In the beginning, under orders from Maharaj, Gunatitanand Swami travelled with Muktanand Swami’s group. One day they arrived in Jetalpur. At night, Muktanand Swami made preparations to sleep. Swami also decided to retire for the night. Muktanand Swami lay down on the stony ground without any bedding. So, Gunatitanand Swami was also about to lie down to sleep in the same manner. Muktanand Swami saw this and told him to make a bed for himself so that the stones would not hurt him.
“But you are sleeping on the bare ground without any bedding,” Swami said.
Muktanand Swami replied, “I have been instructed by Maharaj to do so.”
On hearing this, Swami humbly replied, “The orders of Maharaj are meant for all. I, too, care for moksha.”
Muktanand Swami was very happy to see the attitude of this young sadhu and said, “You’ll progress far.”
In March 1811 CE (Fagan, Samvat 1867) Maharaj decided to celebrate the festival of Fuldol at Rathod Dhadhal’s place in Sarangpur. Sadhus and devotees from near and far arrived in large numbers. Preparations were made for the celebration of Fuldol – the festival of spraying holy coloured water. But before that, with a specific spiritual purpose in mind, Maharaj began to sing the Holi verses of Kabir:
Jogiyã tãlat janam kerã fãslã re,
Premnã pyãlã Jogiyã, jug jug jiva so Jogiyã.
“The noose of the cycle of births is removed by the brahmanized Sadhus. They are the cup of love. May they live for all time.”
Maharaj would sing and the sadhus would repeat. And then Maharaj would sing further:
Koti Krishna jode hãth, koti Vishnu name mãth,
Koti Shankar dhare dhyãn, koti Brahmã kathe gnãn,
Sadguru khele vasant.
“Millions of Krishnasjoin their hands, millions of Vishnus bow their heads, millions of Shivsmeditate, millions of Brahmasimpart knowledge, as the Sadguru celebrates the festival of Spring.”
Maharaj stopped playing ras when he sang this stanza. He touched the stick that he was holding to Gunatitanand Swami’s chest, drew the attention of Anand Swami and Muktanand Swami and asked them, “Swami, who is that Sadguru?”
All the sadhus replied with one voice, “Maharaj, you are that Sadguru. Who else could it be?”
Maharaj, out of his infinite grace, explained, “These words describe the glory of a Sadguru. I am the supreme Purushottam Narayan. And that Sadguru is this Gunatitanand Swami. The composer of this Holi verse, Kabir, addressed and worshipped Aksharbrahma as ‘Sadguru Saheb’. That Akshar supports innumerable muktas and Purushottam in the form of an abode, and he is in my service in the manifest form of Gunatitanand Swami. He has manifested today with me in the form of this Sadguru in order to spread my supreme upasana. The glory described in the Holi verses is his glory, and I am above him, his master; I am Purushottam Narayan, worthy of worship even by him.”
All the sadhus were astonished when they heard the infinite glory of Swami from Maharaj himself. How could anybody realize the glory of this young Swami when he himself always behaved in the most humble manner?