In plain words
To speak of oneself as great and look on others as small is the very nature of a mean man. Only when such bad qualities, such bad feelings, have gone far from man can he be called a man. So we must see God in every person. Only then is some fruit gained in real service. We must not do service for the sake of its fruit; we must do it in the feeling, "This is my lot." Only when we enter the pure, steady, selfless path with such a holy feeling does it earn the name of service.
Embodiments of the divine Ātma! These acts of service are only something you have set yourselves, out of your own Bhakti and prapatti, seeking your own purity and wishing for a higher state; these services and Swami have no connection whatever. Swami's teaching is only this: with the purpose that your dirt may be washed away by karma, cittasya śuddhaye karmaḥ, do karma for purity of citta. Whatever karma you do, however noble the karma, it is only you removing your own dirt. It is a great mistake to think that karma alone brings Mukti or makes birth fruitful. Without purity of citta, how can birth bear its fruit? So you must develop in your hearts the feeling that we are doing this karma for purity of citta. You must rid yourselves of the feeling that the nature of today's karma is to make birth fruitful. You must recognise the truth that this birth has come for such holy niṣkāma karma. From birth karma, from karma Dharma, from Dharma God must come to us. That is janma, karma, Dharma, Brahma. We must try to recognise the close bond of kinship among these four. To slip out of it with the excuse that I have no time to do karma or service, that I have only office work, that I have many other responsibilities besides: this is nothing but weakness. Doing service does not mean only taking up tasks, sweeping the streets and serving the people. In your duty too, in your work too, in the authority you exercise too, to act in the proper way: that also is service. Truly, if you ask how those who hold office in this administration should look on service, to do work worthy of the salary they draw is itself great service. But not one worker, not one officer, is to be seen anywhere who does work worthy of the salary he draws. He only hopes for still more money; but am I doing work worthy of the money, or not? This must be regarded as nothing less than treason to the country.