058. Saraswati of the Sonar varna

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

There was once a woman named Saraswati who was from the Sonar varna. She had received Maharaj's grace. On some days she would sing abhangs composed by Janabai and would run through the streets crying like a mad woman. Her belongings included a sack of tattered clothes and an earthen pot. She understood the inner meaning of some of the things that Maharaj said. 

There were occasions when Maharaj would get angry and hide from His devotees. It would then be up to Saraswati to find and bring Him back. 

She sometimes held a stick in her hand and sang, "Dnyanoba, Tukaram, Bodkiche Kay Kam", while dancing. This amused Maharaj immensely and he laughed so hard that His bed rocked. This would go on for over two hours.

Residents of Narsobachi Wadi were once at Akkalkot for Maharaj's darshan. They asked Him, "Maharaj, who are You?", to which Samarth replied, "Mool Purush, Vadache Zaad, Datta Nagar."

On hearing this Saraswati said, "Vata-patra-shahi Mool Purush Dattatreya has incarnated in this form."

Saraswati subsisted on any bhiksha she received. Ten to twelve dogs would always accompany her and she would feed them any food she had. 

When children would follow her and throw dirt on her, she would then catch hold of them and smack their bums with her stick. This is how she played some days.

She was very dear to Maharaj.

|| 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 ||

052. Cholappa's wife is stung by a scorpion

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

When Cholappa's wife was nine months pregnant and her due date was near. Her contractions started and she went into her room and lay down on the cot. On that day, Maharaj decided to be extremely stubborn and would listen to no one. 

He did not allow anyone to close the door of the room. He spread out the earthen pots from Cholappa's home, all over the room. The reason why he was behaving this way was not clear to anyone but Maharaj. 

Cholappa's wife thought that Shri Swami was mocking her. Soon she delivered the baby girl, and immediately after, Maharaj closed the door himself.

Once, Cholappa's wife was stung by a scorpion and felt excruciating pain. Unable to bear the pain, she started to cry. Maharaj was at Cholappa's home at that time, and hearing her cry flung his slippers at her and asked her to place her hand inside one of his slippers. She felt immediate relief. When she removed her hand from the slipper after some time, the pain reemerged. She placed her hand back in the slipper and felt comfortable. 

That night she slept soundly, with her hand inside Swami's slipper.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

050. Balkrushnabua Talwalkar

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

The glories of Shri Swami Samarth will only spread far and wide in this kali yuga. 

Balkrushnabua Talwalkar was a Ramadasi. Once, when he was visiting Akkalkot for Maharaj's darshan, Shri said to him, "Be careful how you eat the glory of Ram Naam! Let it not be that you add water to sugar and then consume!"

Some people used to bring along with them various scriptures like the Gita, Saptashati, and so on with the intent of receiving Maharaj's blessings before they commenced their recitations as a sadhana offering to their Ishta Devata. 

Maharaj would touch the books and return them back to the devotees so that they could begin their sadhana unhindered, as they now had Shri's blessings.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

049. Gandevi falls from grace

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Maharaj did not tolerate anyone languishing about. Whenever he saw a stone with vermillion applied to it, He would urinate on it. Sometimes, He would even defecate on the stone. Through this act, He would teach that such smaller deities are not important.

In the Khasbaug at Akklakot, there was a 'Devi' known as Gandevi. The entire town was afraid of offending her. If women or children ever went near the Devi in the evening, they would be possessed. Then the sacrifices of chicken, offering of coconuts, and naivedya would begin, and only then would the Devi leave the possessed person.

Just as Maruti ridiculed the Devi that was worshipped in the city of Ahi and Mahi demons in the Ramayan, so did Maharaj bring down the Devi from her high position. Whenever he was in the Khasbaug, He urinated and defecated on the stone.

The stone is still there but no one offers it any worship and there are no incidents of possessions.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

048. A Mahar woman begets a son

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Once, Shri Swami Samarth was in the Mahar settlement. A woman from the Lingayat Vani community came before Him, and after offering her obeisance, prayed for his blessings to beget a son.

There was a bone lying nearby. Maharaj picked it up, handed it to her, and said, "Here is your son." Not wanting to touch something impure as a bone, the woman took a step back.

Just then, a Mahar woman, who was also desirous of having a son, stood up, and with hands outspread,  prayed to Swami, "Maharaj, give me a son."

Maharaj handed the same bone to her, and she gratefully accepted it. 

Within a year, by Shri Swami's grace, the Mahar woman gave birth to a healthy son. Such is His leela of graciousness.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

047. Ramkrishnarao Sardesai

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Shri Swami Suta had established Shri Swami's Math at Mumbai. Ramrkisharao Sardesai, a railway clerk, offered regularly offered seva there. His family was originally from Sangameshwar. He had heard of Swami from Swami Suta and accompanied him to Akkalkot to receive Maharaj's darshan. 

On seeing Maharaj in person, performing his leelas, his faith in Swami was firmly established. 

After returning home to Mumbai,  he made plans to return to Akkalkot with his wife in a few days. His wife, Annapurnabai, suffered from tuberculosis.  Both husband and wife served Maharaj with great love and devotion for many days. 

Then, one day, Sundarabai prayed to Maharaj on Annapuranabai's behalf, "Bless her with a child."

Maharaj replied, "She should serve the boar (Indian jujube) tree so that she is blessed with a fire-like son." On hearing these words, Annapuranabai placed her head on His feet.

Then, with Shri's blessings, Ramkrishnarao and Annapurnabai returned to Mumbai. 

