Vyankatanath Maharaj Removes Leprosy

One day in Devgaon, a devotee of a goddess (Devi-upasaka) came to meet Vyankatanath Maharaj. He was not a devotee or disciple of Maharaj, had never seen him before, and knew nothing about him. Arriving early in the morning, he asked the first person he saw, “Does Vyankatanath Maharaj live here?” The person he questioned was Maharaj himself, though the visitor did not recognise him. Maharaj, fully aware of who he was, simply said, “Yes, Maharaj lives here,” and signalled silently to others not to reveal his identity. The man added, “Until Maharaj finishes his morning rituals, let us complete ours. Can someone show us where to go?” Maharaj personally picked up a water pot, filled it, carried it himself, and led the visitor to the backyard for bathing and morning duties, arranging everything with his own hands. After the visitor went to bathe, Maharaj returned to the seat (gadi) and sat down. When the visitor later came for darshan, he was shocked to realise that the simple man who had served him moments ago was none other than Vyankatanath Maharaj himself. Embarrassed, he bowed and sought forgiveness.

Before the visitor could speak further, Maharaj said, “Do dreams ever speak the full truth, child? Can man ever become greater than God?” The visitor was confused and asked what Maharaj meant. Maharaj then revealed everything: “You went to Wani’s Devi temple near Nashik and performed six months of Sapta-shati recitation. One night, Devi told you in a dream, ‘Do not sit here anymore. Go to Kolhapur and perform your recitation there; only then will your purpose be fulfilled.’ But you disliked that instruction. You argued with the Devi and insisted you would finish your recitation only there. Finally, Devi asked the priest to send you away. So you went to Kolhapur. There, before completing your third recitation, Devi again said, ‘Get up, leave from here, and go directly to Devgaon Rangari, to Vyankatanath Maharaj. Only there will your work be completed.’ And that is why you have come.”

Hearing this, the man prostrated fully and said, “Please forgive me, Maharaj. My mind was confused. You are all-knowing — show your grace!”

Maharaj instructed him, “Tomorrow morning, go to the village river. Someone will accompany you. After bathing, come to the riverbank and apply mud all over your body. When it dries, bathe again and come for darshan.” He followed these instructions. When he returned to the riverbank, he saw pieces of dead skin falling away. Looking into a mirror, he realised that all his leprosy had vanished except for a small patch behind the ear. Shocked, he asked Maharaj why that patch remained. Maharaj replied, “When you first arrived and saw me, you thought, ‘He looks like an ordinary man. Why did Devi send me here? What can a human do if the goddess herself could not heal me?’ This doubt weakened your faith. You doubted me and doubted the Devi who sent you. Therefore one spot remains.”

The man pleaded, “Maharaj, please remove this last spot too.” But Maharaj said, “For that, go back to Wani. Perform Sapta-shati recitation before the same Devi who sent you here. Ask her forgiveness. She will complete the final part.” The man protested, “I went to Wani, she sent me to Kolhapur, from Kolhapur she sent me to you. Here my whole body is cured. If Devi has sent me to you, then please complete the healing here!” Maharaj firmly replied, “This is Devi’s instruction to you. Go back to her.” He returned to Wani, performed the recitation sincerely, and Devi blessed him — the last remaining patch disappeared completely.

Exactly as in Gurucharitra, the goddess directed him step by step — Wani → Kolhapur → Devgaon. At Devgaon, almost his entire disease disappeared, but a small portion remained due to his doubt. A true Guru performs his work fully, but always in alignment with the devotee’s faith and destiny. Ultimately, the Guru directs the devotee back to God, reminding him that God sent him, the Guru removed the suffering, and God completes the journey. A true Guru never claims greatness; he returns all credit to the Divine. Wani Devi, Kolhapur Devi, and Vyankatanath Maharaj — the 15th Nath in the lineage of Machhindranath — all function through the same universal spiritual force.

The Guru’s work is to remove karmic suffering and lift the devotee toward higher life. Only a Sadguru can transform a human into the divine, freeing him from accumulated sorrows of many lifetimes. Such divine experiences still occur today for devotees whose faith is sincere. This is why we say: Gurucharitra is a living, continuous spiritual stream, and the purpose of this series is to help seekers recognise that living current by showing modern events that mirror the ancient scriptures.