Ayachit Padyatra: Nishchaya

               ||Shree Swami Samarth||

We always have expectation from every one and from everything. It may be a Nature, may be the power, may be a loved one or even our self. It's really impossible for any one of us to do something without the expectation of name, fame or something good to be happened to us.

In such era of highly demanding world, one person made 'Nishchaya' of doing Ayachit Padyatra to Akkalkot- The holy place which is famous for Shree Swami Samarth.

In considerably challenging situation, one person with great passion, devotion and affection towards his 'Swami Mauli' started with Ayachit padyatra from Badlapur to Akkalkot (nearly 430 kms). I'm not capable of introducing this person as there are so many dimensions that we should know to know him. I guess the name is enough for us. Shree Swamisakha (Shree Sumant Vasudeo Athalye) first did Ayachit Padyatra in 1988 that is at his age of 32-33. That age when every young person wish to have luxury, dreamt for lavish future and works for more and more money. It itself explains one of the dimension of Swamisakha aka Sir (people know him with this name) that is passion and devotion towards his god.

Now there are two questions, why Akkalkot and what does Ayachit mean?

Akkalkot, as we know is place where Shree Swami Samarth lived for many years and it's not exaggerating if we say every part of this place has one or more memories about Swami Mauli. Sir gets legacy of affection and love towards Swami Samarth from his family itself. I'm not sure for how many generations in past they worshipped Swami but this affection is still ongoing and it will definitely continue in his next generations. This answers why so many Padyatra to Akkalkot.

Maximum Padyatra were done Ayachit. This word actually means without expectations and without demands. One should live on the basis of what we get rather than asking for anything. It may be a food, Shelter, Service or lavishness. When Sir did his first Ayachit padyatra, he carried very limited clothes, no money and not even any food items. There was no vehicle following him. No provision to serve him in case of any emergency. He didn't ask for anything from anyone (not even a food) and still he managed to complete this padyatra. I never doubt about spiritual powers he has or  the fruits he got for his efforts from his god. However, I can't at the same time ignore his strength and his aim to complete this distance. When we can't even imagine to spend some of the minutes for our family, he went to such a long distance by walking to meet his Swami Mauli. The first lesson he taught that is aim and affection towards the aim is what gives you success. Money or other things don't really matters.

There are many more Ayachit padyatra not only to Akkalkot but also to Shree kshetra Audumber, Shree Kshetra Nrusinh Wadi and so on. There are more than 50 registered padyatra to Akkalkot and non registered- he is better person to tell this.
Spiritual power is the biggest strength that Sir has. He is blessed with Swamikrupa. However, his strength as a human being is also considerable. He respects religion, he  respects spirituality but at the same time, his every work has scientific base. He did everything with the reason without harming nature. I respect every dimension about him which I know. It's not about the respect but one can always praise him once we know at least something about him.

He did padyatra with many people. In all this, there was not a single rupee with anyone. It makes everyone equal. They experience humanity. One who participated in some of the padyatra said, "My igo and feeling of being great is actually vanished. I learnt that there is a life without expectations which is much more happy life." Such experience itself tells the feelings that people have after completing padyatra.

Sir is a nature lover. He gives us wide thinking that everything that we did is obviously important but the final giver is nature and it gives you without any expectation. He, in many padyatra, made people aware about the Pancha Mahabhuta (Five elements) that is Prithvi: the mother earth, vayu: the gases, Jal: Water, Agni: Fire and Aakash: Sky. Shree Akkalkot Swami Samarth always said that these five elements  are energy. Energy is nature and nature is god so in padyatra, Sir told us about god, actually the padyatra is done with the presence of an almighty.

He made so many contacts and build many relations during all his padyatra. His efforts are countless. There are many challenges when he started with the padyatra that is unavailability of food, no shelter to spend night and many more. However, he continued and today, the padyatra (starts on every kartik shuddha Dwitiya that is bhaubeej) is well planned. It's all his efforts which gives fruits. He did 12 such padyatra in last 12 years till 2015 (when his age is 62) and there are more than 100 people who participated just with the trust on him. It's really a proud to mention that all these people get better services, better place to live at night, better food including breakfast, tea, lunch and dinner and even vehicle to provide service at the time of any emergency. All this was just excellent.

The vrata which he followed for more than 30 years is now continued by his son with the same thoughts of nature care, humanity and being a good human being. Ofcourse, his continuous presence, his guidance and his energy even at the age of 63 is the biggest strength for everyone who participated in last padyatra in 2016.

These padytra show that the humanity still exist. People still follow and respect religion. People respect each other and they help each other. In the world when everyone thinks just about own, Sir teaches people to go hand in hand, to feel other's pain and to assist other to complete this aim with each other.
He started with this great thought and we hope that the next generations will continue to do it with the same, making more people aware.

It's not about only spiritual growth, it's about growing as a person, being happy with what we get and spreading positivity that we have.

It's not about only Sir's thought but about his dreams to make the person a better human being. It's not only padyatra from Badlapur to Akkalkot, it's a yatra from one start as a person to another start as human. It's a perfect instituation of personality development with the greatest teacher, guide, parent as well as Sakha Shri Sir.

My very first try in the nature of blog about this 'Sangati's' padyatra can be more and more expressive but there are many more such things which we can view and learn from him.

"ya jivnachya Pravasat, Tumchich Aas mi dharili
Tumhich shakti, Tumhi Ayachit
Tumhi Sakha, tumhi mam Sangati"


          ||Shree Swami Samarth||