It was around this time that Gopalanand Swami was on his way to Junagadh. He made a brief stay at Gadhada. Here, during the course of his discourses in the assembly he said, “Maharaj appointed mahants for different mandirs, but it must be said that the mahant of Junagadh, Gunatitanand Swami, has stolen a march over others for the reason that he completed the work of the mandir despite obstacles from the Nagar Brahmins; bettered the mandir management and increased its popularity, and spread the Satsang in the whole of Sorath. He has inspired the sadhus to observe their moral rules sincerely, pleased Acharya Raghuvirji Maharaj and, above all, he has never forgotten even for a moment the form of Maharaj while delivering spiritual discourses. So there is no sadguru like him in the entire Satsang. He is omniscient, omnipotent and is like Dhanvantar vaidya.”
After some time Gopalanand Swami reached Junagadh to celebrate the festival of Janmashtmi. After breaking his fast of Janmashtmi the next day, he addressed an assembly of sadhus and devotees, “All of you do not yet know the true identity of Swami. Maharaj himself told me his glory, that Gunatitanand Swami is Mul Akshar.” After saying this, he called the devotees of Bhadra – Dosabhai, Ratnabhai and Vashram Suthar – and told them to relate the incident in Bhadra when Maharaj himself had, for the first time, talked about the glory of Swami. In this way Gopalanand Swami used to spread the infinite glory of Swami.
After the departure of Maharaj to Akshardham, Naja Jogia had become a sadhu and had been named Ghanshyamdas. He was impressed by Swami’s discourses in Vartal so he used to come to Junagadh to associate with Swami. But so far he had not been able to realize the true glory of Swami. Once, Ghanshyamdas was meditating in the assembly hall. Swami was sitting nearby. After some time Swami told him, “Are you meditating or just bungling?”
“Swami, that is an unfair allegation,” said Ghanshyamdas as he awoke from meditation.
Swami smiled in reply and said, “Were you meditating, or stroking the buffalo with a white spot in Gadhada?”
Ghanshyamdas was stunned when he heard this. During his meditation he really had been stroking the buffalo in Gadhada; so he stood up humbly, touched Swami’s feet and said in an emotional tone, “Swami! In the inner recesses of my heart I was under the impression that you were merely like a feudal chief but today I have realized that you are an emperor and the form of Maharaj incarnate. You really are Akshar.” Swami smiled and blessed him.
Swami had arrived in Vartal on the occasion of the Chaitra Punam festival. Both acharyas had also come there. In the assembly Gopalanand Swami and other senior sadgurus garlanded Swami. Swami’s neck was full of garlands. Seeing this Malji Soni of Bhoika asked his guru, Gopalanand Swami, “Who is this sadguru?”
Gopalanand Swami replied, “Hadn’t I told you that I’ll show you Akshardham. This Gunatitanand Swami is Akshardham incarnate. So know him properly.”
On hearing this Malji Soni was convinced about the identity of Swami. (Shastriji Maharaj had met Malji Soni and had personally heard the above incident from him. After that Shastriji Maharaj took many aspirants to Malji Soni at Bhoika and made them listen to this incident.)