The great Sage of Akkalkot -  Akkalkot  Swami Samarththa Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Swami Samarththa Maharaj!

Chapter – 7

Maharaj arrived in Akkalkot took shelter under a Vata Vruksha.  Two Muslim men made fun of him without knowing his divinity, they approached Swamiji and one of the fellows gave his Hukka and asked Swamiji to take pleasure in it.  Swamiji threw off the tobacco in the Hukka and emptied, later took near the mouth, immediately the smoke gushed out of it.   The Muslim fellows surprised and got scared.   These guys felt Swamiji is starving after arriving in Akkalkot, but they were reluctant to serve him with meals because he is a Hindu saint and they are Muslim.   One of the guys informed a pious Hindu man Cholappa about Swamiji and brought Maharaj to his house and meals were served.  The Muslim guys were stopped in front of the house of Cholappa, seeing this Swamiji shouted at Cholappa for making the Muslim guys standing out of the house.  Swamiji asked the Muslim guys to be in and the meal served was fed to Muslim guys and Cholappa equally.  Later, Swamiji asked both of them to feed him.  Maharaj said “ I do not find any difference in Hindu or Muslim”, and he happily shared a meal with them.

Cholappa requested Maharaj to stay with him in his house; he wanted to serve Maharaj in his entire life.  Maharaj said he will stay in Akkalkot but he will not stay in his home.  Cholappa has grown too devoted to Swamiji “ Maharaj, kindly do not keep me away from your service, you are supreme soul, the whole Universe belongs to you, you can reside wherever you want, but let me do my service to you.”  Finally, Maharaj decided to live with Cholappa for some time.  One day Maharaj started behaving strangely, he put off the fire while his wife was cooking Roti, he poured water on the Roti dough, his wife got scared and both of them ran out of the house.

Once Cholappa brought an old lady Sundarabayi to Maharaj, he said: “ She came back to finish the

remaining work.” She said “ Swamiji I am coming from Sholapur, my foot is aching like hell, how

many vows and treatments I have taken, my foot pain remains the same,” Maharaj said “ Your foot 

ache will take time to heal.” Sundarabayi said, “ I will stay here and serve you.” Cholappa said 

“Swamiji this lady has no one, let her stay here and serve you.”  Maharaj said “ Cholappa, do not 

keep this lady in your home, she will bother you later.”  Sundarabayi was shocked to hear this; Cholappa consoled her saying that Swamiji makes fun in between his conversation.