066. Shripad Bhat loses his jodve (pair of kadas)

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Once Shri Swami Samarth was at Modi's home when Shripad Bhat, the pujari, and Bhujanga the sepoy, who were in attendance, asked his permission to go and see the muharram tabut.

Maharaj ordered, "Don't go!"

Still, both keen on going, asked Maharaj's permission again to which He scolded, "Motherfucker, don't go!"

Finally, both asked someone else to take their place attending to Maharaj and left to see the large.

Shripad Bhat wore a pair of three-and-a-half tolas worth of gold jodve (bangles) and did not want to be relieved of them in the crowd. He forced Bhujanga, a poor man, who was initially reluctant, to wear them. 

It was the day to immerse the tabut in water and both friends were enthusiastically throwing dried dates on it as an offering. While doing this, the jodve slipped from Bhujanga's wrists and were lost. Both of them were scared and frantically searched for them but, the jodve were nowhere to be found. 

They lodged a complaint with the police, and with fallen faces, they returned to Shri. They had disobeyed Swami and this was their punishment. Both presented themselves before Samarth and began weeping.

"Why did you go when I told you not to?", scolded Maharaj, and let loose a barrage of expletives.

Begging His forgiveness, they fell at His feet and prayed to remove them from the mess that they had gotten themselves into. Bhujanga was weeping with worry about arranging money to get new jodve made; he was a poor man after all, and could not afford a new pair. 

Bhujanga was very dear to Maharaj, and just as Jay-Vijay are the gatekeepers of Shri Vishnu in Vaikuntha, so too was Bhujanga Sepoy, the gatekeeper for Shri Swami. He had been serving Maharaj with great devotion and diligence.

Maharaj reassured him, "Don't cry; your jodve will come home walking; stay put!" Hearing these words, Bhujanga was reassured.

A while later, two men and a police constable came to where Maharaj was. The two men had found the jodve and were fighting over who would keep them. The constable brought them to Maharaj hoping to resolve the dispute. Maharaj's words had rung true and the jodve had come walking home. 

Bhujanga thanked the two men with a small compensation and handed the jodve to Shripad Bhat. He had disobeyed Maharaj and had to face the consequences but Maharaj saved him when he sought His shelter.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

053. The missing nose ring is found

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Once Cholappa's wife's sister was visiting them for a few days. At bedtime, she removed her nose ring and placed it on her bedside. Cholappa's nephew (brother's son) saw her place the nose ring and the next morning when he got up early to pick flowers, he stole the nose ring.

When she woke up she was terrified to find the nose ring missing. She looked around the room but it was nowhere to be found. Her husband was a poor Brahmin and had put in great efforts, and saved diligently for many years to buy her a nose ring. There was no way that he could afford another one for her. Losing the ring was a great financial loss.

For the residents of Akkalkot, Maharaj was their police, vaidya, astrologer et al.

The woman went to Maharaj and narrated all that had happened. Maharaj reassured her, "Don't cry. Sit here. The nose ring will be found." She sat near Him.

After an hour had passed but still there was no sign of the nose ring. She again prayed to Maharaj. Swami said to her, "Wait, you will get your nose ring. Why are you afraid?"

After some time, the thief was returning home after delivering flowers to the temple. On seeing him, Maharaj ordered, "She is crying, return her nose ring."

The boy would not admit to stealing the nose ring.

Maharaj then began a barrage of expletives and said, "Motherfucker, return the nose ring that you stole from her bedside this morning!"

On seeing Maharaj angered, the frightened boy promptly returned the nose ring.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||