The life of a great saint is itself a miracle. Everything Sri Swami Samarth Maharaj did in his incarnation is miraculous in nature. These miraculous works of Sri Swami Samarth are not like magic or jugglery. Magic and Jugglery is temporary in nature. The miraculous works of incarnated saints are exceptionally great. These miraculous works transmit permanent influence and wherever it reaches, those locations are beyond the reach of magic or jugglery. Such miraculous works are always in the public interest and philanthropic in nature. Sri Swamiji, during his lifetime has performed numerous miracles, sometimes for the mental pleasure and sometimes in the favour of the devotees. The primary aim of his miracles was to eliminate the sufferings of his devotees and to make them happy as well. A magician performs miraculous jugglery and gives deception to the public but great saints by their exceptional miraculous works makes one bow their head.

In Bhagwant Sutar’s farm, Sri Swamiji gargled mouthful of water, spit the same in the fire, and set the fire ablaze. There was no water in the well at Mangalvedha. Sri Swamiji filled the well with water. He walked on the water of Narayan-teerth ^[1] and reached the other bank. He filled the ‘Kotikoop’ at the holy place Rameshwar in TamilNadu with worms. He milked a cow, which was not yielding milk. He changed a girl into a boy. He fed hundreds of people out of the food meant for only two to four people. How many miracles can you count? Still there are few examples given below.

Came Out From Closed Door

There is a village called Chalambe on the bank of the Bhima River, near Mangalvedha. Once Sri Swamiji went to the village and took a halt in the Ramadasi Muth. He slept after taking meals. Ramadasi Baba had to go out, so he locked the Muth from outside and left. In the evening, people of the village observed Sri Swamiji playing in the sands of the riverbank. They went and informed Ramadasi Baba. He was amazed to hear this, since the key of the Muth was only with him. So he went to the Muth, opened the lock, and to his disbelief did not find Sri Swamiji inside. There was no other way to go out of the Muth, except the door, which was locked by him. This was a miracle for him. So immediately Ramadasi Baba went to the riverbank, prostrated at the lotus feet of Sri Swamiji and prayed for forgiveness.

Spice-Box Thrown In the Well

Sri Swamiji was taking a walk in the courtyard of the palace of Akkalkot. One servant held a spice-Box made of gold in his hand. Sri Swamiji seized it and asked king Maloji Raje “Shall I throw this box in the well? ”. Raje said, “Maharaj, this belongs to you. You may do whatever you like”. Sri Swamiji threw the box in the well. That day Sri Swamiji stayed in the palace. In the morning, he was playing in the courtyard. By then king Maloji Raje also arrived in the courtyard. Sri Swamiji asked Raje to get a bucket and rope. Then Sri Swamiji dipped the bucket in the well water and pulled it up. The bucket brought up the spice-box thrown the previous day. It was full of cloves and cardamom, but they had not got wet or touched by water. Everyone present were astonished by this miraculous play of Swamiji.

Foot-Prints on the Wooden Seat

Chintopant Tol was offering leaves of holy basil to Vishnu-Panchayatan ^[2], while reciting Vishnu Sahasranaam ^[3]. Whenever Sri Swamiji came there at the time of worship, Tol would worship Him and then offer the leaves of holy basil along with the recitation at His lotus feet. One day exactly in the same way, Sri Swamiji arrived there. Chintopant worshipped him and prayed “I strongly desire that at the time of my worship the lotus feet of Sri Swamiji should be always near me”. Sri Swamiji said, “As you wish”. So saying he went away. Footprints of Sri Swamiji got inscribed on the wooden seat where Sri Swamiji was sitting. This wooden-seat is still preserved in the JoshiBuwa’s Muth at Akkalkot.

Sri Swamiji Disappeared

The king of the then Baroda State, Sriman Malharrao Gaikwad, strongly desired that Sri Swami Samarth Maharaj should come and stay in his State. He was ready to spend any amount of money to make this happen. He announced that whoever succeeds in this work, would be offered a huge gift of land. One of his chieftains, Tatyasaheb accepted the challenge. The king gave him lot of money, costumes, ornaments, and also servants to help him.

Tatyasaheb came to Akkalkot and brought Cholappa under control and influence. Cholappa was the most trustworthy disciple of Sri Swamiji, but unfortunately very greedy too. Tatyasaheb held discussions with Cholappa and designed a plot to take Sri Swamiji to Baroda in a train. Finally, they even managed to take Sri Swamiji in a closed palanquin up to Kadapgaon station. After reaching Kadapgaon, Tatyasaheb went ahead to see Sri Swamiji, but to his disbelief he found the palanquin to be empty. Sri Swamiji had disappeared.

Meal of Chillies

Every day Devotees offered food as Naivedya to Sri Swamiji. This food consisted of various types of sweets and exquisite dishes as well. Seeing these sweets and dainty dishes, a clever person started thinking that Sri Swamiji’s life is full of joy. He enjoys the best of opportunity to eat these dainty dishes. The inner-spirited Sri Swamiji came to know about his thoughts. He kept away the food offered by devotees, called for a plate of red chillies and ate them. The clever person, who doubted about Sri Swamiji, became very ashamed and prayed for his forgiveness.

Meals in the Muth of Jangam

In Barsi town, Solapur District, Maharashtra, there is a Muth called Jangam Muth, which belongs to the Lingayat community. Mallikarjun Jangam who belonged to the Muth was a great devotee of Sri Swamiji. One year, during the month of Shravan ^[4] he arranged for Mahabhojan – Mahaprasad ^[5]. At that time, Sri Swamiji had been put up in King Maloji Raje’s palace .Sri Swamiji did not take food for seven days in the palace. When asked, he said “I am very happy by taking food with Mallikarjun Jangam in the Jangam Muth in Barsi”.

To investigate the truth, Maloji Raje deputed a horse rider to Barsi. Jangam asserted, “Sri Swamiji was taking food along with us for seven days”. Thus, it was proved that Sri Swamiji was taking food in Barsi while residing in Akkalkot!

In this way, Sri Swamiji would dispel incurable physical diseases and poverty of the poor and afflicted people by his natural compassion. He would favour distressed people with children by liberating them from their ill fate. He would also grant them fresh life by stopping their death. He would fill their lives with happiness and invoke their implicit faith in religion.

However, he would severely condemn immoral-adultery. Not only that, person with such behaviour, were being exposed, disgraced and punished, so that such a person after getting a severe shock would follow a path of virtue. This was the primary aim of Sri Swamiji. The purity of one’s behaviour is the first step of religion and Divine Truth. He would perform miraculous works to diversify the attention of people from worldly entanglement and attract them towards virtuous conduct and devoutness. The primary aim of his incarnation was only for the welfare of the people. He had incarnated himself, as God, on earth, to invoke good religious practice and uplift souls of the population.