There is no shortage of wicked people who unnecessarily harass, and criticize Saints, Virtuous people, Sages, good people, and the one born as an incarnation of a deity. Sri Swami Samarth Maharaj also had come in contact with such wicked people and he controlled them in his own way. Sri Swamiji eliminated their wickedness and blessed them with devotion.

Ahmad Ali Khan Risaldar

Sri Swami Maharaj dodged servants of Chintopant Tol and reached Akkalkot. There he set up his temporary abode at the city gate. For two to four days no one paid any attention towards him. Ahmad Ali Khan Risaldar, the in-charge of the police station of that area noticed him. He took Sri Swamiji as a crazy person.

Some people always enjoy making fun of others. Khan also wanted to make fun of Sri Swamiji and so he put a burning charcoal in to an empty smoking pipe and asked Sri Swamiji “Babaji, would you like to smoke this pipe? ”. Sri Swamiji took the smoking pipe in his hand and took a deep puff. To Khans great disbelief thick smoke started coming out of it. Seeing this miracle, Khan was astounded. Realising that Sri Swamiji is a great sage; he repented and prayed for forgiveness. Then he made the necessary arrangements for Sri Swamiji’s stay in Cholappa’s house. Khan became a devotee of Sri Swamiji.

Miserable Plight Of Puranik

In spite of being a great ascetic Sri Swami Maharaj never behaved like an ascetic. Being an incarnation of Lord Dattatrey Himself, Sri Swamiji was beyond the rules and regulations of ascetism, but very few people were aware of this fact. Therefore some people would secretly comment and pass critical remarks, in bad taste, about Sri Swamiji amongst themselves. There were a number of mischievous persons like this. Puranik, the brother-in-law of Baba Subnis was one amongst them.

Once, Puranik passed critical remarks saying “Sri Swamiji being an ascetic, why should he require a mattress to sleep and sit?”. Sri Swamiji didn’t give any reply immediately. A few days later, one fine evening Sri Swamiji was climbing a hill in Kadav village. Puranik was also with Sri Swamiji. It was a winter night. It was dark everywhere. Sri Swamiji climbed the hill and slept on a black rock very comfortably. Puranik was shivering in the cold. He made a request to Sri Swamiji “Maharaj I am shivering with cold. What shall I do? ”. Sri Swamiji replied, “How is a soft mattress? ”. Hearing this, Puranik repented for the critical remarks he had passed against Sri Swamiji. He then prayed to Sri Swamiji for forgiveness. Thereafter he became a devotee of Sri Swamiji instead of just a criticizer.

Like human beings, other animals also came under the control of Sri Swamiji. Sri Swamiji, by his miraculous works, brought a positive change in the nature of animals.

She-Monkey

Bambgardsaheb had reared a she-monkey and named her Sundari. She started pouncing upon people and biting them. Twice she even pounced upon Bambgard saheb, so he gave orders to shoot her. This word reached Sri Swamiji. He asked his attendant to bring the she-monkey to him. Attendant Bhujanga left to carry out his task. He spoke to Sundari, the she-monkey, “Sri Swamiji has sent me to bring you, so you come now”. Hearing this Sundari started to follow Bhujanga, just like a tamed dog. After reaching there, she started to roll at the lotus feet of Sri Swamiji. Then Sri Swamiji spoke to her, “Oh! You, do you move about in a naughty manner? From now onwards, do not bite anyone. If you bite, I shall lash you”.

From then onwards, the sundari’s nature underwent transformation. It stopped biting people. She would sit on the tree under which Sri Swamiji would take a seat, and remain engrossed in observing Sri Swamiji continuously.

Sparrow

On the outskirts of Akkalkot there is a temple of Lord Rama. One day while on his stroll Sri Swamiji came to the temple. It was 7:00 AM in the morning. A sparrow was continuously twittering on the neem tree nearby. Sri Swamiji would normally visit a nearby village. One day, he spoke to the sparrow, “I will be going to a nearby village and return. Till my return, remain here on the tree. Do not move away from here”. So saying, Sri Swamiji went away. When he returned at 12:00 AM, he found the sparrow sitting silently on the same neem tree. Sri Swamiji spoke to the sparrow “You might be feeling hungry. Now you go”. Hearing these words, the sparrow flew away. This was the power of Sri Swamiji.

Peasant’s Bull

In Akkalkot a peasant’s buffalo got very much frightened due to some reason. It went and stood on a well. No one was able to catch it all day long. The bull would attack anyone who came near it. Therefore, the peasant went to Sri Swamiji and prayed for help. Sri Swamiji spoke to him “Your bull does not allow anybody to catch it. If you do, it attacks you with horns. Is it not? ”. Then Sri Swamiji got up, went up to the bull, and caught hold of its ear. The bull started following Sri Swamiji like a she-goat. From then onwards, the bull never repeated this mischief.

Startled Elephant

In Mumbai, there was a very senior government officer named Vinayak Vasudeo alias Kakasaheb. Very often he would visit Akkalkot to take Sri Swamiji’s ‘Darshan’. Once he came along with one hundred fifty people and got down at the kadapgam station. Since Kakasaheb was a very senior officer of the British government, the then king of Akkalkot, Rajasaheb had deputed elephants, horses, palanquins etc. along with his officers, in the service of Kakasaheb. Kakasaheb started his return journey after rendering devotional service unto Sri Swamiji for four days. Bidding him farewell Sri Swamiji said “Hurry up, Hurry up”. Kakasaheb had already sent everybody ahead to the station. He was the only one left behind.

When he left in a hurry as per Sri Swamiji command, he went and saw that a calamity had befallen at the train station. The loud whistle of the train had startled on of the elephants and he sat on the street itself refusing to move ahead. Children had sat on the canopied seat on the elephant. Seeing this situation, Kakasaheb became very distressed. He remembered Sri Swamiji and called for help. By the kind grace of Sri Swamiji the elephant stood up and started moving ahead towards the station. Thus the calamity was over.