CHAPTER 1

THE TWILIGHT HUES

The saint of Akkalkot, more popularly known as “Shri Swami Samarth,” is

one of the greatest saints born in Maharashtra. Though he is well known within

that state it is strange that he whose life and spiritual attainment compares

favourably with most of the well known saints of India should be known so little to

the common people outside the state. He is recognised as an incarnation of Lord

Dattatreya.

In fact, as the following account of the life of the saint shows, he is none

other than Sri Nrisimha Saraswati, whose nirguna padukas (the holy stone sandals)

have attained fame at Gangapur in Maharashtra. The padukas are even today

unfailing guides to souls which are in search of spiritual illumination. Most of the

seekers in Maharashtra resort to them and dedicate themselves to the observance of

austerities and the study of the holy book Shri Guru Charitra, which is an account

of Shri Nrisimha Saraswati‟s life and also the life of the earlier avatar of Shri

Dattatreya, Shri Sreepada Sreevallabha Swami. Such seekers are unfailingly

guided to their appropriate spiritual masters by Lord Dattatreya either through

visions or dreams.

Many such seekers of the time were told by Lord Dattatreya to visit his

incarnation at Akkalkot as Swami Samarth. For instance one Baloji Raja who

prayed for Light at Gangapur was visited by the supreme guru Shri Dattatreya in

his dream. The Lord said, “When I am in your own principality (i.e., as Shri

Swami Samarth) why should you come here?” And then the Lord vanished. The

reference was plain enough to Baloji Raja.

The Saint first appeared at Akkalkot on a Wednesday in the month of aswini

(September – October) in the year 1856. He stayed there for nearly twenty two

years. Yet no one knew anything about his name, parentage, caste and community

and his native place. Even though several of his devotees tried to elicit these details

from him he never told them anything definitely. Though there are hints regarding

his antecedents which he dropped now and then, they are not cogent.

Once a devotee named Chintopanth asked him for these details. He replied,

“My caste is that of a cobbler.” On another occasion he told a devotee, “We have

come from Kardalivan” (i.e., the plantain grove at Sri Sailam). To another devotee

by name Karve he said on a different occasion, “I am a yajurvedi brahmin; gotra is

kasyapa. My name is Narasimha Bhan; pisces (Meena) is my lunar sign (rasi); if

you ask me further I shall thrash you!” When another devotee put the same

question to him he replied in a cryptic manner, “(I‟m) The Spirit that has originated

all-the banyan tree-the origin-the origin of the origin” (“Mulapurush – Vata

Vriksha – Mula”). One of his devotees has interpreted the last of the above

statements of the saint thus : Lord Dattatreya himself is the banyan tree. Its prop

roots are the various incarnations of Lord Dattatreya; of these the saint of Akkalkot

is one. But in view of the saint‟s life history I would like to interpret it in a slightly

different way. The saint was the guru of several other saints who were looked upon

as the incarnations of Lord Dattatreya by the people. Hence, he can be compared to

the banyan tree, the prop roots of which represent the various saints, his disciples,

who were hailed by the public as incarnations of Lord Dattatreya. So, the saint of

Akkalkot is one with Lord Dattatreya the origin of all those saints. That is why he

called himself „mula purush‟ (The Original Being).

Several were the occasions on which Shri Swami Samarth referred to

himself as Nrisimha Bhan, Dattatreya, the supreme originator, and said that he

hailed from the kardalivan or the orchard of Kardali trees. All these references,

along with several other spiritual revelations that he graced to some of his

devotees, strongly support the view that he is the same as Shri Nrisimha Saraswati

of Gangapur. The latter, after living for a long time at Gangapur, left his nirguna

padukas as his representatives, and reached the celebrated kardalivan at Sri Sailam

in Andhra Pradesh. He also sent a message to his devotees at Gangapur that his

arrival at the kardalivan will be indicated to them by the mysterious appearance of

myriads of flowers floating in the river Bhima Patalaganga (near Gangapur). After

a short sojourn at the holy place of Sri Sailam, Shri Nrisimha Saraswati entered the

kardalivan and nothing was known of him ever after. The above mentioned

references of Shri Swami Samarth of Akkalkot fit in exactly with these incidents in

the life of Shri Nrisimha Saraswati. Besides, one of the chief disciples of the

Swami Shri „Swami Suta‟ („Son of the Swami‟) once said to his disciples that Shri

Swami Samarth first appeared in the world as a boy of eight on chaitra suddha

vidiya (April – May) in the year 1149; he also added that Shri Nrisimha Saraswati

has himself later reappeared as Shri Swami Samarth.

Fortunately, for us, a few details regarding the accomplishments of Shri

Swami Samarth during his travels all over the country, prior to his arrival at

Akkalkot, have come down to us through those spiritual seekers who saw him in

the various places. He is said to have wandered long in Himalayas visiting such

holy places as Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangothri and Haridwar. Later he visited

other holy places such as Varanasi, Calcutta, Puri Jagannath, Rajore, Udipi,

Pandharpur, Sahyadri, Girnar, Mathapur, Karveer, Panchaleswar, Aswath,

Karanjnagar, Nrisimhavadi, Rameswar, Begumpur, Mohol, Sholapur,

Mangalvedha, Gangapur and many other places.

There is a strange account of his emergence from the Himalayas connecting

it with his earlier life as Shri Nrisimha Saraswati. Shri Nrisimha Saraswati, after

staying for some time in the kardalivan, reached the Himalayas and sat in incessant

samadhi for about 300 years in a dense forest. He was completely covered by ant

hills and even a big tree grew by his side. Once a woodcutter came to the forest

and chose that particular tree for hewing down. First he laid the axe to the ant-hill

and was stunned to see blood oozing from a corner of it. He immediately pulled

down the ant-hill and was amazed to see the Swami sitting underneath it, in

dhyana. The incident roused the Swami from his Samadhi. The wood-cutter found

that the blood emanated from a deep wound that his axe had caused the Swami.

Trembling with fear he fell at the feet of the Swami and begged his pardon. The

Swami blessed him and said that the incident was divinely prompted as the time

had come for him to come out into the world and continue his mission. Thence the

Swami started on his long walks. This incident took place nearly a hundred years

before his arrival at Akkalkot.

There are not more than one or two incidents which the Swami himself

directly referred to in his past history. On such runs thus. In a place called

Murugod in Karnataka there was a great saint named Shri Chidambara Dixit who

was believed to be an incarnation of Lord Siva. At a time when food and drink

were very scarce in the country Shri Chidambara Dixit performed several holy

yajnas (vedic sacrificial rituals) on a fabulous scale and fed lakhs of people with

sumptuous food which he created by his yogic power. During those yajnas and the

feedings Shri Swami Samarth assisted Shri Chidambara Dixit by serving ghee to

the devotees and the guests. Such another reference of his is to his stay in a place

called Bhudhargad where a certain Baba lived.

We also have a little information regarding the miracles that Shri Swami

Samarth performed at various places in the course of his travels. Most of his

miracles were intended as eye-openers to the greedy pujaries (priests) in holy

places who extracted money from pilgrims. There were occasions on which he

addressed even wild animals like the tiger and the deer as though they were human

beings, reminded them of the sins of their past births and showed them the proper

course for their emancipation. As a few incidents of the like nature have occurred

during his life at Akkalkot I shall pass over these in silence. However, I shall

mention one incident. There were two pahelwans (i.e., wrestlers) at Haridwar who

used to intimidate people by their prowess and satisfy their evil desires unchecked.

However, after some time, they contracted terrible diseases. Every one in the town

rejoiced that the evil pair got what they deserved and none came forward to help

them. The wrestlers too considered their plight as a just punishment for their

wicked past. They spent their time in prayer and repentance. At that time Shri

Swami Samarth was at Haridwar. The Swami one day, while dining along with his

devotees suddenly felt a flash of mercy for the penitent pair. Immediately he

rushed to their presence. Wondering at his arrival in the middle of his meal the

wrestlers were surprised and enquired who he was. “Why are you bothered about

that?” he retorted. “Let me first tell you what you are!” He then proceeded to

enumerate all their sins and concluded, “You ignorant ones! Not content with

doing all these wicked deeds, and inspite of your being brahmins, yesterday night

you have secretly killed a cow. Didn‟t you?” The wrestlers were dumbfounded by

his all-knowledge and sought his mercy. The Swami then took them to the dead

cow and sprinkled holy water on it and patted it. And the cow came to life again!

The crowds rushed to the Swami in wonder and admiration and sought his

blessings. The more learned among them then asked him who he was. He replied,

“I am a yajurvedi brahmin. My name is Narasimha Bhan. I am purush in the

origin, Dattanagar, Banyantree, Original! Original!” Some of the pandits could not,

however, believe his claims and so asked him to recite certain portions of the

Vedas. The Swami satisfied them completely by reciting every portion of the four

Vedas they chose.

There are instances, too, of Shri Swami Samarth helping spiritual seekers

through his divine power. There was a yogi, for instance, who was engaged in

penance for thirty six years to win the presence of Lord Dattatreya before him. One

day Lord Dattatreya appeared in his dream and told him, “I shall appear before you

tomorrow at the entrance of your cave.” Next morning when the yogi was eagerly

waiting for the promised appearance there appeared a tiger at the mouth of the

cave. The yogi was slightly shaken but soon Shri Swami Samarth came there,

blessed him and vanished!

Once a celebate named Alauni Bua arrived at Puri Jagannadh with three

other fellow pilgrims. Unfortunately for them, all of them were laid up with high

fever and there was none to serve them. While they were silently praying, Shri

Swami Samarth entered the room and stood there resting his hands on his waist.

The moment he cast a yogic glance at them they were instantly restore to health.

They bowed to him in wonder and enquired of him who he was. He replied with a

smile, “I am this infinite universe; I am everywhere. Yet my favourite resorts are

Sahyadri, Girnar, Kasi, Mathapur, Karveer, Panchaleswar, Audumbar,

Karanjnagar, Narasimhavadi and Gangapur.”

The poor pilgrims who had no food during the few days preceding owing to

fever suddenly felt a keen appetite as soon as their health was restored. Even while

the Swami spoke to them their mind was thinking of delicious food. The next

moment they were invited by their neighbours for lunch. The Swami too asked

them to have their food. It was a miracle that their passing desire for dainty food

should be so immediately satisfied by the grace of the Swami. News of their instant

recovery from fever soon spread in the neighbourhood and many people rushed

there for his darshan. Among them was a blind man. Not content with touching the

feet of the Swami, he prayed to the sage to bless him with a chance to see his

divine form. Then the Swami took a garland which was placed around his neck and

threw it at him. One of the visitors took it and touched the blind man‟s eyes with it

and his sight was restored! When all the people had left, an old man who lingered

there slowly whispered to the Swami that his wife was not to be seen anywhere.

Fixing his gaze intently at him the Swami replied, “You old man! Desire and

attachment have not slackened their grip on you even when you are at the threshold

of death!! When are you going to get free of them? In your previous birth you were

an oil vendor, quite devoted to me”. But the old man did not attach much

importance to the words of the Swami. Then the saint applied holy ash or vibhuti to

his forehead and asked him, “Come, tell me who you were in your past birth!” The

old man‟s memory of his past revived and he said, “I am Appa Teli; You are Shri

Nrisimha Saraswati.” The old man fell at Swami‟s feet and begged him not to send

him away from his holy presence. The word „Teli‟ in Marathi means an oil-vendor.

The Swami then touched the old man‟s forehead and restored his normal

consciousness. By that time, as though by coincidence, the old man‟s wife and

children came there. In the joy of reunion with his wife the old man was oblivious

of his earlier recollections of his past life and left the place with the Swami‟s

blessings. This incident was narrated later by Alauni Bua to a Sadhu by name

Vaman Bua.

Later Shri Swami Samarth reached Devalgram and left his holy sandals or

padukas for the worship of his devotees. The nawab of Nizam granted a jagir of

eight villages for the maintenance of the shrine erected over the padukas. The

Swami was known at that time as Chanchal Bharati (the Wandering One). In 1838

the Swami reached Mangal Vedha and lived there for twelve years. Yet no one

except a Yogi by name Balakrishna Bua recognised the greatness of the saint. All

the people there took him for a mad man. As he moved about completely naked he

was called „Digambar Bua‟ or „the naked saint‟. The Swami used to behave

sometimes like a mad man, sometimes like a child and at others, like a spirit

possessed man. This however, is quite in agreement with Shri Sankaracharya‟s

description of a perfect saint. The Swami used to sit in the common dust. When

Balakrishna Bua visited him he used to stand in the characteristic pose of Lord

Panduranga, his hands resting on his waist. His very sight used to inspire in

Balakrishna Bua tears of joy, horripilation and shivering and all other symptoms of

intense bhakti (or devotion) that are enumerated in the mystic books. And

Balakrishna Bua was not a superstitious layman. He was an adept in yoga with

several yogic powers at his command.

One day a poor brahmin by name Bhat invited Shri Swami Samarth to grace

his house for bhiksha. (i.e., food offered to a holy one). The Swami immediately

accepted the invitation and promptly arrived at the brahmin‟s house by evening.

Though he was greatly thrilled at his good fortune, Bhat‟s heart was secretly

touched by a fear that his poverty might render his hospitality too inadequate for

the great Swami. The Swami instantly noticed his fears and told him, “Prepare one

loaf prepared only with milk for me. I shall be satisfied”. As there was no milk in

the house Bhat‟s wife immediately set out for the milk maid‟s house. The Swami

saw her and said, “Having a cow in your own house where are you going for

milk?” The lady – Geetabai was her name – replied, “Our cow has not calved for

the last four years; it doesn‟t yield milk.” The Swami immediately got up, went up

to the cow and patting her lovingly, addressed it, “Oh mother Gayathree! This

brahmin is virtuous but poor. You should yield him milk”. Then Swami told the

lady to milk the cow and left the house, promising to return by the time the roti

was ready. Later the Swami kept his word. He came to Bhat‟s house, ate the roti,

blessed them and left.

While at Mangal Vedha, Shri Swami Samarth used to sleep in filthy places

and amidst thorny bushes. Yet his face always beamed with ineffable joy. A man

by name Basappa Teli saw him while in such an attitude and wondered whether he

was a saint or a madman, though he outwardly bowed to him in reverence. At once

the Swami looked searchingly at him and said, “Why do you want to know who I

am?” The Swami‟s ability to respond to his unuttered thought confirmed to

Basappa Teli that he was a great saint. Henceforth he devoted all his time to the

service of Shri Swami Samarth.

Basappa‟s was a poor family and no wonder that his wife lost her temper

when she found that her husband was running after a madman, neglecting her and

her children. One day the Swami suddenly got up and started walking briskly.

People wondered why, and some of them tried to follow him but none could keep

pace with him. Leaving all the others behind he entered the neighbouring forest.

However, Basappa Teli ran after him. Though the dense forest frightened him,

Basappa Teli derived courage from the Swami‟s company. At one place he found

innumerable snakes of different sizes, shapes and colours. In utter fright Basappa

fell at the Swami‟s feet in supplication. The Swami smiled assuringly and pointed

at the snakes and said, “Pick up as many as you want; you won‟t get the chance

again. Quick, do not fear!” Basappa picked up courage and caught one snake, and

tied it up in his upper garment. As soon as they emerged from the forest the Swami

told Basappa, “Go home and see”. When Basappa went home and opened the pack

he was stunned to see that there was a big lump of gold in it. This miracle had

convinced Basappa‟s wife of the power of Shri Swami Samarth. Thereafter she

never found fault with her husband for spending all his time in the service of the

Swami.

Once in the sweltering heat of a summer noon Shri Swami Samarth walked

into the house of one Babaji Bhat and asked for cool drinking water. The lady of

the house was very happy to see the Swami grace her with his request. But

unfortunately the well in her backyard was completely dry. The water in the house

was not so cool. And she did not want to say, „no‟ to the great saint. So she

immediately set out for the neighbouring house to fetch water for Swami. The

Swami saw her and laughed loudly, in his characteristic manner, holding his big

belly with both of his hands and said, “There is plenty of water in your well. Come

with me and I shall show you!” He then led her to the well and like an innocent

child urinated near the well in her very presence. At once water swelled in the well

almost to the full. Even today many of his devotees take a look of the celebrated

well.

In the forest near Mangal Vedha there lived a muslim who lived on alms and

wandered about like a mad man. But he showed the utmost respect for the Swami.

Besides serving him he used to offer „chilim‟ or the pipe. One day, pleased with his

loving service the Swami kept his boon-bestowing hand on the head of the muslim.

Immediately the muslim attained illumination and was in a state of samadhi.

Subsequently he became a famous saint whom thousands of people visited. He

continued to behave like a mad man and used to throw stones at the people who

tried to approach him. The stones usually missed their targets. But whoever was hit

by them was sure of having his wishes fulfilled!

Once during the stay of Shri Swami Samarth at Mangal Vedha he had a

strange meeting or conference with two great saints. Often Shri Swami Samarth

used to retire to a lovely solitary place in the outskirts of Mangal Vedha. One

morning, when he was sitting there, two strangers came to him. The very halo on

their faces and their dignified bearing showed that they were men of great spiritual

attainments. Then the three of them, the Swami and his visitors, had a strange

conversation in a highly cryptic language which made no sense to others. One of

them said, “Why do you weep?”. The second said, “Why are you calling?” The

Swami said, “Why are you doing that?” Then all the three together went up a

nearby hillock. What transpired there, what they conversed and what happened to

the two visitors was not known. But after a long while the Swami came down

alone.

Afterwards the Swami stayed for some time at Chalambe. At that time in the

court of Rajah Patvardhan there was one Ramadas who owned a mutt. One day the

Swami slept there for a long time. Ramadas wanted to go out somewhere but he

could not go out without locking the mutt. So he waited there for some time for the

Swami to wake up. But when the Swami showed no signs of waking up, in a fit of

impatience Ramadas locked up the mutt leaving the Swami inside and went his

way. Amidst his busy engagements he forgot all about the Swami and wandered

about in the village for a long time. All of a sudden the thought of the Swami came

up to his mind and he hurried towards the mutt. But on the way he was astonished

to see Shri Swami Samarth quietly playing in a child-like manner by the side of the

river! Inspired to probe the mystery further Ramadas however proceeded to the

mutt. To his surprise he did not find the Swami inside the mutt even though the

lock outside was intact. One Parasuram Bhat Gore, a native of Sholapur was a

personal witness of this miracle.

There was one incident connected with the Swami‟s departure from Mangal

Vedha in, 1850. The sun was very hot and the Swami was wandering in the

outskirts of the town bare-footed. At that moment there were two farmers named

Pandarinath and Eknath working in a nearby field. The Swami approached them

and asked Pandarinath to give him the shoes he was putting on. Pandarinath gave

them away immediately and the Swami quickly walked away with them. When he

was out of sight Eknath said to the other, “You have lent your shoes to that mad

man. Now he has gone away. Your elders are sure to take you to task for that.!” On

hearing that Pandarinath was greatly agitated in his mind. Strangely enough the

Swami came there in a moment and, giving back his shoes, said to Pandarinath,

“Now your elders do not have to scold you!”. And the Swami left the place

immediately. At first the farmers thought that the Swami might have overheard

their conversation hiding himself nearby. But after a few minutes some travellers

coming from Sholapur along the road told them, incidentally, that they met the

Swami just two miles outside the city of Sholapur! The Swami never returned to

Mangal Vedha ever after.

After that the Swami stayed in a place called Mohol for sometime. He stayed

there at the house of one Ganesh Sohni, the mamlatdar. There lived in Mohol one

Gawe Swami, a yogi more than 125 years old. He could, by his yogic power,

levitate his body nearly eight feet above the ground. One day he invited Shri

Swami Samarth to his ashram and had a private talk with him. Gawe Swami gave

up his yogic practices ever after because it was superfluous once the Swami had

blessed him with the highest realization!

