In the early days of the Ashram when the water well was yet to be fully excavated, devotees had placed a dried tree stump in the ground at the centre of the spring in order to support themselves when gathering water with buckets.
One day, a crow went to sit just on that stump.
Three days passed and the crow was still there, very still, sitting on that piece of wood.
On the third day Bhagavan, who just returned from his usual walk on the hill of Arunachala was lying on his sofa, in the meditation hall. He got informed, by a devotee, of the presence of the crow by the water spring.
Immediately Bhagavan got up from the couch and went to the spot.
Going close to the crow, Bhagavan with a sweet voice asked the small creature,
“What’s the matter?”
The tender crow slowly opened its eyes and looked at him.
Bhagavan asked the attendant to bring his kamandalu, the water pot.
Holding tenderly the crow in one hand he poured a few nectar-drops of water into its beak.
Just then, verily in Bhagavan’s hands, the crow breathed his last.
Sri Bhagavan arranged and supervised the construction of a small samadhi for the blessed crow.
When a devotee expressed his wonderment that the crow must have been a great soul waiting for Bhagavan’s graceful touch, to that remark Bhagavan replied:
“Yes! It appears so.”
