The Goal and the Guide
By Bombai Srinivasan
Petal 2
Saving Hands in floodwaters.
I was born
after some ten years since the advent of Bhagavan Baba. But I had
never heard of Him till I reached my 30 years of age. But when I
look behind the various incidents in my life, I firmly believe
that Bhagavan had known me all along, and had been keeping a watch
on me, guiding me, and even protecting me from possible disasters.
On many occasions the rescue operations had been unbelievable, and
my relatives used to call it miraculous savings.
Puttaparthi
is a holy land, having the privilege of giving the world its
precious child “Sathya”. The river “Chitravathi” which has
witnessed innumerable miracles and Leelas of Bhagavan Baba also
sanctifies this holy land during his childhood and youthful days.
The village
where I was born and where I was growing into my childhood was
also a remote village in Tanjore District (Tamil Nadu) in the
Southern Parts of India. A river was flowing by the side of our
house, just behind us. In summer we would find the river totally
dry and with expanse of sand beds where we used to play. The
river was the only source of drinking water for the entire
community of the village. In the monsoon periods, the water, in
the flooded river will be dirty, but the villagers have their way
of de-silting and filtering the water. Anyway, water borne
diseases were not heard of, in those days. During the hot summer
too, the river used to provide us water. We will dig up in the
sands of the riverbed, for about a foot, and lo! Crystal clear
water would spring up. We have to slowly take the water out with
small flat vessels, which will not disturb the sand bed down the
water. As we draw water out, the more water will spring from the
bottom.
This perennial
water source, called, “Harichandra River” looked just like
the Holy Chitravathi River of Prashanthi Nilayam. The river,
which was sustaining the life force in the village, was also at
times consuming human lives when it overflows. Many children used
to get drowned in that river, during the days of floods. I was
also to be counted among those unfortunate children, but by God’s
will I happened to be most fortunate boy, and on that fateful day,
I had survived from the certain death in the swirling flood waters
of River Harichandra.
Saturdays and
Sundays were very important days for us. On Saturday all the
children will be given oil baths. The next day that is on the
Sunday, we will be given purgative medicines without fail. The
purgative medicine is made from a dry herbal seed, which is called
“Kadukkai”. The seeds are broken into pieces and put in
limited water for boiling for a long time. The essence made out of
this would be very thick, and the taste would unbearably bitter.
The taste is bitter than that of the neem leaves or neem
seeds. Very difficult to gulp it down! But we would be forced to
drink it up. Within half hour or so there will be mild tremor like
feelings from the belly, and the taps would soon be thrown open,
purging out periodically the loose stools. This has to be allowed
till noontime, and then an antidote is given to us in the form of
buttermilk and later some rise also in the buttermilk. By the time
we recoup from weakness, it will be Monday and we should be ready
to attend the daylong school periods.
The Saturday
Oil Bath was quite welcome for us. The elders, our mother or my
elder sisters will have to help us in this bath. The main
ingredients for this exercise is coconut oil A small portion of
rice and pepper are put in coconut oil and is mildly heated up.
About quarter part of a liter of this heated oil would be applied
on the head, on our long hairs and all over the body, and massaged
for over 15 minutes till our body is soaked in oil. We have to
wait in this condition for another 15 to 30 minutes depending upon
the season, before we were taken to water for rinsing and cleaning
up. In those days there was no soap or shampoo for removing the
sticky oil from the hair and body.
Another herbal
dry seed, which is known as “Seekkai”, is used in
pulverized condition. This powder is taken in the palms and
adding little water, was applied over the body and hair in a
creamy condition. The rinsing process is very laborious and
consumes lot of water. When the water level is very low in the
river we would taken directly to river. Where there is no water in
the river, or during the days of floods, we have to take bath
using the water stored in big brass vessels, in the back yard of
our house. The bath directly in the river is enjoyable. The elder
ladies will stand facing the flow keeping slightly ajar their
legs, and we are allowed to float in between their legs, holding
their each leg by our each hand. Our hairs in the head also would
flow along the flow of water. The drift hands of the elders will
caress the head and hairs using the wonder powder “Seekkai”
for a while. This way of rinsing will take about 10 minutes or so.
Then we will be asked to stand in the water and the massage of the
body is to begin. This way of Oil Bath every weekend was very
refreshing and enjoyable and will also have a very soothing
effect. We will enjoy the night sleep very well though there were
no fans available in those days. The humming herd of mosquitoes
will not able to disturb our sleep on those particular nights!
