The boils from all over his body began to burst and puss was oozing out; he was too weak to even stand. The bullock-cart driver refused to give them a ride. He was travelling with Gunatitanand Swami’s group from one village to another, and he had become quite ill. Though his condition was unbearable he got off the bullock cart and started walking. Gunatitanand Swami saw this and asked him to rest. However, he would not heed Swami’s warnings. Instead he replied, “My name is Atmanand; today, let me truly be atmanand,” and continued. There was nothing that could stop him from following Maharaj’s agna, let alone his own body. This is why he is known today as vachanmurti – an embodiment of Shriji Maharaj’s words.
To attain Bhagwan, Atmanand Swami had performed many austerities (tapa) after which he attained Shriji Maharaj. He would follow every niyam Shriji Maharaj gave to the letter. Shriji Maharaj once instructed the paramhansas to observe khatras, a form of fasting in which all the six types of tastes are avoided. After six months, Maharaj ended this niyam but Atmanand Swami, who was travelling in the villages at that time, never received the news.  So he continued the khatras niyam until he met Shriji Maharaj again in Gadhada. He never complained nor did he ever ask whether it had ended; he just did as Maharaj wanted.

Once, Atmanand Swami accompanied Acharya Raghuvirji Maharaj on a padhramani to a devotee’s house. The chairs for the elderly had been arranged in such a manner that it would compromise the sadhu’s vow of celibacy. So he refused to go the next day and told Acharya Maharaj, “I will only go to these padhramanis if you have the chairs removed.” Only when Acharya Maharaj made arrangements so that the niyams of sadhus would not be violated, did Atmanand Swami go on padhramanis.

Atmanand Swami stayed on this earth for 116 years, but only after he learnt and understood from Gunatitanand Swami that Shriji Maharaj is supreme God did Shriji Maharaj take him to Akshardham. Because of his determination to follow Maharaj’s every agna, he remained resolute in upholding dharma. He often used to say, “Worldly desires and dharma don’t mix. If you want to uphold dharma, then you must renounce all desires; and if you want to fulfil your material desires, then dharma has to be sacrificed.” Atmanand Swami not only said this, but he walked the talk by strictly following dharma.