On the evening of 10 December 1993 Swamishri departed from Anand to Mumbai by train. After a while the ticket collector came to check the tickets. The devotees had bought the tickets but had forgotten to pay for the reservation charge of Rs. 50 per ticket. The ticket collector humbly requested Swamishri to pay for the reservation. Swamishri and the three sadhus with him naturally had no money with them and there was no devotee accompanying them either. The question was how to pay for the reservation charges. The sadhus explained their situation to the ticket collector, ‘We are Swaminarayan sadhus and therefore we do not keep any money. However, when we reach Mumbai, the devotees who come to pick us up will pay you for the reservation charges.’ A gentleman sitting in the same compartment heard the conversation. He had heard of Pramukh Swami’s name from a friend. He was impressed and told the ticket collector that he would pay up.
After paying the collector the sadhus asked the gentleman to give his name and address so that they could have the money sent to him.
‘No... no… Please allow accept this as my service to you…’
The uniqueness of this seemingly ordinary incident lies in the fact that Swamishri has inspired hundreds of mandirs. He is the head of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, yet he does not keep any money for his own use.
Bhagwan Swaminarayan founded a spiritual tradition in which the sadhus are wedded to celibacy, humility and non-possession. Ever after more than two centuries the high degree of saintliness has remained untarnished. The glory and progress of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha rests