A weaver of the same place insisted upon the Swami for a long time to bless

him with the experience of Brahman. For sometime the Swami ignored his

petitions. One day when the Swami was seated in front of the temple of Naganatha,

the weaver approached him and made his usual request. Then suddenly the Swami

pointed his finger in a particular direction saying, “Lo! There is Brahma. See!!”

The weaver found there a huge cobra and was much frightened. The experience

lasted for a number of days till Gawe Swami took pity on him and prayed to the

Swami to set the weaver‟s mind at rest. By Swami‟s grace the weaver‟s sanity was

restored. It is clear that the Swami did not want people to ask him for things which

they did not deserve.

Sohni used to celebrate the festival of holy Vinayaka Chaturthi on a grand

scale. Shri Swami Samarth also used to attend the function every day. But one day

the Swami was about to leave the place in the middle of devotional singing or

sankeertan. Sohni rushed to him and begged him to stay. But the Swami replied

that he did not want to stay in his house. Finding the Swami unrelenting, Sohni

sent one of his attendants to accompany the Swami to some distance. The attendant

who was also devoted to the Swami asked him, “When are you returning Swami?”

“After summer!” was the crisp reply. However, the fact was that Sohni had illicit

connections with a low caste woman and the Swami wanted him to mend his ways.

It soon turned out that a series of troubles cropped up in Sohni‟s life and he was

free only after getting rid of his bad ways. The whole of the unpleasant phase was

what was described by the Swami as „summer‟. And only at the end of it, could the

devotee Sohni see his master.

Shri Swami Samarth stayed at Mohol for five years and after wandering a

little, arrived at Sholapur. There he entered a temple of Lord Dattatreya and was

playing like a child in a corner. A devout man by name Chintopant saw him there

and felt that he might be a great siddha purusha i.e., a man of great realization.

Immediately Swami looked at him and said, “What is it to you whether I am a

siddha purusha or some one else?” At once Chintopant prostrated before him in

homage and invited him to his house for lunch. The Swami acceded to his request.

It was a coincidence that on the same day Chintopant invited some more

guests for lunch at his house. At the appropriate time all the guests assembled. One

of them, Dadaji, watched the ways of the Swami with contempt and whispered to

Chintopant, “How could you invite such a one as this who does not observe any of

the proper traditions? It does not behove us to sit by his side and lunch!” For a

moment Chintopant felt that his words might be true. The next moment the Swami

suddenly got up and walked out of the house saying, “I am going. There is doubt in

your mind!” The host was quick to realize his error and sought his pardon. The

merciful saint relented and stayed on.

After sometime Chintopant invited the Swami for lunch once again. Though

the Swami was prompt in arriving at his house he did not sit before his dish for a

long time. As he was the chief guest no one in the house could eat before he did.

Dajiba, the son of Chintopant was a clerk in the collector‟s office at Sholapur. As it

was time for him to go to his office he was in a hurry and his father was in a fix. At

last he found no other way than to ask his son to finish his lunch even before the

Swami did. But Dajiba did not like the idea. It was eleven „o‟ clock by the time the

Swami finished his meal. Then Dajiba took his meal in a hurry, took leave of the

Swami and reached his office. Straight he rushed to the head clerk to explain and

apologize for his delay. On hearing his plea the head-clerk was amazed because he

did see Dajiba at his desk in time and as a proof of his words he showed the

attendance register where Dajiba found his name already signed! Both of them

wondered at the miracle performed by the Swami. This incident took place in

1826.

Shortly after, Chintopant retired from his office and was offered a decent job

in the royal court of Akkalkot. He naturally requested the Swami to proceed with

him to Akkalkot, “Now summer is very hot. I shall come after rains”, replied the

Swami. Chintopant went alone and took his office. Soon after, the reigning ruler of

Akkalkot died and was succeeded by his brother. There was a heavy rain. It was

green and beautiful every where in nature. The wandering Swami reached

Akkalkot!

CHAPTER II

THE NEW SUN RISES

But the Swami left Akkalkot immediately. In 1856 Chintopant personally

went to bring the Swami to Akkalkot on the back of a horse. While the two were

on their way to Akkalkot Chintopant received an urgent call from the district

collector. He had no choice but to leave the Swami under a tree requesting him to

stay there till he came back. Chintopant kept his attendant to attend on him and

went away to meet the collector. By evening Chintopant hurried back to the tree

but there was no Swami there. The servant told him, “I repeatedly requested the

Swami to stay. But he had his way. „I am not bound to anyone‟, he said and taking

a few places, he suddenly disappeared!” Crest fallen, Chintopant returned to his

house wondering whether he would ever be able to meet the great saint again.

It was Chintopant‟s habit to visit the temple of Lord Khandoba, the presiding

deity of the village on his arrival at Akkalkot. On this occasion too when he went

there, he was pleasantly surprised to see the Swami there, playing like a child and

requested him to come to his house. “Our house is different”, the Swami said and

would not yield to his request. After staying in that temple for a few days, Shri

Swami Samarth shifted to the nearby gateway of the village. There he stayed for

three days without taking any food. On the fourth day, a muslim by name Ahmad

Ali Khan, who was working as a risaldar, saw the Swami. He took the Swami for a

mad man and asked him whether he wished to smoke. The Swami welcomed the

offer. Ahmad Ali Khan gave him an empty pipe and mockingly said, “Take it.

Here is chilim!” The Swami took it innocently and started puffing at it. The

risaldar was amazed to see that soon sparks of fire come out of the pipe and smoke

emerged from the Swami‟s mouth! Ahmad Ali Khan realised that the “mad man”

was indeed a great saint. So he proceeded to enquire humbly about the Swami‟s

needs. He personally went to the house of a brahmin by name Cholappa and got

meal for the Swami prepared in that house. The Swami took Ahmed Ali Khan with

him to the brahmin’s house. When the food was served to him the Swami wanted

Ahmed Ali Khan to touch his leaf plate before he ate it. At first the muslim

hesitated but when the Swami insisted he had no choice but to touch the plate.

Only then did the Swami eat. It was evident that the Swami wanted to show that

differences of caste, creed and community were unfounded. The Swami never

distinguished between Hindus and Muslims, dargahs, samadhis and temples.

According to the Indian lunar calendar the day on which the Swami dined at the

hosue of Cholappa was Aswini Suddha Panchami (Sept-October) in the year 1856.

From 1856 to 1877 the Swami stayed at Akkalkot. The Swami often used to

go to the neighbouring forest and fetch small sticks and play with them and tie

them up with threads plucked out of his blanket. When someone asked him what

he signified by that, he replied, “I am raising armies”. Not long after, the first war

of Indian Independence broke out in 1857 !! Only then did the people realise the

depth of the Swami‟s seemingly childish actions. Sometimes the Swami used to

play by putting his head, up to the neck, inside each cannon in the royal palace. In

the not distant future many of the Indian heroes in the struggle for independence

were killed by the British in exactly the same manner, their heads were blasted

with cannons!!

In a village called Rampur, in the district of Sholapur, there lived two of the

Swami‟s devotees – Rajupatil and his wife Vitalbai whom the Swami visited now

and then. On one of his visits the couple vowed to the Swami that on his next visit

they would feed forty brahmins. After some time the Swami visited Rampur along

with Cholappa. Rajupatil and Vitalbai made all the necessary arrangements to feed

forty brahmins. But by that time thousands of devotees from all the neighbouring

villages flocked to see the Swami. At noon the two devotees bowed to him and

invited him for lunch. The Swami who was smoking hukka at that time said, “Let

all the others eat first. Then we will eat !” The two devotees stood there dumb and

helpless. How could they feed „all the others‟ ?

The Swami understood their plight and ordered for a new basket made of

bamboos to be fetched from the bazar. Then he got all the food stuffs that were

cooked for the forty brahmins to be put in it and kept all the idols that were in their

family shrine over the food and covered them with rotis. Then he made the two

devotees worship Goddess Annapurna and told Vitalbai to carry the basket on her

head thrice around the holy tulasi plant in pradakshina. Then he asked them to

keep the basket in the kitchen and serve food to all the devotees who arrived there

– not merely for the forty brahmins ! The one condition that he laid on them was

that they should take as much as they could carry for serving from the basket and

not turn back to observe how much food was left in it. The feeding went on

continuously from morning to evening ! Many people had their lunch. Then at the

end of it, Patil prostrated before the Swami with tears of gratitude in his eyes and

requested him to have his lunch atleast for his sake. The Swami smiled and said,

“My father and my grandfather have not yet been fed. I shall eat after they do”. No

one could understand the significance of his words. Shortly, there arrived from

Sholapur a group of devotees who too had their lunch. Only then the Swami took

his meal. Next morning, when the hosts went and saw the basket, they were

surprised to find all the food that they had cooked for the forty people there intact!!

Jadav was an employee in the court of Rajah Maloji. He was a great devotee

of Swami Samarth. He was a potter by caste. The Swami used to address him

“Potter !” One day the Swami said to him, “You potter, a chit has been received on

your name!” Jadav could immediately understand the significance of the cryptic

expression. It meant that the days of his earthly life were numbered. Immediately

he bowed to the Swami and said, weeping, “Swami Samarth! Please save me. Not

that I am afraid of death but because I am afraid I may never get an opportunity to

serve you again. Please save me so that I can serve you longer !” The Swami

smiled most benignly and pointing at a bull which stood at a distance, cried, “Go !”

At once the bull fell dead. Thereby not only did the Swami give an opportunity to

Jadav to serve Him longer and thus elevate himself spiritually but he also saved

and uplifted the soul of the bull from that low birth.

Once Swami Samarth, along with Jadav, went to a village called Itagi. While

he was sleeping, a native of that village by name Ramanna was bitten by a cobra.

The villagers took him to the temple of Hanuman but he died on the way. Jadav

came to know about it and immediately took the sandals of the Swami and put

them on the head of the corpse in an attempt to revive it. The moment his sandals

touched the corpse, the Swami got up with a shock and started abusing Jadav,

“Where is this useless Jadav? He has taken my sandals and put them on the head of

the corpse! Drag the fellow here!!” The news of the Swami‟s anger at once reached

Jadav and he approached the saint hanging his head in shame. He quietly

swallowed all the abuse that Swami heaped on him; but finding that the Swami‟s

fury was on the increase and fearing that he might even be beaten, he quietly

slipped from the place and hid himself in a solitary place. But the Swami went to

him straight and commanded him, “Go near the dead body and call his name

loudly thrice in each ear. He will come back to life again”, Jadav did as the Swami

bade and Ramanna was revived ! The Swami was wild for having been forced by

his devotee‟s foolish desire to interfere with the fate of Ramanna but had to grant

his wish to sustain His devotee‟s faith.

One Appa Sutar was a close devotee of Shri Swami Samarth. By the

Swami‟s grace he had a rich harvest, and gratefully he invited the Swami to dine

on his field. The Swami went to his field with a number of devotees and all of

them sat around a fire in which the grain were to be roasted. The Swami started

sipping mouthfuls of water from a vessel spouting it on the fire. The fire which

should have been extinguished by it started blazing more brightly. Every one was

surprised. It looked as though ghee was being poured in the fire rather than water.

This miracle closely resembles the one performed by Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi when

he kept lamps burning with water instead of oil.

CHAPTER III

CLOSER THAN THY JUGULAR VEIN

The appearance of Shri Swami Samarth was striking and fortunately, we

have vivid descriptions of the same left for us by his close devotees. One of them

writes, “Shri Swami Samarth was always deeply immersed in BRAHMANANDA

(Bliss of Realization). His appearance was strange. Though he was an avadhuta far

advanced in years, his body, instead of being wrinkled, remained as it was in his

youth. He never knew fear or doubt. Though he was all-knowing he never

appeared to be such. His actions were like those of a child. However, his words

were sweet and full of love. As he was ever immersed in ananda he seemed to be

in a frenzy and never cared for anyone. This made it difficult for common folk to

recognise his greatness. He was very tall and his hands long, extending upto the

knees, his belly big, shoulders broad, his look piercing. He was handsome, rosy

coloured in complexion, his ears big, their lobes so thin that they shook with the

slightest movement of the body. His visage was big, his forehead broad, his

eyebrows tenderly grey. Though his body was tender as a rose it looked very

ancient and powerful”. Another devotee adds, “His feet were long. He wore the

caste mark (Tilakam) on his forehead. He always wore Kaupina (codpiece or

underwear). He had a fine set of teeth and a big and deep navel. He wore a rosary

of tulasi, rudraksha and crystal (sphatika). He had ear-rings inset with precious

gems. His actions were strange. He was always found to be muttering something to

himself and smiling. Sometimes he used to address stones and trees with great

affection, enquiring of them, “What do you want from me?” Sometimes vedic

hymns, sanskrit verses, devotional songs intended for group singing etc., used to

emanate from his tongue. He spoke very little but what little he said was directed

unerringly at the hidden feelings of his devotees. Sometimes his words were

cryptic and impossible to understand. He used to speak mostly in Marathi and

Urdu (not Hindi); because his utterances in that language were pure Urdu

pronounced in the Nizam‟s State” (Letter dt 28-2-‟74). He always used to repeat

every statement three times. Often his talk was full of foul abuse. He never

distinguished between Hindus and Muslims. Often he used to resort to the dargahs

of Sheikh Nuruddin and Khaja pir and Hindu temples.

The Swami never had any fixed daily routine to follow. He did not even take

a bath regularly nor did he change his dress at regular intervals. He used to ask his

devotees to give him a bath whenever he had a whim. Sometimes he used to get his

body besmeared with sandal paste and got arati done to him. Sometimes he did not

take a bath for several weeks on end! He used to sit wherever his fancy led, from

the cremation ground to the royal palace. Though he did not adhere to ritual purity

and such other customs, he used to ask many of his devotees to observe them

scrupulously. No one could walk as fast and as long as he did. Sometimes he used

to go on talking for long periods. So too, if he started smoking hukka he used to

consume it for a long time, quite absorbed in it. He used to mingle with children

and play with them freely.

Once, in a strange fit of passion, the Swami struck the dargah (the tomb of a

muslim saint) and a part of it broke. All the muslims in the village were infuriated

at it and they set out together to chastise him. The Swami was unmoved on hearing

the news but he calmly beckoned to a devotee and asked him to hold a black dog

which was lying there pressed hard against the ground. When he acted according to

the Swami‟s order, many difficulties and ordeals cropped up in the families of the

muslims. After a little while, an old muslim gentleman assembled all the others and

told them that the Swami was a great Aulia (siddha purush) and that it is not good

for them to get into trouble with him.

Shri Swami Samarth was particularly fond of dogs and cows among animals,

saffron coloured ones among flowers, ladu among sweets and onion curries among

dishes. However, he never ate anything by himself. He had to be fed by someone

as though he was a child. Sometimes he had to be cajoled and persuaded to eat.

When he slept he covered himself from top to toe and would go on muttering

something to himself throughout his sleep. He slept soundly, snoring occasionally,

though he slept only for a very short while.

However, the one observance that he constantly adhered to was the sipping

of holy-water thrice every morning from his own palm (Achamana).

Nearly 3,000 people used to visit the Swami every day and there were

constant bhajans and Kirtans (devotional singing and chanting). Though the

devotees offered him the daintiest dishes and delicacies he never even tasted them

except on very rare occasions. Once when a rich variety of delicacies were placed

before him by his devotees, one of the visitors wondered at the sight of it and

thought that a true saint should not hanker after tasty things as the Swami seemed

to hanker. But the visitor did not have the boldness to speak out his doubt. But all

the same, it could not be hidden from the all-knowing Swami Samarth. At once the

Swami threw all the dishes aside and ordered for two measures of green chillies to

be brought, ate them all and sat contented! That was his reply to the unuttered

doubt of the visitor. Sometimes the Swami used to play with the various dishes

offered to him like a child; or sometimes he used to store nuts, sweets, pebbles and

marbles behind the idols in temples.

Among the visitors there were some foreigners also. A westerner who was a

District Engineer at Sholapur once visited the Swami to solicit his grace for the

fulfillment of a wish. But on seeing the Swami and his childish behaviour he

thought that he was a mad man. The Swami then looked at him and said, “You

want to be blessed with a child. You will have one within a year !” The visitor was

thrilled by his insight and bowed to him in reverence. And within a year he was

blessed with a son!!

Similarly, there was a man from Israel who was a doctor, an eye-specialist,

in Jamshadji Jijibhai Hospital. During the Christmas vacation he started on a tour

and reached Akkalkot. There he heard of the Swami and went to see him. On

seeing him the Swami immediately said, “You have treated thousands of eye-

patients”. The doctor was charmed by the Swami‟s omniscience. After his

retirement the Jew had spent the rest of his life at Akkalkot.

Great scholars and pundits used to visit the Swami with a desire to test his

knowledge. The Swami used to talk to the various sections of his audience on their

level of understanding. In 1870 one Brahmachari Baba came from Bombay along

with his disciples. After paying his respects to the Swami he retired to his lodgings

and started cooking his meal. He sent Laxman, one of his disciples, to the shop to

buy a little candy. The Swami who was sitting in Cholappa‟s mutt started

grumbling and complaining, “See! That rogue Lakhu is eating candy without

giving me!!” A devotee by name Manjrekar who was sitting by the Swami‟s side

jumped at the opportunity to test the correctness of the Swami‟s words. So he at

once ran to the bazar. And there he did find „Lakhu‟ munching a piece of candy on

his way home! Manjrekar told him of what the Swami said of him. Lakhu was

amazed at it and at once ran to the Swami and bowed to him in reverence.

Henceforth he took a vow that he would not eat anything without offering it first to

God and also promised to control his tongue. It was a lesson in self-control which,

when the Brahmachari Baba taught him, seemed, to be a mere platitude. He was

very much impressed by the omniscience of the Swami.

A rich brahmin from Bombay had no issue. So he went along with his wife

to Gangapur and vowed to Lord Dattatreya that if he was blessed with a child he

would feed a thousand brahmins in that holy place. His wish was granted in due

course and he had a son. But unfortunately for him, he suffered a heavy loss in his

business and he became a pauper. The brahmin died heart-broken but his wife

faced life with fortitude. Once she expressed to a lady of her next door her regrets

for her inability to fulfil the vow made to Lord Dattatreya. The lady advised her to

go to Gangapur and put forth her excuse before Lord Dattatreya and pray to Him to

show her a way out. Immediately she proceeded to Gangapur and sought the refuge

of the holy padukas of Shri Nrisimha Saraswathi. The same night Lord Dattatreya

appeared to her in a dream and said, “Go to Akkalkot and feed Swami Samarth

there. That is equal to feeding a thousand brahmins.” In great joy she proceeded to

Akkalkot and bowed to the Swami who was playing on the roadside like a child.

He was pleased with her devotion and so, called her near him and asked her to feed

him. She considered himself blessed for that and happily she fed him. After the

meal Swami looked at her lovingly and said, “Do not be worried. The thousand

brahmins are fed!” The lady shed tears of joy and gratitude for his kindness,

wondered at his omniscience and adored him for his identity with Lord Dattatreya.

She was also impressed by the infallibility of the divine guidance she had at

Gangapur.

Babaji Sadoba was a superintendent in a post office. He used to visit the

Swami every weekend. On a particular Sunday, when he sought leave to return to

his office, Shri Swami Samarth said, “Stay! Where could you go?” But Sadoba had

to attend the office the next morning and so his mind was restless. He sought the

Swami‟s permission twice more. At last the Swami said to him in Hindi, “Nadi

Kinare Par” (“The river has crossed the bank”). None could understand the

significance of his words. After a little while, when the Swami was engaged in

talking to his visitors Sadoba managed to slip away and reached Kadabgaon

railway station. There he was told that river Krishna was in spate, that it had

submerged the nearby bridge and that no train was likely to arrive till the next

morning. He had to sit in the biting cold of the night till the next morning! The

words of Shri Swami Samarth could never go in vain!!

