Baba Maharaj's Divine Connection with
Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami

There are many extraordinary memories that stand as a testimony to the deep, spiritual bond between Saint Baba and Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami.

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Around the year 1955, Saint Baba Maharaj visited Sajjangad (Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami's samadhi location) on the auspicious occasion of Dasnavami. There, he met Shri Anantswami, who would later become one of Saint Baba's most devoted disciples. It is undoubtable that this meeting was divinely preordained, involving the grace of Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami as well. In fact, during this visit, Saint Baba met two other disciples for the first time as well. One of them recounted an event that left an indelible mark on all who witnessed it:

At Sajjangad, the courtyard of the Samadhi Mandir was paved with stone slabs, and as Saint Baba walked upon them, wearing khadau (wooden footwear), the rhythmic tak-tak sound echoed through the air like a sacred reminder of the renunciate’s path. As Baba approached Samarth Ramdas Swami’s Samadhi, I followed him.

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The Samadhi Mandir had a unique structure—below, in the underground sanctum, lay the sacred Samadhi of Shri Samarth, while above it, in the beautifully adorned inner sanctum, stood the divine Shri Ram Panchayatan idols. To seek darshan, one had to descend into the dimly lit underground chamber, where only the soft glow of oil lamps and the flickering Panchajyoti (sacred five-wicked lamp) illuminated the space.

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With an expression of deep reverence, Saint Baba entered the sanctum. I stood watchfully outside. He bowed low before the Samadhi, resting his forehead upon it. His dark, flowing hair spread over the Samadhi, forming a soft, velvety veil around his face, as if an embrace of silent devotion. Minutes passed—two, then five—yet his head did not lift. The atmosphere grew solemn. No one spoke. It was a darshan unlike any other—one of absolute stillness, of a profound and wordless communion.

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Fifteen to twenty minutes later, Saint Baba finally raised his head. His eyes glowed with a divine fulfillment, and his face radiated the luminous joy of having beheld a saint. In that moment, those present understood how one must truly seek the darshan of a great saint.

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Looking at me, Saint Baba said, "How sanctified this land is! Every grain of its dust is imbued with the divine radiance of Shri Samarth. Come, let us go for a bath."

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With that, he rose, accompanied by myself and another seeker—a renunciate who had been residing at Sajjangad for his spiritual practices. As we made our way to the holy lake, Saint Baba suddenly removed his upper garments and began rolling in the dust of the sacred land.

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"One must anoint their body with this blessed dust!" he declared. "That incomparable, mighty saint dedicated all his austerities to the welfare of the masses—to their happiness and upliftment. It is because of his supreme sacrifice that we today stand as proud Maharashtrians. We can never repay this debt!"

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After bathing in this dust, he leaped into the lake, swimming with remarkable ease. He dived deep, stirring the settled silt, and smeared it over his entire body. In doing so, he expressed his pure and unfeigned reverence for Shri Samarth, showing us how a disciple must immerse themselves in the sacred energy of a saint’s presence and abode.

Emerging from the water, he thundered “Jai Jai Raghuvir Samarth!”, his voice reverberating through the stillness of Sajjangad.

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Although the lord may appear in different forms, the essence remains the same. Therefore, it should be unsurprising that Saint Baba Maharaj engaged in divine correspondence with Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami—yet, to us mere folk, we marvel in experiences such as the following:

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This event occurred in Saint Baba’s later years, while he and a few select disciples were engaged in composing Divyamritdhara, his masterful commentary on the twelfth chapter of Dnyaneshwari. Among his closest disciples was Shri Madhavswami. 

One dawn, before the break of day, Shri Madhavswami was awakened by a resounding call:

"Madhava! Madhava!"

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Rushing forward, he prostrated before Saint Baba, who, in a deeply moved voice, said:

"Shri Samarth Ramdas just appeared before me. He has entrusted me with the responsibility of overseeing the restoration of a temple he had established—a sacred Hanuman idol in a village in Nagar district. I have assured him that while I may not be able to complete the task, my Madhava will fulfill it."

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With this command of his Sadguru, Shri Madhavswami set aside all other engagements and embarked on his quest. Guided by Shri Baba’s words, he eventually discovered Shri Kshetra Hanuman Takli, where, at the very threshold of the village, he beheld a divine vision of Shri Samarth Ramdas and Lord Hanuman.

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This moment marked the beginning of Shri Madhavswami's lifelong spiritual service, as he dedicated himself wholly to the work entrusted to him by his Sadguru and Shri Samarth—to the extent that Shri Madhavswami did not leave the small town of Takli even once after Saint Baba Maharaj took samadhi!