Florida Shirdi Sai Temple

Shri Guru Charitra
Chapter XVIII

A Poor Brahmin Gets Wealth

Varuna Sangam is known as Kashi in the south. Shri Guru came here from bhilavadi and stayed near Panch Ganga sangam for 12 years. Shiva, Bhadra, Bhogavati, Kumbhi and Saraswati are the five rivers. This is a famous holy place like Kashi and Prayag. There is a temple of amareshwar and an Audumbar tree as a Kalpataru. Sixtyfour yoginis lived here. There are 8 holy places in the neighborhood. They are Shukla Tirth. Papavinshi, Kanyatirth, Siddha Varad, Prayag Tirth, Shakti Tirthm Amar Tirth and Koti tirth.

Shri Guru lived under the Audumbar tree here. He would go to Amarpur for alms. In Amarpur lived a Brahmin knowing Vedas. He had a devoted wife. He had a sem creeper at his door. When he could not get sufficient corn he would live on the boiled seems. He adored Shri Guru with devotion. He invited Shri Guru for alms one day. After taking the alms Shri Guru blessed him saying that his poverty was wiped off. While leaving the premises, Shri Guru cut the root of the sem creeper. Seeing this the Brahmins's wife bitterly saying `our means of livelihood are lost.' The Brahmin tried to console her saying, there must be some good intention of shri Guru in cutting the root of the sem. It is our good fortune that Shri Guru in cutting came to us for alms. Do not blame Shri Guru who blessed us. He will protect us.

The Brahmin took away the leaves of the creeper from the courtyard and while digging to take off the root of the creeper, he found a vessel full of coins. He told this to his wife ho was much pleased and now repented for blaming Shri Guru. Both then went to shri Guru and worshipped him with devotion and reported what had occurred.

Shri Guru said, `Do not tell this to any body, else the wealth will be destroyed, you shall live happily with your sons and grandsons.'