A 42 Day ‘Fast’!

Saint Madhav Swami (left) being fed by another one of Saint Baba's devotees.

Once, Kakuma and Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar’s mother had fought with Baba at Machnur. Because of that Baba hadn’t eaten or drank anything all morning. No matter how much people insisted, he did not listen to anyone.

Around 10 a.m., he said to Saint Madhav Swami, “Madhava, pack my bag.” 

There was a bus scheduled to stop in Machnur around 11 a.m. So Baba got ready to leave. He didn’t eat anything. Kakuma started crying. Baba’s mother also became quite upset. But still, Baba did not listen to anyone. Kakuma then told Madhav Swami to do something. So Madhav Swami made some tea, grabbed a handful of salted peanuts and took that to Baba.

Baba angrily said to him, “Did I tell you to bring this to me? Why did you bring this?”

Madhav Swami earnestly said, “Baba, please listen to this much, take this. Don’t go just like that.”

Baba said okay, then drank the cup of tea and ate the saucer full of salted peanuts before leaving. 

At that moment, Madhav Swami said to Baba, “Baba, I will only drink as much tea and eat as many nuts as you did, until you return,”

Baba said, “We’ll see,” and then left.

Almost 42 days passed and then Baba told everyone in Mumbai, “Madhav is stubborn and doesn’t listen. I need to go to Machnur.”

Then Baba came back to Machnur.

In the mean time, Madhav Swami’s health had worsened, because for those 42 days, he had only had a handful of salted peanuts and a cup of tea every day. He was also continuing to do al the daily work. Every day, he would descend the Siddheshwar steps to the riverbank, filling up the kalash (sacred vessel) with water, and many other tasks involving physical strength. 

When Baba got back, he pulled Madhav Swami close, soothingly patted his back and told everyone else, “Let’s go and cook. Madhav’s fast is going to break now.” 

A full spread of divine offerings (prasad) was prepared and served by everyone together. 

Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar says that the meaning of love is something that doesn’t diminish through its daily exercise or giving, instead it increases. It is limitless. If one who serves the divine has the dharma of faith, devotion and obedience given by the Guru, it results in a continuous shower of love. Even analogizing it to the love between a mother and child is insufficient to describe this kind of love. It is impossible to compare it to anything. “I and they are not separate, we are one. If it is not so, then I do not exist all. It is them in my form.” Having such an attitude of surrender is becoming sanmukh.