Shree Swami Samarth Maharaj

A Short Biography of Shree Swami Samarth 97
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The next day Nawroji came to know that Sri Swamiji has gone to a nearby
village, Rampur. So he went to Rampur to take Sri Swamiji’s ‘Darshan’. Sri Swamiji
said, “There is a call from Gujarath. Go there”. Therefore, Nawroji came to Mumbai and
learnt that there was a call from the king Malharrao Gaikwad of the then Baroda State.
He went to Baroda. The king offered him abundant wealth in honour and gave him a
responsible job of bringing Sri Swamiji to Baroda. Sri Swamiji did not go to Baroda but
Nawroji got enough wealth. As per the promise, he worshipped Sri Swamiji utilising the
one-fourth of his wealth in that devotional service.
Krishnam Bhat
In those days Sri Swami Samarth was in Mangalvedha village, Solapur District,
Maharashtra. In this village, there was a Brahmin named Krishnam Bhat Kapashikar,
who was well-versed in Vedas and Shastras. He never accepted his daily food without
taking the ‘Darshan’ of all the temples in Mangalvedha. When Sri Swamiji came to
Mangalvedha for the first time, he sat in the temple-shrine of the Saint Shree Damaji
Pant. When Krishnam Bhat went to this temple-shrine he was very surprised by the
‘Darshan’ of Sri Swami Samarth. He prostrated at the lotus feet of Sri Swamiji and
made kind enquiry “Maharaj, may I know about you and your origin?. It’s going to be
night shortly. Kindly favour me and come to my house and purify it”. Noticing Krishnam
Bhat’s true feelings of great devotion Sri Swamiji went to his house.
Offering a seat for Sri Swamiji, Krishnam Bhat asked his wife to prepare
sumptuous food. His wife Geetabai became very worried as to what to cook since there
was no rice in the house. Sri Swamiji, intuitively, came to know about the shortage of
rice in the house, and said, “I like dashami 177 . So, prepare the dish with whatever is
available in the house”. Geetabai went out to bring milk but the situation was such that
she could not even get milk. She came home and told her husband about the
unavailability of milk. So both the husband and wife, fully ashamed of the situation,
stood before Sri Swamiji. Then Sri Swamiji said “Having a cow in the house why are you
going out in the search of milk? ”. Geetabai said “Maharaj, the cow does not give milk
and she has been totally unproductive for the last four years. What to do? ”. Sri Swamiji
said “Is that cow, not giving milk? Bring a vessel and start milking the cow. She will
certainly give milk”.
Therefore, Geetabai started milking the cow. To Geetabai’s pleasant surprise,
the cow gave three seers162 of milk. The Brahmin couple became ecstatic. Geetabai
immediately prepared ‘Dashami and offered it to Sri Swamiji. By the kind grace of Sri
Swamiji Krishnam Bhat’s poverty was completely wiped off from that day onwards.
Bavadekar Puranik
In Kokisare village, there was a Brahmin Puranik, well versed in Puranas57,
named Bavadekar. He was stricken by extreme poverty. So he left the village along
177 Dashmi: A flat bread prepared in milk
Copyright © 2006 Shree Vitthalrao Joshi Charities Trust