Swamishri went to Baroda. One Mathurdas was residing in Atladara, three miles away from Baroda. This Mathurdas was a replica of Heerabhai of Bochasan. His life was so full of wicked deeds that he could not embrace the satsang. But the moment he heard the name of Shastriji Maharaj,1 a change crept into him. He invited Shastriji Maharaj to build a temple in Atladara. Swamishri told him: "Shriji Maharaj had once visited the place where Mulu Metar and Krishna Mali resided. If we get that consecrated land, we can build a temple thereon." Mathurbhai assured him that he would provide as much land as required if he agreed to build a temple on that place. Swamishri showed him the place which was then inhabited. Mathurbhai built new houses for those people and donated the land to Swamishri, with a request to build a temple thereon.
Once Harkha Patel of Samadhiala, a village near Sarangpur, came to Swamishri and prayed to him: "Swamiji, there is no water in my well. Please give me your blessings so that my well may become full of water." Swamishri frankly replied: "How can your well have water when, inspite of your being a satsangi you take your meals without having a bath? Now if you make it a point to take your meals only after having a bath, you will get perennial water in your well." In this way Swamishri gave him a vow to observe the rules of religious conduct.
Whenever Swamishri went to Sarangpur and stayed there, he made the young sadhu Narayanswarupdas sit beside him, and affectionately taught him Sanskrit. Frequently, he also asked him to recite from the scriptures. Narayanswarupdas recited from the scriptures in a sweet voice and in the same style as Swamishri's. Swamishri and all the others were, therefore, greatly pleased to listen to him. Similarly, Swamishri made him recite from Bhaktachintamani and Harileelamrit also and lovingly told him various episodes from the satsang. As a result of listening to these talks, Narayanswarupdas became attached to Swamishri with a bond of ever increasing affection. Thereafter, the devotees of Surat requested Swamishri to visit Surat. Accordingly, Swamishri went to Surat. A grand parayan (session of discourses) was arranged there. Swamishri pleased all those who attended the parayan with his discourses. Many went into a trance. Acharya Shri Krishnapriyacharyaji of the Pranami Sampraday of Surat who was a pundit and student of all the religions, was drawn to Swamishri after he witnessed the power of the trance. Seeing Swamishri's saintliness, scholarship and humility, he cast aside the pride of his own scholarship and Acharyapad (authority of office) and humbly bowed down at the feet of Swamishri.
He declared in a public meeting: "Swami means Akshar and Narayan means Purushottam, and that is the true meaning of the expression "Swaminarayan" which Shastriji Maharaj has taught us. Shriji Maharaj today manifests through Shastriji Maharaj." Everyone in the assembly was happy to hear this from the lips of a learned authority belonging to quite a different sampraday (fellowship).