Held Up By Water

BABA'S THREE QUESTIONS...
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An old merchant from Kuppam arrived late one evening by car with his
family. As soon as Baba saw him, He asked, "How deep is the well?" I
thought the inquiry was about a well he was digging in his field, but
his son told me a very thrilling story.

V.R was suffering from acute stomach pain for over ten days and the
doctor in attendance left him one dark January night about 10PM.
Every one went to bed and all was quiet. An hour later, it was
noticed that V.R was not in his bed! Minutes passed, he did not
return. A feeble voice was heard from the distance, "Amma! Amma!".
The sons ran helter skelter and discovered that the voice emanated
from the well! It was 50 yards away from the house, 10 feet across ,
with water 25 feet deep, an irrigation well , with a wall all around,
slabs criss - crossing the depth, with a pumping set worked by an
electrically operated engine. The old man had fallen into it!

It was pitch dark, but, with the help of a torch it was found that
the old man was most miraculously standing erect close to the wall
with no apparent foothold, more than half his body immersed in the
water. He was praying aloud to Sathya Sai, his only succour.
Shuddering and shivering, one of the sons got down the well and tied
a rope round the waist of the old man; others went about frantically
calling for help, but they could collect only two timid individuals.
Then, as luck would have it, or rather as Baba willed, the Sub-
inspector of Police (whoever could have expected him of all people to
pass that way?) butted in to find out the reason for their commotion.
He helped in the rescue, by letting down a sofa for the old man and
slowly lifting him up.

The doctor, who was called in, was stunned because there was not a
single scratch or cut on the body; the patient was perfectly normal
and unconcerned and was reciting Baba's Name. He looked as if he had
just returned from a bath in the Chithravathi! How could he have
stood erect, clinging to the side of the well, with 25feet of water
beneath him? That was the wonder, the wonder of all who could not
grasp that the escape was Providential, nay, Sathyasaidential, to be
more exact.

A family came from Nellore and stood facing the portico of the
Prasanthi Nilayam. Baba appeared before long and He asked
them, "Where is the dog that took your son up the Hill?" I thought
the question referred to some pet dog which was faithful and
intelligent and I asked them whether my surmise was correct. No; it
was not. It seems his son left the house one night with out notice, a
week previously. Since he was not in the best of health, either
physically or mentally, the parents were naturally very worried; they
telegraphed to Baba; they searched all likely and unlikely places. In
the morning, someone came and gave them a clue…. he might have gone
to Tirupathi. So, they hastened to that place and drove up the Hill
and arrived at the Temple, to discover the boy there! He had climbed
the steps in spite of his ill health, because, as he said a lovely
little dog had inspired him and guided his steps. Its seems that dog
appeared suddenly from nowhere just after the first few steps; it
would climb seven or eight steps and sit looking affectionately
towards the boy, encouraging him to do likewise, urging him on, and
intimating to him that it was all so easy. Without knowing how, the
boy had followed the dog, talking to it and inspired by it, never
doubting its intentions or its authenticity as guide. A few yards
from the Gopuram of Sri Venkatachalapathi Temple, the dog melted
away. That was the story the son related to the astounded parents on
the Hill and at Puttaparthi to me, when I asked him about the dog,
that was mentioned by Baba, as soon as they came.

An officer who had to tour uninhabited tracts and jungles for at
least a few months every year as part of his official duties came to
Puttaparthi; he was looking up the verandah on the first floor of the
Nilayam, to get a glimpse of Baba. Presently, Baba appeared and
recognising him, asked, "Did you get the lorry I sent?" I thought the
man was a businessman who had dispatched a lorry to Puttaparthi and
was expecting it back. But the man had a different story to tell!

He said that the question revealed to him that the arrival of a
lorry, along a god forsaken jungle road to pick him up from his sick
bed and convey him to the nearest doctor, 40 miles away, was the act
of Baba and the saving of his life by that doctor's timely
ministration was a Satyasaidential act of mercy. It seems he had
developed a septic wound while in camp and that he had fallen into
delirium on account of the fever. It was raining terribly and thunder
roared overhead. He prayed to all the Gods he knew, including Baba,
but, found no ray of hope, for he was on the very center of no man's
land. Then, suddenly, he heard the noise of a passing lorry. Yes. The
driver had lost his way and was nosing his way about the jungle
tracks. His servants ran after it shouted desperately, and caught it,
by the side of a deep nullah, where it had perforce to stop. That
lorry saved his life.

And, now, he knew that Baba had sent it!

(ARTICLE WRITTEN BY LATE PROF.KASTURI, SANATHANA SARATHI APRIL 1961
ISSUE)