Shree Swami Samarth Maharaj

A Short Biography of Shree Swami Samarth 166
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The prisoner who had escaped was located in the morning. The prisoner said
that through out the night, whenever he would try to run away, an ascetic would stop
him from doing so. The Jamadar handed over the prisoner to the concerned officer in
charge of the tahsil. He then resigned from his job as per his vow. He left behind his
household and came to Sri Swamiji and remained there rendering devotional service.
One day Sri Swamiji threw his shoes on the Jamadar. The Jamadar considered this as
Prasad and took the shoes to his village Maindargi and started worshipping those shoes.
His wife and children felt very bad as the Jamadar in spite of being a Muslim
worships the shoes of a Hindu saint. They threw him out of the house. The helpless
Jamadar took shelter in an old house outside the village. His fame spread everywhere.
For sick and miserable people, who came to him, he would give the dust collected under
the leather shoes of Sri Swamiji as ‘Prasad’ and they would get relief from their
ailments. People started calling him a fully accomplished person.
Sri Swamiji started calling him Peersaheb 258 . Then people also started calling him
Peersaheb. As his status ascended his family too started respecting him. He built a
temple and installed the leather shoes i.e. Padukas of Sri Swamiji. By the kind grace of
Sri Swamiji Jamadar came to be known as Awalia 259 .
Kashikar Swami
In Kashi 260 there was a learned Swami. He had studied the Shastras very deeply.
He had some doubts about Vedas - regarding the soul and non-self and the science of
Yoga. When he went on a pilgrimage he met a number of saints, ascetics and learned
people but no one could clear his doubt.
Once, while on pilgrimage, he was in Malbar 261 . There he got a visionary intuition
advising him to go to Akkalkot. At the time he wasn’t even aware about the significance
and whereabouts of a place called Akkalkot. After making due enquiries he started
searching and finally he came reached Akkalkot. Even though he was a highly learned
man well versed in the scriptures, but by the mere ‘Darshan’ of Sri Swami Samarth
there was a surge of devotion in his heart. His eyes started shedding tears of joy.
Kashikar Swami stayed in Akkalkot for a month. One day after finishing his bath
and morning prayers he came for Sri Swamiji’s ‘Darshan’. After the ‘Darshan’ he went
on prostrating before Sri Swamiji. He would get up and again prostrate before Sri
Swamiji. Nearly for ten to twelve times, he prostrated before Sri Swamiji. His eyes were
shedding tears, his body was shivering, and he would get wet with perspiration. With
humbleness he perceived Sri Swamiji. After sometime he sat down. Then he said that
258 Peersaheb: A muslim saint
259 Awalia: An accomplished muslim saint
260 Kashi: In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh state of India.
261 Malbar: A region in south of India.
Copyright © 2006 Shree Vitthalrao Joshi Charities Trust