|| Shri Swami Samarth ||
On the banks of the river Bhima, in the small village of Shirgur, there lived a scholarly Brahmin by the name of Madhavacharya. The village had been granted to him as an inam (reward). By all accounts, he should have been a happy man.
However, things were not going so well for Madhavacharya. He was lonely as his wife had passed away. He was also debt-ridden. The anxiety had gotten to him and he had started to behave whimsically. One day he decided to go to Akkalkot and seek Shri's darshan.
He immediately set out and soon reached Akkalkot where he paid his obeisances to Shri Maharaj and stood before Him with his palms folded in the anjali mudra.
Maharaj said to him, "Sumurta savadhan!", and handed him a shrifal (coconut) as a prasad.
On hearing these words from Shri Maharaj, His attendants began mocking Madhavarcharya because he would now be getting married in his old age.
Madhavacharya pleaded with Maharaj, "Swami! People have begun to mock me. I am already over fifty years old. How will I get married at this age? and what of the over five thousand rupee debt that I owe?"
Samarth dismissed him saying, "Get lost from the way that you came!"
Hearing this instruction from Shri Maharaj, Madhavacharya paid his obeisance to Him and made his way to Shirol where some of his relatives lived.
On the same day, there were two weddings in Shirol, two sisters were getting married on the same day.
The groom who was to wed the younger sister had arrived with his family and friends. However, the elder sister's groom had not arrived due to some reason. Their father was worried. How could the younger sister get married without the elder sister getting married first!?
Then a thought suddenly came to his mind. He thought why not offer his eldest daughter to Madhavacharya so that the younger sister would also get married as planned.
He discussed it with his wife and also with the elders of the family and they all agreed to the proposal. They approached Madhavacharya who also agreed. The surprising part was that everyone knew that Madhavacharya was penniless and yet the wedding went through smoothly.
After the wedding, Madhavacharya and his new wife went to Akkalkot. They offered their obeisances to Shri Swami Samarth who said, "Go home! You will be debt free and will live long and will be happy with children and grandchildren!"
Madhavacharya and his family happily returned home and continued to offer seva to Shri Maharaj.
|| Shri Swami Samarth ||
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