136. Advice to the attendants

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Once when Maharaj was in the Ram temple, the skies became dark with the gathering of rain clouds and it started pouring heavily.

Just then Maharaj ordered, "Bring the planquin!" 

Those attending Maharaj humbly suggested, "Maharaj, it's raining. Everyone will get wet." Maharaj did not relent. They all set out in the heavy downpour and everyone was drenched. 

Maharaj laughed out loud and sang, "Indra Maharaj chale idal mein, bijli chamki badal mein!" as they made their way to Cholappa's house through Khasbaug.

One day Shri Samarth was in Khasbaug and around fifty people had gathered around Him. Maharaj said to them, "Come with me, I will show you a great being."

Everyone followed Maharaj who brought them to an anthill. After some time a great naaga, with hair on its body, appeared from the anthill and started to make its way to another place. Maharaj walked with the naaga for some distance and then said to those gathered, "Mark my words, this is a great being."

Everyone then offered namaskar to the naaga and everyone returned with Shri Samarth. 

On some days Maharaj would say, "Kugram vasti kulheen seva!" or "Sangati sangadoshena sati cha mativibhrama! Ek ratra prasangena kashtaghanta vitambana."

He sometimes said, "Laxmi majhi gand dhuvat hoti!" which translated meant "Laxmi used to wash my bum."

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

126. The crop in Narsappa's field

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Once, Narsappa Sutar was on his way to his jowar field when he saw Maharaj seated in a shop along the way. He supplicated before Shri, "Maharaj! There is an excellent crop this year in my field. Please come and have a taste!"

On hearing these words Samarth said, "Motherfucker. When had you sown the crop? And who owns the field?"

Sutar understood his mistake and humbly said, "I was mistaken, Maharaj. It is Your field. Please come and have a taste of the crop!"

Then Maharaj, accompanied by His attendants went to the field.  Narsapa had arranged for sugarcane to be brought to the field. After eating the sugarcane, Maharaj stuck the remaining cane into the ground. Narsappa thought that this was an instruction from Maharaj to plant sugarcane and he did just that. 

With the blessings of Shri Swami Samarth, he had a great crop yield and he earned twenty times what he normally would.

Will there ever be anything lacking for one who has received Shri Swami Samarth's grace!?

Maharaj would stay at Sutar's place for some days and Sutar would have to forego having to go to the field. Once, when Shri had stayed at Sutar's home for eight days, in his heart, Narsappa felt that he would suffer losses if he left the field unattended. 

Maharaj knows what is going on in everyone's heart and the next morning, at around four in the morning, He got up to leave. Narsappa prayed for Him to stay but Maharaj said, "Me staying here is an inconvenience to you. Hence, I am going."

Narsappa slapped himself to repent and placed his head on Maharaj's feet but Maharaj had already decided and did not go back to Sutar's home that time.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

086. Shri Swami Samarth Maharaj relieves a woman's stomach ache

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Once Shri Swami Samarth was seated on the ledge of the new well at Akkalkot. A brahmin woman had arrived before him to seek His darshan. 

After having received His darshan, with hands folded and tears in her eyes she prayed, "Maharaj, I am suffering from severe stomach aches for many years, and this has made my life unbearable. Please help me with some remedy to be cured of this terrible agony."

Maharaj said, "When you become a widow, your stomach aches will go away."

After some time had passed, her husband went on a pilgrimage to Kashi. When at home she received a letter that he had passed away in that holy city. Her stomach aches stopped as soon as her husband passed away.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

067. Nana Sohoni Solapurkar

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Nana Sohoni Solapurkar sought to be employed in the service of the Akkalkot Sansthan and had met many people in this regard. Sohoni was a smart man. 

Maloji Raje, pleased with Sohoni, appointed him as the Sansthan's legal representative at the political agents' office at Solapur and handed him this appointment letter duly stamped with the royal seal. He was given instructions to hand the appointment letter to the political agent.

Before he left for Solapur, Sohoni went to take Darshan of Swami Maharaj and after having received Darshan, placed the appointment letter at His feet. Sohoni was desirous that Shri Samarth hand him the letter thus blessing him in the new posting.

However, the all-knowing Maharaj picked up the appointment letter and instead of handing it over to Sohoni, gave it to someone else. 

