A Scene in the Hall: —It is 8-20 P.M. Sri Bhagavan has returned after supper and stretched Himself on the Sofa. The light is dim; there are three men sitting on the floor; one is busy copying something from a journal; another is wrapt in meditation; and the third is looking around, having nothing to do. The hall is silent but for occasional clearing of the throat by Sri Bhagavan.
Madhavaswami, the attendant devotee, slips in noiselessly with a sheaf of betels in hand. He moves to the table. Sri Bhagavan, who is reclining on the sofa, sees him and calls out, yet kindly; “Sh, Sh; what are you doing?”
The attendant softly murmurs “Nothing”, leaves the betel there and fumbles hesitatingly.
M.: “I do not want it.” (The attendant softly settles down on the floor.) Sri Bhagavan: “Kasturi Pill —one after another, every day. The bottle will be empty —and more is ordered. I don’t want it.”
D.: Skilfully blames the olla podrida (அவியல்) of the day-meal for the indifferent health of Sri Bhagavan.
M.: “No—no—It was well made. It was good.” Silence but for expectoration and eructation. After a few minutes, the attendant slips out and returns with a bottle in hand, goes near Sri Bhagavan and stretches out a pill saying: “Cummin seed-pill”. Sri Bhagavan softly murmurs, “It contains lime juice; lime juice is not good for this.” One devotee Rangaswamy Iyengar has in the meantime become wide awake from his meditation and looks on. The attendant is still holding out his hand with the pill. Sri Bhagavan continues: “Who is to munch it?”
D.: “It need not be munched. It may be kept in the mouth and sucked.” The attendant hastily agrees, “Yes—yes—it is only to be sucked.”
M.: “Give it to him” pointing to Rangaswamy Iyengar. “Let him munch it or suck it. I do not want it.”
The attendant returns disappointed and squats on the floor; again rises up.
M.: “Eh!—Eh! What do you do? I do not want.” The attendant moves up to the medicine chest, murmuring “Kasturi pill—it will be effective.” Sri Bhagavan: “I shall soon be right even without it. Do not take it out. Eh!—Eh!—keep it there—I won’t take it —do what you like.” The attendant again settles down and all remain silent before retiring to bed.