CHAPTER IV

THE KING OF KINGS

Shri Swami Samarth was not conditioned by any of the social distinctions

between man and man. The rich and the poor, the educated and illiterate were all

same to him. All depend equally on the mercy of God. It is then highly improper

for such mortals, however noble they might be by birth, to show off their greatness

especially in the presence of saints whom they consider to be manifestations of the

Divine. For, spiritual perfection far excels all types of temporal power. Thus Jesus

Christ was called the „King of Kings‟. This title applies equally to all perfect

saints. How true is this can be seen from the contents of this chapter.

Maloji Bhonsale was the ruler of the principality (Samsthan) of Akkalkot.

He was a great devotee of Swami Samarth. There were occasions when the Swami

too walked freely into the royal palace. The Rajah used to visit Cholappa‟s mutt

every day to pay his repsects to the Swami. Once, on the festive occasion of his

birthday, the Rajah came, with all his royal insignia and pageantry to receive the

blessing of the Swami. The prince wore his crown and all his ornaments and came

riding on his elephant, accompanied by his wives, attendants and his guard. He

walked into the mutt and bowed before the Swami. The latter did not at all like the

show of the Rajah. But he kept silent and did not even glance at the royal visitor.

After a few moments of embarrassment the Rajah tried to draw the attention of the

Swami and so he again bowed to His feet. The Swami was enraged and at once

slapped the Rajah. The crown fell to a distance of twenty feet under the impact of

the blow! The stupefied and shocked prince stood dumb, feeling his cheek. Then

the Swami said, “Your royal dignity is proper only to your palace and your

assembly of ministers. This is not the place for that. We can make any number of

toy kings like you”. Ever after, the Rajah used to leave his coach three or four

furlongs away from Cholappa‟s mutt and walk like any other visitor, all the way

into the august presence of the Swami and he used to dress himself plainly, as an

expression of his humility.

The one wish of the Rajah was for offspring. He prayed silently to the

Swami to bless him with a son. Soon his wish was granted and his wife conceived.

However, he was haunted by the question whether the child would be a son or a

daughter. One day Shri Swami Samarth asked him for a pair of bangles; often he

was also found playing the woman by sitting before the hearth and so on. From all

these the Rajah concluded that the Swami was indicating the birth of a daughter to

him. The thought pained him a little for he yearned for a successor. One day when

the wish passed through the Rajah‟s mind while sitting before the Swami, the latter

smiled and said, “Light the cannon ball!” It was evident to the Rajah that the

Swami has granted him a son. Indeed, he had a son and the birth of the royal

successor was announced to the world by the Rajah in the manner specified by the

royal guru. Cannons were fixed and the Rajah himself personally distributed candy

to the people.

Strange were the ways in which Shri Swami Samarth taught right conduct to

his devotees. Once two of his devotees had a quarrel. Then he called the more

quarrelsome of the two and put in his palm a live ant. Thereby he wanted to teach

that man should have atleast as much spirit of love and co-operation with his

fellows as an ant has for its species.

Once the Swami visited the royal palace and the Rajah received him with

due respect and took him to the family shrine. The Rajah and the saint sat on a

swing. The priest was grinding a sandal wood into paste. At that moment a rat

came there and tried to eat the ghee in the lamp intended for worship. The priest,

enraged at the desecration, threw the heavy sandalwood at the rat forcefully. The

poor creature was badly hit and it died on the spot. The priest was happy and said,

“That‟s it! That‟s what you deserve!” As he picked up the dead rat and was going

out to throw it away, the Swami snatched the dead rat from him and started playing

with it, passing it to and fro through a big iron link in the chain that supported the

swing. Then he took it in his palm and said to it lovingly, “Get up dear one, and go

your way!” Then the rat came to life and immediately ran away. The Rajah and the

priest were astounded by the miracle. The Swami taught them the law of love that

Siddhardha once taught a hunter, that the swan wounded by a hunter‟s arrow

belonged rather to Siddardha who saved it than to the one who tried to take away

its life.

Appasaheb Mane was a member of the royal court of Akkalkot. He was

much devoted to the Swami. Inspite of his best efforts he could not fix up a match

for his marriageable daughter Jamunabai. Once he put his problem before the

Swami. The latter said, “Why fear? I‟ve fixed up „Khandya‟ for her”. The name

was a shorter form of the proper name Khande Rao. Soon after, the girl‟s marriage

was settled with the prince of Baroda of the same name! Not only was

Appasaheb‟s problem solved but his status was also thereby elevated.

Once the said Appasaheb was laid up with typhoid. His condition became

worse and so he could not go for his daily visit to the Swami. One day the Swami

himself visited his house. At that time Appasaheb was lying on his bed

unconscious. The Swami then touched him thrice with his foot, sat by him for a

little while and went away. Appasaheb started recovering from the very moment

and was perfectly cured in three days.

One Bheemarao had a huge swelling on one side of his head. It was so ugly

to see that people made fun of him by describing him as a two-headed man and

Bheemarao felt mortified by it. As he knew that ochre coloured flowers are very

dear to the Swami, one day he took such flowers as an offering to him. On seeing

him Shri Swami Samarth laughed loudly and said, “Look here, the two-headed

man is coming !” When he saw that the Swami was also making fun of him,

Bheemarao felt miserable and silently prayed for his mercy. A few days after,

during his afternoon nap, Shri Swami Samarth appeared in his dream and touched

the swelling on his head. It immediately disappeared. Suddenly Bheemarao woke

up and was pleasantly surprised to see that the swelling had really vanished and its

loose skin was dangling! He could not restrain his joy and with tears of gratitude in

his eyes he ran to the Swami. The Swami looked at him and smiled with an

understanding look.

One night even when all his devotees were seated around his couch the

Swami fell asleep and started snoring. A devotee by name Govindarao had a doubt

as to how a real yogi could sleep so deeply. For, in books on yoga he read that a

real yogi never sleeps. He wondered whether the Swami was really a yogi at all.

The moment the thought flashed in Govindarao‟s mind the Swami opened his eyes

and said, “Ae Sonar! your doubts are baseless.” The next moment he was again

snoring. Evidently, inspite of that the Swami was fully awake, awake even to the

unuttered thoughts of those around him!

Swami Samarth was never tolerant of hypocrisy and pretention. One day

when he was seated in the house of one Ganapat Rao Joshi, there passed along the

road a sadhu of the Kabir panth, with a veena in his hands, a rosary around his

neck and a devotional mark on his forehead. The refrain of his songs was, “So says

this sadhu”. The common folk were carried away by his appearance and were

bowing to him. When he approached the Swami, the latter made some gestures

which indicated that the sadhu was an immoral fellow. Later, verification proved

that he had illicit contacts with a family woman.

Baba Sabnis was originally a devotee of Shri Manikya Prabhu, a great saint

who was also considered as an avatar of Lord Dattatreya. Once Sri Manikya

Prabhu showed the Swami to Sabnis and said, “He is your guru!” Henceforth

Sabnis served Shri Swami Samarth with unswerving devotion.

The borther-in-law of Sabnis was a famous expounder of the puranas but

had no faith in the Swami. Once the Swami attended his exposition of the puranas.

Taking advantage of the situation the Pandit insinuated against the Swami by

saying that a true saint never needs cosy cushions for sleeping. Originally the

Swami slept on a piece of coarse sack-cloth. But ever since Baba Sabnis had

lovingly presented him with a soft cushion, the Swami started sleeping over it. The

puranic was referring to this. The Swami kept quiet for the moment. On some

other day the Swami took the puranic with him and went up a hill in the middle of

the forest. The winter evening was unbearably cold after sunset. The puranic was

shivering, his teeth chattered too. The Swami looked at him, smiled, lay down on

the bare rock. While the well-clad puranic was shivering, the Swami who had

nothing but his underwear (Kaupina) slept happily on the cold rock. After some

time the puranic could not stand the cold nor had he the courage to wake the

Swami up. So he silently prayed to him. At once the Swami sat up and said, “Now,

did you see my sleeping-cushion?” It was only then the puranic could understand

that the Swami wanted to teach him a lesson. He at once fell at the feet of the saint

who treated the soft cushion that Baba Sabnis gave him and the cold hard boulder

with equal indifference. It is ruinous to one‟s spiritual development to criticise

great saints and the Swami only wanted to save Baba Sabnis from such a ruin. It

was only an act of love.

It is laid down in the scriptures that if, at the time of the worship of the deity,

one‟s guru were to arrive there the guru should be worshipped, and not the deity.

This truth was brought home by Swami Samarth to his devotee Chintopant in a

striking fashion. This devotee used to believe that the Swami was an incarnation of

Lord Dattatreya. There was in his family shrine the idol of Lord Vishnu. Once he

resolved to offer worship to it with one crore of tulasi leaves over a fixed period.

But from the second day of the puja onwards Shri Swami Samarth came to visit

him precisely at the hour of worship. Naturally, Chintopant used to worship the

holy feet of the Swami with the tulasi leaves. On the last and final day he

concluded the complete sixteenfold worship (Shodasopachara puja). The Swami

was much pleased with his devotion. The devotee saw clearly a divine halo around

the Swami‟s body. Tears of ecstasy stood in his eyes and with a quivering voice he

prayed to the Swami, “Bless me so that I might worship your holy feet every day.”

The Swami was highly pleased with his devotion and said, “Be it so” and left his

house. A little later Chintopant was thrilled with joy to see that on the wooden seat

on which the Swami sat, the feet of the Swami were clearly imprinted, more

clearly than any sculptor could have carved. Even today these materialized

padukas of Swami Samarth can be seen at the shrine preserved in the mutt of Shri

Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkot.

Swami Samarth can be compared with the mythical wish fulfilling tree, the

Kalpa Vriksha. The soul‟s hunger and thirst for righteousness would automatically

be quenched in his presence. One of his devotees by name Joshi used to study the

“Panchadasi” of Vidyaranya along with a few of his friends. One day they got

stuck in trying to interpret a difficult verse. They stopped the reading for the day

and went for the darshan of the Swami. That day the Swami did not allow them to

return immediately but told them to sit and he expounded the intricacies of

Vedanta for them. The wonder of it was that the whole of his exposition was a

lucid commentary on the difficult verse which bogged them in their daily reading.

Though the Swami seemed as though he was seated in one place, his inner

consciousness was infact fused with the one life-consciousness in all creatures and

thus he knew what transpired within and without all people‟s minds everywhere.

This is also borne out by the following incident.

One Moreswararao Joshi yearned for a long time for the Swami‟s darshan.

The appearance of the Swami in his dream one night had only intensified his

longing. One day he told his wife Gopikabai that he was leaving for the Swami‟s

darshan the next day and vowed to fast till then. It was severe summer and the

Swami stayed on a mountain. Joshi started on his long walk. Though he was thirsty

Joshi decided not to drink water till he saw the Swami. How could the Swami be

indifferent to his devotee‟s yearning? Even when he was still half a mile away the

Swami was muttering to himself, “Is he mad? Not satisfied with the darshan I gave

him in his dream three days ago, he is coming here all the way!” Joshi thought that

the dream-vision he had earlier was only a result of thinking much about the saint.

He could not recognize that it was a visitation. When he started climbing the hill

the Swami told his devotees, “Lo! he is coming”. A few minute later, when Joshi

prostrated before him the Swami said, “I have already granted you my darshan

three days ago. Why have you taken the trouble of coming all the way in the sun

abstaining from food and drink till now? It is better for you to return home

immediately”. Joshi was more than satisfied to know that the Swami was always

watching him, was with him and within him. But he was slightly disappointed in

being asked to return home immediately. After worshipping the holy feet of the

Swami he sought permission to return. The Swami said, giving him a pair of

padukas, “Take these with you for daily worship”. Along with these he also gave

Joshi a pair of stone padukas and sent him with the words, “In the future these

padukas will be kept on your samadhi (tomb). Give up all other work, take veena

and the cymbals and go on singing Harikatha (the devotional tales of Lord

Vishnu). Henceforth this practice of Harikatha will stay in your lineage forever”.

Joshi got much more than what he asked for. He was blessed to spend all his

life in devotional singing. The Swami‟s reference to the tomb denotes that Joshi‟s

spiritual greatness would be recognised by people in course of time; that not only

he but all his descendants were blessed by the great saint. When Joshi reached

home he found his wife waiting for him without food and drink. Joshi understood

the significance of the Master‟s order that he should go home immediately. Soon

after, he devoted himself to Harikatha and, after his wife‟s demise, he took

sanyasa with the consent of the Swami. In his seventy fifth year one midnight he

sat in the lotus posture, fixed his gaze at the Nasaagra and meditating, was given

due samadhi and the padukas of Shri Swami Samarth were installed over it! Even

today the Harikatha continues to be practised among the descendants of the Joshi

family.

Sometimes Shri Swami Samarth used to visit the house of a devotee,

Moroba Kulkarni. The wife of Kulkarni was, for a long time, suffering from a

severe and chronic pain in her abdomen. One day, unable to bear the pain any

longer, she went to a well at midnight to commit suicide. Just at the moment the

Swami woke up one of his disciples and, without giving any reasons, bluntly

ordered him to go to that well. The disciple obeyed and was surprised to find a lady

there, the wife of the said Kulkarni, getting ready to commit suicide. He at once

brought her to the Swami who gazed at her for a few seconds and she was

permanently rid of her pain.

Among the visitors of the Swami were great yogis with almost fantastic

powers of transfiguration. One day the Swami was seated along with his devotees,

in a garden called Khasbagh. Suddenly, the Master got up and said to them, “Come

I shall show you a great saint!” Then he proceeded to a big snake-pit nearly

hundred yards away, and stood before that. Within a few seconds a huge cobra

came out of it, bowed before the feet of the Swami in reverence and slowly left the

place. The Swami also walked a few paces with it as though giving it a send off.

Then pointing at the creature, the Swami told his devotees, “He is a great saint. Do

you understand?” All his devotees offered their respects to the departing cobra.

There were other instances of the Swami commanding the minds of

creatures other than man. At Akkalkot there was a mischievous monkey which

used to bite people and destroy property. The people were so harassed by it that a

complaint was made to the Rajah who requested a whiteman, Mr. Gardon, to shoot

it down. The latter caught the monkey and was proceeding to the backyard of the

temple of Lord Khandoba to kill it in secret.” In the meanwhile, the news reached

the Swami who said, “Tell him to get the monkey here. This is my order!” No one

had the courage to defy the guru of the prince. The monkey was promptly brought

to the Swami who hugged and patted it very lovingly and said, “From now on,

Don‟t create trouble to any one. Understood?” and then left the monkey. All the

people of Akkalkot were surprised to find the monkey completely changed from

that moment onwards. It became very tame and like an ardent devotee, it used to

come every day for the Swami‟s darshan. The Swami used to speak lovingly to it,

garland it and sometimes he made it wear a cap!

The palace elephant of the Rajah was „Javahar‟. One day it ran amock and

started attacking people, crashing through houses, chasing people and flinging

stones at them. The people were frightened and ran helter skelter. It was felt that

the only course was to shoot it down. The Swami who kept quiet till that moment

immediately got up and, resting his hands on his waist, he boldly walked towards

the beast. On seeing him Javahar immediately calmed down and bowed before him

in reverence. It is strange that in a world where men find it hard to recognize the

greatness of saints, animals like Javahar and the monkey could do it so unerringly!

The Rajahs of other princely states also visited the Swami for his blessing,

Shinde Holker and Mallarao Gaikwad used to visit him frequently. The Rajahs

were jealous of the good fortune of Akkalkot in sheltering such a great saint.

Mallarao Gaikwad once decided to get the Swami permanently to Baroda. He

assembled all his ministers and scholars to plan the course of action. The Rajah

proclaimed that he would reward anyone who could fulfil his mission with as much

wealth as he demanded. No one thought it an easy task. However, a minister by

name Tatya Saheb came forward to accomplish it. The king was overjoyed and

asked him to take as much money, horses, elephants and attendants as he needed

for the purpose. Tatya Saheb vowed to fulfil his mission and came to Akkalkot

with invaluable gifts to the Swami and his devotees. Immediately after his arrival

he tried to win the hearts of the Master‟s devotees by giving them liberal gifts. He

communicated his mission secretly to Cholappa, the chief attendant of the Swami

and offered him a reward of ten thousand rupees in the event of his success.

Foolish Cholappa was tempted and, for a moment, he lost sight of the good fortune

of having the Swami at Akkalkot. One day when the Swami was in a pleasant

mood, Cholappa approached him secretly and said, “Swami, if you consent to shift

to Baroda I will get a reward of ten thousand!” The Swami laughed loudly and

said, “Is that so? But the Rajah there is not a great devotee!” Cholappa‟s hopes

were dashed to the ground and he confessed his failure to Tatya Saheb.

Tatya Saheb tried other means. He employed several brahmins to recite the

holy book, Sri Gurucharitra for the fulfilment of his wish but it was all in vain. He

decided to resort to cunning. He wanted to persuade the Swami to get into a

palanquin at midnight and smuggle him to Baroda by train from the Kadabgaon

railway station. The Swami pretended not to know anything, and like a good child,

quietly got into the palanquin. Tatya could not restrain his joy when he considered

what a success his mission was going to be. He bolted the door of the palanquin

and reached the Kadabgaon station. They were just in time to catch the train and

Tatya Saheb came to take the Swami from the palanquin. When he opened the door

he was amazed to see that the Swami was not in it! Only then did he realize that it

is not possible to do anything against the wish of the Swami. Tatya had no choice

but to return to Baroda with all his retinue.

After some time another employee in the royal court of Baroda, one

Yasvanta Rao offered to fulfil the same mission. On an auspicious day he arrived

at Akkalkot and approached the Master. The Swami frowned and said, “What is

the matter?” Yasvanta Rao did not have the courage to speak out his intent. After a

little while the Swami again said cryptically, “Hand-cuffs and lock!” He repeated

the words thrice but none understood their significance. After two or three days

Yasvanta Rao received urgent summons from the Rajah of Baroda and was put in

prison immediately on his return on charges of complicity in a conspiracy against

the throne. The cryptic prophecy of the Master was fulfilled to the letter.

It is useful to note, in reflection, that though Cholappa was just an ordinary

man his devotion could get the Swami to Akkalkot. Though Mallarao was a Rajah,

all his wealth and pomp could not touch the heart of the Master. The recitation of

Sri Gurucharitra also proved ineffective owing to his want of faith and devotion.

The same holy book, when read by a pious widow, could win the grace of Swami

to eat from her hand and to release her from her vows to Lord Datta that she would

feed a thousand brahmins! We are reminded of the statement of Jesus Christ that

even a camel might walk through the eye of a needle but not a rich man through

the gates of heaven.

One of the closest devotees of the Master was one Seshachari who

scrupulously followed the vedic tradition of maintaining a sacred fire in his house.

He lived by begging from five houses. Even when the Swami was in a towering

rage Seshachari, unlike other devotees, could approach him fearlessly and the

Swami used to calm down on seeing him. Occasionally he offered snuff to the

Swami. Inspite of this the Swami, for some mysterious reason never gave any

sweet meat to Seshachari even when he gave the same to all other devotees. Once

Seshachari decided to ask him for it. But from the next day onwards the Master

used to evade him, pretending to be asleep, whenever Seshachari visited him. The

latter was baffled by the Master‟s conduct. He realized that his desire for

sweetmeats was responsible for all this and vowed never to crave for anything. He

even punished himself for what he had done. Keeping little balls of cow dung in

his mouth he said to himself, “May this be my lot if ever I desire any thing! May I

ever remember that all desires are as foul as dung”. At the same moment Swami

Samarth who was seated in his usual place started laughing very loudly and

happily, holding his belly in both his hands. Indeed, what can afford greater joy to

a guru than to note that his disciple had overcome desire?

Patwardhan, the Rajah of Sangli, once came for the Swami‟s darshan with

all princely gifts. He did not like that the value of his gifts should be noticed by

anybody and so he concealed precious diamonds in pieces of milk-sweets and

presented them to the Swami. Without even as much as touching a sweet, the

Swami roared at the visitor, “They might be diamonds to you. To me they are the

same as stones. Take them away!” Was he not the „King of Kings‟ and all other

kings mere paupers before him?

