Sathyam Sivam Sundaram - Part I

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1940, the entire town was shocked to hear that a "big black scorpion" had stung

Sathya. It was at dusk, about seven o'clock, when Sathya gave a shriek and

leaped up grasping his right toe as if he had been bitten! Although no scorpion

or snake was discovered, he fell as though unconscious and became stiff. He did

not speak and his breathing became faint.

1"> When such an occurrence happens to Sai Baba now, devotees do not

feel shocked, for they are accustomed to His leaving His gross body and going

out in the "subtle body" to other places. As they were then as yet

unaware of the reason for these divine instances, brother Seshama and others

became alarmed.

11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> There is a belief current in

Uravakonda and the surrounding country that no one can survive a snake bite or

scorpion sting received in that vicinity. It is primarily because of the

many-hooded "serpent stone" that has given its name to the area that the dread

superstition has spread, for the rock looks as if a serpent has raised its head

to strike with its poisonous fangs. Seshama brought in a doctor who

gave Sathya an injection and left some medicine. Sathya was

"unconscious" throughout the night. However, an incident occurred in the night

which clearly showed that he was not unconscious at all. On the contrary, he

was actually supraconscious! Thinking that the condition of the boy might be

due to some evil spirit's possession of him, someone suggested that

Muthyalamma, a spirit in a cave near the hill, should be propitiated.

Volunteers hurried to the temple, climbed down a ladder into the sanctum

sanctorum, and offered worship by placing flowers, burning incense, and

breaking a coconut. Just when they were doing this in the cave, Sathya, who was

to all intents unconscious, said, "The coconut has broken into three pieces,"

and when the volunteers came home with the offerings, they had with them three

pieces of coconut instead of the customary two! The doctor came

again the next morning and declared that the boy was out of danger. Sathya

revived in a day or two, then began to behave in an extraordinary manner. This

was sometimes explained as "a complete transformation of the personality - the

occupation of Sathya's physical frame by Sai Baba of Shirdi." The Serpent

Hill (To be continued..) SaiRam