Lakshmi in Samadhi

[Guest guest]

A villager had a dream in which he was told to offer his next calf to

Ramanasramam. He brought his cow and the calf to Bhagavan. The jungle around the

Ashram was thick at that time and there were cheetahs. The Ashram people were

perplexed and refused the offer, but the villager was taking his dream seriously

and would not take the calf away. The mother cow had to remain with the calf to

feed her. Finally, the cow and the calf were entrusted to a devotee in the town.

The calf became the famous cow Lakshmi. She grew up and had three calves within

a few years. She would come daily to the Ashram to have her meals, graze on the

Ashram land, enter the Hall and sit contentedly near Bhagavan. In the evening,

she would go back to the town as other women did.

 

Once Lakshmi came into the Hall. She was pregnant at that time. It was after

lunch time when Bhagavan was reading the newspapers. Lakshmi came near and

started licking the papers. Bhagavan looked up and said: " Wait a little,

Lakshmi. " But Lakshmi went on licking. Bhagavan laid his paper aside, put his

hands behind Lakshmi's horns and his head against hers. Like this they stayed

for quite a long time. I stood nearby looking at the wonderful scene. After some

ten minutes or so, Bhagavan turned to me and said: " Do you know what Lakshmi is

doing? She is in Samadhi. "

 

I looked at her and tears were flowing in streams down her broad cheeks. Her

breathing had stopped and her eyes were fixed on Bhagavan. After some time

Bhagavan changed his position and asked: " Lakshmi, how do you feel now? " Lakshmi

moved backward, as if reluctant to turn her tail towards Bhagavan, walked round

the Hall and went out.