Akkalkot Maharaj – Part 4

Akkalkot Maharaj – Part 4

After serving the poor, curing the sick and helping the spiritual seekers over a few decades, Swami Samarth one day suddenly announced that the time had come for him to go out of his physical existence.

By Hindu calendar It was Chaitra Sudha trayodasi, Shaka 1800 i.e. the year 1878 AD Tuesday at 4 PM. At this time he seated himself in Padmasana (Lotus Posture) and uttered his last words - "no one should weep I shall always be present at all places and I shall respond to every call of the devotees"". Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi had also said exactly the same thing before his Mahasamadhi.

Just before he had left his gross body, one devotee named Keshav Nayak who was emotionally charged, asked "Maharaj, since you are going, who will give us protection?". Swami Samarth gave him a pair of his sandals to worship. He told him "in future I will be stayingat Shirdi in district Ahmednagar". Another devotee, Krishna Ali Bagkar decided to go to Akkalkot and worship the padukas of Swami Samarth. Thereafter he got a dream appearance of Swami Samarth whotold him "now I am staying at Shirdi, go there and worship me". Bagkar went to Shirdi where he stayed for six months. Later, when he wanted to take leave of Shri Sai and go to Akkalkot again Shri Sai told him "what is there in Akkalkot, Maharaj of Akkalkot is staying here". Bagkar realized that there is no difference between Swami Samarth and Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi as he recalled his earlier dream.

The divine game (leela) of Swami Samarth did not end with his Maha Samadhi (shedding his mortal coil). His devotees continue to experience the miracles of his visible and invisible help even till today. It is exactly like the experience received by the devotees of Sai Baba of Shirdi after his Maha samadhi in 1918. Many people have authenticated his appearance in physical form before them. These people are not the faith-blind rural folk. Many of them are well educated people like doctors, educationists etc. For example, Dr.S.V.Marathe, a private medical practitioner of Pune once underwent treatment in a chest Hospital at a place called Aundh in 1964. Many of his friends were anxious to come and visit him. At this juncture, Swami Samarth appeared before many of his friends in a dream and gave the same message to all of them. He asked them not to worry about Dr.Marathe, as he was under His (Swami Samarth's) protection and also not to come to Aundh.

Hundreds of devotees continue to have miraculous experience about the Perfect Master even today. But his miracles and those of Shri Sainathare so alike that one would be drawn to the conclusion that they are not two masters but are one, and the ONLY ONE TRUTH.l