Sohoni was disappointed and took the appointment letter and went to Solapur. The letter had the king's seal giving Sohoni the authority to perform his duty, but it did not have Shri Maharaj's seal of approval and His blessings. Of what use was such an appointment letter?

After handing over the letter to the political office, Sohoni was told that there was no need for a legal representative to be deputed to the political office and that all matters could be managed over correspondence. He was asked to return to Akkalkot. 

It was then that Sohoni realized what Maharaj had meant but not handing him the letter.

|| Sri Swami Samarth ||

250. Krushnappa was brought back to life

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Maharaj's devotee Cholappa had three children; two sons and one daughter. The daughter was named Rajubai and the sons were Krushnappa and Appa. Rajubai was married to Anantbhat, a Yajurvedi Brahmana, and lived on the banks of the Krishna river in a village by the name of Gote.

She once fell seriously ill with tuberculosis. Cholappa prayed to Shri and said, "Maharaj, Rajubai is greatly suffering from tuberculosis. What should be done?" Shri Maharaj picked up the cow dung cakes that were lying nearby and handed them to Cholappa. Through this Shri Maharaj indicated an unfortunate outcome. Rajubai passed away after fifteen days. 

Then fifteen days after Krushnappa's sacred thread ceremony was performed, he suffered from the plague and also passed away. Everyone at home was grief-stricken and wailing. 

Just then Samarth came to them and said, "Fools, Why are you crying!? He is yet to be married."

Then, he went up to Krushnappa and called out to him saying, " Hey Neelkantha, get up, get up! Speak to me."

These words uttered by Shri were like nectar and on hearing them Krushnappa started moving his limbs. His body was warm again and he opened his eyes and in a few moments sat upright.

Everyone's joy knew no bounds and glorified Shri Samarth. Soon, with Samarth's grace, Krushnappa was married. 

Such was the leela of Shri, where something impossible became possible.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

043. Balappa is instructed to perform the 'Samarth' Naam Japa

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

There was an old Brahmin who had been offering worship to an earthen Shiva Linga for many years. One day Maharaj said to him, "For how long will you worship clay!?", and then instructed him in sadhana to progress him on the spiritual path. Sometimes, Maharaj would instruct a follower to worship Ganapati or Samba Sadashiva, depending on where the person was on their spiritual journey. Maharaj would also sometimes instruct devotees, that it was better to worship the Sadguru rather than spend time on idol worship.

Once, Balappa was performing Ganapati japa at four in the morning. Maharaj was seated on the nearby cot and His attendant, Shivbua, was seated at His feet. 

Shivbua asked Maharaj, "What is Balapaa up to nowadays?", having observed the latter engrossed in japa.

Maharaj replied, "To tarat vinat ahe!".

Balappa overheard Maharaj's words and understood that this was an instruction to him to perform the japa of Shri Swami Samarth instead of Ganapati naam japa. He immediately began the japa of Swami's name.

After some time, Shivbua again asked Maharaj, "What is Balappa up to now?", having observed that the latter was now engrossed in a different japa.

Maharaj replied, "To kambli vinat ahe!".

On overhearing this Balappa understood that Maharaj was pleased that he had understood and promptly followed His instructions.

The sole purpose of Shri Swami Samarth's avatar is for the upliftment of those that have deviated from or have not yet found a spiritual path. Swami bhakti, the devotional service to Shri Swami Maharaj, is the easiest way to liberation.

Maharaj used to say, "Sarva Sadhu pota khali ani chota khali ahet!"

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

003. Thakurdasbua

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

There is a famous Devasthan in Mumbai called Thakurdwar. On the right side of this Devasthan on a small altar are the portrait and paduka of Swami Maharaj. The daily ritual offerings and the Thursday palanquin seva are conducted with great devotion regularly. This institution was established by Shri Krushnabua, also known as Thakurdasbua.

Thakurdasbua had been a Shri Datta upasaka from childhood and he regularly visited Narsobachi Vadi and Gangapur to offer his seva. He was an excellent kirtankar.

By the law of karma, as the fruit of some act committed in his past lives, Thakurdasbua was stuck with vitiligo (shweta kushta) and he developed white patches on his body including his face. He felt that he was beginning to get unbearable to look at and this caused him great mental anguish. He underwent treatment for twenty years but the disease was not cured nor was the spread halted. A completely dejected Thakurdasbua resolved to spend the rest of his days at Kashi kshetra where he hoped that he would not have to face anyone that he knew.

