Service to humanity is service to God. Nag Mahashay saw that it is God who appears in various human forms, and therefore he would serve each guest with love and respect. No one could leave his house without having been fed. He even reserved a room for visitors to stay in adjacent to his shrine.
Nag Mahashay suffered from chronic colic. Once when he was in pain, some visitors arrived. Since there was no rice or other groceries in the house, he immediately left for the market without a thought about his own condition. He never allowed anyone to carry even large articles for him, and this time, while returning home with a heavy load of rice on his head, he fell on the street, overcome with pain. Plaintively he prayed to Sri Ramakrishna: “Master, what shall I do? The living gods are at my house and I am delayed in serving them. Wretched indeed is this cage of flesh and bones which has created an obstacle to the service of God today.” When the pain subsided a little, he returned home and asked Sharatkamini to cook for their guests immediately. He then bowed down to his visitors and apologized for serving them so late.
Once during the rainy season two guests arrived at night. All of the thatched huts were leaking except one, which was Nag Mahashay’s bedroom. When the guests were fed, he said to his wife: “We are very fortunate today! Can we not sacrifice a little comfort for these living gods? Let us pass the night sitting under the eaves and chanting the name of the Lord.” That wonderful couple then vacated their room for the guests and spent the night under the eaves in meditation and japa.
Since Nag Mahashay could not bear others serving him in any way, he would not allow anyone to repair the roofs of his thatched huts. Whenever he chanced to be away from home for a few days, Sharatkamini would hire someone to make the repairs in his absence. Once he was home for a long period and, although the roof badly needed repairing, she could not find a chance to have it done. Finally she secretly engaged a roofer, hoping the work could be finished quickly before her husband noticed. But Nag Mahashay saw the man working on the roof. He became very disturbed and started hitting his forehead, saying: “Master, why did you ask me to stay at home? I am taking service from others for my comfort. Fie on this householder’s life!” Seeing his agony, the roofer came down. Nag Mahashay fanned him, gave him tobacco, paid him the whole day’s wages, and then sent him home.
When it was necessary for him to travel by boat, he would not allow the boatman to row but insisted on plying the oars himself. During the rainy season the whole village became flooded with water, and it was impossible to visit a neighbour or to go shopping without a boat. But since Nag Mahashay did not have one, his wife had to manage the household with the help of neighbours. Moreover, she had to collect firewood for the entire rainy season beforehand.
Once a young devotee of Nag Mahashay came from Dhaka to visit him. It was a rainy day and there was no boat to cross the inundated area, so he decided to swim, although it was quite a distance. When the devotee reached the northern boundary of Nag Mahashay’s garden it was 9:00 p.m., and he was cold and completely exhausted. Much to his surprise, however, Nag Mahashay was waiting there for him.
“Alas! What have you done?” Nag Mahashay asked. “The fields are infested with venomous snakes at this time. Why did you take such a risk in this dangerous weather?” He hurried the young devotee into the house. Sharatkamini gave him a dry cloth to put on and then rushed to the kitchen to cook food for him, only to find that all the dry firewood was gone. Without a moment’s hesitation Nag Mahashay began cutting down a pole in his house. He would not listen to anyone’s objections. “Here is a man who has come to see me,” he said, “even at the risk of drowning and snakebite, and can I not give up the attachment for this ordinary cottage for him? I would be blessed if I could serve such people at the cost of my life.” (Source: They Lived with God)