संत साहित्य · Guru Charitra · Chapters
Chapter 38 — Four Thousand Fed with Food of 3 Seers Only
Literal. A poor Brahmin named Bhaskar at Ganagapur wishes to do Samaradhna (feeding of Brahmins) for Shri Guru, but has only flour and rice for three (a seer is a unit of weight). Other Brahmins ridicule him. Shri Guru asks Bhaskar to prepare what he has; covers the food with his cloth; says: without removing the cloth, take out the articles in pots, and serve them. The food is served to thousands. The Brahmins eat. After them, wives and children are invited. Then all others in Ganagapur. Then the disciples. Finally the food is thrown into the river so the river creatures are satisfied. The chapter notes: the food was originally for three persons; it served over 4000.
Symbolic. Multiplication of resources by authorized invocation — the cleanest single example of multiplication-of-loaves-and-fishes style miracle in the book.
Structural. 3 seers of food → 4000+ fed.
Verse by verse
श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥ श्रीसरस्वत्यै नमः ॥ श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः ॥
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ || śrīsarasvatyai namaḥ || śrīgurubhyo namaḥ ||
Salutations to Sri Ganesha; salutations to Sri Sarasvati; salutations to the Sri Gurus.
The chapter opens with the traditional triple invocation — to Ganesha (remover of obstacles), Sarasvati (goddess of speech and learning), and the lineage of Gurus — before the story of feeding the four thousand begins.
Begin any important undertaking by first acknowledging what you owe to those who came before you.
नामधारक विनवी सिद्धासी । पुढें चरित्र जाहलें कैसी । विस्तारावें कृपेंसीं । म्हणोनि चरणीं लागला ॥१॥
nāmadhāraka vinavī siddhāsī | puḍhem caritra jāhalem kaisī | vistārāvem kṛpemsīm | mhaṇoni caraṇīm lāgalā ||1||
Namdharak entreats Siddha: 'What happened next in the story? Please expand on it with kindness.' So saying, he clasped his feet.
The disciple again takes the posture of listening — bowing at the teacher's feet — showing that eagerness for the next teaching must be matched by humility.
Approach a teacher's next lesson with the same humility you brought to the first.
आर्त झालों मी तृषेचा । घोट भरवीं गा अमृताचा । चरित्र सांगें श्रीगुरुचें । माझें मन निववीं वेगीं ॥२॥
ārta jhālom mī tṛṣecā | ghoṭa bharavīm gā amṛtācā | caritra sāmgem śrīgurucem | mājhem mana nivavīm vegīm ||2||
'I have become thirsty; give me a draught of nectar. Tell me the story of Sri Guru, quickly cool my mind.'
Namdharak names his hunger for the story as tṛṣā (thirst) — the teaching is nectar (amṛta) that soothes a restless mind, not mere information.
When you feel unsettled, seek out words that nourish rather than merely distract.
सिद्ध म्हणे नामधारकासी । तूं जें जें मज पुससी । संतोष होतो आम्हांसी । गुरुचरित्र आठवितां ॥३॥
siddha mhaṇe nāmadhārakāsī | tūm jem jem maja pusasī | samtoṣa hoto āmhāmsī | gurucaritra āṭhavitām ||3||
Siddha says to Namdharak: 'Whatever you ask me, it brings us joy too, in recalling the Guru's story.'
Teaching is mutual: the telling refreshes the teller as much as the listener — remembering the Guru's deeds is itself a devotional act.
Share what you know freely; recounting good things renews your own joy in them.
तुजकरितां आम्हांसी । लाभ जोडे परियेसीं । आठवली कथा सुरसी । विचित्र एक झालें असे ॥४॥
tujakaritām āmhāmsī | lābha joḍe pariyesīm | āṭhavalī kathā surasī | vicitra eka jhālem ase ||4||
'Because of you we too gain, listen well; a delightful story has been recalled, a wondrous one has occurred.'
Siddha signals that what follows is no ordinary episode but a vicitra (wondrous) one — preparing the listener's attention for a miracle story.
Give your full attention when someone signals that what they are about to share truly matters to them.
मागें कथन सांगितलें । जें भक्तीं द्रव्य आणिलें । स्वामीं अंगीकार नाहीं केलें । समाराधना करावी म्हणोनि ॥५॥
māgem kathana sāmgitalem | jem bhaktīm dravya āṇilem | svāmīm amgīkāra nāhīm kelem | samārādhanā karāvī mhaṇoni ||5||
'Earlier I told the story of how devotees brought wealth [for a feast], but the Master did not accept it directly, saying instead that a communal feast (samārādhana) should be held.'
Sri Guru redirects an offering of money into an offering of food shared with others — devotion is turned outward into sevā (service) rather than kept as a private gift.
When you want to give something to a teacher or cause, ask how it can become service to others instead.
नित्य समाराधना देख । करीत होते भक्त अनेक । कधीं नाहीं आराणूक । नाहीं ऐसा दिवस नाहीं ॥६॥
nitya samārādhanā dekha | karīta hote bhakta aneka | kadhīm nāhīm ārāṇūka | nāhīm aisā divasa nāhīm ||6||
Daily, indeed, many devotees held the communal feast; there was never a pause — not a single day without one.
The Guru's household becomes a place of unbroken hospitality (samārādhana), a physical sign of unceasing grace matching unceasing devotion.
Make generosity a daily habit rather than an occasional gesture.
ऐसें होतां एके दिवशीं । दुर्बळ द्विज आला परियेसीं । असे काश्यप-गोत्रेंसीं । नाम तया 'भास्कर ' ॥७॥
aisem hotām eke divaśīm | durbaḷa dvija ālā pariyesīm | ase kāśyapa-gotremsīm | nāma tayā 'bhāskara ' ||7||
One day it so happened, listen: a poor brahmin came, of the Kashyapa lineage (gotra), named Bhaskara.
The story's central figure enters: not a wealthy patron but a destitute brahmin — the coming miracle will be built from poverty, not abundance.
Do not judge what someone can offer by how little they seem to have.
अति सुक्षीण ब्राह्मण । आला आपण दर्शना म्हणोन । साष्टांगीं नमस्कारुन । भक्तिपूर्वक विनविलें ॥८॥
ati sukṣīṇa brāhmaṇa | ālā āpaṇa darśanā mhaṇona | sāṣṭāmgīm namaskāruna | bhaktipūrvaka vinavilem ||8||
A very frail brahmin, he came for darśana (audience with the Guru) itself; prostrating fully on the ground, he entreated devotedly.
Bhaskara's physical weakness is paired with wholehearted devotion — the full prostration (sāṣṭāṅga) shows that poverty of body need not mean poverty of faith.
Offer whatever reverence you can with your whole body and heart, regardless of your outward circumstances.
ते दिवसीं भक्तजन । करीत होते आराधन । उठवितात तया ब्राह्मणा । भोजन करीं म्हणोनियां ॥९॥
te divasīm bhaktajana | karīta hote ārādhana | uṭhavitāta tayā brāhmaṇā | bhojana karīm mhaṇoniyām ||9||
That day the devotees were performing worship [a feast]; they urged the brahmin, saying, 'Come, eat.'
The community's hospitality reaches even the newest, poorest arrival without question — an unspoken lesson in welcome.
Include newcomers in whatever meal or gathering is already underway.
संकल्प करोनि तो ब्राह्मण । श्रीगुरुसी भिक्षा करवीन आपण । सवें सोपस्कार घेऊन । आला होता परियेसा ॥१०॥
samkalpa karoni to brāhmaṇa | śrīgurusī bhikṣā karavīna āpaṇa | savem sopaskāra gheūna | ālā hotā pariyesā ||10||
That brahmin made a vow (saṅkalpa): 'I myself will offer alms (bhikṣā) to Sri Guru.' He had come bringing provisions and utensils with him, listen.
Despite his poverty, Bhaskara resolves on his own initiative to feed the Guru — a saṅkalpa (vow) that turns a wish into a binding intention.