There is no evidence of the Swami having ever read any books. Yet there are

many instances of great pandits testing him and realizing their own inadequacy in

the process.

Once a lady by name Srimathi Sivabai brought her son to the Swami and

said, “My son has lost his sight from the moment he was invested with the sacred-

thread. Please grant him sight again!” The Swami replied “Shortly five devils are

arriving here to test me. As soon as they arrive, his sight will be restored”. Just as

the Swami said, in a short while, five short and sturdy brahmins arrived. Their

dress and ornaments indicated that they were eminent scholars. They came to test

the Swami. But after arriving in his presence they started discussing among

themselves in Kannada and Sanskrit languages as to how they should proceed to

test the Swami‟s worth. After consultation, they bowed to the Swami with feigned

humility. Then the Swami said to the blind boy, “Ganesh, come here! Speak out

what question these devils have in their minds and answer them!!” The boy stood

before the Swami and bowing to him, said in surprise, “How do I know it?” The

Swami smiled and saying, “Is that so?” took the garland from his own neck and

placed it around the boy‟s neck. Then he picked up two flowers and touched his

eyes with them. The boy felt a powerful thrill, as though some great energy had

passed through his spine. He at once stood up and promptly spoke out all the

questions the visitors had in their minds and answered them all himself, citing

authorities from all renowed scriptures. The visitors were dumbfounded. They

quietly bowed to the Swami and stood up to leave. The Swami at once flew into a

rage and addressed the chief of the visitors, “You have come to test me only

because you heard that I am accepting food from people of all castes

indiscriminately. And you have tested me! Now I tell you this. You were born by

the illicit contact of your mother with a man named Imambaksh Musalman!” The

pandit at once realized how perilous it was to test the Swami and begged his

pardon. The Swami at once calmed down and told the pandits that hearty

repentance, like the holy Ganges, can completely purify a man. He exhorted them

to mend their ways in future. The blind boy regained his sight from that moment.

Besides, he also retained all the scholarship with which the Swami had blessed

him! This incident was personally witnessed and recorded by Vamanbua

Brahmachari.

Vishnu bua Brahmachari was a great scholar, vedantin and orator. Charmed

by his excellence, the Rajah of Akkalkot once invited him to his court. Vishnubua

came to Akkalkot and one day he put a very recondite question in Vedanta to the

Swami, “What is Brahmatadaakara vritti?” The Swami smiled and kept quiet. The

Brahmachari felt that it is not proper to call the old man who could not answer his

question „a swami‟ or „a master‟. Besides, he went on proclaiming to his friends

outside that the Swami could not answer his questions. But the Swami did not

mind it. One day the Brahmachari dreamt that thousands of scorpions were moving

towards him and one of them had even stung him. He screamed so loudly that a

Parsi devotee who slept by him woke him up and asked him why he cried. The

Brahmachari described his dream.

After a few days, the Brahmachari again visited the Swami and asked him

what Brahmatadaakara vritti meant. The Swami smiled and said, “Stupid! You

screamed at the very sight of a thousand scorpions in a mere dream. How dare you

speak of Vedanta? Do you think that Brahmatadaakara vritti is such a simple

thing? It cannot be attained through eloquent discourses or verbal jugglery. Get out

of here!” When the Brahmachari visited him on a later occasion, not only did he

explain the metaphysical concept lucidly but also bestowed on him the actual

experience and made him a saint! Only then did the Brahmachari realize that the

Swami was an avatar of Lord Dattatreya.

A great scholar from the Sringeri Muth, Sastri by name, came for the

Swami‟s darshan and stayed with a devotee by name Bavdekar. One day Sastri

returned after the darshan of the Swami and said to Bavdekar, “Of what use is this

saint ? He looks quite like a mad man. He cannot elevate you spiritually at all.

Why, even I am better than he in that I can make you atleast a great scholar!” For

the moment Bavdekar‟s faith in the Swami flickered. He had a passing thought of

going away with the Sastri. That night both of them slept inside the room after

bolting the doors. At midnight Bavdekar woke up and was amazed to find the

doors opening of their own accord. Swami Samarth was standing at the threshold

staring at him and then said, “When are you going to become a Sastri (a scholar in

sastras)? This Sastri has not conquered even the six internal enemies like lust and

hate!” Then the Swami disappeared as mysteriously. Next morning, when

Bavdekar visited the Swami, the latter smiled at him understandingly. Bavdekar

fell on the feet of the Swami, requested His forgiveness and abandoned his foolish

thought completely.

CHAPTER V

THE MASTER OF MASTERS

The greatness of a saint can be gauged by the number of saints he had made

of his disciples. Assessed by this standard, Shri Swami Samarth is peerless among

saints. It is not possible to write about all those who were made by him his

veritable images in this small book. There are as many as twenty five of them and

the life of each one of them would suffice a book. We shall consider just a few of

them.

Shri Narasimha Saraswathi

The famous Vithal Swami of Pandharpur was not only a great scholar but

also a great yogi who was ever immersed in the bliss of yoga. Who can clear the

doubts and difficulties that confront such stalwarts? Who can save them from the

difficulties which crop up in their spiritual adventure? One day he started for

Akkalkot to clear off a doubt or difficulty he encountered in his spiritual endeavour

at the feet of Shri Swami Samarth. The Swami was all-knowing. Even before the

news of the yogi‟s arrival was delivered to him, he asked the Rajah to get a deer

skin spread in the middle of the road in front of him saying that a great yogi was

coming for his darshan.

At noon, Vithal Swami arrived at the gate of the royal palace and standing

on the deer skin that was placed there, had the darshan of the Swami from a

distance. Even before the yogi spoke out his doubt, Swami Samarth recited a

Sanskrit verse which explained how one of the six mystic centres in man called the

Agna Chakra could be penetrated by a yogi‟s consciousness and then cast yogic

glances at Vithal Swami. At once the yogi attained the highest spiritual state called

samadhi and experienced supreme bliss continuously for two hours. At that time

the Swami, himself in a high spiritual state called unmani, cast his yogic glance

again on the yogi and thereby brought him to normal consciousness. Then the

Swami directed the yogi to go and live at Alandi. Accordingly, the yogi stayed at

Alandi for twelve continuous years, spending all his time in singing and chanting

the holy name of God. He attained great spiritual powers. A number of devotees

flocked around him to whom he ordained the singing of the Lord‟s name as

sadhana. He used to reward those who chanted well with gifts which he

materialized by his powers.

After some time Vithal Swami again visited Swami Samarth who at that

time, stayed in the temple of Shri Rama. Even before the yogi arrived there, the

Swami addressed him and said, “What! You have not left off the courtesan yet?”

None of his attendants understood to whom the words were addressed and what

they meant. After a while, the yogi came into His presence bowed before Him and

said, “Master! I am ready to do so. But your grace is needed!” The Swami smiled

benignly and asked his attendants to spread a deer-skin on the ground. Vithal

Swami stood on that, took his darshan and went away. The word „courtesan‟

referred to the yogic powers which Vithal Swami displayed to his devotees. Later

he became famous as Shri Narasimha Saraswathi a saint of great power.

Shri Bidkar Maharaj

Ramanand Bidkar was deeply religious even from his childhood. He lost his

father in his childhood, visited many holy places and later settled at Pune as a

dealer in jewels and sandalwood. Out of a great desire for wealth he somehow

succeeded in learning the secret of alchemy and amassed lot of wealth.

Consequently, he fell a victim to many vices. When he went to Gwalior on

business, he was enticed by a woman. In his infatuation for her he hastily promised

to take care of her all through her life. But all the time he was feeling guilty. When

she died a little later, he first thought that his problem was settled but he could not

control his lust. One day, while talking to a sadhu, he revealed his spiritual urge

and also his weakness. The sadhu laughed derisively and said. “Yoga is not for one

like you, once who could not give up his weakness”. Bidkar was stung to the quick

and he vowed to win the respect of the sadhu at any cost.

At once Bidkar proceeded to a temple of Maruthy and started reciting the

holy Anjaneya Kavacha incessantly, foregoing food and drink. One night he

received a divine injunction to proceed to Akkalkot. He at once went there but as

Swami Samarth stayed in the private apartments of the Rajah he could not see him.

Then he vowed not to think of food and drink till he had the darshan of the Swami

and spent two nights chanting the Swami‟s name incessantly. The Swami, who, till

then, tested the determination of his devotee, at once jumped the palace wall and

gave him darshan! He then asked, “Why are you bowing to me?” Bidkar replied,

“So that the foundation of my spiritual life might be strong!” The Swami then

pointed in one direction and said, “See there!”. There Bidkar found a deer-skin

hung on the wall. Thinking that the Swami might be thereby prescribing yoga for

him the visitor said, “But I do not know anything about it!” “What ignorance!”, the

Swami thundered and heaped foul abuse on him. Devotees Cholappa and

Sundarabai whispered a caution to Bidkar, “You have a family. If the Swami gets

angry you would be destroyed. Beware!” Bidkar humbly said to the Swami,

“Whether you kill me or save me, I seek refuge at your holy feet. I shall accept

your foul abuse as a sweet blessing”. The Swami did not calm down. “Your

purpose is accomplished. Get away from here!”, he roared [We have to note that

like Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi, Shri Swami Samarth often heaped abuse on his

devotees. Once, when a close devotee asked him for the reason, Shri Sai Baba

replied, “It is not abuse. It is blessing.” Similarly, when the Swami cried, “Get

away from here!” to Bidkar, the words were aimed at the ignorance that enveloped

Bidkar’s heart – Author {Sri Ekkirala Bharadwaja}]. Bidkar stood stupefied. The

Swami cast yogic glances at him and Bidkar‟s body quivered under the impact.

After a parting salute Bidkar happily left for Pune. There he found that without any

effort on his part his mind was saturated with wisdom (Gnana) and dispassion

(Vairagya). Introverted, it was always locked up in incessant japa or chanting of

the holy word!

Bidkar took Shri Swami‟s darshan on a fullmoon day in the month of Magh

(Feb-March). Then the Swami said to him, “This mango (i.e., Bidkar‟s faith) is

half ripe. When it is completely ripe the job is done.” After three years Bidkar

returned to Akkalkot and resolved to serve the Swami till he gave him initiation.

One day he went on massaging the legs of the Swami, but the latter did not ask him

to stop at any stage. The whole night passed like that. Perhaps the Swami wanted

to test him. A few hours before sunrise, a huge cobra stood between the legs of the

sleeping Swami hissing fiercely at Bidkar. But he did not fear it. Instead, he said to

himself, “It is a good fortune to die while serving the Swami”. The Master woke up

suddenly and cried “You are an obstinate devil!”, and slapped him on his cheek

and said “Get out, you obstinate fellow!” In great bliss of mystic experience Bidkar

fell down senseless. The devotees carried him to the neighbouring room. When he

woke up, Bidkar was happy to realize that he was in the samadhi state.

On Bidkar‟s subsequent visit the Swami said, “Am I indebted to your elders?

Stay here and serve me!” It is said that these cryptic words actually meant that his

(i.e., Bidkar‟s) purpose was fulfilled and that he was to feed a thousand people.

Bidkar immediately proceeded to Pune and purchased a thousand ruppes worth of

scents and started back to Akkalkot. On the way his horse grew restive and many

of the scent bottles were broken, causing a heavy loss to Bidkar. However, he fed

the Swami. The Swami smiled at him and said, “You have fed me but you have not

given me dakshina (the offering of money to the guru). What would you give me?

Will you give me enough?”, Bidkar bowed to him and said, “As much as you

demand!” The Swami looked at him doubtfully and said, “You can‟t!” But when

Bidkar took an oath that he would offer anything that his Master asked him, the

Swami said, “Then your offering shall be this: giving up of the practice of

alchemy”. Bidkar who never anticipated such a demand was stunned and the

Swami smiled at his plight. Bidkar bowed and at last made up his mind to obey the

Swami‟s command.

After sometime, Bidkar again came for the Swami‟s darshan. Then Shri

Swami Samarth ordered him never to come for his darshan again and told him to

go on a holy trek around the river Narmada (Narmada pradakshina). Accordingly,

the disciple undertook his trek and in the course of it, had miraculous escapes from

danger which he faced from tigers and serpents in the forests. The invisible hand of

the Great Master had protected him all through. By the time he finished the

circumambulation (pradakshina) of the holy river, the presiding Goddess of the

river granted him darshan. Besides, She also directed great saints like Shri

Vasudevananda Saraswathi and Shri Swami Satchidananda to bless Bidkar with

their darshan. When he proceeded to the sacred place Maheswar, he heard the

news that Shri Swami Samarth had laid down his physical body. Bidkar could not

control his grief. He broke down and wept like a child. That night the Master

appeared before him physically and said, “I did not die. I am fully alive”. (This

incident is enough to set at rest any doubts regarding the resurrection of Christ in

the Bible).

After concluding his pilgrimages, Bidkar established a mutt near Pune and

settled there. His profound realization and his great mystic powers made him a

great saint who attained fame as Shri Bidkar Maharaj. After a life of hectic

spiritual ministration he laid down his body on April 4, 1913.

Shri Seetharam Maharaj

He who attained great fame as a great yogi and a Jeevan Muktha (i.e., one

who is liberated while alive) as Shri Seetharam Maharaj was the son of one

Bapurao Vinayak Subedar of Satara. At the age of twelve he left his home to

escape the inhumanity of his step-mother and came to Shri Swami Samarth. He

lavished all his love which was due to his father, mother, guru and God on the

Swami and served him with total dedication. Though the boy was not at all

learned, the Master was much pleased with his devotion and one day he blessed

him by putting his hand on the boy‟s head. Within a short period of six years the

boy became a great Siddha Purusha (one endowed with great spiritual powers).

One day Swami blessed him and said, “Go back to the place whence you have

come!” Seetharam reached Mangal Vedha and stayed there for forty years. He was

ever immersed in the bliss of the Self. He became famous as Shri Seetharam

Maharaj. He used to go for alms at noon and receive the same in his hands

(Karatala bhiksha). After lunch he used to retire to the cremation ground for

meditation. The one instruction that he gave to all those that sought his guidance

was this: “Contemplate on the holy name incessantly. Do not strive for scholarship;

learn to see god everywhere.” He knew the time and date on which his earthly life

was to end far in advance. Fifteen days prior to that day he told his devotees,

“Your mad Seetharam will soon pass away!” The event took place in a village

called Karadi, nine miles from Pandharpur.

Yavan Aulia

„Aulia‟ is an Arabic word which denotes a yogi of great powers. The

original name of the celebrated Aulia of Maindargi was Jamadar. He was a

supervisor of prisons. He had to take care of the prisoners during their outdoor

work and see that they were safely locked up by evening. One day one of the

prisoners gave him a slip and Jamadar was afraid that his spotless career would

suffer a black mark on the eve of hs retirement. Finding no other way out, he

thought of the Swami and vowed that if, by his grace, the prisoner was brought

back, he would give up his job and devote the rest of his life to his service. Next

morning, a constable found the prisoner near a canal and caught him. While

confessing his guilt in the court the prisoner gave an account of his re-arrest thus:

“At first I escaped and his myself in that canal. When I planned to run away from

there, a sadhu appeared before me and forced me to stay there. I simply could not

run away!” Jamadar was immensely grateful to Swami Samarth for his prompt

help and he at once left the job and started serving the Master. A little later, one

day, the Master flew into a rage and hurled his wooden shoes at this new attendant

and commanded him to go home. Jamadar took the padukas as a sacred gift from

the Master, went home and started worshipping them. But his fellow muslims

would not tolerate his „idol-worship‟ and even drove him out of his house. Jamadar

was very patient in the face of such odds and continued the worship in another

place. By the grace of the Master he never had to starve. When people flocked to

him for relief from sufferings he used to give them vibhuti (the holy ash) that was

consecrated by the Swami or the dust that he picked up from under the feet of the

Swami. Both proved equally effective and he soon attained fame as „Peer Saheb

Maharaj‟. People of all classes, caste and communities used to flock to him and the

gifts offered to him swelled. Some of the co-religionists who objected earlier to the

worship of Shri Swami‟s padukas now tried their best to join him. But he never

cared for them. He raised a shrine for the holy padukas of the Master.

Shri Anandanath Maharaj

Before becoming a famous saint through his contact with the Swami he was

a dealer in Ayurvedic herbs. He heard of Shri Swami Samarth from a doctor and

came to Akkalkot for darshan. While he was washing his feet in a tank at the foot

of a huge banyan tree, a small twig fell on his head and then he looked up. He saw

the Swami there, up. The Swami kept his hand on the visitor‟s head as a sign of

blessing. At once there was an outburst of intense dispassion (vairagya) in his

heart. As a result he stayed on at Akkalkot for six long years as digambara, (i.e., as

one who does not mind his dress or one who is naked). He spent most of his time

singing devotional songs and chanting the Lord‟s name in the presence of the

Swami.

One day the Swami mysteriously materialized holy padukas made of the

alloy of five metals (pancha lohas) and gave them to the devotee and ordered him

to go elsewhere and establish them in a mutt. Though the padukas were hardly half

an inch in length they had all the marks of the Swami‟s feet imprinted on them

accurately. The disciple subsequently became famous as Shri Anandanath Maharaj.

He established mutts at Yeola, Hodavade and Dhawde. He enshrined the holy

padukas in the mutt at Dhawde. He also composed the verses and devotional songs

that are being sung even today in the daily services of Shri Swami Samarth. He

used the divine powers with which the Swami had graced him to ameliorate the

sufferings of his devotees. His glorious life on earth came to a close in 1904 on

Jyeshta Suddha Shashti (June - July) at a place called Vengurla.

Shri Tata Maharaj

Ramachandra Venkatesh Boradkar was a Gauda brahmin, a resident of

Bombay. He was a dealer in herbs. He was keenly interested, even from his

childhood, in the worship of Lord Siva and was a frequent visitor to the temple of

Lord Babulnath in Bombay. One day Lord Siva appeared in his dream and directed

him to take darshan of His manifestation at Akkalkot. Later, when he visited

Akkalkot, Shri Swami Samarth at once referred to his dream vision and also gave

him darshan in the form of Lord Siva! Boradkar shuddered at the vision. The

Swami manifested to him the divine forms of Vishnu and Brahma. Boradkar fell at

the Swami‟s feet and cried, “Lord, I cannot bear the sight of this divine form.

Please appear to me in the form of a Yeti (renunciate)!” The Swami gazed at him

most benignly and said, “What is there to see? I shall myself enter your heart!” So

saying, he touched the heart of Boradkar. At once the disciple attained the blessed

state of samadhi. Divine powers also dawned in him spontaneously. Soon he

became famous as Shri Tata Maharaj and devoted his powers for the service of the

people and drew many of them on to the path spiritual. His manner of curing

diseases was strange. He used to receive holy water (Teertha) from the hands of

the patient and through that he used to take away the disease. Even after Shri

Swami‟s Niryana, Shri Tata Maharaj used to assure his devotees, “Swami is still

alive and is with us. I can show him to you!” One proof of his claim might be

noted here.

Balakrishna Bua Suratkar was a devotee of Shri Swami Samarth in his early

life. But after listening to the lectures of Swami Dayananda he lost all his faith. At

that stage Shri Tata Maharaj not only revived faith in the heart of Balakrishna Bua

but also graced him with the experience of samadhi for eight continuous days!

Shri Rangoli Maharaj

Sivaram Bavdekar was born in a goldsmith family in the court of the Rajah

of Kolhapur. When he was eight, his aunt took him with her for the darshan of

Shri Swami Samarth. The Swami looked at him and asked the lady, “Will you give

the boy to me?” and, without waiting for her reply, took the boy on his lap and

addressed him as „Rangoli Maharaj‟. Then he directed him to serve the wandering

saint named Kumbhar („potter‟) Swami who lived in the Kumbhar street. The

Swami also ordered him to remain a celibate for life and to wander all over the

country from Himalayas to Cape Comorin and placed an ochre robe on him. The

transformation was complete and the boy blossomed into the famous celibate saint

Rangoli Maharaj.

