Vasudevanand Saraswati

In 1905, during his sojourn through Vidarbha, Swami Maharaj visited Shegaon. On the previous day, Shri. Gajanan Maharaj instructed his devotees: "My learned brother, a Karhada Brahmin is coming to visit. He is a strict puritan. Don’t let any bits of cloth strew his path!". When Swami Maharaj arrived, Gajanan Maharaj was snapping his fingers absent mindedly. On seeing Swami Maharaj, the snapping suddenly stopped and the two saints started staring at each other with joyous faces. There was hardly any verbal communication. They just seemed to enjoy each other's company. After some time, Swami Maharaj left the place. Gajanan Maharaj just said: "Very nice!".

After Maharaj left, the devotee and host of Gajanan Maharaj, Bala Bhau wondered how a strict Brahmin Sanyasi could be a brother to a personage with no restrictions like Gajanan Maharaj. Gajanan Maharaj told him that the differences are only apparent and in essence, they were one, having merged with the universal being beyond all names and forms.

Swami Samarth, who is also regarded as an incarnation of Dattatreya, also interacted with Maharaj. In 1905, once on his way to Pandharpur from Narsobawadi, at a place called Kamalapur, a tall man with hands extending to the knees appeared to Swami Maharaj in his dream and asked him, "You travel all over and also compose poetry. How come you pay no attention to me?". On waking up, Swami Maharaj enquired with the Lord about the personage. The Lord answered, "He is the Swami of Akkalkot and he wants you to visit Akkalkot and write his life in verse." Swami Maharaj said, "This tongue is dedicated to the feet of Dattatreya. If you command and the (relevant) information is made available, it can be composed". The Lord instructed Maharaj to visit Akkalkot on the way to Pandharpur.

Sai Baba of Shirdi was a contemporary saint, also considered an incarnation of Dattatreya by his devotees. A major disciple of Sai Baba, Pundalika Rao met Swami Maharaj during his stay at Rajamahendri in Andhra Pradesh. After offering a keertan (devotional song singing) service in the presence of Swami Maharaj, the Swami Maharaj asked Pundalika Rao about his plans. Pundalika Rao told Maharaj that he was on his way to Shirdi to see his guru Sai Baba. Swami Maharaj gave a coconut to Pundalika Rao saying, "Please give this to my brother". Pundalika Rao accepted the coconut and left for Shirdi, with his group of people.

On the way, one morning, the group halted at Kopargaon station, where Pundalika Rao went away to perform the daily religious services. His companions, feeling hungry, proceeded to eat some snacks they had packed. It turned out the snacks were rather too spicy and hot. Everyone was thirsting for water, which, on that hot summer day was not readily available. Some resourceful members decided to break the coconuts in the baggage to satiate their thirst. Among these coconuts, the one from Swami Maharaj was also broken and consumed. The snacks and the coconut were offered to Pundalika Rao too on his return. When they reached Shirdi, Pundalika Rao was dismayed by the cold reception he got from Sai Baba, who turned his back on the group and shouted abuses "thieves and scoundrels!" at them. This was markedly in contrast to the loving reception Pundalika Rao almost always got from Baba. He was stricken with remorse and threw himself at the feet of Baba begging forgiveness. Baba shouted at him, "Where is the coconut my brother gave me? Get me my coconut first!" Pundalika Rao, unaware of its disposal, asked his companions for it. It was only when they confessed to having eaten it that he realised the sacrilege. Having impressed upon Pundalika Rao and others of the esteem he had for his "brother's" coconut, Sai Baba gave up his feigned anger and rebuked them for the sacrilege.

Thus, though the two saints never met each other in person, they have, through this episode, made evident, their innate spiritual unity. Outwardly Swami Maharaj was a highly orthodox Brahmanical monk and Sai Baba was a most unorthodox mendicant refusing to conform to any religious tradition. But for this incident, most observers would feel that they represented two opposing doctrines. However a close examination of their life and teachings would reveal that their differences were more in form than in essence. Both these saints were motivated by an intense desire to mitigate the sufferings of all persons coming into their contact, irrespective of his caste, creed or persuasion.

Along with these widely popular figures, divine beings like the goddesses of River Narmada, River Nirmala(Mangaon), River Krishna, Nar and Narayan Muni (Badri Narayan), Ashvatthama (one of the seven immortals) have interacted with Maharaj. Other saints like Rajarajeshvar Swami (Shankaracharya from Shringeri), Gulabrao Maharaj(Vidarbha), Shantashram Swami(Varanasi), Deo Mamledar (Nasik) also held Maharaj in high regard. Tembe swami had a high regard for Sadasiva Brahmendra and visited his Samadhi in 1907 at Nerur. He kept a copy of Brahmendra's books - Brahma Sutra Vritti and Yoga Sutra Vritti with him always.

This is the birthplace of Maharaj. After his stay at Narsobawadi, Maharaj returned to Mangaon, on the instruction of the Lord, and stayed here for 7 years. He also built a Datta temple, laying the bricks with his own hands. The idol for the temple was given to him by a sculptor at Kagal, who said that he was instructed by Dattatreya in a dream to make an idol on the specifications that will be given by Maharaj. The idol was taken away by Maharaj when he left Mangaon. However, the Datta temple still exists, and is well maintained by Datta Mandir Mangaon Trust. In 1961, preserving the original elements, the temple was rebuilt (underwent a Jirnoddhar) by the Queen of Indore Indira Holkar, who was also a devotee of Maharaj. It has a 'Bhakta Nivas' (residence for devotees) where devotees can stay for a short period of time. Afternoon and night Mahaprasad meals are provided to all at a nominal cost. The house in which Maharaj was born has now been made into a Janmasthan (place of birth) where an idol of Maharaj in standing position has been placed. The village goddess Yakshini's temple is situated just besides the Janmasthan.

Maharaj stayed here for 12 years. It gets its name due to the presence of the second Purna (complete) avatar of Dattatreya, Narasimha Saraswati. The room where Maharaj stayed is situated close to the famous Datta temple which has the padukas of Dattatreya.