Prasang 77
“Swami! Your compassion knows no bounds!”
December 6, 1973—the Ekādashi of Magshar Sud—became an unforgettable day in history. On this day, Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s ocean of compassion overflowed in an unprecedented display of love for his devotees. Because it was Ekādashi, as usual he observed it with a strict waterless fast—meaning no food or water throughout the day. At 8:30 AM, after completing his morning pujā, a list of padharāmanis was prepared. That day, 15 visits were planned. Everyone estimated that the total visits might extend to 25—but no one could have foreseen the eightfold increase in numbers!
By 2:45 PM, when Swamishri finally paused, he had completed an astonishing 122 padharāmanis—all while maintaining his nirjālā upvās (waterless fast)!
By the end of these visits, everyone was exhausted. However, even on a fasting day, Swamishri upheld his discipline of not napping in the afternoon. Instead of resting, he immersed himself in sevā, reading and responding to letters from devotees. During this time, someone noticed that Swamishri was running a fever of 102°F. Concerned, Dr. Swami asked, “Did the fever just start?” Swamishri replied, “No, I’ve been feeling sick and weak since morning.” Yet, despite his fever and fatigue, he never let anyone know of his discomfort—because his only concern was pleasing his devotees.
At 5:30 PM, Swamishri proceeded with his scheduled plans as if nothing had happened. Even though everyone insisted on postponing the program, he ignored his own suffering, traveling through Odh and Bharodā to reach Sundalpurā by 7:00 PM. By then, his body was still burning with fever, but at 9:00 PM, he attended the evening sabhā, pleasing devotees. Finally, after concluding chesthā, he retired to rest at midnight.
Watching Swamishri completely disregard his physical discomfort just to fulfill the wishes of devotees, the accompanying swamis and devotees couldn’t hold back their emotions. Their hearts sang in praise, “Kāyā nichovi karyā krutārtha, amrutnā pānār, Swami! Karunā aparampār!” (O Swami! You exhausted your body for us, showering us with divine nectar—Your compassion knows no bounds!)
Just as a gardener carefully nurtures each flower and plant, Pramukh Swami Maharaj nurtured the hearts of his devotees with the same tender care. On February 18, 1990, the village of Malāv in Panchmahāl district bore witness to this divine love. That night, while traveling to Pālli village, Swamishri detoured towards Malāv—for one reason: The previous day, a young boy named Shambhu had invited Swamishri to his home.
The road to Malāv was rugged and bone-jarring, but Swamishri endured the discomfort to keep his promise. Finally, he reached the humble home of the four-year-old child. After completing the pujan and ārti, Swamishri noticed that little Shambhu, distracted and roaming around, had missed the chance to perform ārti. He gently asked, “Did you do ārti?” Shambhu replied, “No.” With a warm smile, Swamishri held Thakorji in his own hands and said: “Here, take it—do the ārti now.” As Shambhu joyfully performed ārti, his face lit up with happiness. Shambhu was delighted to have welcomed Swamishri into his home. And Swamishri was equally delighted—for he had brought happiness to a child’s heart.
Having visited over 250,000 homes throughout his life, Pramukh Swami Maharaj touched the lives of countless devotees. Even today, when devotees recall his compassion, they can only say: “Pramukh Swami! Your compassion knows no bounds!”