However, Rangoli Maharaj kept his miraculous powers hidden from the

public eye. When he visited Shiroda in 1924 the people took him for a spy. He

used to stay in the cloth shop of one Prabhu Angonkar. He smoked beedies

excessively but he never asked anyone for the money to buy them with. He had a

strange habit. He used to throw away the half-smoked beedies on the road without

extinguishing them. One day the shop-keeper noticed it and warned him not to do

so. Rangoli Maharaj replied, “Know that Lord Anjaneya will beat you and that

your shop will no longer exist!” Strangely enough, the shop-keeper went bankrupt

very soon!

Rangoli Maharaj used to draw beautiful designs in rangoli [Coloured

powder with which ornamental designs are drawn on the ground on festive

occasions.] which inspired intense devotion in the hearts of onlookers. He is said to

have attained niryana in 1941.

Shri Balappa Maharaj

Among all the disciples of Shri Swami Samarth the one who is worthy of

being described as his very image is Balappa Maharaj. He was a Yajurvedi

brahmin and a native of Haveri in the district of Dharvar. Before he became a saint

he was a jeweller and a money-lender who enjoyed life till his thirtieth year. At

that time he experienced a mysterious inner transformation, left all his possessions

and went in search of a Sadguru (a perfect-master). He spent three nights in

meditation at Margod, near the samadhi (tomb) of Shri Chidambar Deekshit and

then reached Gangapur. There he spent all day in sadhana. In the evening he

begged food from five houses, washed it in the river and ate. He used to sleep at

Gangapur during nights and carry on his devotions by day near the Sangam (the

confluence of rivers Bheema and Amaraja). At the end of two months, the Lord

appeared to him in a dream in the form of a brahmin lad and directed him to go to

Akkalkot. When he woke up he found a chit by his side on which was found

scribbled, “Do not be in a hurry!” Balappa spent two more months there in

penance. One night Shri Swami Samarth appeared in his dream. At once Balappa

started on his trek to Akkalkot, chanting the name Shri Swami Samarth. He

reached Akkalkot and saw the Master on the holy day of Shri Ramanavami (the

day of Lord Rama‟s birth), took the darshan of the Swami and stayed in the temple

of Shri Muralidhar. As there was a huge crowd of devotees Balappa could not get

the consecrated gift (prasada) at the hands of the Swami. It was the wont of Shri

Swami Samarth not to give prasada to those whom he wanted to retain in his

service. Balappa learnt this and started serving the Master by washing his spittoon.

Gradually, his service extended to cooking and feeding the Swami.

One day, while distributing dates to the devotees, the Swami did not give

any to Balappa. Balappa felt it keenly. The Swami soon sent for him and put two

dates in his hands. But when Balappa was overjoyed at the gift, suddenly the

Swami snatched the fruits from his hand and ran away. Tears of disappointment

stood in Balappa‟s eyes. Later, one day, Shri Swami Samarth took out sugar candy

from his mouth and gave it to Balappa who at once ate it to avoid any possible

disappointment. The Swami burst out laughing at the sight of it.

One day, as usual, when Balappa bowed to the Swami before sitting for

meditation, the thought passed in his mind that he was not able to meditate

properly. The Swami at once slapped him forcefully on his back and all his mental

wavering stopped! Henceforth the Swami bestowed special attention and care

regarding Balappa‟s sadhana at every step.

One day, the Swami gave him a rosary of tulasi beads. As the time of his

niryana approached, the Swami specially sent for Balappa and gave him his own

ring and the garland of rudrakshas, and a shirt which he was wearing. Finally, he

gave him atmapadukas which he materialized from his mouth and told Balappa to

enshrine them in a mutt and asked him to live under an audumbar (fig) tree. Then

the Swami blessed him by keeping his hand on Balappa‟s head and said, “I am

giving away all my powers and authority to you!” When Balappa was searching for

a place suitable for meditation, Shri Anjaneya appeared to him and directed him to

a proper place. In accordance with the Swami‟s orders, Balappa established a mutt

in which he enshrined the padukas given to him by the Swami. After the niryana

of Shri Swami Samarth, Balappa continued his mission of guiding people on the

spiritual path for thirty two years.

At the time of his niryana Balappa Maharaj made his disciple Shri

Gangadhar Maharaj his successor. The latter was succeeded by Shri Gajanan

Maharaj who is now the head of the mutt, a sadguru in his own right.

Shri Gajanan Maharaj was born in a rich family at Raipur. His father Shri

Sivananda Swami was a great Siddha Purusha (perfected being) and was

considered to be a manifestation of Lord Siva. His samadhi is situated at a place

two miles from Akkalkot. Today his descendant Shri Gajanan Maharaj is

considered to be a great Sadguru. This book was blessed by Shri Gajanan Maharaj

on the holy Vijayadasami day in 1973.

‘The son of Shri Swami Samarth’ or ‘Shri Swami Suta’

One Govinda Rao, a rich man and an employee in the Bombay municipality,

went to Gangapur in 1868 on pilgrimage accompanied by a brahmin cook. There

his devotions were crowned with success when Lord Datta appeared to him in a

dream and told him, “My real form is at Akkalkot. Go there!” Govinda Rao

immediately went there to see Shri Swami Samarth. Everyday he used to offer the

food cooked by the brahmin to the Swami. One day the Master told him, “Take

this food to the outskirts of the village and give it to the fakir and his dog which

you find in the mosque”. Accordingly, Govinda Rao went to the mosque and found

there a fakir and a dog. He served the food to them and returned to Swami Samarth

with a small piece of roti and a little porridge left in the vessels. Swami Samarth

told Govinda Rao to take the remaining food as prasada. But the latter hesitated to

eat it because he considered the fakir and the dog unholy. The Swami got wild and

said, “Your devotion has not yet ripened. Stay here and worship the padukas!”

However, the brahmin cook eagerly took the prasada and ate it. The Swami was

much pleased with him and said, “Go to Bombay. You will get Rs.10,000/-!”. The

brahmin was overjoyed and at once proceeded to Bombay and started searching for

the money in roadside dustbins. One morning, when he stood by a dust heap, a

lady beckoned to him from a nearby house and handed him a bundle of hundred

rupee notes. She gave him Rs.10,000/- as Guptadana or a secret gift which is

customary in some families in Maharashtra, and a necessary sequel to the demise

of a dear one. It so happened that on the previous day the lady vowed that she

would give away the dana (gift of money) to whomsoever she might encounter first

on the next morning; and as for the blessing of Shri Swami Samarth, it fell to the

lot of the good brahmin cook!

A merchant by name Lakshman pandit heard of the above incident and

vowed to the Swami that if all his debts were cleared within eight months, he

would take his darshan. Not long after, he gained a profit of two thousand rupees

with which he cleared all his debts and at once went for the Swami‟s darshan.

Another employee in the Bombay municipality by name Hari Bhau also

accompanied him.

When the three visitors – the brahmin cook, Lakshman and Hari Bhau –

stood before Him, Shri Swami Samarth looked at Lakshman, smiled and said,

“There was loss in business. And again there was profit after taking a vow!” Then,

after a little pause, he roared, “Get out! you rogues!” Strangely enough, merely on

hearing the words of the Swami all the three visitors experienced the exalted

spiritual state of samadhi! Later, when they regained normal consciousness, the

Swami said to Lakshman, “Tie up your turban”; to the brahmin cook he said, “Go

to the bazar, get a new dhoti and tie it round your head”. The Swami pulled Hari

Bhau by his hand and said, “Give up your occupation. Come and live here as my

child. Get purer and purer and draw close to me!” Hari Bhau could not understand

the import of the Swami‟s words and asked him for elucidation. Without answering

him the Swami simply said, “Get silver padukas for me!”

Taking leave of the Swami, Hari Bhau reached Bombay. But he found that

his heart was completely won over by the Master. He had no other desire than to

live in the presence of the Swami. Immediately he left all his possessions and

taking silver padukas with him, he reached Akkalkot. The Swami stood up to

receive the padukas and wore them for two weeks. Many of the attendants tried to

take them from the Swami as prasada. But the Swami said, “They are my

atmalinga. I shall never part with them! After fifteen days he sent for Hari Bhau

and told him, “Give up all your activities and be my child. Establish a mutt on the

sea-shore and hoist the flag of dharma.” Then he made Bhau sit and stand thrice,

touched the padukas once more with his feet and gave them to Hari Bhau with the

instruction to enshrine them in his mutt.

Before we proceed further, we must note an incident, that took place on the

night previous to the above incident. At midnight the Swami woke up and

approached the banyan tree, gently tapped it thrice with a conch and muttered as

though to some invisible spirits, “Get away from this place! Our children are

sleeping here below”. Hari Bhau woke up and touched the Swami‟s feet. When

every one else was asleep, the Swami whispered something in his ear, gave him all

the proper insignia of a Sanyasi (such as long-sleeved shirt) and told him to give up

the life of a house-holder.

The next day, Hari Bhau wore the ochre robe which the Swami gave him, took the

padukas and returned to Bombay. There he gave away all his belongings in charity,

gave a white saree and a veena to his wife and told her to dedicate herself to the

service of the Lord. Later, he established mutts in Bombay, Chirchan,

Ahmadnagar, Pune, Thana, Vasai, Ratnagiri and Chilplum.

Hari Bhau was henceforth known to all as “The son of the Swami”. He used

to visit his Guru-father thrice a year. At Akkalkot he used to stay alone in the

temple of Lord Muralidhar, rapt in meditation. How dearly the Swami loved the

disciple can be seen from the following episode.

One night when the Swami was asleep a visitor, an advocate, performed

arati to him. The Swami suddenly woke up and sternly addressed the advocate.

“You have left my Hanuman (devout servant) in darkness and you come here to

ask my favours. First go and attend to his needs!” At first the advocate could not

understand anything. Then he was led by another attendant to the temple of Lord

Muralidhar where „Swami Suta‟ was seated in meditation in the dark. Henceforth

every day, before going for the Swami‟s darshan the advocate used to keep a lamp

burning in front of „Swami Suta‟.

Three or four years later, when „Swami suta‟ visited his Master, the later told

him that His earthly life was drawing to a close and that His mission had to be

continued by him i.e., Swami Suta. Swami Suta was shocked at the revelation.

Even on his way back to Bombay he felt a deep longing to give up his body even

earlier than his Guru. Immediately he fell ill. On hearing the news Shri Swami

Samarth sent two devotees, Sripada Bhat and Krishnappa, to fetch Swami Suta to

him. The latter guessed what his Master wished to tell him and so refused to go

with them. He was unbudging even after a second summon from his Master. On

hearing about his disciple‟s resolve the Swami spoke sternly – “if he does not

come I shall destroy his house. The necessary guns are ready with us!” In the

darker half of the month of Sravana (July-August) on padyami (first day after new

moon) Swami Suta attained yoga samadhi. The Swami knew it even before any

message reached him. He was seated with his head bent low, in a gesture of

profound grief. Shortly the message arrived. The mother of Swami Suta, Smt.

Kakku Bai, who was there, broke down in grief. The Swami said to her, “Don‟t

grieve. He is as much a child to me as to you; I am as much a child of yours. I have

sent his soul to a glorious state. Believe my word!”

After this incident the Swami was often found crying. “Peacock! Peacock!!”

No one understood what he meant. The Rajah of Akkalkot took his words literally

and got a real peacock. But the Swami never cared even to look at it! To a lady

devotee the Master said that He wanted „a ball of mercury‟. This request was no

less puzzling to her. By that time one of the devotees of late Swami Suta arrived

from Bombay to request Swami Samarth to provide a deserving successor to the

seat of Swami Suta in Bombay. The Swami did not reply. Soon the younger son of

Smt. Kakku Bai, aged eight, came to see his mother. When mother and son came

for His darshan the Swami burst out laughing, turning his face towards the wall.

Then he ordered the visitor to take the young boy to Bombay and make him the

successor of Swami Suta‟s mutt. Poor Kakku Bai was sore that her second son also

was to become a sanyasi. But the Swami did not heed her tears at all. The boy was

promptly taken to Bombay, but he had to be brought back again because he refused

to be ordained as the head of the Mutt. The Swami immediately said to his

attendants, “Take this tiger skin and make him stand on that; take this garland and

put it round his neck; take these padukas and put them on his head!” He then gave

them all the three articles mentioned. All through the ceremony the Master was

personally fanning the young head of the Mutt. Smt. Kakku Bai was no longer sad

for, what greater fortune could fall to her son than to be so honoured and loved by

the Swami Himself? She even said to Him, “Oh Swami! You have made him who

is not worthy even to stand at your feet so big and you are personally serving him!”

But again when the time of his taking sanyasa arrived she could not control her

grief. The Swami then addressing her, “Not withstanding the good things

happening?”, immediately said to his attendant, “If she cries, take her out, hand-

cuff her and lock!”

The ceremony went on strictly according to the Swami‟s directions. But one

fact struck every one with wonder. The moment the Master‟s padukas were kept

on the boy‟s head, his attitude suddenly changed and henceforth he welcomed all

the proceedings! Perhaps such ought to be the spiritual transformation which is to

be effected in all religious rites like the brahmopadesa of Hindus and the baptism

of the Christians and so on. Otherwise, how could they be referred to as the

“second birth (dwija) or „being born again‟ ”? Poor Kakku Bai wailed and knocked

her head against the wall in protest. The Swami was unmoved. “There will not be

the slightest change in my resolve,” he said, “Once an order is inscribed on stone

no one can alter even a syllable in it”. Then the Swami took the boy in his lap and

gazing at him with deep love said, “Kakku Bai is not your mother, nor are you her

son. You are just mine!” After blessing him the Master christened him as

Sachidananda Swami Kumar and made him the head of the mutt of “Swami Suta”.

Brahmachari Vaman Bua

Vaman Bua, a native of Pambori (District Anandnagar) was, from his

boyhood days, a devotee of Lord Dattatreya. Though he changed many jobs and

met many sadhus he could not get inner peace. One day while at Pune he heard a

brahmachari (celebate sadhu) declare, “A life without the grace of a Sadguru is

worthless.” He immediately asked the Brahmachari whether he met any Sadguru

himself. The latter replied, “Go to Akkalkot. Lord Datta Himself is there in human

form!” Vaman Bua started on his journey in the year 1861 (1783 saka era). But the

Swami was in a village named Harda. Though he approached the village he could

not enter it because the nearby rivulet was in flood. So he prostrated to the Swami

from a distance only. But to his wonder the saint easily walked across the river,

came to Vaman Bua and said, “Serve me. Be established in Brahman! Surrender

your possessions to me”. At once Vaman Bua threw away all his clothes and

belongings and just wore a kaupeena (codpiece). The Swami then gave him an

ascetic‟s water-container (Kamandalu). Later Vaman Bua used to visit the Swami

twice or thrice a year. In 1871 (saka 1793) during the pilgrimage, Vaman Bua

visited the shrine of his family goddess Saptasringi. At the end of worship Vaman

Bua requested the priest to give him pan (betel) that was placed between the lips of

the idol in the temple. But the priest refused to comply with his absurd request.

Vaman Bua then bowed to the goddess and addressed her thus mentally “Mother,

if your grace is on our family, may the pan come to me!” At once the pan fell in

his palms, to the amazement of the priest and the others! Later, Vaman Bua took

the water of the holy Godavari to Pandharpur and bathed the Lord‟s feet with it. At

that moment he clearly saw Shri Swami Samarth in the place of Shri Panduranga‟s

idol. Subsequently, when he returned to the Swami at Akkalkot, even before he

uttered a word, the Swami himself said, “As you went to Saptasringi and were

making a lot of noise for the pan I had to come there and give it to you! I have also

received the holy Godavari water that you offered at Pandharpur. Yet the pot (head

or the heart of the devotee) is still only half-baked. Without running here and there,

henceforth stay at one place immersed in supreme bliss”. This confirmed to Vaman

Bua that the Swami was the Lord Datta himself. So he stayed long in the saint‟s

company.

In 1876 (saka 1798) Vaman Bua fell ill and suffered from severe cough,

motions, piles and such other diseases which defied all treatment. He wrote a letter

to the Swami about this. But there was no reply. At last, unable to bear the

suffering any longer, he tried to commit suicide by jumping into a deep, tank

named Sursagar. But at the precise moment he felt he was held back by someone

from behind and when he turned back, he saw the Swami himself standing behind

him! After gazing at him for a moment in silent disapproval, the Swami slapped

him twice and said, “Where can you escape while there is still some karma to be

reaped by your body? Why are you angry with me? Instead of trying for spiritual

realization (samadhi) why are you running for a watery grave?” Then he took

Vaman Bua to his mother and brothers. And with a final assurance – “Don‟t fear.

Be calm. If you behave like a mad man I shall shoe you!”, the Swami disappeared.

Soon Vaman Bua regained his health and went to Akkalkot to see his Guru.

Immediately on seeing him the Master said, “Oh, is it you that tried to commit

suicide by jumping into a tank? Your life too would have been as useless as that

tank!” And holding his belly with both hands he laughed loudly.

In 1901 (saka 1823) Vaman Bua took formal Sanyasa and, meditating on the

holy name of the Master, left his mortal frame.

Shri Krishna Saraswati alias Kumbhar Swami

A pious couple prayed to Lord Dattatreya for a long time for progeny. One

night the Lord appeared to them in a dream and assured them. “I shall be born in

your house”. The one who was to attain great fame as a Jeevan Mukta, as Shri

Krishna Saraswati was their divine child. He was born in 1835 (saka 1757) on

Magha Krishna Panchami (fifth day in the darker half of February-March).

Even in his boyhood he was taken by his parents for the darshan of the

Swami of Akkalkot. On seeing the boy the great Master at once rose up and led

him by the hand into the nearby jungle. There he sat on a huge stone and spoke

thus to the boy who was seated at his feet: “You are part of me. You are born to do

good to others”, and then blessed him. At once the boy experienced deep samadhi

for seven days! On the eighth day the Swami lovingly passed his hand over the

boy‟s head and restored him to worldly consciousness. Then the Swami ordered

him to live at Kolhapur, assuming the life that befits a Jeevan Mukta i.e., the free

life of a mad man, a child and a possessed man (balonmattha – pisacha vritti). For

sometime the young saint Shri Krishna Saraswati continued to serve his Master at

Akkalkot.

One day the Swami said, “Why has not our brahmin turned up yet?” No

body could understand the significance of his words. But in a few days a brahmin

did turn up. He was suffering from incurable white leprosy. He first resorted to the

service of Lord Dattatreya at Gangapur as his only hope. There he received the

divine guidance that he should go to Akkalkot.

On his arrival Shri Swami Samarth lent a patient ear to his tale of woe and

finally said, “Go and serve Shri Krishna Saraswati and you shall be cured of the

disease!” Accordingly, the brahmin accompanied Shri Krishna Saraswati to

Kolhapur and served him very devoutly. Pleased with his service, Shri Krishna

Saraswati cured him of his disease in a short time.

In his powers and attainments Shri Krishna Saraswati closely resembled the

Swami. As the Swami already said, he was a part of the Swami. There is another

piece of evidence to prove that. Once a brahmin vowed to offer milk-sweets to the

Swami if he was blessed with children. But with the passage of time he forgot all

about the vow though his wish was fulfilled. By the time he again remembered it

the Swami already left his earthly abode. The brahmin was very sore and his one

strong wish was to put the milk sweets in the mouth of the Swami with his own

hands! But how could he fulfil it? One night the Swami appeared in his dream and

told him that he was living in Kolhapur in the kumbhar galli (galli means street) in

the form of Shri Krishna Saraswati and that he could fulfil his vow there. The

brahmin visited Shri Krishna Saraswati and after proper worship, put the sweets in

the saint‟s mouth with his own hands.

