Our Madhav Tells Swami to do Work

A picture of Shri Akkalkot Swami Samarth at the Machnur ashram

Sometimes, when Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar was traveling, he would leave Saint Madhav Swami in charge of the ashram.

Once, when Baba left for Mumbai, Madhav Swami was the only one in the Machnur Ashram. While leaving, Baba said to him, “Madhav, look after the ashram properly, and if you have any troubles, then tell Swami” (Akkalkot Swami Samarth). 

A few days later, Madhav Swami, after finishing all his work, was heading to the river to bathe at sunset. Usually, at this time every day, a decided person would come to the ashram. But that day, no one came. Before the sun set, Madhav Swami needed to get ready and get back in time to do his sadhana/upasana in the ashram and light the lanterns. But because that person hadn’t come today, he was troubled. 

He suddenly remembered what Baba had told him, and then went to Swami’s photo in the devghar in Gurudev Kutir. Standing in front of him, he said, “Swami, please keep watch, I will quickly bathe and come back.”

Saying this, Madhav Swami went down to the riverbank and quickly got ready. He hurriedly returned to the ashram. When he returned, the sun had set and it was dark. Setting his wet clothes out to dry, Madhav Swami went to light the lanterns. While walking there, he suddenly saw an older person sitting on a bench outside Gurudev Kutir. 

Realizing that he should speak to the older person, Madhav Swami walked quickly, making sure he lit the lanterns first, before walking over to that bench. But when he got there, he couldn’t see the older person anywhere. He looked everywhere in the ashram, but the person was no where to be seen. 

A few minutes later, someone named Jagannath Pa from the village showed up. Madhav Swami asked him about the older person he had seen, but even Jagannath Pa didn’t know anything about who it could have been. 

After this, the regular routine and work in the ashram resumed as usual. A few days later, Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar returned. There were some sadhakas who came with him too. 

One day, while everyone was sitting together, Baba suddenly said, “Our Madhav tells Swami to do work.”

Madhav Swami, caught off guard and confused, asked, “I told Swami…?”

Then Baba replied, “Swami was telling me in Mumbai, ‘Once, Madhav was going to bathe, he made me sit on a bench to look after the ashram.’”

Baba told everyone that Swami had recounted these events in real time to Baba while he was in Mumbai. 

Then, Madhav Swami realized that the older person he had seen was none other than the Infinite Lord of Countless Universes (Anant Koti Brahmandanayak), Shri Akkalkot Swami Samarth. 

In his sacred text Diyamritdhara, Baba says that to walk with god in his infinite leelas is like a lotus with its numerous petals unfurling and blooming, which is leelakamal. Breaking this down, “ka” is Supreme Brahma (parabrahma), and “mal” is mud or soil. A form of this Supreme Brahma takes root and plants himself in the soil or mud inside their bhakta. 

But the yogmaya has masked this form of divinity. 

Bhaktachi Seva Dev Kari I Dev Tisthe Bhaktadwaari II

- Saint Eknath 2258

Loosely translated, this means that the god serves his bhakta or devotee, and god stands at the bhakta or devotee’s doorstep. 

This is his sagunleela. But the sagun form of god only blooms in the soil of bhaktibhav (worldly lives or sansar) of a bhakta who has become one with the divine. 

This is god’s unwavering love for his bhaktas.