Those Saturday
nights were really enjoyable but when we wake up the next day, oh!
God! Unbearable experience would be in store for us. The purgative
medicines!!!
On that fateful
weekend, the river Harichandra was swollen flowing fearsly
flooding the riverbeds too. The water was reddish in colour. The
swirling wavers were fearsome. But in our child hood days, not
knowing the dangers, we were very delighted to watch the unending
stream of floodwater. There would be continuous warning from
elders and we were watched constantly, whenever we move into the
backyard of our house. But the deafening sounds of floodwaters
would make us to sneak towards the riverbed.
We were to take
oil bath on that day in the backyard using the stored water. The
oil had already been applied all over the body and also on our
beads. We were waiting for the bath. We were three of us on that
day. Our mother just went inside to attend to some urgent work and
also to get some towels. The roaring waves of the river seemed to
invite us. I longed to see the sight of the mammoth waves and
swirling waves. Taking advantage of the absence of our mother we
managed to sneak to the riverbed. I was standing on block of rock
kept on the side of the riverbed near our home. The sight of the
river was mesmerizing me. I was enjoying the sight. In the clay
contained red water, huge heaps of foams have formed and were
floating along the waves. The water was also carrying uprooted
small trees, and other miscellaneous items gathered en-route
during its majestic flow. For small boys any such unusual sights
were thrilling experience.
I did not know
how much time I was standing there. I heard the call of my mother.
I knew I should rush back to avoid harsh words or even beating
from my mother. I tried to turn around to climb down from that
small piece of rock on which I was standing. During the few
minutes when I was standing the water should be rising and rising.
I did not watch it. But suddenly the mud below the rock had been
washed off, and the rock slipped into the rushing waters.
Faithfully, I had followed the rock as a companion. The rock had
landed nearby; but I was washed off along the big waves of the
river. Somebody was shouting calling for help, and many rushed to
see me mercilessly thrown up and down the water. Somebody
succeeded to hold me for a while along the shore, but was not able
to have a firm grip on my hands. The soaked oil on my body made it
slippery for that man to keep the hold on me, and eventually I
slipped out of his hands.
There were two
or three more rolling along the water, and then I thought I was
going down the water, unable to grasp my breath. I had already
taken lot of water into me and I could breath no longer. It was
at that critical moment, that I suddenly felt that somebody from
under the water was supporting me! I could feel a pair of hands
holding me and keeping me aloft the water for a distance of few
meters. Suddenly I saw a branch of a huge tree almost touching the
water, and I had presence of mind to hold on to that branch. As I
was holding desperately to the branch, half portion of my body was
still in the water, and the force of the water was threatening to
pull me again into it. I was trying to cry loudly and call my
mother. But no sound was coming out from my throat. The fear of
death in that tender age was overwhelming me. But from that
instant I could not feel the mysterious hands, which were
supporting me till then. I thought that somebody had tried to save
me from the floods and then vanished when perhaps I was safe
holding to a tree branch.
There was
immense hue cry along the shore of the river, many running here
and there and nobody venturing to dive into the water and retrieve
me. Within minutes an old man from our neighboring house came near
the tree, and called out to me. He shouted that he is coming down
to me and would rescue me. He advised me to be brave enough to
hang on till he reached me. That old man climbed over tree, and
jumped into the water nearer me, took hold of me, and swam along
the shore for a small distance, before he could set his feet on
earth. He ran over the land with me, and did some mysterious acts,
such us holding me upside down, and then holding the legs he
started circling round and round viciously. He then put me on the
floor face down, till I vomited all the water which I had consumed
during those dreaded period of uncertainty.
But all along,
I was thinking of those mysterious Hands, which were supporting me
from under the water. Who was He? I did not know. The elders in
our house did not believe the story of those two hands supporting
me from down the water.
Anyway all the
people in that tiny village were willing to admit that I had been
saved miraculously. Because it was a rare event of any children
coming out alive from the swirling water of River Harichandra,
when it was flowing dangerously along the shores of the village.
The pity is
that our family lost a child in the same river, within a 5 years.
That child happened to be my younger brother.
As I had
mentioned earlier, Our Lord Sai had been watching me even from my
tender age, and Swami was in the act of resurrecting me from the
jaws of the death. We will see a little more of it in the coming
installments.
Sai ram.
Petal 1 -
Petal 2 -
Petal 3 - Petal 4 -
Petal 5 -
Petal 6 - Petal 7
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