Turn a good intention into a definite vow rather than leaving it as a vague wish.
त्रिवर्गाच्या पुरते देखा । सवें असे तंडुल-कणिक । वरकड पदार्थ त्या पूर्तिका । सोपस्कार असे त्यापाशीं ॥११॥
trivargācyā purate dekhā | savem ase tamḍula-kaṇika | varakaḍa padārtha tyā pūrtikā | sopaskāra ase tyāpāśīm ||11||
He had, see, only enough rice and flour for three people; the rest of the ingredients were sufficient for just that much, provisions he carried with him.
His offering is modest almost to the point of futility — barely enough for three — which sets up the scale of the miracle still to come.
Offer what little you actually have rather than waiting until you have 'enough.'
सर्व असे वस्त्रीं बांधिलें । नेऊनि मठांत ठेविलें । भक्तें आणिक त्यासी बोलाविलें । गेला तो ब्राह्मण भोजनासी ॥१२॥
sarva ase vastrīm bāmdhilem | neūni maṭhāmta ṭhevilem | bhaktem āṇika tyāsī bolāvilem | gelā to brāhmaṇa bhojanāsī ||12||
Everything was tied up in a cloth; he brought it and kept it in the monastery. Devotees also called him, and he went to eat.
He entrusts his small gift to the Guru's keeping and then, in ordinary hospitality, goes to eat at the community feast himself.
Give your offering and then let go of controlling what happens to it next.
भोजन करितां झाली निशी । आपण आला मठासी । गांठोडी ठेवी आपुले उशीं । मग निद्रा करी देखा ॥१३॥
bhojana karitām jhālī niśī | āpaṇa ālā maṭhāsī | gāmṭhoḍī ṭhevī āpule uśīm | maga nidrā karī dekhā ||13||
Having eaten, night fell; he came to the monastery. He kept his bundle under his own pillow, then slept, see.
The bundle stays close to him even in sleep — small as it is, it is precious to him, foreshadowing how it will later be handled with reverence by the Guru.
Keep what little you can offer safe and ready, even before the moment calls for it.
नित्य घडे ऐसेंचि त्यासी । भक्त लोक येती आराधनेसी । आराणूक नव्हे त्यासी । नित्य जेवी समाराधनीं ॥१४॥
nitya ghaḍe aisemci tyāsī | bhakta loka yetī ārādhanesī | ārāṇūka navhe tyāsī | nitya jevī samārādhanīm ||14||
This happened to him daily just the same: devotees would come for worship; there was no pause for him — he ate daily at the communal feast.
Bhaskara's daily rhythm of eating at others' feasts, while his own small vow waits unfulfilled, sets the stage for the mockery that follows.
Let an unfulfilled intention wait patiently rather than abandoning it out of embarrassment.
समस्त त्यास हांसती । पहा हो समाराधनेची आयती । घेऊनि आला असे भक्तीं । आपण जेवी नित्य समाराधनीं ॥१५॥
samasta tyāsa hāmsatī | pahā ho samārādhanecī āyatī | gheūni ālā ase bhaktīm | āpaṇa jevī nitya samārādhanīm ||15||
Everyone laughed at him: 'Look, see the grand preparation for a feast he has brought! And he himself eats daily at the [others'] communal feast.'
The other brahmins mock the mismatch between his stated vow and his visible poverty, not yet seeing that outward smallness will not limit what grace can do.
Resist the urge to mock someone's modest offering before you have seen what becomes of it.
एकासी नव्हे पुरें अन्न । श्रीगुरुशिष्य बहु जन । केवीं करील हा ब्राह्मण । समाराधना करीन म्हणतो ॥१६॥
ekāsī navhe purem anna | śrīguruśiṣya bahu jana | kevīm karīla hā brāhmaṇa | samārādhanā karīna mhaṇato ||16||
'Not even enough food for one person — Sri Guru has so many disciples. How will this brahmin manage to hold a communal feast?' they say.
Their arithmetic is sound by ordinary reckoning; the story will show that grace is not bound by ordinary reckoning.
Do not let your own calculations of scarcity be the final word on what is possible.
लाज नये त्यासी कैसी । समाराधना म्हणायासी । दे कां स्वयंपाक आम्हांसी । तूं करीं आजि माधुकरी ॥१७॥
lāja naye tyāsī kaisī | samārādhanā mhaṇāyāsī | de kām svayampāka āmhāmsī | tūm karīm āji mādhukarī ||17||
'Have you no shame, calling this a communal feast? Give the cooking over to us — go and beg for alms today instead.'
Their taunt turns cruel, urging him to abandon his vow and revert to begging — a test of whether ridicule can shake his resolve.
Hold to a sincere commitment even when others mock it as unrealistic.
ऐसें नाना प्रकारें त्यासी । विनोद करिती ब्राह्मण परियेसीं । ऐशा प्रकारें तीन मासी । क्रमिले त्या ब्राह्मणें तेथेंचि ॥१८॥
aisem nānā prakārem tyāsī | vinoda karitī brāhmaṇa pariyesīm | aiśā prakārem tīna māsī | kramile tyā brāhmaṇem tethemci ||18||
In this way, teasing him in various ways, the brahmins passed three months there, listen.
Three months of ridicule mark the length of Bhaskara's patient waiting — devotion tested by time, not just by a single moment of doubt.
Let patience, not just enthusiasm, carry a commitment through months of delay.
नित्य होतसे आराधन । त्यांचे घरीं जेवी आपण । गांठोडी उशाखालीं ठेवून । निद्रा करी प्रतिदिवसीं ॥१९॥
nitya hotase ārādhana | tyāmce gharīm jevī āpaṇa | gāmṭhoḍī uśākhālīm ṭhevūna | nidrā karī pratidivasīm ||19||
Daily the worship continued; he would eat at their houses. Keeping his bundle beneath his pillow, he slept every day.
The routine repeats unchanged — his small offering waits untouched, a quiet constancy beneath the daily noise of mockery.
Keep showing up faithfully even when nothing seems to be changing.
मास तीन क्रमिल्यावरी । समस्त मिळोनि द्विजवरीं । परिहास करिती अपारी । श्रीगुरुमूर्तिं ऐकिलें ॥२०॥
māsa tīna kramilyāvarī | samasta miḷoni dvijavarīm | parihāsa karitī apārī | śrīgurumūrtim aikilem ||20||
After three months had passed, all the brahmins gathered together and mocked him excessively; Sri Guru [the very embodiment of the Guru] heard of it.
The Guru, all-perceiving, is aware of the community's unkindness — the moment is ripe for him to act and turn ridicule into revelation.
Trust that unseen witnesses are aware of unkindness, even when it seems to go unanswered.
बोलाविती त्या ब्राह्मणासी । आजि भिक्षा करावी आम्हांसी । स्वयंपाक करीं वेगेंसी । म्हणती श्रीगुरु कृपासिंधु ॥२१॥
bolāvitī tyā brāhmaṇāsī | āji bhikṣā karāvī āmhāmsī | svayampāka karīm vegemsī | mhaṇatī śrīguru kṛpāsimdhu ||21||
They call that brahmin: 'Today you should offer alms to us. Cook quickly,' says Sri Guru, the ocean of compassion.
The Guru himself now calls for the very feast that was mocked — kṛpāsindhu (ocean of compassion) turns the poor man's vow into reality by simply asking for it.
Say yes decisively when someone finally offers what they have long wanted to give.
ऐकोनि श्रीगुरुच्या बोला । संतोष अपार द्विजा झाला । चरणावरी माथा ठेविला । हर्षे गेला आइतीसी ॥२२॥
aikoni śrīgurucyā bolā | samtoṣa apāra dvijā jhālā | caraṇāvarī māthā ṭhevilā | harṣe gelā āitīsī ||22||
Hearing Sri Guru's words, immense joy arose in the brahmin. He placed his head at the Guru's feet and went off joyfully to prepare.
Long-deferred hope becomes sudden, overflowing joy — his prostration before rushing off shows gratitude preceding even the act of service.
