COOL AND SOFT

Snakes were Bhagavan’s companions since the days on the hill. Bhagavan and snakes respected each other. They were the fellow lodgers in the caves on the hill. Bhagavan used to say, “We have come to their residence and we have no right to disturb or trouble them. They do not harm us.”
Bhagavan was completely at home with the snakes and other reptiles. They also had absolutely no fear of Bhagavan. It is said that Sadhus extend their protection to all beings. This applied to Bhagavan who protected even poisonous creatures. He was stung by deadly scorpions at least on three occasions but nothing happened to him.

IT IS COOL AND SOFT
Once, a devotee wanted to know from Bhagavan whether it was true that he was friendly with snakes while living on the mountain. Bhagavan replied, “Yes, it is true. One particular snake crawled over my body. It was very friendly snake. At its touch my body used to feel as though it was tickled. The snake used to come and go whenever it liked, on it’s own accord.”
Dr. Sreenivas Rao, the Ashram doctor asked Bhagavan whether a snake had crept over his body. Bhagavan replied. “Yes, snakes raise their hood and look into your eyes. They seem to understand that they need not be afraid of me and then pass over me. It did not strike me either that I should do anything to it.”
When another devotee asked, how Bhagavan felt when snakes crawled over his body, he replied laughingly, “Cool and soft.”

SNAKE AT SKANDASRAMAM.
Once, a snake crept into Skandasramam. Bhagavan’s mother was frightened when she saw the approaching cobra. But Bhagavan began walking towards the snake very calmly. As he did so, the snake began to withdraw and moved out. It withdrew into a crevice in the rocks. Bhagavan followed the snake to the crevice. The passage in the crevice ended against a rock wall. Being unable to escape, the snake all of a sudden turned towards Bhagavan and raised it’s hood and looked steadily at Bhagavan who in turn returned it’s gaze. The game of mutual hypnotizing went on for some time. The snake, presumably grasping that Bhagavan was harmless uncoiled and approached Bhagavan confidently. It almost touched his feet, and later slithered away. The same snake would often visit Skandasramam for Bhagavan’s ‘darshan’ even when he was amidst visitors. The snake would occasionally try to climb on Bhagavan, but he would not encourage it. There were two peacocks in the Ashram. When they danced, quite surprisingly this snake would also join them in their dance. The peacocks never hurt this snake.
There was another snake which would come to Bhagavan, go round him in Pradakshina three times. Bhagavan would say, “Go away. Visitors come here for darshan. Seeing you they will be frightened. Please go away.” And the snake would slither away!

OBEDIENT SNAKE
At Skandasramam a peacock would follow Bhagavan everywhere. One day a huge black cobra appeared in the ashram and the peacock attacked it fiercely. The cobra spread its hood and the two natural enemies were poised to fight to death. When Bhagavan saw this, he understood the gravity of the situation. Bhagavan went near the cobra and said softly, “Why did you come here? That peacock will kill you. Better go away at once.” The cobra immediately lowered its hood and crawled away.

DO NOT KILL THE SNAKE
One morning, in December 1945, Chinnaswami and others saw a snake crawling near Bhagavan’s hall. People started shouting outside, “What kind of a snake is it? Beat it! Beat it!” When Bhagavan heard the sound of the beating of the snake he cried out, “Who is beating it?” Apparently this remonstration of Bhagavan was lost in the noise of the crowd, and the snake was killed. When Bhagavan came to know this he said, “If these persons are beaten like that, then they will know what it means to be beaten.”

Suri Nagamma tells on 23.5. 49 about a big green snake to be with Bhagavan in the Jubilee Hall. When Krishnaswami, Bhagavan's attendant pointed out that people might be afraid during the coming festival days Bhagavan said:
"Oho! Is that your fear?"
So saying Bhagavan looked at that snake for a while, steadfastly and graciously. Immediately after that, the snake, which was remaining still all the time they were discussing, got down the pandal rapidly, went into the flower-garden and disappeared.