Shri Kelkar Maharaj

In the year 1847 (saka 1769) Ramachandra Kelkar was born as the son of a

poor railway employee. In his eighth year the boy suffered from an acute pain in

the stomach. Unable to bear the pain the boy desperately thought – “If there is God

I must be free from my trouble within a week. If I am, I shall dedicate all my life to

His service~” Exactly as the boy wished the pain mysteriously vanished. In

accordance with his vow the boy at once left his home and stayed with Shri Swami

Samarth for three years. Pleased with his service, the Swami blessed him with

spiritual power. Then he returned to Bombay and served Shri Swami suta for four

months. In 1873 (saka 1795) Brahmachari Bua brought marble Datta padukas to

Chilplum, gave them to a school teacher and asked him to worship them till „their

man‟ came. The person referred to as „their man‟ by the prophetic Brahmachari

Bua was none other than Ramachandra Kelkar. Exactly at that time Shri Swami

Suta sent Kelkar to Chilplum.

Later, when Kelkar received the news of the niryana of Shri Swami

Samarth, he could not bear his separation from his Guru and took a vow to fast

unto death. On the third day the Swami appeared to him in his dream and said, “I

am alive and I am carrying on my mission, do not fast unto death!” Before Kelkar

left for Chilplum Shri Swami gave him silver padukas and a staff and told him to

beg his food every Thursday. The Master assured him that he would thereby have

no need to face want at any time in his life.

A Strange Yogi

There was a strange family at Maindargi. All the members of that family

were mad. In course of time all of them died except one. A native of the same town

who was a devotee of the Swami of Akkalkot took pity of the lone mad man and

took him to Akkalkot for the blessings of the Swami. When he prayed to the

Swami to save the mad man the latter kept quiet. For fifteen days the mad man

stayed in the presence of the Swami and on the sixteenth day, the Swami sent him

back to Maindargi. In the course of a few more days a startling transformation took

place in him and he was no longer a lunatic but a great saint whose word would

never go in vain. Many people flocked to him and tried to induce him to say

something positive about their wishes and plans. Mostly he never yielded to any

inducements; he used to keep quiet. One day a supplicant was vexed with his

silence and cried, “What do you lose by saying „Yes‟ to my wish? Don‟t you like

to see my plans succeed?” The saint replied that if he spoke recklessly the Swami

of Akkalkot would thrash him and skin him! However, the strange yogi did a lot to

alleviate the sufferings of the people.

Yeswantha Rao

Once Shri Swami Samarth gave a salagrama (a sacred stone found in river

Gandaki) to one Yeswantharao Dev who was a mamlatdar and asked him to

worship it. In a short time Yeswantharao became a great saint. His samadhi can be

seen at Nasik even today.

Besides the large number of saints that the Swami had moulded, his unique

spiritual state was acknowledged even by other celebrated saints of his time. We

shall note a few of them. Shri Vasudevananda Saraswati alias Tembe Maharaj was

considered as a manifestation of Lord Dattatreya by his many devotees. One day a

devotee by name Bavdekar wanted to perform a great yagnya (vedic ritual) in his

presence at Narasimha Wadi. Tembe Maharaj heard his wish and said that either it

should be performed in the presence of Shri Swami Samarth of Akkalkot who was

Lord Dattatreya Himself, or it should be performed at Narasimha Wadi only after

taking His (Shri Swami Samarth‟s) consent and blessings.

Baba Sabnis was the devotee of Shri Manik Prabhu, the third incarnation of

Lord Datta according to popular reckoning. A few days before His niryana Shri

Manikya Prabhu told Baba Sabnis, “Shri Akkalkot Swami is the avatar of Lord

Dattatreya Himself. He is your Guru!” Henceforth Baba Sabnis dedicated himself

to the service of Shri Swami Samarth.

CHAPTER VI

HIS WORD IS LAW

It is wrong to imagine that all or even most of the visitors to Akkalkot were

all spiritual stalwarts like those mentioned in the previous chapter. Many came to

the Swami with worldly desires and ambitions. Not only did the Swami fulfil their

wishes and alleviate their sufferings with his spiritual power but also kindled the

urge for spiritual perfection in their hearts. Then there were those that came to test

him and scoff at him. The instance of a celebrated courtesan by name Radha is

enough to illustrate how the Swami dealt with such cases and what the outcome of

such a contact was.

One day great disciples like Vaman Bua and many other devotees and

visitors were seated in the august presence of the Swami. A famous courtesan of

that part of the province, by name Radha, came and took Swami‟s darshan and sat

at His feet. Such a visitor looked odd and out of place in such a gathering. And

naturally, every one was wondering what her motive or attitude to the Swami was.

They were all anxiously observing what Swami‟s reaction would be. Some of them

were sure that she was sent by some scoffers to test the Swami‟s moral strength.

On seeing the glorious form of the Swami the first thought or question that

arose in Radha‟s mind was whether His body ever knew the touch of a woman. At

once the Swami turned to her and said, “What is the difference between a man and

a woman? What is there in a woman which is not there in a man?” The lady was

startled to note that the Swami noticed her every thought. After a little pause she

said non-challantly, “Why not? For instance, woman has beautiful breasts which

man does not have!” The Swami smiled and said, “Do you have them or does your

body have them? If you were to have them you must be able to transfer them to

someone else!” She could not answer and there was silence for a little while. When

she was staring winkless at him, the Swami said mockingly, “Why do you stare at

me like that?” She hung her head in bashfulness, bowed to him and left the place.

Within a few days her beautiful bust became flat like that of a man! And there was

a corresponding moral transformation in her heart! She came to feel a deep

aversion for her low profession. She gave up her immoral life, went to the holy city

of Varanasi, and spent the rest of her life there in prayer and worship!

Thus, as one biographer of the Swami has remarked, learning, kingly power

and the power of beauty have all tried to capture the heart of the Swami but all of

them failed miserably. The first came in the form of Vishnu Bua, the second in the

form of Rajah Maloji, and the third in the form of Radha.

A barber used to shave and cut nails of the Swami periodically. He was also

shrewd enough to keep the saint‟s hair and nails with him and sell them as

talismans to those who were suffering. As they were very effective, the talismans

were in great demand. Though he first started the practice of using them as

talisman out of faith in the Swami, soon the motive of profit took possession of his

heart, and at once the talismans started losing their efficacy. So he had to give up

that business!

In the year 1857 (Saka 1779) the Kodak Photographic Company

photographed the Swami for the first time. The presence of a big halo around the

Swami‟s picture in the photograph surprised all the people. Photography was being

introduced in India just then and it was so costly that only great Rajahs could

afford it. The company was just then established in Bombay and in order to

publicise it they wanted to produce certain pictures but they could not decide what

their proper themes should be.

The British Governor and some other distinguished men happened to read

about the fame and greatness of the Swami in the local papers and were attracted to

take His darshan. But they felt it below their dignity to go for his darshan and it

was equally impossible to summon Him to them. So they sent an expert

photographer to get His pictures. The photographer tried to secure the Swami‟s

permission to take His pictures but the Swami never heeded the recommendations

of his devotees. The photographer at last decided to take the pictures without His

consent and, keeping everything ready, he waited for the proper pose; but when he

got it, before he could click the camera, the Swami would turn away or move. This

frustrating experience repeated itself ten to twenty times before he could somehow

take one picture. He was immensely pleased that he could successfully deceive the

Swami. He immediately placed the photo-print in front of the Swami, mockingly

saying, “What do you say now for this?” The Swami pushed the picture towards

one of his devotees as indifferently and said, “Tell me what you see there!” The

devotee eagerly looked at it and said, “This is the picture of Shri Rama. How

beautiful!” Then the Swami pushed it to another devotee and repeated the same

question. The man said, “It is the picture of the Supreme Goddess!” It was passed

on to many others and one of them found it to be Lord Sankara in meditation;

another saw Lord Vishnu; a fifth saw Vitthal of Pandharpur; the sixth saw

Khandoba; many more saw their chosen deities in the same picture! The

photographer lost his temper and wondered whether they were all mad; for could

they not recognize the Swami‟s picture? So he said to the Swami, “You see it for

yourself and tell me!” The Swami looked at it with feigned attention and

seriousness, then burst into laughter and said, “Oh, do I look like this!” and

returned the picture to the photographer. He was struck dumb with wonder to find

in it the picture of a monkey! He at once realized that the Swami performed this

miracle to stamp out his ego and pride and sought His pardon. He once again

requested the Swami to permit him to take another picture saying, “Your picture is

sacred and is worthy of being kept in everyone‟s house. Please permit us to serve

the people in this and thereby profit ourselves”. Then the Swami consented and the

picture came off nicely this time!

Even on many subsequent occasions it was found that photographs taken

without the Swami‟s consent never came off. A photographer named Phadke took

an appointment with the Swami to take his picture at 5 p.m. on a certain date, and

he turned up punctually with all his equipment. But the Swami detained him upto 7

p.m. by asking him to hold the pipe of His hukka as He smoked it. When Phadke

lost all hope of taking the picture on that day, and when there was no light, the

Swami asked him to take the picture. Phadke submitted that he did not get the

flashgun with him. The Swami laughed loudly holding his belly and asked Phadke

to take the film-plate in his hand and process it as it was. To the wonder of all, the

print showed the picture of Swami puffing at the hukka! Copies of this photograph

can be seen printed in some of the books on Swami‟s life.

Govinda Sastri, a poor brahmin could not endure his poverty any longer. He

went to see the Swami for the last time before committing suicide. The Swami

looked at him and said, “Go and dig under the creeper in your back-yard; live by

what you find there and spend your time in the service of God!” The poor brahmin

returned to his house, dug up the earth beneath the creeper and found a treasure

there!! He spent his life happily as directed by the Swami.

We find that a similar miracle was performed by Shri Narasimha Saraswathi

of Gangapur with whom Shri Swami Samarth often identified himself and it can be

considered a sort of corroboration of this identity. The miracle is recounted in

detail in Shri Gurucharitra.

CHAPTER VII

THE SWAMI AND HIS ATTENDANTS

When the Swami first arrived at Akkalkot, the good fortune of offering him

food fell to Cholappa and, as though this was a sign of God‟s grace, the Swami

happened to stay at his house for a long time. However, Cholappa‟s faith in the

Swami‟s greatness had to contend with the attitude of his wife and his two sons

who considered him a mere lunatic. They were highly displeased that a mad man

should be harboured in their home and that he should be accorded the highest

honour. Cholappa‟s wife was, as it were, a touch-stone in the hands of the Swami

to test Cholappa‟s faith. For, unmindful of the trouble to which his host is likely to

be put, the Swami behaved in the wildest manner possible. For instance, he would

dole out the grain in the house to the cattle, as though it were his own. He would

beckon to the beggars and give them away any article that came in handy in

Cholappa‟s house. Or, like a small child, he would urinate any where he sat in the

house!

Once Yasobai (wife of Cholappa) carefully stored a huge quantity of dal and

wanted to prepare certain sweets with them for the coming festival. But everyday,

the Swami stole a little of them and fed the cows therewith, till the pot was finally

empty. On the day preceding the festival the housewife found the pot empty. In a

fury she complained to her husband and, finding him cool and unperturbed, she

questioned the Swami himself about it. The Swami put on an innocent face and

said, “What do I know? The cow ate all the dal. You ask the cow about it! Why do

you ask me?”

One day the Swami suddenly set out walking towards a place called

Hosapur. When Cholappa followed him he turned round and said, “I am a

Sannyasi. You are a house-holder. You should not follow us. You must stay there

and attend to your worldly affairs”. Cholappa stood there silently but did not turn

back. The Swami burst out in a rage and hurled foul abuse at him. At last, with

tears in his eyes, Cholappa pleaded, “I would rather leave my home; I cannot leave

your holy feet”. Though the Swami was inwardly pleased with his devotion, he put

on a stern expression on his face and threw his wooden sandals at Cholappa and

commanded him to worship them in his shrine. Cholappa did accordingly. In the

course of years many devotees from far and near were mysteriously directed to

worship them in order to overcome their hardships, and then Cholappa realised that

what the Swami had given him were not “mere wood”. Even today these holy

sandals can be seen in the shrine at Cholappa‟s mutt.

Whatever the trouble that Cholappa had to face as a consequence of the

Swami‟s pranks, the Swami became a member of his family. It was not long before

that the Rajah of Akkalkot became a devotee of this “king of kings” and henceforth

he bore all the expenses that His service entailed. The Swami came to depend on

and accept the Rajah‟s service and hospitality. The antagonism of Yasobai is not

the sole reason for this. It is proper that the ruler should serve a godman; for the

benign merit of it would go to all the people that are ruled by such a Rajah. But the

Swami continued to stay in Cholappa‟s house and went on annoying Yasobai by

his wayward behaviour. He would insist on sleeping in the bed that was meant for

the new-born. He would pass stool in the kitchen-hearth. He would find a rare

pleasure in sprinkling water on the fuel in the hearth which Yasobai took a lot of

trouble to light. Whenever ritual purity was observed during sacred ceremonies he

would violate it by touching those that observed it.

Once Yasobai prepared a large quantity of sweet pancakes. When she was

busy attending to some other task, a sadhu came to her door-step for alms, and lo!

the Swami jumped with joy at the chance he got to tease her. He gleefully took up

the whole lot of sweets and ran to the door-step to give them away to the sadhu.

The housewife saw what was happening and in a trice, ran to Him, plucked the

basket of sweets from the Swami‟s hands, gave one to the sadhu and saved the rest

of them.

Once when Cholappa left the village on business, the Swami stood in the

middle of the house, loudly announced that the house was His and that no one else

had the right to live in it. He then drove Yasobai and her children out of the house

and guarded the door-step with a stick in his hand. In utter helplessness Yasobai

and her children took shelter under a neighbouring tree. They had to starve the

whole noon and yet the Swami would not give in. Cholappa who returned in the

evening had to pacify and cajole the Swami, as though he were an obstinate child,

to allow them all into the house.

On another occasion Yasobai was in an advanced state of pregnancy and

was expected to deliver on that day. She started having the labour-pains. A bed

was arranged for her in a room. When the door was to be closed, the Swami

squatted across the door-step and did not move. Besides, he went on upsetting all

the articles in the house, throwing them in all directions. But when the moment of

delivery approached, he calmed down, set the house in order and himself closed

the door of the dlivery room. Those who had an insight into the mysterious ways of

the Swami realized that all the noise he made signified that he was warding off an

impending calamity in the family by his mysterious powers.

Indeed, there came a time when the saint‟s heart softened with regard to

Yasobai and promptly he graced her with revelatory experience of his power.

However, the nature of the experience was in keeping with her innate hostility to

him. One day she was stung by a scorpion. She screamed in pain and could endure

it no longer. Then the Swami threw one of his sandals at her. She promptly picked

it up and put her hand in it. At once the pain vanished, only to reappear as soon as

she took her hand out of it. At last, she kept her hand in the sandal and had a

peaceful sleep. Perhaps, through this miracle (leela) he wanted to teach that

Samsara or the worldly life of attachments was fraught with pain like the scorpion

sting; that once she sought shelter at the holy sandal of a godman the pain would

be no more; that if she were to desert Him in favour of life in samsara, pain and

sorrow would reappear; thus the safest course in life is to hold on to the feet of the

Lord and be at rest, care free.

Viewed from one angle Cholappa is more fortunate than most other devotees

of the Swami. The Master stayed in his house longer than he did anywhere else.

Yet, from another point of view he was the least fortunate of them. Though his

regard for the Swami was high, it never ripened into rapturous devotion. In front of

his very eyes many devotees derived crowning spiritual experiences by the mere

touch or the word of the Swami. But Cholppa was not to be one among them.

Every thing in creation must either wane or wax. That is the law of nature.

Cholappa‟s faith in the Swami did not wax, so it started waning. Even while the

Master in his house was granting darshan of various deities in Himself to countless

visitors, Cholappa was visiting several holy places in search of solace and light! In

course of time love of money stole into his heart. The Swami was not unaware of

it! He even hinted at it one day when he said, “The very thing which is mine is now

turning against me!”

There is no question of callousness on the part of the Swami. The godman

see god in everything and in every one; they see themselves in all and all in

themselves, says, “The Bhagavat Geetha”. They love all equally but the devotees

reap as they sow the seed of faith. Accordingly, the devotees either come closer or

go farther from the holy one.

Towards the end of his life Cholappa was bed-ridden. But the Swami never

visted him nor did he show any special concern for him by sending either holy-

water (theertha) or consecrated offerings (prasada). In his last moments some one

dear to Cholappa poured a little of Swami‟s padatheertha (holy-water in which the

feet of the Master were washed) in his mouth and Cholappa swallowed it with

great difficulty and then gave up his body. This does not, however, show that the

Swami loved him less. When he heard of Cholappa‟s death the Swami‟s face was

grief-stricken. To those who little understood his love for Cholappa, he said that

the love between them i.e., himself and Cholappa, was seven times more ardent

than the love that binds a father and his son. He added that he too would soon lay

down his body and would not survive Cholappa‟s death for long. He said, “In this

world no one belongs to anyone else. Where shall I go without Cholappa? To

whom can I show my leelas?”

Another individual that had the rare fortune of serving the Master most of

the time was Sundarabai, a lady. Even on her first arrival the Swami told Cholappa

that she was his (Cholappa‟s) potent rival. In course of time she gradually

displaced Cholappa appropriating all the service of the Swami to herself. Yet she

did not have the goodness of the heart that was needed to make the best of her rare

fortune. All the time she was engrossed in posing as a poor woman and collecting

money and gifts from the Swami‟s devotees. For, in the eyes of the visitors she had

the supreme place among the Swami‟s attendants. They thought that any service of

gifts rendered to her are therefore meritorious. The Swami was not blind to all this

but he kept quiet. As we have said earlier everything in the creation must either

wax or wane; and her avarice waxed. She even indulged in back-biting and tale-

bearing against other attendants to the Rani (princess) of Akkalkot. With a wry

humour the Swami used to describe her as his scare-crow, one who wards off the

crowds from Him by her bad temper. When devotees refused to give her any gifts

she used to see that they do not get a chance to see the Swami!

The Swami allowed a free hand to the course of divine justice. Soon the

British Government received innumerable complaints and charges against her

conduct and finally ordered the Rajah to dismiss her from the service of the Swami

and to appoint a committee to look after His service. The Swami kept His

characteristic silence even when she was turned out. Balappa was made the head of

the committee.

CHAPTER VIII

SWAMI THE PROTECTOR

A sadhu was seriously ill; he was aware that he would not live long. He had

a strong wish to visit the shrine of Lord Krishna at Dwaraka before death overtook

him. But it seemed that his illness would not permit him to do so. Once he heard of

Swami Samarth and came to Akkalkot to see him. The Swami called him near and

assured him that his wish would be fulfilled. Even as the thought that the Swami

might be the incarnation of Lord Dattatreya passed through the sadhu’s mind, the

Master said to him, “Why bother about who I am? Go and chew the leaves of that

margosa tree”. The sadhu plucked a few of them and chewed and found them very

bitter. On seeing his wry face the Swami burst into a loud laughter and again

directed him to chew a few of the leaves plucked from another branch of the same

tree. When he did so the sadhu was surprised to find the leaves very sweet.

Hearing of the miracle several other devotees tested the words of the sadhu and all

of them found that the leaves from that branch were really sweet! The sadhu

regained his health in three days!

On the fourth day when he came to the Swami for darshan he did not see the

Master there. Instead, he saw the divine form of Lord Krishna of Dwaraka with His

four arms! The sadhu was in raptures and he prostrated to the Swami. When he got

up he found the usual form of the Swami in front of him, smiling. As though to

dispel any possible doubt in the minds of the devotees that the vision might be the

hallucination of the sadhu, the golden ear-rings which the Swami had were found

to be transformed into stone ones. For, does not the stone image of Lord Krishna at

Dwaraka have stone ear-rings carved in it? As the stone ear rings were too heavy

for the Swami‟s tender ear lobes, they were changed by the devotees.

