The story of Samarth Ramdas Swami’s warrior attitude

1. The Mughal officers in Maharashtra
going on a rampage and troubling Hindus

​Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami’s disciples were roaming around the kingdom for the purpose of spread of spirituality. Shivaji Maharaj’s reign had just started. The Mughal officers in Maharshtra were on a rampage, troubling Hindus. Satara was under the oppressive rule of Adilshah of Vijapur. One of the Mughal officers who was living in Sangam Mahuli was very oppressive and used to trouble the Hindus a lot. He always used to oppress poor Brahmins, ascetics and hermits. He stopped all rituals of Brahmins such as Snan-sandhya, sacrificial fires, etc. He also put a full stop to kirtans (devotional discourses) and the study of Purans.

2. Mughal officers imprisoned Uddhav Swami and
other disciples of Shri Samarth Ramdas

During this period of Mughal oppression, Uddhav Swami, a disciple of Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami, was in the village Mahuli. Here, along with his fellow disciples, he started conducting puja and other Hindu rituals such as Snan-sandhya. He also started conducting spiritual discourses on the banks of the river Krushna. As soon as the Mughal officer heard this news, he captured Uddhav Swami, did violence to him and imprisoned him along with four other disciples. All others were terrified and ran helter-skelter. One of Samarth’s disciples however escaped from the Mughal clutches.

3. Angered by the ill-treatment to his disciples,
Shri Samarth Ramdas beat up the Mughal officer

At that time, Shri Samarth was in Chafal. The disciple who had escaped the capture, reached Chafal next morning and narrated the whole incident to Shri Samarth. On hearing everything, Samarth became red with anger. His eyes were emitting fire. He asked for a big cane from Kalyan Swami and got up from his seat. Who would dare stop him in such a state of anger?

​Samarth headed to Mahuli. He had not eaten anything since morning, but such was his state of mind that he had forgotten this. He reached Mahuli at dusk and headed straight to the officer’s house. The officer was sitting comfortably, smoking a hookah. Samarth entered his house, caught him by the scruff and beat him mercilessly with the cane. He dragged the officer in the middle of the road and continued beating him. The atmosphere was filled with the screams of the officer. The officer’s associates stood there dumbfounded. All were frightened to see this anger of Samarth. No one dared interfere and save the officer from Samarth’s anger.

4. The officer asking Samarth for forgiveness and
swearing that he will never again trouble anyone

Blood was trickling from the officer’s body. He begged for mercy and asked Samarth for forgiveness. Samarth ordered him to first release his disciples from the prison. The officer ordered his subordinates to release the disciples. The disciples were released. Uddhav Swami and the other disciples came and bowed down at Samarth’s feet. Samarth’s anger had a huge influence on the officer. He begged for forgiveness at Samarth’s feet. He sweared in the name of the Quran (Holy book of the Muslims) that he would never again trouble anyone or try to stop Hindu rituals or forcefully convert Hindus to Islam.

5. Merciful Samarth forgiving the officer and
providing medical aid to him

The merciful Shri Samarth immediately forgave the officer. Not only that, he also applied medicinal herbs on the officer’s wounds. When the villagers realised that Samarth had not eaten anything since morning, they immediately arranged for food for Samarth, Uddhav Swami and all the other disciples.

6. Samarth conducting a discourse
on treating everyone with equality

That night Shri Samarth conducted a spiritual discourse in the village Mahuli. Through the discourse he gave the message that, all , including animals, are God’s children and that everyone should be treated with equality. He gave various examples and viewpoints on this. The residents of Mahuli were happy and satisfied on hearing this discourse.

– Shri. Shripad Mokashi (Reference : Monthly Dharmik, March 1985)

Friends, this story shows that Saints not only do spiritual practice of the Tarak (saviour) form of God, but also of the Marak (Destroyer) form of God. On seeing injustice, even the merciful Saints strongly oppose it, instead of being a mere spectator. Similarly, we too should awaken and fight against injustice in a lawful manner. It is necessary for a devotee to worship both forms of God, that is, Tarak as well as Marak forms. Remember, Kshatradharma Sadhana (Spiritual practice of protecting seekers and destroying evildoers) is the need of the hour.