Bhaktaratno

Shivlāl Sheth was a wealthy businessman during the times of Gunatitanand Swami, with assets worth nine lakh rupees. He was raised with the values of Satsang from birth. From childhood, he was blessed with the company and sevā of great paramhansas like Gopālānand Swami, Gunatitanand Swami, Siddhānand Swami, Yogānand Swami, and Bhāyātmānand Swami. This constant association nurtured his bhakti, enabling him to live with detachment in the material world.

Initially, he was closely associated with Gopālānand Swami, but before leaving for Akshardham, Gopālānand Swami advised him, “If you wish to learn both worldly conduct and the path to moksha, go to Junāgadh and seek the guidance of Gunatitanand Swami.” Obeying this āgnā, Shivlālbhāi wholeheartedly engaged in Gunatitanand Swami’s samāgam with deep enthusiasm and with the sole purpose of achieving moksha. He also made significant financial contributions to the Sampradāy. During Harikrishna Maharaj’s murti pratishthā in Gadhpur, he spent ₹22,000 - a vast sum of money - to organize a grand samaiyo (festival). Despite being a great donor, his greatest virtue was his humility.

One day, while Gunatitanand Swami was doing kathā, a crunching sound interrupted the silence. Swami asked, “Who is chewing bones in this assembly?” It turned out that Shivlālbhāi was chewing sopāri (betel nut), and the sound was noticeable. Out of embarrassment, most would want to hide their identity in the large sabhā. Still, Shivlālbhāi - despite his status and prestige - stood up, walked out, spit out the sopāri, and returned to the assembly without hesitation. At that moment, he took a lifelong niyam never to chew sopāri again. Yet, despite being corrected in front of everyone, he felt no resentment or distress! Even with immense wealth and prestige, he humbly accepted his mistake, reflecting his deep dedication to Satsang.

By Gunatitanand Swami’s grace, Shivlālbhāi attained the highest level of restraint over his sense of sight, using his vision only for that which was pure and virtuous. Once, during a family function, his wife’s younger sister (sister-in-law) had been staying at his house for several months. Despite living under the same roof, Shivlālbhāi, who practiced strict discipline in interacting with women, remained completely unaware of her presence. One day, while he was eating, his sister-in-law served him food. By mistake, she poured too much ghee into his rice. As he instinctively glanced up to ask, he saw her for the first time and asked, “When did you arrive?” Hearing this, she was shocked! Even after living in the same house for months, he had never once looked at her! Such was the incredible discipline he had over his senses!

Shivlālbhāi’s depth in meditation was also extraordinary. Once, his father, Bhagā Doshi, requested, “Shivlāl, teach me how to meditate as you do.” Shivlālbhāi humbly replied, “Father, you won’t be able to meditate as I do because before I begin, I first envision setting our entire mansion and the entire city of Botād on fire. I reduce everything to ashes. Then, I discard my own body and sit upon the heap of its remains.” This demonstrated his profound detachment from material possessions and his physical existence.

Having deeply imbibed the principles of Satsang, Shivlāl Sheth devoted his life to selfless service and pure devotion. Despite being a leading donor and a respected householder, he remained humble and spiritually inclined, making his life a powerful source of inspiration for all.