In one year monsoon failed and there were no rains. There was fear of

drought and famine in the state of Maharashtra. Countless devotees from

neighbouring towns and cities flocked to the Swami and sought His divine

intervention. The Swami replied to their petitions, “Get the Parjanya sukta”

(“Hymn to the Lord of Rain”) in the Vedas recited by brahmins. All of you recite

Renuka Sahasra Nama (the thousand divine names of Goddess Renuka)”. Two

days after, the Swami, accompanied by his attendants, went to the neighbouring

village of Jeur, visited the shrine of Lord Siva there and sternly addressed the linga

in the temple, “Why did you not send rain so far?” Then he proceeded to another

village named Varasang, heaped abuse on all the deities in the shrine of Siva and in

a quiet voice asked the idols, “Do you want offerings of chenna (Bengalgram)?”

Then he got large quantities of the gram from the village and scattered them over

the idols of Lord Siva and His consort in the temple. In a few minutes there were

thunder showers and, over a radius of twenty five miles around Akkalkot, the fields

were soaked with abundant water.

Once, as was his wont, the Swami started on his trek to a distant village

along a difficult track. There were a few of his attendants with him. They walked

on for hours and were overtaken by hunger and thirst. They could not get anything

to eat or drink on the way. Nor had they the courage to complain to the Swami. At

last, a young boy among them made bold to communicate his plight to the Swami.

At once the Swami took them into the shade of a huge tree. Every one expected

that he was going to feed them all. But to their utter disappointment they found the

Swami seated there, eating a little food, all by himself! When he finished it he

asked all the devotees to go and rest themselves in the shade of a nearby mango

tree!! At first, not finding anything there to eat, they thought that their Master was

playing his usual pranks on them. But when they quietly approached the mango

tree, they met an old lady. She told them that she was awaiting a group of people

and, as they did not turn up, the devotees of the Swami were welcome to partake of

the dainty dishes that were prepared for the expected party. The faithful devotees

got more than what they wanted.

Often the Swami took a fancy to be carried about in a palanquin amidst

heavy rain. On one such occasion the devotees carried the palanquin for six miles

and were very tired. Then the Swami got down from it, mounted a horse which was

grazing there and started for the neighbouring village. The horse was too small for

the Swami and his legs were found hitting against stones. The devotees could not

bear that sight nor had they the stamina to carry him in the palanquin any further.

One of them said to the Swami in utter helplessness, “If you condescend to reduce

your weight, we could carry you much further.” The Swami at once agreed to do so

and sat in the palanquin. When they lifted it, they found that he was much lighter

than before. They carried him on with a thrill of joy that the miracle had afforded

them.

The party halted for the night by the road side. One of the devotees

submitted to the Swami that none of them had taken any food since that morning

and that they were hungry. The Swami smiled most charmingly and said, “Do not

fear! One of my devotees is coming this way with lots of delicious food”. Indeed,

after a little while, a devotee by name Deshpande came there from Dharwad along

with his family. He was on his way to Akkalkot for Swami‟s darshan. He was

overjoyed to meet Him half the way and he fed the whole party sumptuously.

A devotee from Ahmednagar took the Swami‟s darshan. He had a wish to

give the Swami something to eat. The Swami, at once noticed the secret thought

and asked for porridge prepared with dal. The devotee got it prepared by his wife

and invited the Swami to partake of it. The Master asked him to give it first to the

brahmins there and that he would take it later. In two dishes it was served for two

brahmins and the third was kept for the Swami. The brahmins finished what was

served to them and wanted the porridge that was in the third dish also. Finding no

other way, the devotee gave it away to the brahmins. So nothing was left for the

Swami. Then the devotee and his wife approached the Swami to tell him of what

had happened and to seek his pardon because they could not fulfil either their own

wish or that of the Swami. On seeing them the Master smiled and, feeling his own

belly with his hands as though to indicate to them that it was full, he belched

loudly. He at once proceeded to enumerate all the other dishes that they had served

to the brahmins. He asked them to get him whatever food was left. They had to tell

him that nothing was left after feeding the brahmins. The Swami said, “No! one

bajji is left in a corner. Get it for me!” The lady went back to her lodging and to

her surprise she did find one bajji left in the corner of the basket. The Swami

accepted it and was pleased! Feeding any hungry person implies feeding the spirit

which is in all and the Swami had identified himself with it completely.

Once Swami Samarth visited the house of a devotee by name Deshmukh.

When he was seated there a muslim, from the former Nizam State, visited him and

requested him to teach him the path to peace. The Swami cast his yogic glance at

him and said, “Akkal se khuda pehachan” (Realise God through discrimination).

The muslim, on hearing the words of the Master, at once attained the state of

samadhi. When he was on the verge of regaining his normal consciousness, he had

a vision of the holy Prophet Muhammad.

One day a lady brought her only son who was seriously ill to the Swami. A

few minutes after her arrival at Akkalkot her son died. The grief-stricken mother

fell at the feet of the Swami and said, “I hoped that my son would have protection

at least here, if not anywhere else. Is he to die even after his arrival in your august

presence?” The lady‟s lamentation softened the heart of the Swami. He at once got

up and approached the dead body, and lifting it up by its foot he whirled it round

and round and threw it near a horse that was standing there. The boy returned to

life and the mother‟s joy knew no bounds.

On another occasion a lady prayed to the Swami to bless her with children.

But he replied that she was not destined to have any. Without losing hope she

stayed on and dedicated herself heart and soul to the service of the Master. The

blessed moment arrived when one day the Swami assured her, “I shall go to

Satyaloka and wrangle with Brahma the Creator, if need be and grant you

children”. After a little while he went into the house and fetched two dates (dry

fruits) and gave them to her to be eaten afer meal. Taking the fruits with her she

went home and placing them in a shelf she went to take bath. Unfortunately, by the

time she finished her bath, she forgot all about the dates. She thought of them only

the next day and rushed to the shelf but found only two eggs in their place! She at

once ran to the Swami and keeping the eggs in front of him confessed her error and

sought his help.

The grace of the Master never recognized the difference of class, caste and

community. When people asked him about his caste he gave different replies at

different times, thereby suggesting the unreality of such a distinction. A fisherman

too was as much a recipient of the Swami‟s grace as any other devotee.

Lakshman the fisherman used to take the Swami‟s darshan everyday,

especially when he was to go for fishing in the sea. Once his yacht was caught in a

fierce storm. When he found that the boat was going out of his control, still too far

from the shore, he cried out the name of the Swami in despair. But nothing is too

far for the Swami‟s grace. He at once responded to the call. At that moment the

Swami was engaged in a game of chess with his devotees at Cholappa‟s house.

Suddenly he stood up crying, “Lakshman is drowning!” and went on moving his

limbs as though he struggled to lift up a drowning man. The devotees who were

there wondered at the antics of the Swami. Soon saline water started dripping from

his hands mysteriously. Eight days after, Lakshman came running to the Swami

and fell at his feet saying, “If you did not save me I would have died. Henceforth

my body is yours, not mine. I am surrendering to you my body and soul! I do not

want to be in samsara any more.” The Swami smiled and kept quiet. Lakshman

kept his word and spent the rest of his life in the service of the Master.

One day the Master was playing among the huts of “untouchables” (as they

were called in those days). He was playing with a bone. A poor man went to him

and bowed. At once the Swami gave him the bone as prasada. The poor man

stretched his hand to receive it. But he was inwardly feeling shocked at having to

touch an unclean thing. But as soon as it touched his hand it immediately turned

into gold. “Ask and thou shall be given!” “As you sow you reap!” Faith never fails.

In those days plague was one of the most feared of diseases and it raged

frequently in the state of Maharashtra. During one such outbreak, many people

died at Akkalkot. The natives ran to the Swami for his protection. He commanded

them to render all the religious services that were due to the local deities with

proper care and said, “And then I shall speak to her!” (meaning the presiding spirit

of the plague). In no time the deaths ceased and the plague vanished.

A brahmin by name Gopalrao came to Akkalkot to see the Swami. There

was no one to help him with a pot or a vessel needed for taking his bath. At last he

took them from the house of a low caste family. Balwantharao, a brahmin devotee

who used to offer a pipe of tobacco to the Swami came to know about it. He was

enraged to hear that a fellow brahmin had accepted bathing water from a low-caste

family. So at the time of lunch Balwantharao did not allow Gopalrao to sit among

other brahmin devotees. Gopalrao felt humiliated but kept quiet. Later, when

Balwantharao brought food to the Swami as usual, the Swami was cross with him

and refused to eat from his hands. He said, “Does he lose his purity merely by the

touch of a low caste man?”. The Swami refused to eat from Balwantharao‟s hands

for two or three days. On the fourth day Balwantharao lost his sanity. Whenever

his sane mood returned, he fell at the feet of the Master and sought his pardon.

Then the Swami commanded him to serve Gopalrao for sometime as an expiation

of the sins of his past lives.

Once the Swami, along with his devotees, visited the shrine of the medieval

saint Ekanath. There he felt thirsty but there was no water to drink. The only well

in the vicinity was deep and for long out of use. The water was stinking. The

Swami then picked up a stick which was four feet in length and went to the well.

To the utter amazement of his devotees, touching his nose with one end of the

stick, he touched the water in the well with the other end simultaneously. It was a

great wonder to all how such a short stick could be used to touch the deep water in

the well by the Swami. The water at once became pure and potable!

With the rapid spread of the Swami‟s fame in all directions, Akkalkot

became a prominent place of pilgrimage. Long queues of devotees could be seen

taking darshan of the Swami from dawn to dusk and still some were left over. The

Swami had no rest. He discovered a novel way of meeting the growing demands on

him. He used to lie on the cot covering all his body with a blanket and keeping

only his feet outside to be touched by the devotees. Yet when any of them had any

doubts or impure thoughts in their mind, He would at once sit up and answer them

in a fitting manner, and would again doze off as suddenly! Even when the Swami

strolled along the streets of Akkalkot, crowds of devotees would follow him

carrying the royal insignia of this great “King of kings.” They would go on

chanting and singing to the accompaniment of musical instruments. With all the

singing crowds about him, the Swami resembled a mighty banyan tree which is the

haunt of innumerable singing birds.

CHAPTER IX

IN TIME AND IN ETERNITY

We have already noted the fact that Shri Swami Samarth stayed in the house

of Cholappa for quite some time. Afterwards he stayed for sometime in the royal

palace. However, Cholappa cherished a deep feeling that the mortal remains of the

Master after His niryana should be enshrined in his own house. Though he never

expressed his desire to the Swami, Cholappa perhaps believed that the Swami who

graced his house with his stay for so long would not disappoint him in this respect.

So, in one corner of his house he dug a pit in the floor in which to inter the

Swami‟s body when he casts it off. The same day, as though to answer Cholappa‟s

silent designs, the Swami happened to pass by his house. On the way he paused a

little and looking at the house asked Cholappa why it was dug. Cholappa hesitated

to put his thoughts out verbally and so kept quiet. The Swami smiled and said, “I

shall put you in that first. I shall not leave (the earthly abode) soon.”

A few weeks after, one day, the Swami spoke to Cholappa in a strange mood

of abstraction, “Son! We are about to embark on a long journey. Would you serve

me?” Cholappa bowed in a silent affirmation.

Nearly a year before the Swami‟s niryana, he threw numerous hints to his

devotees regarding the coming event. Firstly, he stopped sleeping on the soft bed.

He got it rolled up and secured on a tree. Sometimes, when his devotees were

waving lighted camphor in front of him in arati, the Swami used to hold it up in the

middle of it and throw the burning camphor on the ground. One day the Swami got

five hundred dung cakes through Bavdekar and got them carefully piled up over

Siva lingas and set fire to them. When they were burning, the Swami got five seers

each of date, rice, fruits and flower-garlands thrown in the fire. This took place in

the mutt of a zangam sadhu. The sadhu was wild to see the Swami spoiling the

Sivalingas that he established in the mutt, and rushed to punish him. But as he

approached the Swami he could not do anything more than shout a little. The

Swami did not pay the least attention to the sadhu’s cries. The next day he got the

ashes of the burnt out fire removed by the devotee Bhujang. To the wonder of the

zangam sadhu, inspite of the fire, the lingas were quiet good. Perhaps, through this

leela (miracle) the Swami signified to all that the destruction of his physical frame

would not in any way affect his existence and power even as the Siva lingas

remained unaffected by the fire.

One day the Swami visited the house of one Tatya Subedar. As usual some

of his devotees accompanied him. The Swami ordered one of them to remove the

big stone bowl which was intended to house the tulasi plant to the distant tank,

near the temple of Muraleedhar, to be thrown into it. Further the Swami himself

accompanied the man that carried the bowl into the tank. When it was left in the

water, the Swami asked all the devotees to cry loudly producing the sound “Bum,

Bum”. This gesture stands for bereavement. Then the Swami ordered Bavdekar to

return to his native place Barsi, and when he left, the Swami handed over all his

playthings to one devotee and wanted them to be given to Bavdekar.

Eight days prior to his niryana the Master asked his devotees to chant the

divine name, Siva Hara Sankara, Namami Sankara, Siva Sankara Sambho, Hey

Girijapathi Bhavanisankara Sivasankara Sambho, and he also joined them in the

singing. That was the only occasion when the devotees heard the Master singing

the divine name.

During the last four or five days of his mortal existence the Swami started

playing in a novel manner, by raising small tombs with small pebbles.

On the day the Swami returned from the house of Tatya Subedar he had

slight temperature and seemed to have recovered after a little rest. But soon the

fever reappeared, and he stayed in a mango grove for four days. The fever went on

rising. The Swami stopped taking his meal. A devotee by name Sakharam

Lokhande sought the permission of the Swami to carry him in a palanquin to His

favourite spot at Akkalkot namely the big banyan tree. The Swami nodded in

assent and, accordingly, he was placed under His beloved banyan. The Master‟s

condition deteriorated fast. But the Swami started going through all His daily

routine like daily bath with meticulous care, as though He was perfectly healthy.

He never allowed anyone to approach Him unless it was absolutely necessary.

Sundarabai was the only devotee that served Him till His last moment. No one had

the courage even to request the Swami to take His food. At last all the devotees

expressed their wish to the Swami through Sundarabai. The Swami agreed to take

only two small spoonfuls of food. While feeding Him Sundarabai asked, “When

are you going to be healthy, Swami?” The Master replied in a quiet voice, “There

is no question of my recovering health any more. It is time for me to return to my

original abode”. Sundarabai was stunned to hear those words. Many doctors from

all parts of the country rushed to Akkalkot to try their best to keep the light of the

Master‟s life burning. But the Master never allowed them to administer any of their

medicines. When his devotees pleaded with Him pitiously to take the medicine, He

swallowed a little of it to please them. But in a few moments it again came out of

His mouth. Once more Sundarabai asked Him, “Swami, when are you going to be

hale and healthy again?” The Master smiled and said, “When the mountains would

speak!” However, some readers feel that the statement meant, “When demonic

deeds stand frighteningly in the way of humanity”. Perhaps He meant that he

would reappear whenever great yogis who are established in yoga „firm as

mountains‟, pray to Him to manifest Himself for the uplift of mankind. When

another devotee, Sreepada Bhatt put the same question to Him, the Swami replied,

“When Pandharpur would burn.” Some readers take this statement to mean, “When

the hearts of saints, sadhus and devotees would start weeping owing to the

demonic deeds of the wicked.” Perhaps it would mean that He would reappear

when dharma and spiritual knowledge are in danger of being annihilated.

The devotees realised that the Swami‟s end was near. One after another they

bowed to Him and sought His final message. The Swami said to Sreepada Bhatt,

“Go and dig at the roots of the banyan.” “Digging at the roots” meant the

performance of tapas. He told Ganpath Rao, “Stay in that same temple”. To

Balappa He said, “Go and live under the audumbar (fig) tree!” which meant that he

should attend to his spiritual mission. To the rest of the devotees He said, “Tread

the path of your ancestors”, Then the Master Himself recited the famous verse

(sloka number 22) from the ninth chapter of the The Bhagavat Geetha which runs

thus :-

“For those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no other, for those ever-

united, I secure what is not already possessed and preserve what they already

possessed”. (Shri Swami Sivananda‟s translation).

It was the month of Chaitra (April-May) in the year 1878, the thirteenth day

of the dark-half of the lunar month (May 8). The Swami took just a spoonful of

food at the request of His devotees. He took the betel-nut which Balappa gave

Him. When the Master stretched Himself on the bed all the devotees kept looking

at him pathetically. One of them asked the Master whether all the devotees should

perform anushtan (special religious performances). The Master replied, “Anushtan

is not necessary; just release a cow and its calf, That will do!” Accordingly, a cow

and its calf in the cattle shed were untied and left free. At once the cow and its calf

ran to the Swami, circumambulated his bed, touched his holy feet with their heads,

and returned to their cattle shed to graze! Then the Swami spoke, “Meena (pisces)

is my rasi (Lunar mansion in the astrological chart).” Then He asked someone

whether the planet Saturn was in that zodiacal sign at that time and ascertained it.

On that holy occasion all the devotees gave daanas (offerings to the brahmins and

the poor). One of them asked the Swami, “Do you like to give any daana?” The

Swami replied, “You may give if you like”. (It must be mentioned that on the

previous day the Swami got a shawl worth Rs.350/- dipped in water and presented

it to a brahmin by name Ramasastri Avadhani). The Swami added, “What do I

have that I can give? I have only a cod-piece. Even that is not my own and I will

have to leave that too very soon.”

One of the devotees said, “Swami, here it is very cold. Shall we take you

into the house?”

“No”, the Master replied, “I must go and merge in this tree”. (Here we must

remember that when His devotees asked Him about His caste and parentage, the

Swami long ago replied, “The Original Purusha – the origin of the First Cause, the

Banyan Tree – Dattanagar.”)

Even while the devotees were looking on, the peace, radiance and intensity

of the Swami‟s looks greatly increased. The Swami asked them to help him to a

sitting position. Sreepad Bhatt helped him to sit up. The Swami said, “No one

should Weep. I shall always be present in all places. I shall respond to every call.”

The Swami sat in the lotus posture and at once merged his spirit in the Infinite. The

closed eyes remained still. Three white specks came out of his mouth. His face was

full of life. In fact all the devotees were hoping that their beloved Master would

open his eyes to cast his look of grace at them. Some of the devotees strengthened

their hearts with the parting instruction of the Swami; they took the event with

equanimity. But many of them broke down wailing, beating their breasts and

rolling on the ground and, some of them even fell unconscious.

The Rajah of Akkalkot took the body of the Swami around the town in a

royal procession. The procession stopped for a moment just in front of Cholappa‟s

house. The body was enshrined under the banyan tree which was dear to him.

Saints do not die. They attain immortality and can reappear in flesh and

blood. Christ demonstrated it and so did the Swami!

Later Balappa who was very close to the Swami could not bear the sight of

his samadhi (tomb). He wept for days on end and gave up taking food. On the third

day the Swami appeared to him in flesh and blood! Balappa could not believe his

own eyes. But the long hands, the kamandala (a saint‟s waterpot), padukas, his

penetrating look were all unmistakable. Balappa touched his feet in reverence. The

Swami raised him up with his own hands and said, “I have given you my padukas.

I am there in your mutt in the form of Absolute Consciousness. I love to receive

your services there in that form”. The Swami vanished as suddenly as He had

appeared!

Long before His niryana, the Master promised a jagirdar of Neelegaon, by

name Bhau Saheb, that He would visit his house some time, And poor bhau Saheb

was not yet aware that the Swami had attained niryana! On the fifth day after the

Swami‟s Samadhi, Bhau Saheb, who was sitting in his house received the news

that the Master came to Neelegaon along with his devotees. At once he and his

family went and took his darshan. The jagirdar invited the Swami to grace his

house. The Swami said, “I shall come some other time, not now” The jagirdar and

his family went home and, after lunch, again came to spend the rest of the day in

the holy company of the Master. But there was no trace of him anywhere. In great

wonder he searched every where in the village and sent a messenger to Akkalkot to

find out the matter. But even before the messenger returned, the Swami appeared at

Bhau Saheb‟s house. The jagirdar requested him to dine in his house. The Swami

smiled in reply and in a few moments, vanished into thin air! A little later the

messenger returned from Akkalkot and told Bhau Saheb that Shri Swami Samarth

took samadhi five days earlier. The jagirdar‟s wonder knew no bounds.

