Shree Swami Samarth Maharaj

A Short Biography of Shree Swami Samarth 172
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Master, Do Not Forsake Us and Leave
Indication of Final Journey
One day, Balappa brought a hukka and gave it to Sri Swamiji. While smoking the
hukka Sri Swamiji asked Balappa “We have to go very long way. We have to reach very
high altitude. Would you like to come to render service to me? ”. When this question
was put to Balappa his heart started beating faster. He was caught in a dilemma and
got worried.
Regarding his final journey Sri Swamiji would give indications in advance
throughout the year. Sometimes Sri Swamiji would change the lamp upside down. He
had rolled his bed and hang it on a tree. After Cholappa’s death he would get dejected
very often. From the day of his arrival to Akkalkot Cholappa rendered service to Sri
Swamiji. Separation from Cholappa became unbearable for Sri Swamiji. Hence Sri
Swamiji thought of winding up his divine incarnation. During the long life of hundreds of
years Sri Swamiji had inspired thousands of people to follow the path of devotion and
inclined towards the path of virtue. Sri Swamiji had raised a flag of devotion by creating
thousands of devotees. Now he thought it as the right time to depart from this world.
Before the departure from this world Sri Swamiji showed one more miraculous
work. He went and sat in the Jangam Muth of Akkalkot. In this Muth there is a large idol
of Lord Shiva of Jangam belonging to the Lingayat community. He told the Muth’s
attendant to bring dry cowdung cakes and create a sacred fire on the ‘Shivalinga’. In
the sacred fire he put items like 10 pounds of ghee, dried dates, rice, fruits, flower
garlands etc, which he had received from devotees. Seeing this act of Sri Swamiji
Lingayat devotees became furious and started shouting in anger but kept silent seeing
the divine form of Sri Swamiji. The sacred fire was very intense. The intense heat
scorched the stone walls. However, on the next day as per the instructions of Sri
Swamiji when the Shivalinga was cleansed it had become exceedingly bright and
luminous than it was before. It is as though Sri Swamiji had given an indication to the
devotees and disciples that even fire cannot destroy the form of individual soul. Even
after getting burnt in the fire, the soul will exist in an exceedingly luminous form.
Eight days prior to the final journey Sri Swamiji started singing hymns in the
praise of Lord Shiva, as “Shivahar Shankar Namami, Shankar Shivashankar Shambho,
Hey Girijapati Bhavanishankar, Shiva Shankar Shambho” meaning, “I bow to you and
pay my obeisance Oh! Lord Shiva-Shankar”. Then Sri Swamiji went to Tatya Subhedar’s
house. There he suffered from dysentery. When he felt a little better he went to a
village Naganhalli and took a halt in a mango-grove in the village. His health started
deteriorating further. He stopped eating food. When attendant Sakharam Lokhande
requested with prayers, Sri Swamiji came back to his favourite Vatavriksha 270 at
Akkalkot. His fever had gone up. His body started aching but nobody saw Sri Swamiji
270 Vatavriksha: Indian Fig tree
Copyright © 2006 Shree Vitthalrao Joshi Charities Trust