The 11th Commandment is...

... be really, really sure of any miracles and supernatural powers you claim to have before you gob off about them. Especially on TV.

When a famous tantric guru boasted on television that he could kill another man using only his mystical powers, most viewers either gasped in awe or merely nodded unquestioningly. Sanal Edamaruku’s response was different. “Go on then — kill me,” he said.

They may both have been very confident, but strangely enough one of them turned out to be very wrong.

At first the holy man, Pandit Surender Sharma, was reluctant, but eventually he agreed to perform a series of rituals designed to kill Mr Edamaruku live on television. Millions tuned in as the channel cancelled scheduled programming to continue broadcasting the showdown, which can still be viewed on YouTube.

Yep, true. But I'll save you the trouble and tell you. Somehow I doubt it'll spoil the ending.

First, the master chanted mantras, then he sprinkled water on his intended victim. He brandished a knife, ruffled the sceptic’s hair and pressed his temples. But after several hours of similar antics, Mr Edamaruku was still very much alive — smiling for the cameras and taunting the furious holy man.

...

When the guru’s initial efforts failed, he accused Mr Edamaruku of praying to gods to protect him. “No, I’m an atheist,” came the response. The holy man then said he needed to conduct a ritual that could only be done at night, outdoors, and after he had slept with a woman, drunk alcohol and rubbed himself in ash.

Wait, what? Hmmm, that sounds familiar.



And did it work?

The men agreed to go to an outdoor studio that night — all to no avail. At midnight, the anchor declared the contest over. Reason had prevailed.

The thing that gets me is that this bloke presumably wouldn't have agreed to show his Spidey powers on TV if he expected that nothing would happen and he'd end up looking like a tit, so does that mean he actually fucking believed it himself? Frankly it makes some of the stranger beliefs of Christians, Jews and Muslims seem reasonable. Oh well, at least he managed to get a casual shag out of it.

Boggle.