Thank the source of an opportunity before you rush to seize it.
आणिलें द्वय शेर घृत । शाका दोनी त्यापुरत । स्नान करुनि शुचिर्भूत । स्वयंपाक केला तये वेळीं ॥२३॥
āṇilem dvaya śera ghṛta | śākā donī tyāpurata | snāna karuni śucirbhūta | svayampāka kelā taye veḷīm ||23||
He brought two seers of ghee and two vegetables, sufficient for that much; having bathed and purified himself, he cooked at that time.
He prepares with ritual purity (śucirbhūta) as much as with material means — the cooking is treated as worship, not mere chore.
Bring the same care and cleanliness to humble service that you would to a sacred rite.
समस्त ब्राह्मण तये वेळीं । मिळोन आले श्रीगुरुजवळी । म्हणती आजि आमुची पाळी । यावनाळ-अन्न घरीं ॥२४॥
samasta brāhmaṇa taye veḷīm | miḷona āle śrīgurujavaḷī | mhaṇatī āji āmucī pāḷī | yāvanāḷa-anna gharīm ||24||
At that time all the brahmins gathered near Sri Guru, saying: 'Today is our turn — there'll be [only] poor grain at his house.'
The community's scorn continues even as the meal is being prepared, calling his food yavanāḷa-anna (coarse, low-grade grain) — the miracle will overturn their contempt as much as their hunger.
Do not let anticipated disappointment stop you from showing up to what someone else has prepared for you.
नित्य होतें समाराधन । आम्ही जेवितों मिष्टान्न । कैंचा हा आला ब्राह्मण । आजि राहिली समाराधना ॥२५॥
nitya hotem samārādhana | āmhī jevitom miṣṭānna | kaimcā hā ālā brāhmaṇa | āji rāhilī samārādhanā ||25||
'Daily there was a fine feast, we used to eat delicacies. Where has this brahmin come from? Today the feast is ruined.'
Their complaint reveals attachment to comfort over gratitude — a foil against which the coming abundance will be all the more striking.
Notice when complaint about small inconveniences is really ingratitude for daily blessings.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती द्विजांसी । नका जाऊं घरांसी । शीघ्र जावें आंघोळीसी । येथेंचि जेवा तुम्ही आजि ॥२६॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī dvijāmsī | nakā jāūm gharāmsī | śīghra jāvem āmghoḷīsī | yethemci jevā tumhī āji ||26||
Sri Guru tells the brahmins: 'Do not go home. Go quickly and bathe; eat here today, all of you.'
The Guru overrides their grumbling with a simple command, folding their reluctant presence into the feast he intends to bless.
Extend an invitation to those who resist it rather than letting their reluctance decide for you.
ब्राह्मण मनीं विचारिती । मठीं असे सामग्री आयती । स्वयंपाक आतां करविती । आम्हांसी निरोपिती याचिगुणें ॥२७॥
brāhmaṇa manīm vicāritī | maṭhīm ase sāmagrī āyatī | svayampāka ātām karavitī | āmhāmsī niropitī yāciguṇem ||27||
The brahmins think to themselves: 'There are ready provisions in the monastery; now they'll have the cooking done and feed us out of that, out of this same generosity.'
They assume the Guru's own stores will feed them, still unaware it is the poor man's meager offering that will be multiplied.
Be willing to be surprised about the true source of the blessing you are about to receive.
समस्त गेले स्नानासी । श्रीगुरु बोलाविती त्या ब्राह्मणासी । शीघ्र करीं गा होईल निशी । ब्राह्मण अपार सांगितले ॥२८॥
samasta gele snānāsī | śrīguru bolāvitī tyā brāhmaṇāsī | śīghra karīm gā hoīla niśī | brāhmaṇa apāra sāmgitale ||28||
All went to bathe. Sri Guru calls that brahmin: 'Do it quickly, night will come.' He told the many brahmins [to hurry].
Time presses; the Guru's urgency signals that the miracle is imminent and preparation must keep pace with grace.
Move promptly when the moment for service arrives, without unnecessary delay.
स्वयंपाक झाला तत्क्षण । सांगतसे श्रीगुरुसी ब्राह्मण । निरोप देती जा धांवोन । ब्राह्मण समस्त पाचारीं ॥२९॥
svayampāka jhālā tatkṣaṇa | sāmgatase śrīgurusī brāhmaṇa | niropa detī jā dhāmvona | brāhmaṇa samasta pācārīm ||29||
The cooking was done at once. The brahmin tells Sri Guru; he gives the order: 'Go, run, call all the brahmins.'
Instant completion of the cooking is the first small sign that something beyond ordinary means is already at work.
Move quickly to share good news the moment it is ready.
ब्राह्मण गेला गंगेसी । बोलावीतसे ब्राह्मणांसी । स्वामीनें बोलाविलें तुम्हांसी । शीघ्र यावें म्हणोनियां ॥३०॥
brāhmaṇa gelā gamgesī | bolāvītase brāhmaṇāmsī | svāmīnem bolāvilem tumhāmsī | śīghra yāvem mhaṇoniyām ||30||
The brahmin went to the Ganga; he calls to the brahmins: 'The Master has called you. Come quickly,' [he says].
He carries out the summons himself, going in person to the river where the brahmins bathe, rather than sending word.
Deliver an important invitation in person rather than leaving it to chance.
ब्राह्मण म्हणती तयासी । स्वयंपाक व्हावया होईल निशी । तुवां शीघ्र श्रीगुरुसी । भिक्षा करावी जाय वेगीं ॥३१॥
brāhmaṇa mhaṇatī tayāsī | svayampāka vhāvayā hoīla niśī | tuvām śīghra śrīgurusī | bhikṣā karāvī jāya vegīm ||31||
The brahmins say to him: 'Cooking [enough for us] will take until night. You go quickly yourself and offer alms to Sri Guru.'
They still refuse, doubting there can be enough food, and try to send him back alone — their disbelief persists even at the threshold of the miracle.
Do not let others' persistent doubt talk you out of an invitation you were asked to deliver.
ऐसें ऐकोनि तो ब्राह्मण । गेला श्रीगुरुजवळी आपण । ब्राह्मण न येती ऐसें म्हणे । आपण जेवूं अपरात्रीं ॥३२॥
aisem aikoni to brāhmaṇa | gelā śrīgurujavaḷī āpaṇa | brāhmaṇa na yetī aisem mhaṇe | āpaṇa jevūm aparātrīm ||32||
Hearing this, the brahmin went to Sri Guru himself. He says the brahmins are not coming: 'We shall eat late at night.'
He reports the refusal honestly rather than pretending success, trusting the Guru to resolve what he cannot.
Report difficulties honestly to those who can actually help, rather than covering them up.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तयासी । नेम असे आजि आम्हांसी । सहपंक्तीनें ब्राह्मणांसी । जेवूं आम्ही निर्धारीं ॥३३॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tayāsī | nema ase āji āmhāmsī | sahapamktīnem brāhmaṇāmsī | jevūm āmhī nirdhārīm ||33||
Sri Guru tells him: 'We have a vow today: we shall eat together with the brahmins, in one row — this is certain.'
The Guru insists on eating sahapaṅkti (in a shared row) with everyone — his own hunger is bound up with communal inclusion, not private privilege.
Insist on eating and celebrating together rather than accepting separation.
ब्राह्मणांसहित आम्हांसी । जेवूं वाढीं गा तूं परियेसीं । जरी अंगीकार न करिसी । न जेवूं तुझे घरीं आम्ही ॥३४॥
brāhmaṇāmsahita āmhāmsī | jevūm vāḍhīm gā tūm pariyesīm | jarī amgīkāra na karisī | na jevūm tujhe gharīm āmhī ||34||
'Serve food to us along with the brahmins, you understand. If you do not accept this, we will not eat at your house.'
The Guru makes his own eating conditional on everyone being fed — refusing special treatment ties his grace directly to the whole community's welfare.
