Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan mentions the holy name of Mayaram Bhatt among stalwarts of Swaminarayan way of life in His Holy book Shikshapatri. In one of his holy sermons Vachanamrit (Gadhada last 26), Shree Hari mentions his name as one who would remain unaffected by and dissociated from women and wealth.
Mayaram Bhatt was a champion of the cause of Swaminarayan way of life.
As a youth he lived in Manavadar, a town in the Saurashtra with his brother Govindram. He studied Sanskrit and earned his livelihood by performing religious ceremonies for farmers, landlords and petty princes. The uncertain, intermittent and occasional income couldn’t raise them above poverty. One night the two brothers thought about the various trades they might adopt. The discussion was stopped by the crowing of the cock at dawn when Mayaram said: “Oh! We’ve talked and talked yet have not started our business. It made us forget even to remember God – at least once.”
After the loss of his wife Mayaram had no interest in worldly affairs. So he said to Govindram: “It is better that you look after our professional priesthood to eke out living and I will lead the life of a true Brahmin, devoted only to Brahman, the Essence of God.” Mayaram Bhatt then came to the hermitage of Ramanand Swami at Loj, where he remained forever in the service of Ramanand Swami and later on in the service of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan.
Here he took up the work of writing letters and circulars, served as a messenger for long distances, fixed auspicious days and time according to the almanac and taught people how to worship God with rituals. When pressed to marry again, he persuaded his relatives to wait till he got permission from his religious master. Once his Master showed hostility to this idea he closed the matrimonial chapter forever.
Honesty was one of his several virtues. A woman in dire need of money mortgaged a golden bracelet with him. Three years later when he saw this single golden bracelet in the safe, he got worried that one out of the pair of her bracelet was stolen. So he got a similar bracelet made. When the woman came back to cancel her mortgage he bewildered her by giving both the bracelets but she took only one.
His heart was full of generosity and kindness. Once he offered a ride to a young but sick and weak woman on his horse. An old lady watching this commented: “You’re helping the woman because she is young and beautiful. What if she was old like me?”
That incident taught him something new. From that day Mayaram took an oath not to walk even in the shadow of a woman.
His popularity spread across all boundaries. The state of Manavadar was ruled by a Muslim who had great reverence for Mayaram. At his request he arranged a royal procession followed by another for Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan. Dulhekhan, the ruler of Bantwa, was wonderstruck when Shree Hari read his mind on Muslim religious matters. Mayaram made clever arrangements for royal muslim women to have a Darshan of Shree Hari.
Devotion to Shree Hari was all that Mayaram Bhatt lived for. When Mulji Sheth resigned as the manager cum accountant of Shree Hari due to remarks over his honesty, Shree Hari asked Mayaram to take up the charge and he accepted the offer. He was also entrusted with critical supervision of all sacrificial materials.
His help was sought by Shree Hari over various religious matters. Shree Hari used his wits in deciding the details of an auspicious day. Flattered by this he would modestly say: “O Lord whatever day you decide is always the most auspicious day.” But Shree Hari never made any alternate choice.
Once Shree Hari along with Kathispaid a surprise visit to Mayaram Bhatt at his house and asked him serve meals for them. He suggested some rice preparation. Unknowingly the stock of unclean rice was used for preparing the meals.When Shree Hari started eating the rice, sand-particles hurt his teeth. He simply gulped down all the rice and to his followers, He said: “You are to eat this cooked rice without chewing.” Thus Shree Hari saved Mayaram from an embarrassment.
Mayaram was once asked by Shree Hari to offer food to the idol of Lalji. He did soand then he dined even before Shree Hari was offered food. The followers saw this and complained to Shree Hari. But Shree Hari said: “Food offered to the idol is food offered to me.” (Mayaram was Nagar Brahmin, a caste that considersit to be superior to other Brahmins so some thought that this may be a cause of the dissidence).
Wealth had no meaning for him. Shree Hari once saw Mayaram in an anxious state and asked him: “What is wrong with you? Why have you lost your mood?” Expressing his worry he said: “My lord, my brother Govindam wants to perform the sacred – thread ceremony for his son Naranji. He has approached me but I am not in a position to offer any financial help. “To this Shree Hari inquired: “What are the formalities for this sacred thread ceremony in your community?” and Mayaram said: “A procession is carried out with the child. He rides a horse and in the procession money and coconuts are offered by friends and relatives of the child’s father.”
Amused by this Shree Hari smiled and said: “In my case this part of the ceremony was missed when the sacred thread was given to me. Let me also have this golden chance.” So the ceremony procession had two horse riders. Shree Hari contributed huge money and gifts of coconuts to Mayaram.
At a social gathering food was being prepared by Brahmin cooks who were dressed in trousers like Kathis. As this is considered unholy, Mayaram informed about it to Shree Hari who immediately asked the cook to wear silken pitambars in accordance to the holy tradition.
Deenanath Bhatt was a great Sanskrit scholar and poet. After being misguided by someone he took grudge against Shree Hari forexcludinghis name from the Holy Book, Shikshapatri, as one of the addresses. For this sin his daughter was harassed by an evil spirit that entered her body. After being advised by a true well–wisher he apologized to Shree Hari. Shree Hari sent Mayaram to exorcise the evil spirit from his daughter’s body. At the first glance by Mayaram the daughter was freed from ghost.
He was first to take Shree Hari's letter of self-introduction to Swami Ramanand who was at that time on a holy tour of Kutch region.
Mayaram Bhatt had proven that for real devotion one needs only the true will to serve Shree Hari and that effort never goes unrecognized.