The great Sage of Akkalkot -  Akkalkot  Swami Samarththa Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Swami Samarththa Maharaj!

Chapter – 15

Once a Bhramin approached Swamiji and described his pathetic story “ Swamiji, I am completely worn out of sufferings of poverty, we have no clothes to wear, no food to eat, my children are sleeping without the meal.  No one is willing to give me a job, because I am a Brahmin.”  There were funeral pyres surrounded by him, Swamiji said “ Go and check there. Conduct thorough search everywhere” The Bhramin said “ Swamiji it is all funeral pyres. It is all remainings and skeleton.”  Swamiji said “Take the skeletons as much as you want. And feed your children. Go right now.” Bhramin was so disappointed and kept asking questions “What are you saying Swamiji? I am a beggar of course, but not against righteousness, are you saying to feed my children with the skeleton?.  Shiva! Shiva!”  Swamiji asked “What is in your body? Why are you keeping it in your body? Do you feel ashamed of it? Do what I say “  Bhramin said “ Oh! Parameshwar, Kindly protect me.   The sacred scriptures say to obey the orders of the preceptor, I am doing that.”  While going home the Bhramin murmured “what I do with the skeleton, better drop somewhere here.” When he opened his upper cloth to check the bone that he had picked from the funeral pyre, it was a gold bar.  Soon there arrived another villager and asked him why did he pick only one skeleton, he should have picked many more, they returned to the funeral pyre to pick more skeleton.  Haribau asked Swamiji “ You are the solid gold, why people are picking up the skeleton in place of you?”   Swamiji said, “These ignorant people will keep collecting skeleton years and years if they do not have the faith or devotion,”  The Bhramin and villagers checked all the skeleton they have picked up from the funeral pyre which remained skeleton, the Bhramin was disappointed to notice that only one skeleton that picked up at the instruction of Swamiji was turned gold bar.