023. Collector Sohoni

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Mamledar Ganesh Hari Sohni had arranged a kirtan performance at his home in celebration of the Ganesh Utsav. It was a wonderful kirtan and Shri Maharaj was also attending. 

At around midnight, Maharaj stood up and walked out of his home. Anxious as to why Shri had left the kirtan, Sohoni followed Him, pleading with Him to come back inside. 

There was a light drizzle and Maharaj was making his way toward the forest. Sohoni's servants brought a torch they followed Him into the dark forest. Maharaj would not relent and refused to come back to his home. He said, "Your home is very boring. I will not come."

Sohoni asked, "When will we receive your darshan again?"

Maharaj replied, "In the mango season."

Having realized that Shri would not come back, a disheartened Sohoni left an attendant with Maharaj and returned home.

Sohoni had maintained a mistress in his home and was very attached to her. This was not acceptable to Maharaj as Sohoni was a very devout man under the evil influence of kama.  This is what He meant when the said that he found Sohoni's home, boring.

So, until Sohoni gave up his mistress,  it was certain that Maharaj would not give him darshan. This ran so true and he had to face many obstacles in his career due to his obsession with this rand.

Sohoni's well-meaning seniors took him aside and discretely asked him to leave the woman as he, being the collector, needed to project an image of a respectable man. However, he told off his seniors and the miffed seniors brought a disciplinary inquiry against him. 

However, fortunately for Sohoni, Shri Swami Samarth helped him get off with just a loss of his job without having to spend any jail time. Finally, he gave up his attachment to his mistress.

Sohoni then went home to Solapur and stayed there for many days. In the mango season, Shri Swami appeared before him in digambar form and gave him two mangoes. Eventually, he was reinstated as a collector at Baroda.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||