Make your own enjoyment of a gift conditional on it being shared with everyone present.
ब्राह्मण म्हणे श्रीगुरुसी । जो निरोप द्याल आपणासी । तोचि निरोप माझे शिरसीं । ब्राह्मणांसहित जेवूं वाढीन ॥३५॥
brāhmaṇa mhaṇe śrīgurusī | jo niropa dyāla āpaṇāsī | toci niropa mājhe śirasīm | brāhmaṇāmsahita jevūm vāḍhīna ||35||
The brahmin says to Sri Guru: 'Whatever order you give, that order is upon my head; I will serve food together with the brahmins.'
His total surrender of the outcome to the Guru's word — 'upon my head' — is the posture of faith that will make the impossible provision possible.
Say yes to a difficult instruction fully, before you can see how it will work out.
ब्राह्मण मनीं विचारी । श्रीगुरु असती पुरुषावतारी । न कळे बोले कवणेंपरी । आपुलें वाक्य सत्य करील ॥३६॥
brāhmaṇa manīm vicārī | śrīguru asatī puruṣāvatārī | na kaḷe bole kavaṇemparī | āpulem vākya satya karīla ||36||
The brahmin thinks in his mind: 'Sri Guru is an incarnation of the Supreme Being (puruṣāvatāra); I do not know how he speaks, in what way he will make his word come true.'
Doubt and faith coexist in him — he does not understand the mechanism, but trusts the person, which is the essence of śraddhā (faith).
You do not need to understand how something will work in order to trust the one who promises it.
मग काय करी तो ब्राह्मण । विनवीतसे कर जोडून । मज न येती ब्राह्मण । विनोद करिती माझ्या बोला ॥३७॥
maga kāya karī to brāhmaṇa | vinavītase kara joḍūna | maja na yetī brāhmaṇa | vinoda karitī mājhyā bolā ||37||
Then what does the brahmin do? He entreats with folded hands: 'The brahmins will not come to me; they mock my words.'
He voices his helplessness plainly rather than pretending confidence he does not feel — an honest admission that opens the way for the Guru to intervene directly.
Admit your limits honestly instead of pretending you can solve everything alone.
श्रीगुरु आणिक शिष्यासी । निरोपिती जा वेगेंसीं । बोलावूनि आणीं ब्राह्मणांसी । भोजन करा म्हणोनि ॥३८॥
śrīguru āṇika śiṣyāsī | niropitī jā vegemsīm | bolāvūni āṇīm brāhmaṇāmsī | bhojana karā mhaṇoni ||38||
Sri Guru orders another disciple: 'Go quickly, call and bring the brahmins to eat.'
The Guru now sends his own disciple, adding his authority to the invitation the mocked brahmin could not deliver alone.
Lend your own standing to help someone whose invitation is being dismissed.
शिष्य गेला धांवत । समस्त ब्राह्मणांतें बोलावीत । स्नानें करोनि आले त्वरित । श्रीगुरु-मठाजवळिक ॥३९॥
śiṣya gelā dhāmvata | samasta brāhmaṇāmtem bolāvīta | snānem karoni āle tvarita | śrīguru-maṭhājavaḷika ||39||
The disciple went running, calling all the brahmins. Having bathed, they came quickly near Sri Guru's monastery.
The Guru's summons succeeds where the poor brahmin's could not — obedience follows readily once the request carries the teacher's authority.
Respond promptly when a respected teacher or elder calls, even if you were reluctant before.
श्रीगुरु निरोपिती तयांसी । पत्रावळी करा वेगेंसीं । जेवा आजि सहकुटुंबेसीं । ब्राह्मण करितो आराधना ॥४०॥
śrīguru niropitī tayāmsī | patrāvaḷī karā vegemsīm | jevā āji sahakuṭumbesīm | brāhmaṇa karito ārādhanā ||40||
Sri Guru orders them: 'Make leaf-plates quickly; eat today together with your families. The brahmin is performing a communal feast.'
The Guru publicly names the poor brahmin's meal a true samārādhana, restoring the dignity that mockery had stripped from it.
Publicly honor the modest offering someone has made, in front of those who dismissed it.
चारी सहस्त्र पत्रावळी । कराव्या तुम्हीं तात्काळीं । उभा होता ब्राह्मण जवळी । त्यासी स्वामी निरोपिती ॥४१॥
cārī sahastra patrāvaḷī | karāvyā tumhīm tātkāḷīm | ubhā hotā brāhmaṇa javaḷī | tyāsī svāmī niropitī ||41||
'Four thousand leaf-plates you must make at once.' The brahmin was standing nearby; the Master gives him this order.
The staggering number — four thousand plates for three seers of rice — is announced before the miracle occurs, forcing faith to act ahead of evidence.
Prepare fully for an outcome you cannot yet see, trusting the one who has promised it.
या समस्त ब्राह्मणांसी । विनंति करावी तुवां ऐसी । तुम्हीं यावें सहकुटुंबेसीं । आपण करितों आराधना ॥४२॥
yā samasta brāhmaṇāmsī | vinamti karāvī tuvām aisī | tumhīm yāvem sahakuṭumbesīm | āpaṇa karitom ārādhanā ||42||
'You should make this request to all these brahmins: that they come with their families, for we are performing a feast.'
The invitation is widened to entire households, making the coming provision a matter for the whole community, not just individuals.
When you can, extend hospitality to whole families, not only individuals.
श्रीगुरुचा निरोप घेऊन । विनवीतसे तो ब्राह्मण । द्विज म्हणती त्यासी हांसोन । काय जेवा म्हणतोस आम्हां ॥४३॥
śrīgurucā niropa gheūna | vinavītase to brāhmaṇa | dvija mhaṇatī tyāsī hāmsona | kāya jevā mhaṇatosa āmhām ||43||
Taking Sri Guru's order, the brahmin makes the request. The [other] brahmins say to him, laughing: 'What, are you telling us to eat?'
Their laughter continues even now, unaware that the very order they mock is about to be fulfilled beyond doubt.
Carry out an instruction faithfully even while others are still laughing at it.
आम्हां इतुके ब्राह्मणांसी । एकेक शित न ये वांटयासी । आमंत्रण सांगावया न लाजसी । नमस्कारितोसि घडीघडी ॥४४॥
āmhām ituke brāhmaṇāmsī | ekeka śita na ye vāmṭayāsī | āmamtraṇa sāmgāvayā na lājasī | namaskāritosi ghaḍīghaḍī ||44||
'For us, so many brahmins, not a single grain would come to each one's share. Are you not ashamed to invite us? You keep bowing again and again.'
Their scorn peaks even as he keeps bowing in earnest entreaty — his persistence in courtesy amid ridicule is itself a quiet discipline.
Keep your courtesy intact even when it is met with mockery.
वृद्ध ब्राह्मण ऐसें म्हणती । निंदा न करा श्रीगुरु ऐकती । जैसें श्रीगुरु निरोपिती । तैसें बोलतो ब्राह्मण ॥४५॥
vṛddha brāhmaṇa aisem mhaṇatī | nimdā na karā śrīguru aikatī | jaisem śrīguru niropitī | taisem bolato brāhmaṇa ||45||
The elder brahmins say: 'Do not mock him — Sri Guru is listening. As Sri Guru has ordered, so the brahmin speaks.'
A voice of restraint finally emerges from within the group, recognizing that the Guru's word stands behind the poor man's request.
Speak up to stop others from mocking someone who is only carrying out a rightful instruction.
हो कां बरवें बरवें म्हणती । सकळ पत्रावळी करिती । ब्राह्मण श्रीगुरुपूजा त्वरिती । करिता झाला उपचारें ॥४६॥
ho kām baravem baravem mhaṇatī | sakaḷa patrāvaḷī karitī | brāhmaṇa śrīgurupūjā tvaritī | karitā jhālā upacārem ||46||
'All right, fine, fine,' they say. All make the leaf-plates. The brahmin quickly worships Sri Guru with due rites.
