The great Sage of Akkalkot -  Akkalkot  Swami Samarththa Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Swami Samarththa Maharaj!

Chapter – 10

Once Swamiji was relaxing under Vatavruksha, a few of the farmers were working on their field; two of the men came and sit close to Swamiji.  Suddenly, they could hear a shriek of farmer’s wife, her husband collapsed on the field, she cried for help, soon the two men ran towards the farmer and carried him and kept him before Swamiji.  She cried and told them that her husband got serpent bite, the two men felt helpless, Maharaj was pretending to be asleep, one of the men went to pick the Padhuka of Swamiji, he had no courage to wake up Swamiji.  Swamiji woke up and shouted at the man who took his Padhuka, Maharaj asked him to utter his name in both the ears. The man uttered the name of the farmer “Ramanna” on his ears; the farmer who was unconscious woke up as if from the deep sleep.

Once Swamiji was listening to the lectures of a Bhagavatha who was explaining the verses from Viveka Choodamani of Adi Shankara Bhagavadpadha, he described the qualities of a preceptor, a wise preceptor should be a good listener, all the naked mendicant cannot be treated as preceptor, if someone who is well behaved cannot be treated as preceptor, a Shudra cannot be preceptor,  a preceptor should have deep knowledge in Shasthras, he described Sant Thukaram Maharaj, a disciple should have supreme intellect, and control over senses.  The preceptor only can guide the soul to cross the unfathomable ocean of the world of Samsara.  Suddenly the Bhagavatha could see Lord Vishnu in place of Maharaj, he was in a state of ecstasy prostrated before Swamiji.