Seshadri Swami and Birds

The following is a very nice extract from 'Seshadri Swamigal of Tiruvannamalai,' by S.A. Subramanian relating a story about Sri Seshadri Swami and a flock of birds.

"Venkatachala Mudaliar and his wife Subbalakshmi Ammal were earnest devotees of Swamiji. Quite often Swamiji used to visit them, take food in their house and talk to them in a jolly fashion. In the centre of their house there were two poorvarasa (portia) trees and two drumstick trees. It was a new moon day. Swamiji dropped in at 4 p.m. and said, “Subbalakshmi, come here, I will show you some fun.” When she asked what he was going to show, Swamiji was looking into the sky through the open verandah and raised his hands calling out, “Come! Come!” Immediately one crow came, then another crow flew in, then five, ten, fifty, hundred crows flew in; likewise a number of other species of birds like pigeons, parrots, various types of sparrows – yellow sparrows, black sparrow etc., all flew in.

They all crowded the whole place including the neighbouring house, sitting on the ground, on the roof, on the trees, etc., and started making a noise and jumping hither and thither and playing. Swamiji was standing in their midst and played with the birds. Subbalakshmi was watching the scene with curiosity. A few minutes elapsed when she told Swamiji. “You have called the birds from somewhere and are playing with them like this! After all they will also feel hungry and thirsty. Will their young ones not feel anxious?” Swamiji asked, “But should I ask them to go back?” Saying that, he took a strand from his shoulder cloth and blew it. Immediately all the birds departed."