11 Jul 2025
A Saint Identifies Swami as Lord Datta
[Shri Sivananda Maharaj]
The Peethadhipati of Shirdi Sai in Visakhapatnam, Shri Sivananda Maharaj, is a great saint (Yatheeshwar). He is a great Yogi with all miraculous powers. He creates items by just wish (Sankalpa). It is very well known that he is 500 years old. He is very much known as 'Siddha Yogi', a disciple of Shri Narasimha Saraswati. Once it so happened that such a great saint (Siddhapurusha) came to the temple of Mutyalampadu in Vijayawada. Swami's devotees Shri Ajay and Shri Phani took our Swami to him. On seeing Swami, the great Saint said, "We always chant and search for Datta, Datta. Where is that Datta? Here is that Datta," he said pointing to Swami. He said, looking at Ajay garu, "If you think that Datta comes and goes now and then in Him, it is like your foot in the mud. Realize that Datta is always there in Him.” What else is this but a warning to all devotees of Swami, about His divine incarnation? Shri Bhimashankaram and his wife, Smt. Vasumati, invited Shri Sivananda Maharaj to their home while Swami was staying in their home. Then, Shri Sivananda said to her, “When Datta Himself is present in your house, why are you inviting me?” Ah! What a clear explanation!
One day, Shri Koneru Satyanarayana came to have darshan of Sri Sivananda Maharaj. Swami also went along with him. Shri Sivananda said to Shri Satyanarayana, “Datta is there beside you. Unfortunately, we don't recognize Him”. Saying this, he stood up, honored Swami with a very large garland of flowers and chanted “Jaya Jaya Datta” to Swami. Ah! What a direct proof to know Swami as Lord Datta. Swamiji is truly Lord Datta. Before leaving for Visakhapatnam, Shri Sivananda bowed down to Swami and prayed, "Please keep Your mercy on me."
However, despite all this happening, Swami did not show any arrogance but only smiled and said that He was a dust particle in this creation. When the devotees asked, “Why do You speak low of Yourself?”, Swami replied like this. "The nature of Datta is always humility. The fruit of knowledge is humility, not ego. Anyone of any level will get destroyed if one becomes arrogant."
Aha! Such a human incarnation, just as Lord Krishna was among the Pandavas, protecting us in human form, preaching again and again. He preaches us repeatedly – "Knowledge is the lamp, devotion is the path," and singing many devotional songs spontaneously. We are like big inert boulders. Like a master sculptor, He has been shaping us into fine idols with His unimaginable skill and walks among us as a lay person! May we identify Swami as the ultimate Lord Datta and be liberated by serving Him.
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