Apology to Hornets: When I was stung by hornets in revenge Upon the leg until it was inflamed,

Although it was by chance I stepped upon Their nest, constructed in a leafy bush,

What kind of mind is his if he does not At least repent for doing such a wrong?

In those days I used to go all by myself. For answering calls of nature I used to stroll along taking no water with me, but going wherever water may be available.

It was on one such

occasion, on one morning, that I came across the banyan tree of which I have spoken often.

As I was walking on the bed of a hill stream, I saw a big banyan tree on a boulder, with big leaves. And crossing the stream, I wanted to get to the other bank and view from there this big tree. When I accidentally put my left foot near a bush on the way to the other bank, the hornets clustered round my left leg up to the knee and started stinging it. They never did anything to my right leg.

I left the leg there for some time, so that the hornets could inflict full punishment on the leg which had encroached on their domain. After a time, the hornets withdrew and I walked on. The leg got swollen very much and I walked with difficulty and reached ‘Ezhu Sunai’ (Seven Springs) about 2 a.m.

Jadaswami, who was camping there then, gave me some buttermilk mixed with jaggery, which was all that he could provide by way of food. This is what actually happened. But afterwards, people have gone and written that I had purposely set out to explore and find the banyan tree described in the purana as the one on the northern peak of the Hill, where Arunachala is said to be residing as a siddha. Meanwhile, the hornets stung me and I forgot all about the tree.