Akkalkot Swami Samarth
This unfathomable Divine Power was playing its divine sport at Akkalkot for the special cause of Dharma. It arrived in Akkalkot (which literally means town of intellect) for some specific cause. Omniscient Shri Swami Samartha of course knew that the Dark Age of Adharma (Kaliyuga) was nearing its end. He descended in Akkalkot with His own volition to establish a ‘Seat of Satya Dharma" at this place, from where the mission of its revival was to commence.
Shri Swami Samartha was omniscient and read even secret thoughts of anybody. He used to convince this with proofs. Shri Swami Maharaj's talks and preaching were extremely enigmatic and cryptic. At times He would repeat some words or smaller sentences four or five times. It would become difficult for anybody to comprehend the meaning of His utterances at that time, but soon the message would become clear through some incident. In this manner He would foretell about incidents to come. Some times Shri Swami Samartha answered queries of some devotees with actions. Discernable and experienced disciples could understand the message thus conveyed by Shri Swami Maharaj only after some reflection. Shri Swami Maharaj offered advice to His devotees according to their spiritual aptitude. This is the reason why one may notice apparently contradictory teachings. While one disciple is asked to stop idol worship, other one is gifted an image/idol of his choice to be worshiped.
It is inborn nature of great souls to see that everybody progresses, the piety in everyone grows and everybody practices Satya Dharma. Shri Swami Maharaj alleviated the sufferings of the afflicted and fulfilled the desires of many distressed. To some He imparted the lessons in Yoga and to some He would order to establish a Math (Hermitage). He would severely reprimand some for their misconduct and ask the sincere disciples to stay in His holy company. During the span of His stay of 22 years in Akkalkot, He continually played such divine sports. Even after He left the body, He actually appeared in person to guide His close disciples.
Shri Swami Maharaj treated all disciples with same love and care. He never harbored the concept of untouchability, which was common in the Hindu social structure. He made no distinction between the Hindus or Muslims. Even today people belonging to all religious faiths respect Him. He accepted food at any devotee's house irrespective of his caste or social status. Whenever a devotee from lower class came to seek His darshan, He would ask the devotee to come closer and offer him prasad. i.e. symbol of blessings in the form of sweets, eatables or clothes, with His own hands.
Shri Swami Maharaj treated the rich and poor with the same affection. Once, Shrimant Maloji Raje, the ruler of Akkalkot, came to visit Shri Swami Maharaj seated in a howdah on an elephant. When the ruler was bowing at the feet, Shri Swami Samartha slapped him on the face and said, “ Don’t show your greatness to me. I have seen many such kings that merely belong in the game of chess.” Thereafter Shrimant Malojiraje always made it a point to come for Swami Maharaj's darshan on feet and scrupulously avoided any signs of his being the ruler.
If He ever came across a stone painted as God along the side of a road, He would sarcastically pass urine on it or at times even defecate near it. Shri Swami Maharaj through His actions denied the superstitious traditions that were prevalent in the contemporary society and laid the foundation for the revival of the Satya Dharma.
Whenever in delightful mood, He would accept all kinds of services from His valets with pleasure. But during His bad mood, no attendant could dare to go before Him. If this happened to be Aarti time then He would not allow even Aarti (Singing of devotional songs) to be performed properly. Some times He would throw away even Aarti lamps (lighted from cotton wicks soaked in cow ghee). It was customary to sing only one stanza if Shri Swami Maharaj showed one finger, sing two stanzas if He signaled two fingers and sing complete Aarti if Shri Swami Maharaj was in a cheerful mood.
Shri Swami Samartha loved dogs very much. But if He saw a cat he would drive it away calling it ‘unfaithful’. He loved cows.
He would mostly deny permission to go on pilgrimage to His devotees. One of His disciples had a desire of visiting Benares on pilgrimage and sought Swami Maharaj's permission. Shri Swami Maharaj repeated a verse, which meant: ‘The dust at the feet of the saints alone is my holy place!’ This way He suggested that it was not necessary to travel to far places on pilgrimage on the contrary being in the service of holy men fulfilled the purpose.
Once a disciple asked Him in worried tone, “ Maharaj what is my fate, what will happen to me?” Shri Swami Maharaj shot back, “ What? Do you not have bulls?” Probably He wanted to suggest that any person who was prepared to sweat and toil would not lack any thing in life.
