Nathji Bhakt was a uniquely devoted follower of Maharaj. Part of the Vadodara satsang, this devotee purified his life further and further by passing through numerous ordeals of fire.
A highly skilled artisan, Nathji Bhakta practiced the profession of weaving cloth. When selling fabric fit for royalty, he would make a special offer: “If you purchase this cloth for the adornment of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan, I will not charge for my labor.” As a result, Maharaj continuously received royal garments from Vadodara.
Once, after Nathji Bhakta had departed from a sabha in Gadhpur, Maharaj sent a parshad to call him back. The parshad met him on the bridge over the Vishwamitri River in Vadodara. When he delivered the agyna of Maharaj, this devotee returned to Gadhpur immediately from that spot, even though his home was very close by. Such was his zeal for obeying Maharaj’s agyna. When Maharaj learned that Nathji Bhakta had returned all the way from the Vishwamitri bridge, He was exceedingly pleased.
Nevertheless, Nathji Bhakt also faced obstacles in life, such as His beloved sixteen-year-old son passing away. At that time, Nathji Bhakta commemorated his son’s departure to Akshardham by distributing sugar, thereby demonstrating his unwavering faith.
Even when his wife passed away, his bhakti and nishchay did not weaken. When Nathji Bhakt was imprisoned for the sake of the Satsang, Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan Himself appeared to him and accepted a food offering (thal). Furthermore, when he went to rescue the mandir cows in Gadhpur from a butcher, Nathji Bhakta—by the strength of his faith—rendered the butchers as motionless as statues. By the glory of his obedience to agyna and pure upasana, he both witnessed and performed many miracles.