This mountain is the home of these wild animals and we are their guests.

1st January, 1946

The other day I learnt of one more incident in
Bhagavan’s life on the hill and so I am writing to you about
it. When Bhagavan was living in Virupaksha Cave, the roar
of a leopard was heard from the place where drinking water
was available nearby. By the time the scared devotees had
gathered some plates and drums in order to make a noise
and drive the leopard away, it had drunk the water it
required and gone away with one more roar.

Bhagavan looked at those frightened devotees and said to them in an
admonishing tone, “Why do you worry so much? The
leopard intimated to me by the first roar that she was coming
here. After drinking water she told me by another roar
that she was going. She went her own way. She never
meddled with your affairs. Why are you so scared? This
mountain is the home of these wild animals, and we are
their guests. That being so, is it right on your part to drive
them away?”

Perhaps with the intention of relieving them
of their fears, Bhagavan added, “A number of siddha purushas
(holy beings) live on this mountain. It is perhaps with a
desire to see me that they come and go, assuming various
shapes. Hence, you see it is not right for you to disturb
them.”

From that time onwards, the leopard used to come
frequently to that place to drink. Whenever the roar was
heard, Bhagavan used to say, “There you are! The leopard
is announcing her arrival.” Then again he used to say, “The
leopard announces her departure.” In this manner he used
to be quite at ease with all the wild animals.

One devotee asked Bhagavan whether it is true that,
when living on the mountain, he was friendly with snakes,
and one snake crawled over his body, one climbed up his leg
and so on.

In reply, Sri Bhagavan said:
“Yes, it is true. A snake used to come to me in all
friendliness. It used to try to crawl on my leg. At its touch
my body used to feel as though it was tickled, so I withdrew
my leg; that is all. That snake used to come of its own accord
and go away.”

Letter 18, Letters from Sri Ramanashramam by Suri Nagamma