Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami Maharaj

A compact Biography.

• Adhibhoutik distress 

This is the one caused by five elements of nature, Space (Akash), Wind (Vayu), Light (Tej, Agni), Water (Aap) and Earth (Prithvi). Some of the examples are, earthquakes, floods, fires, lightening, storms etc. One lady devotee of Shri Swami Maharaj, deserted by her husband, was living by tending a small farm. Once, when the harvest was reaped and stored in a heap out in the open, off-season rainstorm threatened to wash her produce, which was her only source of livelihood. She had treasured the dust from the feet of Shri Maharaj in a small container. She sprinkled the dust around the harvest and prayed to Shri Maharaj to protect her food promising to serve meal to priests in Wadi in return. A heavy rainstorm did follow but not a drop fell on her grain. 
Other devotees have noted such miracles. During his last Chaturmaas at Garudeshvar, Shri Swami Maharaj and hundreds of devotees were celebrating Gokulashtami (Lord Shrikrishna’s birth anniversary) and singing Bhajans on the bank of Narmada. Suddenly the sky was filled with dark clouds and a rainstorm burst out on the other bank of the river. Shri Maharaj reassured the devotees to carry on with the Bhajans and not to worry about the storm. The Bhajans proceeded uninterrupted till midnight. On conclusion of the ceremonies, everyone came indoors, the storm burst out in vengeance. Shri Maharaj commented, “that is the storm we escaped!”
At Mangaon, in his householder days, on a Gurudwadashi day, just as hundreds of people were to sit for Prasad (meal), a heavy rain threatened to disrupt the arrangement. Shri Maharaj instructed his disciples to give a large offering (naivedya) to the rain, remarking, and “he has also come for the Prasad like you!” Accordingly, a large plateful of food was served and offered to the rain God. The meal went of unhindered even as heavy rains lashed the surrounding area. Similar incidents have taken place at least twice more in the life of Shri Swami Maharaj.

Again at Garudeshvar, once the only large cooking pot slipped from hands while washing in the river Narmada and started floating away. When the worried ladies apprised Shri Maharaj, he went to the riverside and touched the water with his sceptre, saying. “ What would Mother Narmada want the pot for? Why will she hamper the nourishment of her children?” As soon as Shri Maharaj said this, the large metal pot now flowing down the river stream, started moving towards the bank and was recovered safely. 
A self-realized soul, the scriptures say, becomes one with the nature and enjoys their amity.