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Chapter 13 : Generosity in Times of Famine
- Jul 24
- 2 min read
From Ladoba Prakashan's book 'Sant Mahipati by Dattatrey Naikwade
Nature can, at times, turn profoundly harsh. Once, a terrible, unforgiving famine gripped the earth. Not a drop of rain fell; rivers withered into dust, and wells ran dry. Cattle weakened for lack of fodder, and men stood utterly helpless without bread. A cry of trahimam—of desperate rescue—echoed everywhere.
The gravity of this calamity did not escape Mahipati Maharaj. One morning, as he sat upon his porch immersed in the quiet remembrance of the divine, a vast crowd of villagers gathered at his doorstep, their eyes heavy with the hope of rescue. Pouring out their grief, they cried:
"Maharaj, we have not tasted a single grain of food for two or three days. Have mercy upon us!"
Hearing this heart-rending tale of suffering, the Maharaj's heart dissolved in compassion. The true joy of a saint lies solely in the happiness of the people. Maharaj turned to Saraswatibai, and together they gathered whatever little grain remained in the house, prepared a sacred meal, and fed every starving soul until they were fully satiated.
Watching the people depart with contented hearts, a profound thought stirred within the Maharaj: "Their hunger is quenched for today, but what of the morrow?" We are all children of the same Supreme Lord; whatever befalls them shall be our fate as well, for it is that very Almighty who sustains the breath of all creation.
Gathering his wife and children close, Mahipati spoke with quiet resolve:
"I can no longer bear to witness the agony of this famine. Whatever the Divine has bestowed upon us is not ours alone. I have resolved to open our home completely to the service of humanity."
Saraswatibai and their children offered their immediate, joyful assent to this noble sacrifice.
Laying a tulsipatra upon their home—an absolute surrender signifying that “whatever is mine belongs wholly to Pandurang”—Mahipati threw open the doors of his ancestral residence to the afflicted. He sent word through the village:
"Let whoever has need of anything come and take it without hesitation."
And so it was. Men, desperate for sustenance, came and carried away whatever they required. Within a brief span, the house stood completely empty. Yet, upon Mahipati Maharaj’s face rested a sublime radiance—the peerless joy and profound inner peace of offering everything back to its true Master.
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