Certain saints could not stand any talks about Swami being a manifestation of Akshar. There rose a strong dissent and protest against the gradually increasing importance of Pragji Bhakta. Acharya Maharaj come to participate in a samaiya at Junagadh accompanied by Shuk Swami, Pavitranand Swami and many other important saints.
Pragji Bhakta was talking to thousands of devotees during this samaiya. He used to refer to Akshar during his religious discourses. He was entertaining the devotees at a place where Swami Pavitranand had kept his seat. The Swami lost his temper when he heard Pragji Bhakta talking about Akshar. Pragji Bhakta went to him and whispered, "Sooner or later all of you will have to accept Gunatitanand Swami as the manifestation of Akshar." "Who are you to teach me? You are unduly overestimating yourself. But mind well, I will see to it that you are excommunicated from satsang." Pavitranand Swami beat the floor with his stick and declared. Pragji Bhakta replied with a smile, "Swami, now even Shriji Maharaj cannot excommunicate me. Gold transformed by the paras (Philosopher's stone) cannot be turned into iron again even by the paras."
While this exchange of words was going on, Gunatitanand Swami came there. He made Pragji Bhakta tender an apology and appeased Pavitranand Swami. Still he was so much angry with Pragji Bhakta that he announced that he would not like to see his face again. Swami led Pragji Bhakta to his seat.
Soon after the samaiya was over, Swami set out on a tour of Sorath. He arrived at Upleta. Here the devotees asked him, "Swami, what will happen to us when you will be no more! Who will inject vigour into the Ekantik Dharma? Who will help us realise God?"
Swami narrated an anecdote to explain the greatness of Pragji Bhakta. "Once a gardener presented some bitter gourds filled with sweet pomegranate seeds. Everyone laughed at the gardener. The king ordered his servants to break the gourds. On breaking them the king found sweet pomegranate seeds from the gourds. Everyone was pleased to eat sweet pomegranate seeds. Everyone was wonder struck to find sweet pomegranate seeds in the gourds. In the same manner I too have prepared a man who will hold the reins of Ekantik Dharma. He too is as sweet as the pomegranate seeds. But only those people who are humble at heart and who have earned merit (punya) shall be able to recognise our divine heir."
Once Swami was on his way to Vanthali from Junagadh. He was travelling by bullock cart. Some haribhaktas were also seated with him. Others were on foot. Swami called a parshad (attendant) and said, "Go and call Pragji. The poor fellow must be feeling tired. Let him travel by cart."
When Pragji Bhakta approached the cart, Swami invited him to travel with him. He said, "As the cushion on which Swami is seated is radiating light innumerable suns, how can I go near such a luminous cart?" Through this incident Swami made the devotee realise Pragji Bhakta's greatness, importance and divine state of existence.
This incident convinced the haribhaktas of Mahuva of the infinite greatness of Swami. Swami had a special love for Mahuva Satsang Mandal (divine fellowship). Once Swami was preparing leaf-bowls (bowls made of leaves) in the company of the devotees. Out of sheer curiosity, Fulchand Sheth of Mahuva asked Swami, "Swami, what must Akshardham be doing at this moment?" The Swami replied, "Akshardham is preparing dadiya (leaf-bowls) in your company." Thus at times Swami was kind enough to talk about his manifestation.