Shri Swami Smaratha comes from the age-old guru tradition of the Dattatreya sampradaya. Also a different form of famous Nath Sampradaya. As per the most popular belief, Shri Narasimha Swami, after helping and spiritually uplifting a large number of people over a few decades, went away to the Himalayas for penance and went into Samadhi. In the Samadhi state He remained for about three hundred years. With the passage of time a huge anthill grew over him and he was lost to the outside world. One day accidentally a woodcutter’s axe fell on the bushes grown around the ant hill. He was shocked to find blood stains on the blade of the axe. He cleared the anthill and Lo, he found a Yogi in meditation. The Yogi slowly opened his eyes and consoled the dumbfounded woodcutter saying that it was the Divine Will for Him to re-appear in the world to resume His mission.
This Yogi, in his new role came to be known as Swami Samarth.
Prior to his settlement at Akkalkot, Swami Samarth seems to have visited far and wide. While moving in the Himalayan region he visited places like Puri, Benaras, Hardwar, Girnar, Kathiawad and Rameswaram in the South. He also stayed at Mangalvedha, a town near Pandharpur in Solapur district Maharashtra, which had been inhabited earlier by famous saints like Domojipant and Chokhamela. He came to Akkalkot in 1856 where he continued his physical existence for 22 years.
Here he enlightened many disciples, such as Shree Dev Mamledar, Shree Balappa Maharaj, Shree Cholappa Maharaj, Shree Nrusimha Saraswati Maharaj of Alandi, Shree Ramanand Beedkar Maharaj of Pune etc.
"Fear not , I am always with you!!" He says, "Surrender your ego and offer your unconditional love and I will fill you with immortal bliss"..
Shree Swami Samarth one day suddenly announced that the time had come for him to go out of his physical existence. By Hindu calendar it was Chaitra Vadya Trayodashi of Hindu year 1800, i.e. April 30, 1878 AD, Tuesday at 4 PM. At this time he seated himself in Padmasana (Lotus Posture) and uttered his last words - "no one should weep I shall always be present at all places and I shall respond to every call of the devotees." The great sage adopted MahaSamadhi [the last conscious communion with God] under his favourite Banyan tree.
The divine game (leela) of Shree Swami Samarth did not end with his Maha Samadhi (shedding his mortal coil). His devotees continue to experience the miracles of his visible and invisible help even till today.