Grudging agreement turns to action; meanwhile Bhaskara turns first to worship (pūjā) before the meal itself, keeping devotion prior to the deed.
Offer worship or gratitude first, before beginning the work you have been given to do.
त्रिकरणपूर्वक करी भक्ति । बरवी केली मंगळारती । तेणें श्रीगुरु संतोषती । ठाय घाला म्हणती वेगें ॥४७॥
trikaraṇapūrvaka karī bhakti | baravī kelī mamgaḷāratī | teṇem śrīguru samtoṣatī | ṭhāya ghālā mhaṇatī vegem ||47||
With devotion of mind, speech, and body (trikaraṇapūrvaka), he performs the rite; he performed a fine ārati of adoration. By that Sri Guru became pleased, and says: 'Set the seats quickly.'
Wholehearted devotion — trikaraṇa meaning thought, word, and deed together — pleases the Guru more than the meagerness of the food ever could.
Bring your whole self — thoughts, words, and actions in agreement — to any act of devotion, however small.
स्वयंपाक आणूनि आपणाजवळी । ठेवीं म्हणती तये वेळीं । आणोनियां तात्काळीं । श्रीगुरुजवळी ठेविला ॥४८॥
svayampāka āṇūni āpaṇājavaḷī | ṭhevīm mhaṇatī taye veḷīm | āṇoniyām tātkāḷīm | śrīgurujavaḷī ṭhevilā ||48||
'Bring the cooked food near me, keep it,' they say at that moment. It was brought at once and kept near Sri Guru.
The tiny quantity of food is brought directly before the Guru — proximity to him becomes the condition for what is about to happen to it.
Bring what little you have directly to the source of grace rather than trying to manage it yourself.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती ब्राह्मणासी । आमुचें वस्त्र घेऊनि अन्नासी । झांकोनी ठेवीं आम्हांपाशीं । म्हणोनि वस्त्र देती तये वेळीं ॥४९॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī brāhmaṇāsī | āmucem vastra gheūni annāsī | jhāmkonī ṭhevīm āmhāmpāśīm | mhaṇoni vastra detī taye veḷīm ||49||
Sri Guru tells the brahmin: 'Take our cloth and cover the food with it; keep it near us,' so saying he gives him the cloth at that time.
The Guru's own cloth becomes the covering — his personal involvement, not any technique, is what will transform the offering.
Let a trusted guide's personal involvement, not a formula, be what you rely on in a difficult moment.
झांकिलें वस्त्र अन्नावरी । कमंडलुउदक घेऊनि करीं । श्रीगुरु प्रोक्षिती अन्नावरी । अभिमंत्रोनि तये वेळीं ॥५०॥
jhāmkilem vastra annāvarī | kamamḍaluudaka gheūni karīm | śrīguru prokṣitī annāvarī | abhimamtroni taye veḷīm ||50||
The cloth was placed over the food; taking water from the water-pot (kamaṇḍalu) in his hand, Sri Guru sprinkled it over the food, consecrating it with mantra at that time.
The consecration (abhimantraṇa) — water and sacred formula together — is the ritual gesture through which ordinary food becomes vehicle for grace.
Bless what you are about to share, even with a simple word of gratitude, before giving it.
बोलावूनि म्हणती ब्राह्मणासी । उघडों नको अन्नासी । काढूनि नेऊनि समस्तांसी । वाढीं वेगीं म्हणोनियां ॥५१॥
bolāvūni mhaṇatī brāhmaṇāsī | ughaḍom nako annāsī | kāḍhūni neūni samastāmsī | vāḍhīm vegīm mhaṇoniyām ||51||
Calling him, he says to the brahmin: 'Do not uncover the food. Take it out and serve it to everyone, quickly.'
He is told not to look — the instruction to serve without checking demands faith that outruns visual confirmation.
Act on trust in a promise rather than needing to verify it before you move.
तूप घालूनि घटांत । ओतूनि घे आणिकांत । वाढीं वेगीं ऐसें म्हणत । निरोप देती श्रीगुरु ॥५२॥
tūpa ghālūni ghaṭāmta | otūni ghe āṇikāmta | vāḍhīm vegīm aisem mhaṇata | niropa detī śrīguru ||52||
'Pour the ghee into a pot, decant it into another; serve it quickly' — thus saying, Sri Guru gives the order.
The pouring-and-refilling instruction anticipates the coming abundance — the vessel will keep giving as long as it is used, not hoarded.
Keep circulating what you have rather than holding it back out of fear of running out.
ठाय घातले समस्तांसी । वाढीतसे ब्राह्मण परियेसीं । लोक पहाती तटस्थेसीं । महदाश्चर्य म्हणताति ॥५३॥
ṭhāya ghātale samastāmsī | vāḍhītase brāhmaṇa pariyesīm | loka pahātī taṭasthesīm | mahadāścarya mhaṇatāti ||53||
Seats were arranged for all. The brahmin begins serving, listen; the people watch, astonished, exclaiming 'a great wonder!'
The serving begins and the food does not run out — witnesses register the miracle in real time through their own astonishment.
Let your own wonder at an unfolding blessing be visible rather than suppressed.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती ब्राह्मणांसी । वाढों लागा या द्विजासी । आणिक उठिले बहुतेसी । वाढूं लागले तये वेळीं ॥५४॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī brāhmaṇāmsī | vāḍhom lāgā yā dvijāsī | āṇika uṭhile bahutesī | vāḍhūm lāgale taye veḷīm ||54||
Sri Guru tells the brahmins: 'Start serving this brahmin too.' Many others also rose and began serving at that time.
The Guru insists the poor host himself be served — the giver becomes a receiver too, dignity restored in both directions.
Make sure the person who serves others is also served and cared for in turn.
भरोनि नेती जितुकें अन्न । पुनः मागुती परिपूर्ण । घृत भरलें असे पूर्ण । घट ओतूनि नेताति ॥५५॥
bharoni netī jitukem anna | punaḥ māgutī paripūrṇa | ghṛta bharalem ase pūrṇa | ghaṭa otūni netāti ||55||
As much food as they carry away, again it is [found] full; the ghee remained completely full — they pour out the pot and carry it away, [and it refills].
The inexhaustible vessel — food and ghee replenishing as fast as they are taken — is the story's central miracle, echoing similar tales of divine abundance.
Give generously without fear of depletion; sincere giving often finds itself renewed.
वाढिलें समस्त पंक्तीसी । सहपंक्तीं श्रीगुरुसी । जेवताति अतिहर्षी । द्विजवर पुसतसे ॥५६॥
vāḍhilem samasta pamktīsī | sahapamktīm śrīgurusī | jevatāti atiharṣī | dvijavara pusatase ||56||
All were served throughout the row; together in the row with Sri Guru they eat with great joy; a leading brahmin then asks [something].
The Guru eats in the same row as everyone else, as he had insisted — communal joy, not hierarchy, marks the feast.
Sit and eat together with those you serve, not apart from them.
जो जो मागाल तो पदार्थ । वाढूं वेगें ऐसें म्हणत । भागलेति क्षुधाक्रांत । क्षमा करणें म्हणतसे ॥५७॥
jo jo māgāla to padārtha | vāḍhūm vegem aisem mhaṇata | bhāgaleti kṣudhākrāmta | kṣamā karaṇem mhaṇatase ||57||
'Whatever dish you wish, we will serve it quickly,' so they say; 'you must be weary from hunger — forgive us,' they say.
Those who mocked him now serve eagerly and even ask forgiveness — ridicule turned to humility once abundance made the truth plain.
Be ready to apologize quickly once you see you misjudged someone.
घृत असे आपुले करीं । वाढीतसे महापुरीं । विप्र म्हणती पुरे करीं । आकंठवरी जेविलों ॥५८॥
ghṛta ase āpule karīm | vāḍhītase mahāpurīm | vipra mhaṇatī pure karīm | ākamṭhavarī jevilom ||58||
Ghee in his own hand, he serves it abundantly; the brahmins say, 'Enough, stop — we have eaten up to our throats.'
