At 11 p.m. in the night a group of Andhras came from Guntur, consisting of a middle-aged woman with a sad but firm look, her mother and two men. They requested audience with Sri Bhagavan.
The woman said to Sri Bhagavan:
“When my son was in the womb my husband died. The son was born posthumous. He grew up all right for five years. Then he was attacked by infantile paralysis. When nine he was bedridden. Nevertheless he was bright and cheerful. For two years he was in that condition and now they say that he is dead. I know that he is only sleeping and will awake soon. When they said that he had collapsed I was shocked. I saw in a vision a Sadhu who appeared to pass his hands over the child’s body and the child awoke refreshed. I believe that Sadhu is yourself. Please come and touch the boy so that he may get up,” she prayed.
Sri Bhagavan asked what the doctor said.
She replied, “They say that he is dead. But what do they know? I have brought the boy all the way from Guntur to this place.”
Someone asked: “How? Is the corpse brought here?”
She: They said that the corpse would be taken by paying special rates at ½ rupee per mile. We have paid Rs. 150 for it, and brought it as luggage.
M.: If your vision be correct the boy will wake up to-morrow.
She: Please touch him. May I bring him into the compound?
The others protested and persuaded them to leave.
They left and the next morning the corpse was reported to have been cremated.
When asked, Sri Bhagavan said: It is said of some saints that they revived the dead. They, too, did not revive all the dead. If that could be done there will be no world, no death, no cemetery, etc.
One man asked: The mother’s faith was very remarkable. How could she have had such a hopeful vision and still be disappointed? Can it be a superimposition attendant on her child’s love?
M.: She and her child not being real, how can the vision alone be a superimposition?
D.: Then how is it to be explained?
No answer.