With arrangements made, Thakurdasbua arrived for the darshan of the paduka at Gangapur before he left for Kashi. He had brought along with him kasturi to offer at Shri's paduka. He received darshan and with great devotion offered his worship, with great attention to all details, except that he forgot to offer the kasturi he had brought along. Then he served brahmin bhojana and also performed kirtan in the evening. Before resting for the night, he offered his prayers to Shri's paduka and sought permission to leave for Kashi.

That night, bua had a vision in his dream in which he was instructed, "Got to Akkalkot and receive darshan from Shri Swami Samarth so that you will be rid of your disease!" When bua woke up the next morning, he remembered the vision and immediately after completing his morning snan, pooja, and sandhya, he left for Akkalkot with his family. In three days' time, bua reached Akkalkot.

On enquiring about where he could find Swami Maharaj, he was told that there was a prostitute who had come from out of town and was now staying in Akkalkot, and Maharaj was at this time at her residence. Bua went there promptly and upon receiving darshan from Maharaj, placed his head on Shri's feet.

Maharaj looked at bua and said, "Give me my kasturi right now!"

It was then that Thakurdasbua remembered that he had forgotten to offer the kasturi he had brought along with him and was overjoyed that Shri Swami Maharaj had reminded him of the miss. He ran to where his family was staying and found the kasturi in his pooja materials. Bua then ran back to where Maharaj was and handed it to Him. Laughing loudly, Maharaj distributed it to the children who were gathered there.

Thus, Thakurdasbua believed that Maharaj knew the minds of men. Krisnabua then stayed in Akkalkot for some days offering seva to Shri Swami. 

One day bua went to receive the darshan from Maharaj. There was a dhuni burning nearby. Maharaj picked up a burnt piece of wood from the dhuni and threw it at bua. The devotees who had gathered there cheered and said to bua that his desire would be fulfilled.

The next day, bua ground the wood on a stone slate, added water to make a paste, and then mixed the sacred bhasma from Gangapur in it. He applied this as an ointment on the white patches on his body and face. After doing this for a few days, lo and behold, the white patches disappeared and his normal skin was restored.

Thakurdasbua's wife, Radhabai, was a devotee of Shri Samarth. They had a seven-year-old daughter. Once at Akkalkot, Radhabai prayed to Maharaj for a son and in answer to her prayer, He took off the cap He was wearing and dropped it in her hands. She was overjoyed and offered her obeisances to Maharaj. Within a year, she delivered a son. He was named 'Gurunath'. Per the instruction of Shri Swami Maharaj, Gurunath's vratabandha (sacred thread ceremony) was also performed at Akkalkot in the presence of Shri Swami.

In the shaka year 1972, in the month of magh, when Thakurdasbua was performing kirtan at Akkalkot, Maharaj took off the cap He was wearing and put it on Gurunath. Thakurdasbua eventually became a full devotee of Shri Swami. Going forward, during the Gurupratipada festivities at Akkalkot, Thakurdasbua performed kirtan.

Thakrudasbua installed Shri Swami Maharaj's paduka at Thakrudwar in Mumbai. After Thakurdasbua passed away, his son Gurunathbua, continued the devotional service to Shri Maharaj.

After Thakurdasbua was cured of shweta kushta he always went to Akkalkot and performed kirtan and offered pooja to Shri. 

Once when in Shri's presence, bua thought to himself, "If only Shri Swami would offer me guru-upadesha." No sooner did this thought come to him than Maharaj in extreme anger said, "Hamku kaiku satata hain, hum pantojipan nahi karta | Gathke guru, bathke chele kum karte nahin dekhe |"

The next year bua resolved that even if it meant death, he would seek and receive anugraha (spiritual initiation) from Shri Swami Samarth. With his mind fixed on this goal, he stood in front of Shri Maharaj. Shri Maharaj said, "Nikal jao, joota marenge!" 

On hearing these words, bua was reminded of the conversation between Ramanand and Kabir from the Bhakti Vijaya. As soon as this thought came into his mind, Maharaj said, "Tera Kabir jhak marta hain | Hum kuch parva nahi rakhta | "

Bua was utterly convinced that Maharaj knew the minds of men and that He was Datta Murti, Himself. With this resolve, he continued to serve Shri Swami Samarth till the end.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||