 According to legend, once when a disciple asked Swami a question about his birth, Swami responded that he had originated from a banyan tree ("vata-vriksha" in Marathi).On another occasion, Swami had said that his earlier name was Nrusimha Bhan.Swami Samarth is widely considered to be the fourth (third in physical form) incarnation of Dattatreya, an Indian monk, mystic and Hindu deity.