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Sri Sathya Sai Baba Teachings

 

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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