Indication of Final Journey

One day, Balappa brought a hukka and gave it to Sri Swamiji. While smoking the hukka Sri Swamiji asked Balappa “We have to go very long way. We have to reach very high altitude. Would you like to come to render service to me? ”. When this question was put to Balappa his heart started beating faster. He was caught in a dilemma and got worried.

Regarding his final journey Sri Swamiji would give indications in advance throughout the year. Sometimes Sri Swamiji would change the lamp upside down. He had rolled his bed and hang it on a tree. After Cholappa’s death he would get dejected very often. From the day of his arrival to Akkalkot Cholappa rendered service to Sri Swamiji. Separation from Cholappa became unbearable for Sri Swamiji. Hence Sri Swamiji thought of winding up his divine incarnation. During the long life of hundreds of years Sri Swamiji had inspired thousands of people to follow the path of devotion and inclined towards the path of virtue. Sri Swamiji had raised a flag of devotion by creating thousands of devotees. Now he thought it as the right time to depart from this world.

Before the departure from this world Sri Swamiji showed one more miraculous work. He went and sat in the Jangam Muth of Akkalkot. In this Muth there is a large idol of Lord Shiva of Jangam belonging to the Lingayat community. He told the Muth’s attendant to bring dry cowdung cakes and create a sacred fire on the ‘Shivalinga’. In the sacred fire he put items like 10 pounds of ghee, dried dates, rice, fruits, flower garlands etc, which he had received from devotees. Seeing this act of Sri Swamiji Lingayat devotees became furious and started shouting in anger but kept silent seeing the divine form of Sri Swamiji. The sacred fire was very intense. The intense heat scorched the stone walls. However, on the next day as per the instructions of Sri Swamiji when the Shivalinga was cleansed it had become exceedingly bright and luminous than it was before. It is as though Sri Swamiji had given an indication to the devotees and disciples that even fire cannot destroy the form of individual soul. Even after getting burnt in the fire, the soul will exist in an exceedingly luminous form.

Eight days prior to the final journey Sri Swamiji started singing hymns in the praise of Lord Shiva, as “Shivahar Shankar Namami, Shankar Shivashankar Shambho, Hey Girijapati Bhavanishankar, Shiva Shankar Shambho” meaning, “I bow to you and pay my obeisance Oh! Lord Shiva-Shankar”. Then Sri Swamiji went to Tatya Subhedar’s house. There he suffered from dysentery. When he felt a little better he went to a village Naganhalli and took a halt in a mango-grove in the village. His health started deteriorating further. He stopped eating food. When attendant Sakharam Lokhande requested with prayers, Sri Swamiji came back to his favourite Vatavriksha ^[1] at Akkalkot. His fever had gone up. His body started aching but nobody saw Sri Swamiji groan. Except Sundarabai none was allowed to go near him. He had already given up food. As per Sundarabai’s request Sri Swamiji took two spoons of rice-gruel.

She further requested him “Maharaj, when would you become alright? ”. Sri Swamiji spoke slowly “Now, how could I become alright? Time has come for me to depart from this world on my final journey”.

Topmost allopathic and ayurvedic doctors were called in but Sri Swamiji would not take any medicine. If someone tried to force medicine in his mouth Sri Swamiji would spit it out immediately. His illness started increasing. Once Sundarabai enquired, “When would you become alright and get up? ”. Sri Swamiji said, “I would get up alright when the mountains speak”. When Sripad Bhat asked the same question then Sri Swamiji said, “I would get up when Pandharpur gets burnt up”.

His disciples and devotees realized that Sri Swamiji is departing for his final journey and making them orphan. They all prayed “Maharaj, what should we do now? ”. Sri Swamiji told Shripad Bhat “Keep yourself busy in digging up at the root of the Vatvriksha”. Then Sri Swamiji told Ganapat rao “You remain in the temple”. Then he instructed Balappa “You remain under Audumbar tree and then he instructed everybody “You follow your ancestors”. Then Sri Swamiji repeated one verse from Bhagvad-Gita-

“Ananyas Chintaye mam, Ye janah paryupasate!
Tesham nityabhiyuktanam, Yoga-kshemam vahamyaham! !”.
(BhagvadGita shloka 9/22)
{But those who always worship Me,
with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form,
to them, I carry what they lack and I preserve what they have. }

Sri Swamiji was fully conscious till he completely abandoned his material body and departed on his final journey. On Chaitra Krishna Trayodashi day of Hindu year 1800 (Year 1878 as per English calendar) Sri Swamiji ate some rice-gruel. Then he was laid on a bed. All the devotees were totally depressed due to anxiety. Though time for the final journey came near Sri Swamiji’s face still reflected divine splendour and seemed as lustrous as usual. There was the same delight on his face and his vision was the same as before. Devotee-servant Sripad Bhat seated Sri Swamiji by extending his physical support. Sri Swamiji sat in lotus position and got himself absorbed in supreme self. None of the devotees came to know about this.

Devotees and disciples started bewailing. It appeared as though children had lost their mother and calves had lost their mother-cow. It appeared as though mother Guru had turned away his face from his devotees. Who can describe the devotee’s pain of separation from their Guru? This news spread everywhere like wind. Devotees from every village rushed to Akkalkot. Sri Swamiji had departed making his devotees orphan.

An aeroplane made of flowers was prepared for the final journey of Sri Swamiji. Flowers were showered down on Sri Swamiji. The entire resources of Akkalkot State including elephants, horses, along with the insignia of royalty was kept ready for the final journey of Sri Swamiji. Entire mass of people started moving ahead continuously singing devotional songs to take the final Darshan of their God, Sri Swamiji.

Cholappa had kept a place ready in his house for Sri Swamiji’s Samadhi. Sri Swamiji had preferred Cholappa’s house to be his permanent samadhi place. This was the same place where Sri Swamiji had stayed when he had first come to Akkalkot. Nana Saheb Barve, the prime minister of then Akkalkot State and Baburao Vishnu Moghe, the Revenue collector of Akkalkot, laid Sri Swamiji’s body in the Samadhi place. Devotees paid their last obeisance and took Sri Swamiji’s ‘Darshan’. Even now Sri Swamiji’s face expressed the same lustre and the assurance of impunity for the devotees.

Balappa had brought and preserved a bottle of fragrant essence in his house for Sri swamiji. He had strong desire to present this bottle as an offering to Sri Swamiji. However, due to the huge crowd at the Samadhi site Balappa could not go home to get the bottle. So Balappa got extremely uneasy. In the meanwhile somebody brought the bottle and gave it to Balappa. Thus Balappa’s wish got fulfilled. Sri Swamiji even after departing from the worldly existence had fulfilled the wish of his devotee. Thousands of devotees with tearful eyes and with constant repetition God’s name bade farewell to Sri Swamiji.