Sorcery,Serenity & Mind

 

Sorcery, Serenity & Mind

This happened a long time ago; almost 28 years .

 Satish aged 17, son of my close friend Kamlesh, had staggered home, to his room and lay down on the cot. His parents assumed that he was tired and gave no further thought  to the matter.

But, he never turned up for Dinner. His mother noticed he had developed high fever.Later that night he went into bouts of delirium   and began babbling incoherently. His mother stayed with him the whole night and had informed Kamlesh that she held his hand the whole night. to comfort him.

Next morning, Kamlesh had rushed Satish  to their family Physician. His medications brought the  fever down. But soon after  Kamlesh left home for work the fever flared up again.

Kamlesh  had to rush back home, because Satish’s started shivering and convulsions had returned.   Further he found that his son was behaving like a small child pleading with his father not to leave  his bedside.Kamlesh also noticed that  his son was more restful as long as he was by his  side. It was a peculiar situation .

But, it was not possible for Kamlesh to remain   at Satish’s side always. Medical experts were consulted and medicines were administered. But even after five days the situation had not improved. The incoherent mumbling at night had only increased and he suffered intermittent bouts of fever.

Kamlesh’s mother-in-law had arrived from  Nanjangud to comfort her grandson. After seeing his  plight, she informed Satish’s mother that he might have been terrified after seeing “Something” ghoulish. What she had actually meant was he could be “Possessed”

She had persuaded her daughter and son-in-law to seek the services of the “Guddappa” from Thagaduru village in whom she placed unquestioned trust.

It was at this stage that Kamlesh requested me to meet him.  He narrated the events and enquired if I would be able to fetch the Guddappa from Thagaduru.

Now, Guddappa  also known as Devara Guddappa or Bettada Guddappa   is a tradition  in practice in rural households of  old Mysore region where a male family member offers himself to be in service of  the family deity , worships at  the temple in his native village and is revered as  a godman’. Like any other villager  they eke out a living as petty shop owners, vendors ,farm help etc;. They display long matted hair and besides the Vibhuti stripes on the forehead, have similar stripes stretching from the corner of their eyes to the ears. On special, festive occasions when they are on “Duty” they sometimes wear Ochre robes, Sport mysterious facial expression .The average simple villagers see “Guddappanavaru” as   Godman & messenger of God

His name was ‘Kalaiah’ . A village tea shop owner, he offered himself to the village deities “Thagdurayya ” &  Hattidevamma”,and proudly boasted about his devotion which helped   in driving out evil spirits. I found he was just another  village yokel and detected nothing spectacular .Driving back to Mysore with him  on  the back seat (he insisted)   “ Why on earth are Kamlesh and wife, both well educated and knowledgeable employing this unlettered tea shop owner  to treat their son. Have they gone bonkers?” I thought.

As I was helping him get out of the car at Kamlesh’s house, Guddappa, stared intently at my face and  in a strange sing-song  croaking  voice said “ಇವನೇನು ಮಾಡಬಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬ ಯೋಚನೆಯೇ ಮಾದೇವ”  and briskly walked into the house.

Guddappa  sat before Satish, he transformed from a village tea vendor into a convulsing, shrieking spook. With bloodshot eyes, hair flying around  he swayed from side to side mumbling   continuously.                                                                                                               

 He spoke alternately in whispers and in a crescendo .It was hard to decipher whether he was singings, or reciting prayers

He commanded Kamlesh to place his palm on Satish’s forehead. His squawking and wheezing was scary. It was at that moment that Kamlesh decided enough was enough

Guddappa collected his emolument and nonchalantly got into my car!

 After some Casual conversation while driving back, he suddenly drifted into his trance mode and reeled off my personal details and certain random past family events.

Thanking me for driving him to his village, the, Guddappa came over to the Driver’s side door, and looking intently at me said “ದೇವರ ರೂಪವನ್ನು ನೋಡಲು ಈ ಕಣ್ಣು  ಸಾಕಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಮಾದೇವ .ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಬುದ್ಧಿಯಿಂದ ಅದನ್ನು ರೂಪಿಸಲು  ಆಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ .ಎಂದಾದರೂ ದೇವರ ಆಜ್ಞೆ  ಆಗುವುದು  ಮಾದೇವ . ಅದರ ಅರ್ಥವೇನೆಂದು  ತಿಳಿವುದು  ಮಾದೇವ  .ಒಲುಮೆ ಮದ್ದು ಕೊಟ್ಟು ನಿನ್ನ ,ವಲಿಸಿ ಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗ್ತಾನೆ ಮಾದೇವ…………….ಗುದ್ದಪ್ಪನ ಮಾತು ಗುರಿ ತಪ್ಪದು ಮಾದೇವ ” . With a faint sarcastic smile he  walked away..

The incidents were soon forgotten ……… until I met Satish a couple of weeks later.

After exchanging pleasantries, I prodded  him with a few questions .  As if on cue he narrated the incidents that occurred on that fateful day;

 He had felt better after Guddappa left. The shivering and delirium had vanished. He was able to resume normal activities. Then he recounted the events. 

It was a dull and cloudy afternoon with frequent spells of rain. He was on his way to meet   his friend  (Girlfriend as I later gathered) at a famous restaurant .As he was trying to cross the busy road ,  a speeding bike come straight at him. Trying to avoid being hit he jumped forward , slipped and fell flat on his face on the Road. To his horror a truck approaching from the other side passed over him as he lay prone. .He blacked out. Some good Samaritans lifted him to the footpath and revived him. He learnt that the wheels of the truck  ran on either side of his body. He had a providential escape, Cold, Shivering in fright he somehow managed to reach home. He thought he was alright.But then,   delayed reaction and trauma set in.

I often wonder what happened that day. The mind is more powerful than we presume. During introspection following   a near fatal accident, the mind goes into delirium and evokes  various  symptoms. That is when the necromancers, sorcerers, Guddappas ,keen observers of people’s behaviour, do their sorcery and heal the afflicted person.

I don’t believe that the Guddappa exorcised any spirit from the boy’s body. I am unconvinced about the incident.

A good psychiatrist would have healed him, without the hullabaloo, and commotion

What a graceful thing it would have been. Without attracting the curious stares of the neighbours.

If only Satish had confided in his parents??     If only…......

 

Epilogue:: The words that Guddappa spoke to me, and certain observations he made about myself and a few incidents in the family were rather disconcerting. His words and neuroticism continued to trouble the  mind. Later he continued to appear in my dreams, I repeatedly heard the same lines .An year later it stopped.

However, on 7^th of January this year the family had to endure the pain of a terrifying & abnoxious incident. It was difficult to fight the  despondence.  Guddappa and his words came back in the dreams only to disappear by the month end. I do not know the connection nor the reason for the recurrence.  Strangely ,I desired to meet him one more time. Enquiry revealed that he had left Thagaduru some five years back. I made no further attempts.

But, the episode has provided enough motivation  to recollect & reproduce the weird experience.