Sri Ramana's darshan for the green snake (Suri Nagamma)

[Guest guest]

"As the opening ceremony of the Pathala Linga Temple was fixed for the 4th

instant [in 1949] and as several

visitors were expected at the Asramam on that account and especially the

Governor and his wife,

it was felt that the available space would not be sufficient and so, a pandal

[open hall] was put up to

the right side of Bhagavan's sofa in the Jubilee Hall to accomodate them. A week

earlier, i.e., towards

the end of April, Krishnaswami arranged that the pandal should be used for Veda

parayana and also

for the ladies to sit under. It is after all a new erection; and on all its

sides crotons were placed,

khus-khus thatties were tied and water was sprinkled regularly. Hence the place

remained comparatively

cool.

 

Some four days after the pandal was erected I happened to go there in the

afternoon a little earlier than

usual. Bhagavan had just gone out and come back. There was nobody near him. I

prostrated before

him and then sat down unter the pandal. A big green snake came through an

opening between the

crotons on the side of Bhagavan's sofa, glided along some distance, got up on

the roof of the pandal and

settled down comfortably there. I was not frightened in any way and so kept

quiet looking at the snake

and at Bhagavan. He noticed my feelings and said with a smile:

"He has come here because it is cool."

I said: "Since how long could he have been here?"

Bhagavan replied: "He came here about the same time as I returned here after the

midday meal. He has

been going around the pandal and also the crotons. He has been coming here like

this for the last three

days and going away around 2.30 P.M."

I said: "He must be a great soul. He must have come here in this shape to serve

Bhagavan when he

is alone."

 

As I was saying this, Krishnaswami came in.

Krishnaswami: "I do not know what to do. He is coming here every day. Bhagavan

says we should

not chase him away."

Bhagavan: "What if he comes? What harm has he done to us?"

Krisnaswami: "He has not done anything to us. But this is a place to which

several people come.

Is it not risky?"

Bhagavan: "Oho! That is your fear!"

So saying, Bhagavan looked at the snake and at me. I too began looking at the

snake and at Bhagavan,

and, I said: "He must have come here to serve Bhagavan. But if he comes with

this cover (meaning the

body), there is likely to be some trouble to him from the people in general and

from him to the general

public."

Bhagavan: "It might be so."

 

Bhagavan thereupon looked at the snake for a while, steadfastly and greaciously.

Immediately after

that the snake, which was remaining still all the time we were discussing, got

down the pandal rapidly,

went into the flower garden and disappeared. There was no knowing what message

he received when

Bhagavan gazed at him. The clock struck the half-hour. Devotees began coming in

in rows and

prostrated before Bhagavan. Bhagavan's look thus got diverted and he came back

to his normal state.

The snake was never seen afterwards."

 

(Suri Nagamma: Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam, p. 75-77)