How Meditator Tiger met the cubs

The cubs wanted to hear a story from Meditator Tiger. Actually, it was a lot more complicated than that. The cubs could not put down their Math workbooks. Mum Lioness often had to scold them at bed-time or lunch time, to put the books down.

These were no ordinary Math books, certainly not the simple ones humans were taught with. For one thing they were Lion Math Books. Even leopards and tigers could not understand this level of Math. Spotty had tried spreading a rumor that Mum Lioness had written them.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, Mum Lioness wanted the cubs to take a break from Math and so she told them that if they hurried over to Meditator Tiger's cave he would tell them an interesting story.

And so the little cubs thinking that Stripes was waiting with a story for them, a story that would have squares and cubes and right angles and polygons, went sprinting over to Stripes' cave.

Omcub had the idea that Stripes should tell them how they came to know the Lionses. This story had been told and relived many many times but Om hinted that it could be told "differently".

Meditator Tiger got the hint and thought a while.

I was climbing the Arunachala hill once, he said,
WE were, interrupted little six-month old Spotty (the leopard cub), rather annoyed at being left out.
Okay, WE were climbing the hill, wanting to reach the summit.

Spotty was feeling hungry.
YOU were, interrupted Spotty, his eyes almost red.
Okay, I was feeling a bit hungry, continued Stripes.

And just then, I .... er ... one of us smelled Ramana Munch.
We didn't know what it was but it smelt heavenly.
Spotty smacked his lips. My stomach started to rumble a bit.
"A bit", interrupted Spotty, it sounded like thunder!

And just then something fell out of the trees and pinned me down. When i opened my eyes I saw it was a little lion cub! He let out a whistle and two more sprung out of the bushes.
I was surrounded by these three lion cubs staring at me like they had never seen a tiger before.
Surprisingly, they were not the least afraid of me!

Spotty tried to be protective and frighten them off but they simply would not be frightened.
The one who tackled me and pinned me down then invited me in to their cave.
I felt a little embarrassed as we were not really in our Sunday's best.

As we entered Mum Lioness brought in a large hamper of this most divine looking and smelling thing I had ever seen. She behaved as though she knew me. No looking at me carefully, evaluating me and all that.

That must have been because I was there too, added Spotty. Surely they called you in because of ME.

Perhaps, mused Stripes.

We talked and talked and talked.

What did we talk of, asked the cubs.

Well, we talked of Bhagavan and Arunachala, for one thing. Mum Lioness showed us the poems you have written about Bhagavan. And she showed us the altar with Bhagavan's photographs.

All the Ramana Munch was finished in no time. Mum Lioness then got some idlis and delicious sambar which also disappeared very quickly.

When it was time to continue up the hill, we got up, realizing that you were kindred spirits. To me it seemed our meeting did not happen by accident. Bhagavan wanted it to happen.

Then what happened, asked the cubs eagerly.

Then we thanked Bhagavan for bringing His devotees together.

Well, you were living in the very next cave so we were bound to meet someday!, observed Tirucub. Everyone laughed remembering how the meeting had actually happened.


Tomorrow is a full-moon, Spotty reminded everyone.
Can we do pradakshina tomorrow, Mum Lioness, pleaded the cubs.
Of course, she replied.
Can we take Rumple and Crumple along? they pleaded.
Everyone laughed remembering Rumple's request that they do pradakshina seated on Mum Lioness's shoulders, which she had said was not going to happen!