There
lived at Wadi (Narasoba wadi in the Kolhapur district) a poor brahmin. He had a small
house and in its front a bean vine had grown. The brahmin made a living by officiating as
a priest and also begged for madhukari. When he could not get any alms he would go pluck
the beans and prepare a meal out of them. Thus the small vine was quite an important
support for himself and his family. Nrisimha Sarasvati once went to beg for madhukari and
the brahmin having nothing with him cooked the beans and served them to the atithi. The
atithi was out worldly pleased but while departing cut off the trunk of the vine. The wife
of the brahmin and his sons were shocked at this behaviour of his but the brahmin consoled
them as best as he could. Later on he decided to dig out whatever remained of the plant
and found a jar full of gold coins beneath it. He realised the meaning of the
sanyasin’s action and became a great devotee of his. Similar incidents happened at
various places. A barren buffalow started giving milk, a member of the Maha community
could recite the Vedas, and a devotee could feed nearly three thousand people from a pot
that could not hold more than two and a half seers of grain. Other deeds include the
bringing to life a person to whose widowed wife he had inadvertantly given the customary
blessing etc; being simultaneously present at eight different spots and so on. His fame
spread far and wide. In Saka 1380,i.e. 1458 A. D. Shri Nrisimha Sarasvati accepted
samadhi. But the Guru had blessed, as stated earlier, Ganagapur, Audumbar and Narsoba Wadi
with his eternal presence. This is felt by some devotees in various ways. |
