Prasang 73

No Sevā Too Small

In 1955, the Jal-Jhilani festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm in Sārangpur. Devotees from all over Gujarat had gathered for the occasion. After doing pārnā (breaking fast), everyone dispersed the next day. The swamis and devotees staying at the mandir also had their lunch and lay down for some rest.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s sevak swami Dharmajivandas Swami, had prepared a bed for Swamishri to rest. As Swamishri lay down, the sevak swami also rested nearby. However, after a short while, when the sevak swami woke up, he found Swamishri’s bed empty. Worried, he immediately sat up and went searching for him.

Looking around, he reached the very back of the mandir premises. What he saw there left him completely astonished! Swamishri had placed his gātariyu aside and tucked up his dhoti. With a coarse broom in one hand and a bucket of water in the other, he was cleaning the general toilets that had become dirty from people using them during the festival.

The sevak swami was stunned by the humility and selfless sevā of the president of the sansthā! He immediately ran to Swamishri and tried to stop him, asking, “What are you doing? We will take care of it.”

The ever-serving Swamishri simply replied, “Two hands are better than one. You bring the water, and I will continue cleaning.” Without hesitation, he resumed scrubbing. Pramukh Swami Maharaj neither ordered anyone nor gave any advice about maintaining cleanliness—he simply led by example.

The scriptures may say, “Sevā-dharma is supremely profound,” but for Pramukh Swami Maharaj, sevā was as natural as breathing! This single incident reveals his humility, deep-rooted spirit of serving like an owner, and boundless enthusiasm even for tasks considered lowly by others.