This is my Royal Court (darbaar)

One afternoon, there was no one in the math, except for Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar and Shri Raghu, the gardener. After lunch, Baba firmly said to Raghu, “I am going to sleep for a while. Do not let anyone into the premises of the math. Those bhaktas who come to seek darshan, however, let them receive darshan without any unnecessary discussion.”

After providing these instructions, Baba went into his room.

A short while later, a government official responsible for revenue matters in the Mangalvedha sub-district, the Mamledar, arrived in a government vehicle, and quickly brought the car inside by the hall. Meanwhile, Raghu was gesturing to indicate to them to not bring the car inside. When they got closer, the official got angry with Raghu, saying, “Why are you stopping me from coming inside. Open the guest lodging.”

Responding to this calmly and in a gentle tone, Raghu said, “I am just a worker here, I do not have the keys.”

Upon hearing this, the official was even more enraged. He grabbed Raghu’s sadra (an upper garment worn by men) and began to hit him. Raghu just kept thinking of Baba. He then took the official up to Baba’s room. 

Then Baba suddenly called out from inside the room, “Kay re, what is going on?”

In that time, the official had made it to the steps to Baba’s room and was about to climb them. But before he could step into the room, Baba stepped out and said, “This is my darbaar. If someone had treated the security guard at your office like this, what would you have done? Mamledar Mahashe, I am angry with you because of this. Do not stay here for even another second.”

The moment the official heard these stern words from Baba, he left. 

15 days later, the same official came by again, held Baba’s feet and begged for his help/mercy. Some kind of corruption or malpractice had been uncovered in the official’s professional life, and soon, he would be asked to leave his government office. 

Baba said to him, “Now what will happen? I can’t do anything about this.”

In his text Divyamritdhara, Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar says that there are two forms of the Shri Guru recognized in the scriptures—one fierce and terrifying, and the other benevolent. The terrifying form exists to ensure that world conduct occurs smoothly, and the benevolent form exists for the salvation of the world.