09 Jun 2025
Darshan of Shiva Datta – Baroda Maharaj
Those were the days when Swami and we were staying at the Shiva Sadanam in Srisailam. Opposite the Shiva temple in the choultry, a great saint (Baroda Maharaj) is seen. He just takes a glass of milk every day and does the continuous chanting (paaraayana) of the Shiva Purana. Swami said, “This Yogi is born with the amsha of Markandeya.”
One day, when the three of us were staying at our choultry-house in the Shiva Sadan, Swami said, “Today, Shri Dattatreya is radiant with the face of Shiva in the middle and the faces of Brahma and Vishnu on either side, prominently seen as Shiva Datta. Baroda Maharaj is serving at the lotus feet of Swami and was observing the face of the Swami.”
That night, we three went to the room where the great Yogi was staying in the Kariveṇa Annadāna choultry. Then Maharaj sang like this repeatedly. Clapping his hands, he looked at Swami in joy and said, “Āj mī Datta ko dekh lī,” which means, “Today I saw Datta.” This shows the perfect correlation of the divine vision given by Swami that morning and the kirtan sung by Shri Maharaj! Maharaj sang exactly what Swami had said. Later, we understood that it was Swami who had given the vision as Shiva Datta.
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