Their earlier scorn about not getting 'a single grain' is answered by more food than they can even finish.
Let results answer doubters rather than arguing your case in words.
भक्ष्य परमान्न पत्रशाका । ब्राह्मण वाढिताति अनेका । शर्करा दधि लवणादिका । अनेक परी जेविले ॥५९॥
bhakṣya paramānna patraśākā | brāhmaṇa vāḍhitāti anekā | śarkarā dadhi lavaṇādikā | aneka parī jevile ||59||
Sweets, rich delicacies, and leafy vegetables — the brahmins serve them to the many; sugar, curd, salt, and other items — in many varieties they dined.
The feast's abundance is not just quantity but variety — a full, festive meal, not mere sustenance, born from three seers of grain.
When you can, offer more than the bare minimum — let generosity be full and varied.
तृप्त जाहले ब्राह्मण देखा । हस्तप्रक्षालन करिती मुखा । उच्छिष्टें काढिती तात्काळिका । आश्चर्य म्हणती तये वेळीं ॥६०॥
tṛpta jāhale brāhmaṇa dekhā | hastaprakṣālana karitī mukhā | ucchiṣṭem kāḍhitī tātkāḷikā | āścarya mhaṇatī taye veḷīm ||60||
The brahmins became satisfied, see; they wash their hands and mouths. They clear away the leftover scraps at once; 'wonder!' they exclaim at that time.
Even the ordinary aftermath of a meal — washing up, clearing plates — is marked by continued astonishment at what has just occurred.
Let gratitude linger even after a blessing has passed, not only during it.
तांबूलादि देती समस्तांसी । श्रीगुरु बोलावूनि तयांसी । बोलवा म्हणती आपुले कलत्रपुत्रांसी । समस्त येऊनि जेवितील ॥६१॥
tāmbūlādi detī samastāmsī | śrīguru bolāvūni tayāmsī | bolavā mhaṇatī āpule kalatraputrāmsī | samasta yeūni jevitīla ||61||
They give betel-leaf and such to everyone. Sri Guru, calling to them, says: 'Call your wives and children too; let all come and eat.'
The circle of provision keeps widening — from the reluctant brahmins to their entire families — showing that grace has no natural limit but the reach of the invitation.
Extend a blessing to your family, not just to yourself.
आलें विप्रकुळ समस्त । जेवून गेलें पंचामृत । श्रीगुरु मागुती निरापित । शूद्रादि ग्रामलोक बोलावा ॥६२॥
ālem viprakuḷa samasta | jevūna gelem pamcāmṛta | śrīguru māgutī nirāpita | śūdrādi grāmaloka bolāvā ||62||
The whole brahmin community came, ate, and departed as if having drunk nectar (pañcāmṛta). Sri Guru again orders: 'Call the shudras and other village folk.'
The invitation crosses caste lines to include shudras — the Guru's hospitality deliberately breaks social barriers that ordinary feasts respected.
Extend hospitality across social divides, not only within your own circle.
त्यांचे स्त्रियापुत्रांसहित । बोलावीं शीघ्र ऐसें म्हणत । पाचारितां आले समस्त । जेवूनि गेले तये वेळीं ॥६३॥
tyāmce striyāputrāmsahita | bolāvīm śīghra aisem mhaṇata | pācāritām āle samasta | jevūni gele taye veḷīm ||63||
'Call them quickly, together with their wives and children,' so he says. When summoned, all came; they ate and departed at that time.
Once again the call is extended to entire households, reinforcing that no one — regardless of standing — is turned away from this feast.
Make sure invitations you extend reach whole families, especially those usually left out.
श्रीगुरु पुसती ब्राह्मणांसी । आतां कोण राहिले ग्रामवासी । ते सांगती स्वामियासी । अत्यंज आहेति उरले ॥६४॥
śrīguru pusatī brāhmaṇāmsī | ātām koṇa rāhile grāmavāsī | te sāmgatī svāmiyāsī | atyamja āheti urale ||64||
Sri Guru asks the brahmins: 'Now who remains among the village folk?' They tell the Master: 'The outcastes (atyanja) remain.'
The Guru keeps asking who is left, refusing to let the feast be considered complete while anyone remains unfed — even those at the very margins of society.
Keep asking who has been left out before calling any effort finished.
बोलावा त्या समस्तांसी । अन्न द्यावें वाढून त्यांसी । जितुकें मागती तृप्तीसी । तितुकें द्यावें अन्न वेगीं ॥६५॥
bolāvā tyā samastāmsī | anna dyāvem vāḍhūna tyāmsī | jitukem māgatī tṛptīsī | titukem dyāvem anna vegīm ||65||
'Call all of them too; food should be served to them. Whatever they ask for to their satisfaction, that much food should be given, quickly.'
The instruction is not rationed portions but 'as much as they ask' — abundance extended equally to those society ranked lowest.
Give to those on the margins as generously as you would to anyone else.
तेही तृप्त झाले देखा । प्राणिमात्र नाहीं भुका ।; सांगताति श्रीगुरुनायक । डांगोरा पिटा ग्रामांत ॥६६॥
tehī tṛpta jhāle dekhā | prāṇimātra nāhīm bhukā |; sāmgatāti śrīgurunāyaka | ḍāmgorā piṭā grāmāmta ||66||
They too became satisfied, see; not a single living being remained hungry. So they report to Sri Gurunayaka; 'Beat the drum in the village' [to announce].
A public announcement (ḍāṅgorā, town crier's drum) ensures literally no one in the village is missed — the feast's completeness is verified, not assumed.
Actively check that no one has been overlooked, rather than assuming your work is done.
कोणी असती क्षुधाक्रांत । त्यांसी बोलवावें त्वरित । ऐसें श्रीगुरु निरोपित । हिंडले ग्रामीं तये वेळीं ॥६७॥
koṇī asatī kṣudhākrāmta | tyāmsī bolavāvem tvarita | aisem śrīguru niropita | himḍale grāmīm taye veḷīm ||67||
'If anyone remains hungry, they should be called at once' — so Sri Guru instructs. They went around the village at that time.
The search for anyone still unfed continues actively — grace pursues the hungry rather than waiting passively for them to come forward.
Go out and seek those still in need rather than waiting for them to ask.
प्राणिमात्र नाहीं उपवासी । सर्व जेवले परियेसीं । मग निरोपित त्या द्विजासी । भोजन तुवां करावें ॥६८॥
prāṇimātra nāhīm upavāsī | sarva jevale pariyesīm | maga niropita tyā dvijāsī | bhojana tuvām karāvem ||68||
Not a single living being remained fasting; all had eaten, they report. Then he instructs that brahmin: 'You should eat as well.'
Only after everyone else — brahmin, shudra, outcaste, all — has eaten does the Guru finally tell the host himself to eat, the servant fed last as is fitting.
Serve others fully before attending to your own needs.
श्रीगुरुनिरोपें भोजन केलें । मागुति जाऊनि अन्न पाहिलें । आपण जितुकें होतें केलें । तितुकें उरलें असे अन्न ॥६९॥
śrīguruniropem bhojana kelem | māguti jāūni anna pāhilem | āpaṇa jitukem hotem kelem | titukem uralem ase anna ||69||
By Sri Guru's instruction he ate. Again going, he looked at the food — as much as he had originally cooked, that much food remained.
After feeding four thousand people and more, the food is undiminished — the miracle is confirmed not by what was given out but by what remains unchanged.
Notice how much is left even after generous giving — abundance often outlasts fear of scarcity.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तयासी । घेऊनि जावें अन्न त्वरितेसीं । घालावें जळांत जळचरांसी । तृप्त होती तेही जीव ॥७०॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tayāsī | gheūni jāvem anna tvaritesīm | ghālāvem jaḷāmta jaḷacarāmsī | tṛpta hotī tehī jīva ||70||
Sri Guru tells him: 'Take this food quickly and put it into the water for the aquatic creatures; let those beings too be satisfied.'