The incidence related with the performance of Yajnya in Akkalkot by Shri Swami Maharaj before his final departure is noteworthy. He performed a Yajnya in Jangam Math (a temple belonging to Lingayat community) at Akkalkot. He ordered His disciples to arrange 500 cow dung cakes over the Shivalingam. A holy Fire was made and cow's ghee, coconuts, wheat, rice were offered in it. When asked, “ Maharaj what are you doing?” He replied “I am performing Yajnya of my Deha i.e. outward body.“
Shri Chidambar Dixit from Murgod (Dist. Dharwar, Karnataka), a great saint, once performed a Soma- Yajnya. It was a historic event. Shri Swami Maharaj was in charge of the stock of Ghee. Miraculously even after using enormous amounts of it during the performance of Yajnya and while food-distribution to innumerable visitors the stocks of Ghee would never diminish. This is the event that occurred 60 years prior to Swami Maharaj's appearance in Akkalkot. Shri Swami Samartha often used to say “ I served ghee in the Yajnya of Chidambar Dixit” .
In fact, the very first Day when Shri Swami Maharaj appeared in Akkalkot, He showed the vision of Holy Fire. His arrival heralds the beginning of the fundamental and positive change in the universal spiritual thinking. Shri Swami Samartha sat at the entrance gate of Akkalkot for three days. On the fourth day a sentry– Ahemad Ali Khan asked him “Do you smoke Hookha?”, Shri Swami Maharaj replied “ Yes I do”. The commander had thought of fooling around with Shri Swami Samartha. He offered Swami Maharaj an empty smoking pipe but He accepted the pipe and took a puff. No sooner than he puffed there was smoke and flame emanating from the pipe.
This was the first vision of fire brought about by Swami Maharaj in Akkalkot. The empty pipe symbolized the debilitated state of Fire Worship. Shri Swami Samartha produced fire indicating that a Divine avatar capable of rejuvenating the ancient Vedic science of Fire would appear at Akkalkot in future. The ‘empty pipe and fire’ was no magic. Swami Maharaj Himself was ‘Fire- personified’. Fire worship is the basic eternal discipline. He demonstrated this the movement he stepped in to Akkalkot.
On being questioned just prior to His Mahasamadhi by one of His close disciples
“ When will you recover from your illness?” Shri Swami Maharaj replied, “ I will reappear when the hills and the mountains will speak and Pandhari will burn” Here too, through this cryptic remark, Swami Maharaj has given an indication of the future happening. He indicated the commencement of Satya Yuga and rejuvenation of the Vedas. Vedic Mantras were to reverberate through out the world and Fire worship which is the basis of Eternal religion of the Vedas was to prevail through out the planet.
During the same time Swami Maharaj asked one of the disciples, Shripad Bhat to sit digging the roots of the banayan tree - The banayan tree (Vata) is a symbol of Satya Dharma and Vedas. Swami Maharaj himself used to sit under a banayan tree most of the time.
About eight days prior to Mahasamadhi Shri Swami Samartha visited a small village named Naganhalli where looking in the direction of West, He repeated the following praise of Lord Shiva,
Shivahar Shankar Namami Shankar Shivashankar Shambho I
He Girijapate Bhavani Shankar Shivashankar Shambho II
(“Oh Shambho, I bow unto thee who art auspicious and grantest prosperity and confenest happiness.”)One can now understand the significance of this incidence. Shivapuri, the abode of Lord Shiva Himself, is located a few kilometers west of Naganhalli. Shivapuri the holy Yajnya Nagar was founded by Paramsadguru Shree Gajanan Maharaj to reiterate the ancient Vedic message of Yajnya and Agnihotra. It was here that Lord Shiva appeared to Shree during the great Somayaga performed in 1969 and expressed His desire to reside in this place rendering it holiest of places. This is the place which Swami Shivananda, Shree's father chose for His Samadhi. Shri Swami Maharaj was indicating the future events with His yogic powers.
http://www.akkalkotswamisamarth.org/swamisamarth/swami.html# His assurance
"Fear not , I am always with you!!"
He says, "Surrender your ego and offer your unconditional love and I will fill you with immortal bliss"..
AKKALKOT SWAMI SAMARTHA MAHARAJ KI JAI!
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
Topic: Akkalkot Swami Samarth (Read 176726 times)