiritual po"er "hich "as focused round it "ill continue to shed its influence# ,nd as long as one can put oneself into attune ent "ith that for and "ith that radiance, one "ould dra" spiritual sustenance# (Arunachala+s %amana' Mol# MIII) The hi4hest %estiny of the in%i-i%ual is to se*-e *athe* than to *ule. Al!ert *instein 8e nee% to fin% "o%, an% he 1annot 0e foun% in noise an% *estlessness. "o% is the f*ien% of silen1e. )other Teresa 6N 6MER!C6N <E9OTEE "ETS SR! R6M6N6S "R6CE Thelma Ra//ol%, an 6me*i1an, ,ho ,as ,ith S*i Ramana %u*in4 &9(=>?0, ha% 1ome to !n%ia an% t*a-elle% all o-e* to fin% a 4u*u, lan%e% in 6u*o0in%o 6sh*am, ;on%i1he**y, ,he*e she lea*nt a0out S*i Ramana. On ! "a! to 6ri Ia anasra a , "hen I "as in a state of reverie, 6ri Ia ana appeared to e as a sort of drea # &hen I actuall! sa" hi , it "as the sa e face that I had seen in ! reverie# I "as reall!, reall! shoc'ed# &hen I sat in his presence, I felt that ! little ego had slipped a"a!# I opened ! heart and let those %eautiful "aves enter into e# It see ed that the so5called pro%le s I thought I had, :ust vanished# I "ent through a cleansing process# G

It al"a!s a a=ed e ho" Ia ana sat a%solutel! 4uiet and otionless, !et his e!es "ere so penetrating# &hen I had 4uestions I did not ver%ali=e the , %ecause it "asn8t necessar!; the 4uestions "ere ans"ered al ost i ediatel!# It "as our eans of co unication# It "as a ind5to5 ind connection# &hen I first et 6ri Ia ana, he told eE $ou are "hat !ou are 1 accept it# &hen the ti e co es to give it up do it "ith grace# ,s the !ears "ent %!, I 'ept tr!ing to @open8 as uch as possi%le# I recogni=ed that "e all choose our suffering %ecause "e do not open up and accept "hat life %rings; "e don8t find out @"ho8 it is that is e2periencing the suffering# I had never, at an! pervious ti e in ! life, reall! let go and tried to :ust %eB# &hen "e can do this, love :ust pours out# ,t the ,shra I had found ! true ho e and teacher# It "as as if I had lived several life ti es in those fe" !ears that I "as "ith hi # The person "ho ca e to hi in the %eginning "as not the sa e person that left# I had understood ho" to open up the po"er loc'ed "ithin e# (4estern See"ers %! ,#I# Catara:an)

6 <E9OTEES C6;T!96T!N" REM!N!SCENCES O5 SR! R6M6N6 Sa*o@a A*ishnans family ha% 1lose *elationshi/ ,ith the 6sh*am. #e* un1le, Ra@a4o/ala !ye* ,ho ,as one of the atten%ants of S*i Ramana ha% also ,itnesse% the ,ill e:e1ute% 0y S*i Ramana in &9'B in *es/e1t of S*i Ramanas*amam. &hen I "as !oung I used to sit in the hall, "atching "ith interest the happenings around e# One da!, 3hagavan8s e!es turned to e and rested there; ! e!es "ere loc'ed in his, una%le to turn a"a!# +o" does one descri%e the indescri%a%leL <ar' and "ide, cool and %right, elting "ith erc! and 'indness, those heavenl! or%s see ed to e2pand and fill the roo and all space, engulfing e# Loo'ing %ac', I understand that this "as his na&ana di"sha (Initiation %! loo')# &hen fifteen or si2teen, I "as undergoing ental suffering# (! hus%and "as not in to"n# In despair, I tried to put an end to ! life, %ut did not succeed# (! uncle Ia:agopala I!er chanced to ta'e the fa il! to the ,shra # *ven here ! agon! continued# The ti e ca e for us to return ho e# One %! one all e %ers of the fa il! prostrated and too' 3hagavan8s leave# &hen I raised ! head after prostration, ! e!es fell on 3hagavan8s feet, placed on a lo" stool in front of his sofa# (! hands shot for"ard as if propelled %! so e po"erful force and I grasped those feet onl! for a ver! short ti e# , fount of happiness see ed to %urst forth fro so e"here deep "ithin e# &ave after "ave of %liss "ashed over e and I see ed to %e floating in it# I "as o%livious of ever!thing else# Thoughts of 3hagavan and the surging happiness a%sor%ed ever! noo' and corner of ! %eing# 3ac' at ho e, even though the old situation continued, nothing touched e# In ! lifeti e I have never e2perienced an!thing re otel! rese %ling it# 3ac' to Tiruvanna alai "ith ! other for deliver!, I did not stop the dail! practice of going round 3hagavan8s hall 1JP ti es, carr!ing the heav! load of advanced pregnanc!# (edical facilities in Tiruvanna alai "ere rather inade4uate# 6o ! other "as an2ious and decided to ta'e 3hagavan8s advice# &ith this in ind she "as entering the hall, "hen she heard 3hagavan telling so eone fir l! and loudl!, Co, no, not here#B On hearing this 7

! other i ediatel! decided to ta'e e to Mellore# 3hagavan8s advice "as received, even though nothing "as specificall! as'edA I "as in the third da! of ! dr! la%our, "ithout a'ing uch progress# The third night the doctors decided to do a 9aesarean, often ver! ris'! in pre5penicillin da!s# (! other and others "ere in great distress on hearing this and sent off a telegra of appeal to the ,shra # 3hagavan read the telegra in Tiruvanna alai and in Mellore ! son Ia ana .u ar "as %orn, %! nor al deliver!# The doctors "ere confounded that a nor al deliver! should occur in such a difficult situation "ithout recourse to even the forcepsA Once 3hagavan "as co ing do"n the hill after his orning stroll# 6uddenl!, a dove fell do"n at his feet# 3hagavan %ent do"n and pic'ing it up, cradled it in his ar s and gentl! soothed it %! passing his hand lightl! over its %ac'# Then he turned round to see ho" the %ird happened to fall do"n# , !oung hunter "as hesitantl! standing a little distance a"a! "ith a catapult in hand# 3hagavan re ar'ed in 4uiet voice, This is the poor %o!8s food, %ut t"o annas >one eighth of one rupee? "ould do to %u! so ething to satisf! his hunger,B "hich a ount "as paid i ediatel! to the %o! %! ! uncle# The dove la! still and da=ed in 3hagavan8s ar s# It did not ove ever after 3hagavan ca e %ac' to the hall# , fe" drops of green grapes :uice applied on its head, "ould cure hi ,B as 3hagavan "as sa!ing this, an out5station devotee entered the hall "ith a fe" %unches of green grapes, as an offering to 3hagavan# +e! loo', "e are :ust tal'ing a%out green grapes and here the! areAB e2clai ed 3hagavan# I ediatel!, a fe" grapes "ere s4uee=ed on the dove8s head# In a short "hile, the %ird stirred, raised its head and loo'ed around,# ,fter a fe" tentative steps, it flattered it "ings and fle" a"a!# &ho is the vet "ho taught 3hagavan this treat entL I "ondered# (Arunachala+s %amana, Mol# IM)

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