Even after every human being is fed, compassion extends further still, to fish and water creatures — nothing that can be nourished is left out of the Guru's mercy.
Let your compassion extend even to creatures beyond the human circle.
ऐसें तया दिवसीं विचारिती । सहस्त्र चारी झाली मिति । भूमीवरी झाली ख्याति । लोक म्हणती आश्चर्य ॥७१॥
aisem tayā divasīm vicāritī | sahastra cārī jhālī miti | bhūmīvarī jhālī khyāti | loka mhaṇatī āścarya ||71||
So considering, that day the tally reached four thousand; fame of it spread across the land; people said, 'a wonder!'
The narrator now gives the number precisely — four thousand — anchoring the miracle as an event, not merely a legend, and its fame spreads widely.
Let genuine good deeds speak for themselves and spread by their own truth.
इतुकें झालियावरी । श्रीगुरु त्या द्विजातें पाचारी । वर देती दरिद्र दुरी । पुत्रपौत्र होती तुज ॥७२॥
itukem jhāliyāvarī | śrīguru tyā dvijātem pācārī | vara detī daridra durī | putrapautra hotī tuja ||72||
After all this happened, Sri Guru calls that brahmin and grants him a boon: 'Poverty will go far from you; you will have sons and grandsons.'
The poor host who was mocked receives not just a fed community but a personal blessing — his faith is rewarded beyond the day's feast, into his whole future.
Trust that quiet faithfulness in service is eventually rewarded, even beyond the immediate task.
समस्त जाहले तटस्थ । देखिलें अति कौतुक म्हणत । अन्न केलें होतें किंचित । चारी सहस्त्र केवीं जेविले ॥७३॥
samasta jāhale taṭastha | dekhilem ati kautuka mhaṇata | anna kelem hotem kimcita | cārī sahastra kevīm jevile ||73||
Everyone became astonished, saying: 'We have witnessed a great wonder. The food made was so little — how did four thousand eat?'
The narrative pauses to let the crowd voice the very question the reader is asking, setting up the reflections that follow.
Let genuine astonishment prompt reflection rather than rushing past a moment of wonder.
एक म्हणती श्रीगुरुकरणी । स्मरली असेल अन्नपूर्णी । अवतारपुरुष असे धणी । श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वती ॥७४॥
eka mhaṇatī śrīgurukaraṇī | smaralī asela annapūrṇī | avatārapuruṣa ase dhaṇī | śrīnṛsimhasarasvatī ||74||
Some say: 'This is Sri Guru's doing — Annapūrṇā [the goddess of food] must have been invoked. He is the incarnate person, the Master, Sri Nṛsiṁha Sarasvatī.'
The onlookers begin theorizing about the miracle, naming Annapūrṇā (the goddess who never lets food run short) as the power behind it, embodied in the Guru.
Recognize divine providence at work behind ordinary acts of generous hospitality.
एक म्हणती अपूर्व देखिलें । पूर्वीं कथानक होतें ऐकिलें । पांडवाघरीं दुर्वास गेले । ऋषीश्वरांसमवेत ॥७५॥
eka mhaṇatī apūrva dekhilem | pūrvīm kathānaka hotem aikilem | pāmḍavāgharīm durvāsa gele | ṛṣīśvarāmsamaveta ||75||
Some say: 'We have seen something unprecedented; earlier we heard a tale — Durvāsa went to the Pāṇḍavas' house together with fellow sages.'
They recall the Mahābhārata story of the irascible sage Durvāsa arriving with many disciples to test the Pāṇḍavas' hospitality, drawing a parallel to today's event.
Draw on stories you already know to make sense of a new wonder in your own life.
सत्त्वभंग होईल म्हणोन । श्रीकृष्ण आला ठाकून । तेणें केलें अन्न पूर्ण । दुसरें आजि देखिलें ॥७६॥
sattvabhamga hoīla mhaṇona | śrīkṛṣṇa ālā ṭhākūna | teṇem kelem anna pūrṇa | dusarem āji dekhilem ||76||
'Fearing that their vow would be broken, Sri Krishna came and stood by; by that he made the food sufficient. Today we have seen a second such event.'
In the old story Krishna miraculously multiplied a single grain of rice to satisfy Durvāsa's retinue; the crowd now sees Sri Guru's feast as a living repetition of that same grace.
Recognize the same timeless grace at work in events happening around you today.
नर दिसतो दंडधारी । सत्य त्रैमूर्ति-अवतारी । न कळे महिमा असे अपारी । म्हणती लोक अनेक ॥७७॥
nara disato damḍadhārī | satya traimūrti-avatārī | na kaḷe mahimā ase apārī | mhaṇatī loka aneka ||77||
'He appears as a man carrying a staff, [but] truly he is an incarnation of the triple deity (Trimūrti); his glory cannot be known,' say many people.
The wandering ascetic's staff (daṇḍa) marks ordinary renunciation, yet the people sense behind that plain appearance the presence of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva combined.
Look past a humble outward appearance to recognize the greatness that may lie within.
यातें नर जे म्हणती । ते जाती अधोगतीं । वर्णावया नाहीं मति । म्हणती हाचि परब्रह्म ॥७८॥
yātem nara je mhaṇatī | te jātī adhogatīm | varṇāvayā nāhīm mati | mhaṇatī hāci parabrahma ||78||
'Those who call him a mere man go to a lower state (adhogati); there is no wit to describe him fully; they say he is verily the Supreme Brahman (parabrahma).'
The verse states plainly the theological claim of the whole text: to see the Guru as merely human is a spiritual error, for he is identified with the Absolute itself.
Approach a true teacher with reverence rather than reducing them to ordinary terms.
नव्हे हा जरी ईश्वर । केवीं केलें अन्नपूर । होतें तीन अडीच शेर । चारी सहस्त्र जेविले केवीं ॥७९॥
navhe hā jarī īśvara | kevīm kelem annapūra | hotem tīna aḍīca śera | cārī sahastra jevile kevīm ||79||
'Were he not God, how could he have multiplied the food? There was only three and a half seers — how did four thousand eat?'
The crowd's own arithmetic — the impossibility of the numbers — becomes their proof of divinity; reason itself points beyond reason.
Let what defies ordinary explanation deepen your faith rather than your doubt.
आणिक एक नवल झालें । आम्हीं समस्तीं देखिलें । प्रेतातें जीव आणिलें । शुष्क काष्ठासी पल्लव ॥८०॥
āṇika eka navala jhālem | āmhīm samastīm dekhilem | pretātem jīva āṇilem | śuṣka kāṣṭhāsī pallava ||80||
'Another wonder occurred, which we all witnessed: he brought life back into a corpse, and sprouts onto dry wood.'
The people recall further miracles attributed to Sri Guru — reviving the dead and making dry wood sprout leaves — signs of life restored where none seemed possible.
Believe that renewal is possible even where a situation seems as lifeless as dry wood.
आणिक ऐका याची महिमा । कोणासी देऊं आतां साम्या । कुमसीं होता त्रिविक्रमा । त्यासी दाखविलें विश्वरुप ॥८१॥
āṇika aikā yācī mahimā | koṇāsī deūm ātām sāmyā | kumasīm hotā trivikramā | tyāsī dākhavilem viśvarupa ||81||
'Listen to another of his glories — to what shall we now compare him: when at Kumsi, he showed his universal form (viśvarūpa) to Trivikrama.'
They recount a vision in which the Guru revealed the cosmic, all-encompassing form associated with Vishnu — a moment beyond ordinary comparison.
Stay open to glimpses of something vastly larger than your usual sense of things.
ग्रामांत होती वांझ महिषी । क्षीर काढविलें आपुले भिक्षेसी । वेद म्हणविले पतितामुखेंसी । अभिमंत्रितां श्रीगुरुमूर्तीं ॥८२॥
grāmāmta hotī vāmjha mahiṣī | kṣīra kāḍhavilem āpule bhikṣesī | veda mhaṇavile patitāmukhemsī | abhimamtritām śrīgurumūrtīm ||82||
'In the village there was a barren she-buffalo; he had milk drawn from her for his own alms; he made the Vedas be recited from the mouth of a fallen/low-caste man, when Sri Guru's form consecrated it.'
