|| Shri Swami Samarth ||
Chinchurkar had assigned a peon in the service of Maharaj who used to call him Firang. The ruler of Akkalkot and his consort were both ardent devotees of Shri Swami Samarth, and Maharaj also used to stay at their palace, sometimes for even fifteen days. Women were not allowed entry into the palace for darshan and hence, they gathered at the entrance of the crowd hoping to receive Swami's darshan who would sit on the palace balcony where He would be visible to everyone.
Sometimes Maharaj would signal to a peon for someone from the crowd to be brought before Him so that Maharaj could speak with them in person, assign them a seva, and then send Him off with great affection after giving him prasad.
When the crowds grew over the years, Cholappa would bathe Maharaj pre-dawn and then offer naivedya and aarti so that Maharaj could meet His devotees. Cholappa would daily apply gandha on His forehead which was a mixture of keshar and kasturi. Maharaj would perform achaman, which is the ritual sipping of water, thrice. Either Cholappa or Sundarabai would feed Maharaj.
The crowds would start gathering at the crack of dawn and there would still be a rush till even beyond ten at night. Throughout the day Maharaj would act out various leelas and would know and state with what desires a specific person had come to Him. He would take short naps throughout the day and would sometimes even forego these to help His devotees.
He would call out if someone was a Sadhu or a charlatan. He would test and expose people's character especially if they were cunning and cruel. These people would never stand a chance before Maharaj.
When it was very hot, He would eat very little. Sometimes Maharaj even skipped food and water for more than a week.
Maharaj was offered aarti three times a day. Mostly, it was the Dattatreya Aarti that was performed.
Shri Swami Samarth was pleased by any devotional service offered.
|| Shri Swami Samarth ||
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