Many youths from USA and India, who have decided to became sadhus, are traveling as sadhaks with Swamishri. Their daily routine involves them in various seva like washing utensils, slicing vegetables for cooking purposes, sweeping and mopping floors and washing clothes. They also take the opportunity of doing darshan and listening to spiritual discourses.

On 18 December 2004 Swamishri was in Navsari. One morning Swamishri was on his way to his room. He noticed the layers of cement and dirt stuck on the tiled pathway joining the kitchen and his room. For a few moments Swamishri stood there thinking about who to tell to clean up the pathway. One seeing the twenty-five sadhaks traveling with him Swamishri instructed them, "Since you are all traveling with me I would like all of you to clean this pathway now. There shouldn't be one single stain left. I will come here after lunch. Everyone start cleaning right now."

Like Yogiji Maharaj, Swamishri engaged the sadhaks from USA and abroad in seva. The young sadhaks were happy and charged at Swamishri's behest. Every sadhak immediately sat down to clean and scrub the pathway. Though they are not accustomed to menial services Swamishri's words charged them to action.

At around 1.30 pm, after having his lunch, Swamishri came to see the sadhaks doing seva. Swamishri expressed his joy on the sadhaks for doing seva and added, "You are doing it well, but clean the edges properly." Then Swamishri said, "Now that you have nearly done this I'd like you to clean the toilet and bathroom that is a little away from Thakorji's sanctum. You'll have to wash it and spray disinfectant... Do it properly and sincerely."

Swamishri told the sadhaks to wash all the toilets and bathrooms on the mandir precincts. The sadhaks happily agreed to Swamishri's agna (command) and toiled all day long.
 
Swamishri's method of training the sadhaks reminds one of the Upanishadic gurus who engaged their disciples in menial and physical services to dissolve their ego and body-consciousness. The gurus of Aruni, Upmanyu and Satyakam Jabali told them to tend to the cows and do menial services in the ashram and thus made them eligible for divine knowledge.

During his evening address to a satsang assembly at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bharuch Swamishri elaborated upon the ideal Guru-shishya relationship in the Upanishadic era.
We present Swamishri's audio-blessing of that assembly.