Two impossibilities in one verse — milk from a barren animal and sacred scripture from an untaught, low-caste mouth — show that the Guru's blessing overrides both nature's limits and social ones.
Believe that anyone, regardless of background, can be a vessel for genuine wisdom when truly touched by grace.
आणिक जाहलें एक नवल । कुष्ठी आला विप्र केवळ । दर्शनमात्रें झाला निर्मळ । आम्हीं देखिलें दृष्टीनें ॥८३॥
āṇika jāhalem eka navala | kuṣṭhī ālā vipra kevaḷa | darśanamātrem jhālā nirmaḷa | āmhīm dekhilem dṛṣṭīnem ||83||
'Another wonder occurred: a leprous brahmin came; by the mere sight [of the Guru] he became pure/whole; we witnessed it with our own eyes.'
Healing by darśana (the sight of a holy presence) rather than any medicine reinforces the theme that mere proximity to the Guru heals more than the body — it restores dignity too.
Let simple, sincere presence with someone in need be part of how you help them heal.
विणकरी होता एक भक्त । त्यासी दाखविला श्रीपर्वत । काशीक्षेत्र क्षण न लागत । एका भक्तासी दाखविलें ॥८४॥
viṇakarī hotā eka bhakta | tyāsī dākhavilā śrīparvata | kāśīkṣetra kṣaṇa na lāgata | ekā bhaktāsī dākhavilem ||84||
'There was a weaver who was a devotee; he was shown Sri Parvata; the Kashi pilgrimage site, without a moment's delay, was shown to one devotee.'
A humble weaver, likely of modest caste, is granted a vision of two of India's holiest pilgrimage sites without traveling — devotion is rewarded regardless of social station.
Recognize that sincere devotion, not social standing, opens the deepest doors.
आणिक अपार चरित्रता । अमित असे हो सांगतां । क्षितीवरी समस्त दैवतें । तयांचें नव्हे सामर्थ्य ॥८५॥
āṇika apāra caritratā | amita ase ho sāmgatām | kṣitīvarī samasta daivatem | tayāmcem navhe sāmarthya ||85||
'There is more, boundless, wonders to tell of; on this earth all the deities together do not possess such power.'
The narrator's praise reaches its rhetorical peak, claiming the Guru's power surpasses even the combined power of all other deities.
Let genuine reverence for someone or something express itself without holding back.
समस्त देवांतें आराधितां । आलास्यें होय मनकाम्यता । दर्शनमात्रें श्रीगुरुनाथा । सकळाभीष्टें होताति ॥८६॥
samasta devāmtem ārādhitām | ālāsyem hoya manakāmyatā | darśanamātrem śrīgurunāthā | sakaḷābhīṣṭem hotāti ||86||
'Worshipping all the gods, one's wishes are fulfilled only slowly [with effort]; but by the mere sight of Sri Gurunatha, all desires are fulfilled.'
The verse contrasts laborious ritual worship (ālāsya, effort over time) with the instant fulfillment granted simply by beholding the Guru — grace outpacing ritual.
Do not underestimate what simple, sincere presence before someone wise can accomplish.
ऐसें म्हणती विप्रलोक । अपूर्व जाहलें कवतुक । ख्याति ऐकती समस्त देख । श्रीगुरुचें चरित्र ॥८७॥
aisem mhaṇatī vipraloka | apūrva jāhalem kavatuka | khyāti aikatī samasta dekha | śrīgurucem caritra ||87||
So say the brahmin folk: 'An unprecedented wonder has occurred.' All hear this fame — the story of Sri Guru.
The episode closes with the community's collective testimony, and news of the miracle spreads as living oral tradition — exactly the kind of story now being retold to Namdharak.
Share stories of genuine goodness so they continue to inspire others.
सिद्ध म्हणे नामधारकासी । श्रीगुरुचरित्र ऐसें परियेसीं । याचि निमित्य बहुवसीं । शिष्य जाहले श्रीगुरुचे ॥८८॥
siddha mhaṇe nāmadhārakāsī | śrīgurucaritra aisem pariyesīm | yāci nimitya bahuvasīm | śiṣya jāhale śrīguruce ||88||
Siddha says to Namdharak: 'Such is the story of Sri Guru, listen. Because of this, many became disciples of Sri Guru.'
The narrator draws the practical consequence: witnessed grace converts onlookers into committed disciples — faith spreading through direct experience.
Let your own witnessed experience of goodness be what draws others toward it too.
नाना राष्ट्रींचे भक्त येती । श्रीगुरुची सेवा करिती । अंतःकरणीं एकचित्तीं । भजणारांसी प्रसन्न ॥८९॥
nānā rāṣṭrīmce bhakta yetī | śrīgurucī sevā karitī | amtaḥkaraṇīm ekacittīm | bhajaṇārāmsī prasanna ||89||
'Devotees from many regions/nations come; they perform service to Sri Guru. With inward heart and single-minded devotion, he is pleased with those who worship him.'
The Guru's fame draws devotees from far and wide, and it is the wholehearted sincerity of their service (ekacitta), not its scale, that pleases him.
Offer your service with a single, undivided mind rather than a divided or distracted one.
गंगाधराचा नंदन । सरस्वती विनवी नमून । ऐका तुम्ही समस्त जन । भजा भजा हो श्रीगुरुसी ॥९०॥
gamgādharācā namdana | sarasvatī vinavī namūna | aikā tumhī samasta jana | bhajā bhajā ho śrīgurusī ||90||
Sarasvati, the son of Gangadhara, bows and entreats: 'Listen, all you people: worship, worship Sri Guru!'
The author names himself — Sarasvatī, son of Gaṅgādhar — and steps forward directly to exhort the whole audience to devotion, closing the chapter's teaching.
When you have witnessed something good, urge others directly to turn toward it themselves.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रामृते परमकथाकल्पतरौ श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वत्युपाख्याने सिद्धनामधारकसंवादे अन्नपूर्तिकद्विजचतुः-सहस्त्रभोजनं नाम
iti śrīgurucaritrāmṛte paramakathākalpatarau śrīnṛsimhasarasvatyupākhyāne siddhanāmadhārakasamvāde annapūrtikadvijacatuḥ-sahastrabhojanam nāma
Thus, in the nectar-like Guru Charitra, in the tree of wish-fulfilling supreme stories, in the tale of Sri Nrsimha Sarasvati, in the dialogue of Siddha and Namdharak, ends the chapter named 'The Feeding of Four Thousand Brahmins from a Meager [Brahmin's] Provision.'
This is the formal Sanskrit colophon (iti śrī...) naming the chapter, a convention marking the close of each episode within the text's traditional framing.
Mark the close of an important undertaking with a moment of formal acknowledgment.
अष्टात्रिंशत्तमोऽध्यायः ॥३८॥
aṣṭātrimśattamo'dhyāyaḥ ||38||
The thirty-eighth chapter.
A simple chapter-number marker, part of the text's traditional structure.
Keep track of your progress through any long undertaking, one clear step at a time.
श्रीगुरुदत्तात्रेयार्पणमस्तु ॥ श्रीगुरुदेवदत्त ॥
śrīgurudattātreyārpaṇamastu || śrīgurudevadatta ||
May this be offered to Sri Guru Dattatreya. Sri Gurudeva Datta.
The closing dedication offers the completed chapter itself back to the Guru — even the telling of the story becomes an act of worship.
Dedicate the completion of your work back to the source that inspired it.
( ओंवीसंख्या ९०)
( omvīsamkhyā 90)
(Verse count: 90.)
A scribal note recording the number of verses (ovī) in this chapter, part of the traditional manuscript's bookkeeping.
Keep careful, honest records of the work you have completed.