In plain words
As soon as I came back from school, I would tie on a towel, wash the shorts and shirt, put live coals in a brass pot and iron them neatly: this I did every day. If you give them to the washerman for ironing, he asks an anna or two annas. I had no money to give like that. “Why should I not wash My shirt Myself? Why should I not iron it Myself? What other work do I have than that?”: so I thought, and so I did. As soon as I came back from school, I would do the washing. There would be fire in the house. I would take a little of the fire from the hearth into the brass pot and do My ironing. Sometimes Pedda Venkamaraju would come: “What do you need? Shall I have clothes stitched for you?” he would ask. I would not say a word. “What do I need them for? I have some. Do not have clothes stitched for Me,” I would say. One must not waste money. In those days one anna bought two yards of cloth. For one anna you got a shirt, for an anna and a half a pair of shorts. Even then I would not buy. I always did My work Myself. Even today I do My work Myself. You think, “How many people must be working in Swami's room! How many servants there must be!” I let no one serve Me. In that way I have been respecting everyone. So today the world itself respects Me. I said it yesterday too. “Love everyone. Everyone will love you.” If you love everyone, without distinctions of race, religion and caste, everyone will love you. The more you sacrifice, the more greatness comes to you. The harder you toil in serving others, the more greatness comes to you. When anyone comes to the house and asks the children of today, “Where is your father?”: “Go away! I don't know,” they say. The children of today know nothing of respect, courtesy or humility. All of you must speak humbly, speak respectfully, speak with Prema. Only then will you win renown. Only then will everyone love you.