Annapuranabai then asked Ramkrishnarao's advice, "No one offers pradakshina to the boar tree. If we offer this seva, people will criticize us. How should we go about doing this?"

Ramkrisharao replied, "Maharaj's words are understood by no one. You should offer pradakshina to the peepal tree and that should be fine."

The devout woman offered pradakshina to the peepal tree near the Balmukundbua Math for one whole year but did not have any success with conceiving. When she discussed it with her husband, Ramkrishnarao reassured her, "Maharaj's words are never in vain."

One day when Ramkrishnarao was offering seva at Swami Suta's Math, he mentioned to Brahmanandabua the seva that his wife was offering to the peepal tree. 

Bua said to Ramkrishnarao, "You did not understand the meaning of Samarth's words. He calls Shri Swami Suta a boar tree. When your wife offers seva at this Math, her desire will be fulfilled."

The couple immediately began offering regular seva at the Math and she conceived after a few days. 

After five months, Ramkrishnarao arranged for her to be sent to her parent's home in Sonwada till the baby arrived. However, he was worried for his wife and the baby's health, due to his wife being very weak due to her tuberculosis, but then reassured himself knowing that Swami was watching over both of them. 

That night, Ramkrishnarao had a dream. Swami appeared and said to him, "I am going for a bath at Sonwada." 

Ramkrishnarao thought that this was a bad omen and was again worried for his wife and unborn child.

The next morning, Annapuranabai gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and four days later, Ramkrishnarao received a letter from his in-laws informing him of the good news. 

The baby had a fiery complexion and would later have a firey temperament also. 

What is surprising is that a woman whose constitution had been weakened by severe tuberculosis gave birth to a healthy child. Such is the leela of Shri Swami Samarth as it seems that He may have been in Sonwada to deliver the baby safely and to protect the mother.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

046. The story of Ramacharya

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Ramacharya and Gayabai were a pious and devout Brahmin couple that lived in Akkalkot. Ramacharya performed rituals and his family lived off of any alms that he would receive. They had four wonderful daughters but they longed for a son.

Maharaj would sometimes visit their home. Every time He came, Gayabai would pray to Him for a son. To this, Maharaj would reply, "I will give you a son."

Two years went by but they were still without a son. Maharaj continued to reassure Gayabai, "It will happen, it will happen!"

Six years went by and still no son.

Once when Maharaj was at their home, Gayabai, with tears in her eyes, prayed to Him, "It has been six years and still no son. Why are you giving me false hope? Please tell me if it is not in my destiny. With your blessings, will I have a son in this lifetime or in the next?"

Maharaj replied, "No dear, you will have a son in this lifetime."

Two years hence, at the age of forty-five, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

045. Parshuram the servant

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Parshuram, who was one of Maharaj's servants, had in his mind that he wanted to go to Kashi. He went to Maharaj and asked for his permission.

Shri replied, "The dust at the feet of saints, is where the Bhagirathi is!"

Understanding that this was Maharaj's instruction to him not to go to Kashi, Parshuram dropped his plans.

Even when Maharaj had come to stay at Cholappa's residence, the former had not given up going on yatras or making offerings to Islamic pirs. Once, Cholappa made plans and set out with his family on a yatra to seek the darshan of his kulaswamini, Tulja Bhavani. He insisted that Balappa accompany him. 

However, Balappa, always devoted to Shri, never did anything without Maharaj's permission and went to Him seeking his approval to proceed on the yatra accompanied by Cholappa.

Maharaj said, "Climb the mountain and go to dig in the open toilet!"

On hearing these words, Balapaa understood that Maharaj was not giving him permission to go to Tuljapur as it was not in his best interest to do so, and declined to go with Cholappa.

However, Cholappa went as planned.

The teaching here is that one must perform Yatra, various Karma Kanda, Upasana, and Sadhana. They are all important for spiritual growth. However, if they are performed without knowing what spiritual benefit one will receive, or if they are done on a whim, outside the instructions of a qualified Guru, they are just for show.

Maharaj disliked anyone making a show of their spiritual practices for the purpose of making a living.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

044. The story of Vithabai from Mungipaithan

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||

Vithabai, who from the village of Mungipaithan, had come to Akkalkot seeking Shri's darshan. As it was the month of Ashaad, and as ekadashi was near, she was desirous of going to Pandharpur for the darshan of Lord Panduranga. She happened to mention this to Ganeshbua and Balappa.

Shri Samarth was residing in the palace for some days and no one knew when he would leave the palace. The protocol was that no men could enter the palace unless they were accompanied by women. 

Knowing that Vithabai was planning on going to Pandharpur, and not knowing how long Maharaj would be in the palace, Ganeshbua and Balappa asked her if they could accompany her to Pandharpur, to which she consented.

The next morning, she went to the palace and received Shri's darshan. On seeing her, Swami said, "Kay ga! Vithobacha land dharnyas ajun geli nahis!?" 

There was a laughter amongst the women that were gathered.

On hearing these words, the woman could no longer make eye contact with Maharaj and looked down to at the floor. She realised that Swami was himself Lord Vithoba and that He knew that she was planning to making a trip to Pandharpur along with His devotees. The comment that He had just made was an instruction that there was no need to go to Pandharpur.

The woman offered her obeisances to Shri Swami Samarth and said, "You are Vithoba himself! What need is there for me to Pandharpur!?"

When she returned back from the palace, she narrated all that had happened to Ganeshbua and Balappa and they all agreed to cancel their travel plans.

Some days later, Maharaj left the palace and began offering darshan to all those who came to see Him.

|| Shri Swami Samarth ||