Even today Shri Swami Samarth appears to His ardent devotees and He

answers all prayers and petitions instantaneously. May He bless all!

CHAPTER X

NOW AND FOREVER

Now, I shall, illustrate the inner identity of the two manifestations of Lord

Datta, Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi and Shri Swami Samarth of Akkalkot.

When Sri Swami Samarth was about to pass away in 1878, devotee Kesav

Naik said, “Maharaj, if you pass away, what refuge do we have?” The Swami gave

him his padukas and said, “My manifestation is at Shirdi. Go there always and you

will not feel my absence.” After the Swami passed away, Kesav Naik and his son

went to Shirdi. Two orthodox brahmins joined them on the way and spoke light of

Sai Baba as a Muslim and a mad Fakir, unworthy of being saluted by brahmins.

When they arrived at the mosque at Shirdi, Baba said : “You and your son may

come to me, the other two are karmatha brahmins (zealots)”. He asked Kesav to

fetch margosa leaves, distributed them to the four visitors and told them to taste the

same. The two brahmins found them unusually bitter, while Naik and his son

found them sweet. Thus Baba separated the grain from the chaff.

The son of Harischandra Pitale who was suffering from epilepsy was taken

for the first time to Shirdi. By Baba‟s grace the boy gradually recovered and they

sought Baba‟s permission to return home. Baba said, “Pitale, I had given you

Rs.2/- earlier. Now keep these three rupees also in your worship; you will be much

benefited”.

Pitale returned home and told his mother of Baba‟s enigmatic words and

asked her, “When had Baba graced us with Rs.2/-? This is my first visit ever to

Shirdi!” She reflected for a while and said, “When you were a small child, your

father took all of us to Shri Swami Samarth. Then the Swami gave Rs.2/- to your

father who had worshipped them for long. Later the worship was neglected and the

two rupees were not to be found. Now evidentally, the same Swami has blessed

you again in the form of Shri Sai Baba”.

Often, devotee Bhai Krishnaji used to visit the padukas of Shri Swami at

Akkalkot. Once Shri Swami appeared in his dream the night before he started there

and said, “Now I am at Shirdi. Go there and offer your worship”. Accordingly, he

visited Baba and stayed with him for six months. At last, out of strong desire to

visit Akkalkot; he sought Baba‟s permission and the latter said, “What is there at

Akkalkot? That Swami is here now, in my form. Why go there now?” Krishnaji

was thrilled at the corroboration of Swami‟s dream-message.

Bapusaheb Jog who was earlier devoted to Shri Swami, similarly served Sai

Baba. One day he demanded that Sai Baba should grant him the darshan of Swami

Samarth. During Arti Baba appeared to him in the form of the saint of Akkalkot.

Kharkar of Thane was ill. His friends gave him a picture of Baba and a little

of Udi. Soon he recovered. But he hesitated to keep the picture of a muslim saint

like Baba beside that of Shri Swami Samarth in his shrine. One night he saw in his

dream a fakir robed like Sai Baba approached him and his friend stood up to

welcome the holy visitor. His friend told Kharkar that the fakir was not different

from Shri Swami Samarth and that both must be treated with equal regard.

Now another recent experience of a devotee which shows that the inner

identity of the two great saints lasts forever.

Mrs. R. Venkata Ratnamma writes, “Sri Bharadwaja told my son, Sarath

Babu, that I would get peace of mind if I studied the biography of Shri Swami

Samarth. So I started reading the manuscript of Shri Bharadwaja‟s book in Telugu.

A few days ago, an unusually tall Sadhu with long arms appeared in my dream. He

wore only a codpiece and held a brass vessel in his hand. I strongly felt that He

was Swami Samarth (even though I had not seen his picture yet). He told me that I

vowed him a quarter seer of milk. Then I woke up. When I later saw His picture I

recognized that it was He. I was at a loss to know the significance of the dream, for

I never vowed to offer him the same. On enquiry Shri Bharadwaja had sent word

that I should make the offering the next Thursday. Later when I was boiling milk

for that purpose, my mother-in-law who was away at her daughter‟s house for a

fortnight returned and asked me what I was doing. I told her about my dream. She

then said that she fell ill at her daughter‟s house one day and promised to offer a

quarter seer of milk to Shri Sai Baba if she recovered soon. She did recover. I

realized that both the saints were one. My mother-in-law had promised Sai Baba

that she would offer milk and it was Shri Swami Samarth who came to claim it!”

I shall now put forth the close parallelism between the two perfect

manifestations of the Datta‟s spirit to emphasize their archetypal nature.

i) Their antecedents like birth, parentage etc., ever remained enigmatic.

ii) Their recognition as perfect masters by all came similarly, both arrived at

the shrine of the presiding deity of the respective villages – Shirdi and

Akkalkot.

iii) The first devotees that extended hospitality to the saints are muslims, Chand

Patil in the case of Shri Sai Baba and another muslim in the case of Shri

Swami Samarth. These two muslims recognized the spiritual greatness of

the saints by the same phenomenon of mysterious production of fire for

the Chillim (or smoking pipe). Shri Sai Baba produced it by knocking the

earth with his staff or Sathka, and Shri Swami by puffing at the empty

pipe. Interestingly, the latter was also the miracle performed by their

contemporary Shri Gajanana Maharaj of Shegaon.

iv) We note that neither of the Mahatmas did scrupulously adhere to such

observances of ritual purity as daily bath etc., nor did they honour

distinctions of caste or creed. Both accepted the devotion of Hindus and

Muslims alike, never discriminating between a mosque or dargah and a

Hindu temple.

v) Both the masters evoked recognition of their spiritual glory in wild beasts,

an ailing tiger and a snake in the case of Shri Sai Baba; an elephant and a

monkey in the case of Shri Swami Samarth.

vi) Both were honoured as manifestations of Lord Dattatreya by their

contemporary saints.

vii) Both adopted similar means of enlightening and teaching their devotees,

like abuse, cryptic words, violent behaviour, etc.,

viii) Both took shelter under the neem tree and the branches under which they

sat got their leaves sweet.

ix) Their closest and constant attendants were also archetypal – Cholappa and

Sundarabai who attended on Swami, Shama and Radhakrishna Ayi who

attended on Baba.

x) Their identity with other gods and Lord Dattatreya, their omniscience and

their control over elements, such as water and wind, were alike.

xi) Their precise knowledge of the coming end of their physical existence, their

fever and fasting before their end are similar.

xii) Their mutual spiritual identity, both during and after their physical

existence, has already been detailed earlier.

APPENDIX – I

THE SPIRITUAL TRADITION OF LORD DATTATREYA

Lord Dattatreya is the manifestation or Avatar of God as Guru. Tradition

defines the Guru as the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara in one,

along with their common sub-stratum of the Absolute Parabrahman. That is why

one tradition says that the holy Trinity was born in the one form as Lord Dattatreya

to sage Atri and his wife Anasuya.

Out of the Absolute or Parabrahman, the Holy Trinity is said to have been

manifested at the beginning of creation. All the other Avatars of God, described in

the Hindu Mythology are forms and aspects of the Trinity or their feminine counter

parts. Lord Datta, being the Trinity in one and their common ground of Absolute,

is greater than all the other gods. The Perfect Master or the Sadguru on the human

plane of existence, being the manifestation of Lord Datta, is said to be all the gods

in one. As the whole creation is the phenomenal working out of the aspects of the

Trinity, The Gurugeetha describes the Guru as all gods. The essential spirit of Lord

Datta being such as described above, the whole of manifest creation is His one

„state‟ or „foot‟ (Pada), and the Unmanifest Absolute is the other. Thus, the two

„feet‟ of the Guru have in them all the holy places, rivers and Supreme Self. For a

further appreciation of the sublime nature of the Guru one has to study and reflect

on the verses in praise of the Guru in the Gurugeetha.

Lord Datta is the perfect embodiment of the Pranava, Om. The Trinity is

signified by the sounds – A,U,M which together constitute OM. The

ardhatanmatra or the half-manifest ending of the sacred syllable which ends in

silence is the Absolute aspect of Lord Datta. The Trinity signifies all the triples in

the creation like past, present and the future; the gross, subtle and casual bodies.

The other Avatars of God, being but the manifestations of the Trinity, appear

in time for a limited function and withdraw from creation after the completion of

their mission. The Avatar of Lord Datta, on the other hand, happens in order to

lead the individual souls back to the realization of the Supreme Self. This is a

mission which continues all through time in creation. Hence Lord Datta is said not

to withdraw from existence. How then does he continue to appear on earth?

A perfectly realized one is liberated from the false sense of limited

individuality. Indeed it is a fallacy and a misnomer to refer to such a one as “a

realized one”. As such, when a number of perfect masters or Sadgurus appear

simultaneously at any time, we, in our ignorance, might refer to them as „so many‟

masters. But a little thought is enough to show that the absolute reality cannot be

either one, two or many. It is simply non-dual (Adwaya) and non-other (A-Itara).

We are nearer the truth if we say that the five masters are the manifestations of the

one absolute. This one essence of all realized saints of any time is Lord Datta

fulfilling his mission at the time. That is why the mythological accounts of Lord

Datta depict Him as appearing from time to time as various mahatmas. Now He

appears as a recluse looking like a mad man and behaving like one. Again, He

appears as one possessed by the devil. Now He is described as never adhering to

any principles of healthy living. At other times He is described as a Sadhu who

fulfils all the injunctions of religious law and observing perfect purity of body,

mind and speech. He is identified with the avadhuta or recluse saint who

expounded spiritual wisdom to Prahlada and to King Yadu.

The Lord Datta, being the one absolute spiritual essence of all perfect sages

is not a mere theoretical projection is borne out by the fact that the lives of various

perfect ones are full of practical instances of this inner identity. But the mahatmas

who can demonstrate such identity with other mahatmas are extremely rare. It can

be said that only such saints are the complete embodiments of Lord Dattatreya. We

have the grand instance in the life of Sai Baba of Shirdi and in this sense he can be

said to be unique among saints.

In terms of manifestation in Mahatmas, spiritual perfection can be classified

into two categories, Siddhi and Gnana. Siddhi is perfection manifesting itself as

absolute power over all phenomena in existence. Gnana is its manifestation as the

inner realization of the absolute unity of all existence. Thus most of the mahatmas

belong chiefly to either of the two categories and only marginally manifest features

of the other category. A perfect balancing of these two aspects of the perfection is

extremely rare. Such a mahatma will be experiencing the non-dual absolute as his

very self, while we creatures in existence, experience him as the siddha par-

excellence. Lord Datta represents this perfect blend of gnana and siddhi. Thus

mythology describes Him as having taught the path of siddhi through yoga to some

of His disciples and pure gnana to others. Indeed, such a manifestation of

perfection in a saint is so rare and exalted that all other saints of His time are bound

to acknowledge His supremacy. Thus for instance, most of the mahatmas of His

time, both Hindu and Muslim, acknowledged the superiority of Shri Sai Baba of

Shirdi and called Him the Kohinoor among the saints. Of all these, Shri Swami

Samarth is the only one who could say that Sai Baba was His other manifestation.

And Sai Baba acknowledged it too.

We have said in the Introduction that in order to attain enlightenment we

have to take the refuge of a perfect saint. Lord Dattatreya, the avatar of God-as-

Guru, has to bring home to us the supreme importance of this. So, in every one of

His manifestations, while being a perfect master Himself, Lord Dattatreya-as-the-

saint ever claims that He attained perfection by resorting to a Guru. The avadhuta

tells Yadu in The Bhagavatha that He had 24 gurus. And a saint like Sai Baba of

Shirdi says that He owed His spiritual excellence to the grace of His Guru. Shri

Swami Samarth, by saying that He was Shri Narasimha Saraswati of Gangapur

implied that He too had a Guru in Shri Krishna Saraswati.

Spiritual wisdom is basically the same in all religions. Hence, if indeed Lord

Datta represents the one essence of all saints there should be an underlying

harmony between the mystics of various religions. But, again, only a few very

exalted ones can manifest this unity. We have one such in Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi.

Even the other five Mahatmas of His time, viz., Shri Swami Samarth, Shri Gajanan

Maharaj of Shegaon, Hazrat Tajuddin Baba of Nagapur, Shri Dhunivala Dada of

Khandwa have all manifested this aspect of Lord Datta. Though each of them

belongs to one particular religion (except Sai Baba) they acted in unison and led

the devotees of different religions forward on the spiritual path.

What is more, when we look at the lives of such legendary mahatmas as Shri

Padma Sambhava of Tibet, Dattatreya of India and compare them with the lives of

saints like Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi and Abdul Khadir Gilani of Bagdad, they all

look very similar, even archetypal. It is the Datta spirit manifesting itself

everywhere. That is why every one of the five great contemporaries of Shri Swami

Samarth pointed to this subtle omni-present spirit as their true being, beyond their

mere physical sheath. In devoutly studying the account of their lives, we recognise

the Datta spirit manifesting itself. Recognizing it with all our being, we learn to

culture the Datta spirit in ourselves. Thereby we are magnetized spiritually.

Continuous study of and contemplation on the Datta spirit at work is an intense

form of meditation. But we must remember that the miraculous incidents we find

therein are but pointers to the higher truth. The wonder inspired by the miracles is

not our main concern. The wisdom that they evoke in us regarding the spiritual

nature of the universe around us is our chief concern. For, it involves our true

nature too and knowing our true nature is Self-realization which is the one goal of

all religions.

This spiritual practice of studying and contemplating the lives of such

perfect saints as Shri Swami Samarth and the other five cannot easily degenerate

into a dead habit as it happens in the case of other methods of Sadhana like

chanting the divine name, ritual worship or Hatha Yoga. Such study also fortifies

us against falling a prey to the lure of all miracle mongering and wisdom flaunting

half-baked, self-styled mahatmas that infest the wilderness of „Spiritual life‟ today.

One is enabled, in advance to recognize the true from the false. The constant study

and contemplation of such sublime accounts of mahatmas develops in us a nucleus

of spiritual potential which will gravitate us towards genuine Mahatmas of the

highest order. We find this principle amply illustrated in the experiences of the

devotees of these mahatmas. Thus the devout study of the lives of mahatmas came

to be the essential element of spiritual discipline in the Dattatreya tradition. When

the spiritual nucleus has shaped itself in us sufficiently strong, such study becomes

no longer necessary. Just a calling back our attention to the spirit of Lord

Dattatreya by recalling His name or the name of His particular manifestation, we

are drawn to, our phenomenal self is transcended and we are the Datta spirit. When

this process matures repetition becomes superfluous and our self-awareness

becomes the awareness of Datta as our true self. The one unmistakable sign that we

are moving in the right direction is that as a result of our study our view regarding

the universe around us gets transformed progressively. Instead of looking upon

things, persons and events as such, we learn to recognize them as working of the

Datta spirit. When this view-point matures it extends to aspects of us such as our

body, mind and self. The within and without are one. There is no within and no

without. What IS, is Datta. It is easy to note that this path of study and

contemplation on the lives of mahatmas, by virtue of the miraculous incidents

comprising them, help us from being bored with our spiritual discipline. Indeed our

own miraculous experiences enrich our lives and win our heart and soul to the

discipline. There is no inner conflict and tension between spiritual and material

aspects of our life any longer. Very few modes of spiritual discipline can claim this

virtue. Further, this path steers clear of all vain philosophical hair-splitting

controversies as between different religions and different schools of mystical

philosophy like dualism, non-dualism and qualified non-dualism and, between

idealism and materialism. The insight that accrues to us by such study and

contemplation will enrich our attitude to things and persons and neutralize our

earlier undesirable tendencies.

If, with such understanding, we are able to perform religious worship of the

mahatmas of our choice, our awareness of the Datta spirit manifest in Him is

deepened and the rest of our sadhana is enriched. This can be supplemented

further and extended to every corner of our personal life if we cultivate the habit of

offering everything that we eat and drink to our Guru and partake of it as his

consecrated offering (prasada).

Avadhuta is another name for Lord Dattatreya. It signifies „one who has

shaken off the illusion and impurity of ignorance‟. It is a name which is commonly

used with regard to such recluse saints as Swami Samarth and His five great

contemporaries. We have noted that the study and contemplation of their lives

constitute this progressive shaking off of our ignorance.

Inspite of all that is said, a doubt may still persist whether this discipline is

deemed sufficient by the traditional Hindu wisdom. So a few words of clarification

are not out of place.

Vedanta says that the true divine self of man is hidden from our view by

three barriers: 1) Maladosha; 2) Vikshepa and 3) Avarana. Such base instincts as

lust, greed and hatred which thwart our spiritual self-discipline constitute the first.

The ageless Indian wisdom, right from the Vedas down to Shri Sankaracharya, has

enjoined selfless activity without attachment for the fruits of action, action for its

own sake, action as self-discipline, action as service to the Lord is the way to

sublimate these negative tendencies. Lack of fixity, lack of concentration is the

second one. Indian wisdom enjoins upasana or cultivating the presence of the

chosen deity as the remedy for it. When these two barriers are thus overcome, the

seeker is asked to seek refuge from a perfect master. A re-reading of all that we

have said shows how these three corrections of our inner life are implied in the

path of study and contemplation of the lives of mahatmas. Thus Lord Dattatreya is

the Truth, the Way, and the Life. He is the beginning and the culmination of the

search for the spirit.

Now I shall briefly mention the earlier avatars of Lord Datta.

The first of them in this age was Shri Sripada Srivallabha. He was born in

the eleventh century at Pithapuram in the East Godavari District of Andhra

Pradesh. At the young age of sixteen, he renounced the world and left for

Kurupuram in Karnataka, where, after carrying out his miraculous mission, left off

his physical frame in river Krishna. But before doing so he assured one of his lady

devotees that he would be born as her son in her next life.

Accordingly Shri Nrisimha Saraswati was born as the second avatar of Lord

in the fifteenth century in North India. He carried out his wonderful mission from

Gangapur (Gulbarga district, Karnataka). Later he left for the Kadali orchard near

Sri Sailam in Andhra Pradesh and nothing more was known of him afterwards.

During the eighteenth century was born the third avatar, Shri Manikya

Prabhu of Manikyanagar (Sholapur district in Maharashtra). Before his marvellous

career came to a close, Shri Swami Samarth arrived on the spiritual firmament.

When he told his devotees that he was Shri Narasimha Bhan, he was identifying

himself with the second avatar of Lord Dattatreya.

The accounts of the first two avatars was recorded by Shri Gangadhara

Saraswathi in his Marathi work, “Sri Gurucharitra”, the English version of which

was written and published by the author.

APPENDIX – II

PLACES TO BE SEEN AT AKKALKOT

The most important place is obviously, the samadhi or tomb of the Swami.

However, it is easy for strangers to visit Shri Balappa Maharaj Mutt first at

Akkalkot. There we can see several beautiful pictures of the Master. From there the

visitor will be directed to the Samadhi Mandir. The third important place is the

banyan tree which the Master loved dearly and under which he left off his physical

frame in 1879. At Shri Balappa Maharaj Mutt, one can have the darshan of Shri

Gajanan Maharaj to whom there is a reference in the introduction.

The visitor can proceed to Gangapur by bus where he can see the padukas of

Shri Nrisimha Saraswathi and the confluence (Sangama) of rivers Bhima and

Krishna and the celebrated fig tree which is hallowed by the stay of Shri Nrisimha

Saraswathi.

* * *

Other English Books by the Author

1) ‘Sai Baba the Master’ – This is an exhaustive book on Shirdi Sai Baba. The

life work of the author.

2) ‘Shri Gurucharitra’ – contains the Life Histories of the two avatars of

Lord Dattatreya – Shri Sripada Vallabha and Shri Nrisimha Saraswati. By a

devoted religious and repeated reading of this book, one will be directed to

his Guru.