Jina Bhagat belonged to a group of sadhus led by Krishnacharandas Swami. Once, the group went to Rajkot.
One day, Shastriji Maharaj also arrived in Rajkot. He stayed at the house of Krishnaji Ada. When Jina Bhagat heard this news, he felt a strong desire to have the darshan of Shastriji Maharaj. So, early in the morning, under the pretext of going for a bath in the Aji river, Jina Bhagat and three other sadhus went to the house of Krishnaji Ada.
When Shastriji Maharaj awoke at four o’clock, Jadavjibhai informed him that some sadhus had come for darshan. Shastriji Maharaj went to the room in which the sadhus were waiting. Jina Bhagat and the other sadhus paid homage to Shastriji Maharaj and then presented to him a mala and a tumbdi, which had been used by Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami. Shastriji Maharaj was greatly pleased.
Jina Bhagat could not take his eyes off Shastriji Maharaj and looked at him with great reverence. Shastriji Maharaj, too, looked at Jina Bhagat with much affection.
Jina Bhagat thought, “Shastriji Maharaj is worthy of being a guru.” And he mentally accepted Shastriji Maharaj as his guru.
Thus, on 23 August 1909 (Shravan sud 7, V.S. 1965), Jina Bhagat met Shastriji Maharaj for the first time. It was like a river meeting the ocean.