december 2008 annual subscription rs. 60 - swaminarayan sanstha

December 2008 Annual Subscription Rs. 60

SHILANYAS CEREMONY8 October 2008, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Jamnagar

Swamishri performed the foundation-stone laying rituals for the new BAPS shikharbaddh mandir. Over 7,500 devotees partici-pated in the ceremony.

Founder: HDH Pramukh Swami MaharajEditor: Sadhu SwayamprakashdasContributors: Sadhu Vivekjivandas, Sadhu AmrutvijaydasDesigner: Sadhu ShrijiswarupdasPublished & Printed by: Swaminarayan Aksharpith,Shahibaug, Ahmedabad–380 004. India.

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December 2008, Vol. 31 No. 12

FIRST WORDCONTENTS1. Swaminarayan History

Fulfilling a Wish in Vartal ....................4Murti-pratishtha in Vartal...

2. Guru ParamparaAstikyam...............................................7Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s faith in God...

3. BAPS FestivalsDiwali and Annakut ...........................11Celebrations in Gondal...

4. VicharanPramukh Swami Maharaj’sVicharan .............................................13

5. Inspiring IncidentsLiving with Swamishri .......................18

6. BAPS NewsRegional Leadership Seminars,North America ....................................20Satsang Shibirs, North America.........20“Iti Vachanamrutm”,Kishore-Kishori Shibir,Sarangpur...........................................21Health Expo, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Auckland, New Zealand ........22Opening of Medical Clinic andCentres for Public Services,Gadhada .............................................22

The invention of the wheel revolutionizedour world of transport. It ushered in a newage in locomotion that made life easier, fasterand joyful. But without the invention ofbrakes and gears, that help us control move-ment, the wheel might not have been as use-ful and safe. The wheel gives motion, but thebrakes regulate motion.

The important quality of any system or situ-ation is the degree of self-control one canexercise. In all kinds of martial arts the initialeffort and discipline strengthens the body andendows speed to our reflexes. Then afterattaining the black belt subsequent higherdegrees are acquired by perfecting self-controland restraint.

God has endowed all life forms with an ele-ment of self-control. Human being’s, however,have the maximum power of self-control. Aproper application of this virtue producesuntold benefits.

We should not view material objects withthe purpose of indulgence. There are limits towhich we should abide by. To help us do sowe need to apply our vivek buddhi or intellectof discrimination. The purer our vivek buddhi,the easier it becomes to exercise self-restraint.And it is with this reason that our great rishisand sages prescribed austerity, vegetarianism,meditation, bhajan, seva and satsang for all topractice. Without these sadhanas it is not pos-sible to sanitize our buddhi and make it virtu-ous and strong. No amount of human skill orintelligence can empower our buddhi withinner purity and soul strength. ◆

Website: www.swaminarayan.orgE-mail: [email protected]

4 Swaminarayan Bliss ◆ December 2008

Shri Hari advised Nathu Bhatt, “Sinceyou have studied the shastras do theynot describe the transcendent form of

God? And from that form do you not knowabout the birth of other divine forms likechaturvyuha, vibhuti avatars,* antaryamin(indweller) and archa (murti)?”

Nathu Bhatt was not aware of this so he sim-ply remained mute and kept looking expectant-ly at Maharaj. Shri Hari elaborated further,“Bhattji, the words of the shastras are very pro-found and difficult to understand by oneself.Those who have studied the shastras say thatSvetvaikunth is the highest divine abode. How-ever in reality the divine abode of Akshardhamis infinitely beyond it. I am the presider andmaster of that abode. Through my will I takebirth in the form that is required in any part ofthe universe. All the divine incarnations areborn from me and again they merge into myform. What wrong has Damodar done by reveal-ing my supreme form? He has talked in accor-dance with the shastras.”

Nathu Bhatt regretted for what he had done,and asked for Maharaj’s forgiveness.

Shri Hari exhorted him, “You must askDamodar to forgive you. Despite the fact that hehas not studied the shastras he has genuine andabsolute faith in me. He strongly believes thatthe root of all shastras is Shriji Maharaj.”

Instantly Nathu Bhatt bowed at the feet ofDamodar. The latter stepped back and said,“Bhattji there is no need to apologise.”

Shri Hari was pleased with Damodar’shumility.

The next day a wealthy widow, Mrs. Parekh,sponsored a meal of dukhpak and other fooditems for Maharaj and his entire group. Shri Harihad his meal and then personally served food tothe sadhus and other devotees. Then Maharajdeparted from Ahmedabad and travelled toJetalpur. Here, his living arrangements weremade in the mahol, a traditional building. Soonthereafter an assembly was arranged beneath atamarind tree. Ashajibhai, a local devotee, hadmade all the arrangements. Shri Hari told him,“Because this village is by the main road I have

Shri Hari sanctifies the home of

Nathu Bhatt in Ahmedabad and

reveals to him the truth of his own

supreme divinity and makes him

realize his error...

Fulfillinga Wish in Vartal

SWAMINARAYAN HISTORY: TRANSLATION: SADHU VIVEKJIVANDAS

*Mahabharat, Shanti Parva: 348-357

made frequent visits here. I shall not stay herelong. I wish to leave tomorrow.” Then Maharajcame to the spiritual assembly. He askedAnandanand Swami, Mahanubhavanand Swami,Swayamprakashanand Swami, Atmanand Swamiand a few others to sit before him. Then Maharajdeclared, “In Adaraj I had appointed four seniorsadhus as sadgurus. Today I want to appointanother eight senior sadhus as sadgurus and givethem the responsibility of the Satsang fellowship.They are firm in following dharma and havestrong conviction in my divine form. So I ask youall to obey the words of Anand Swami,Mahanubhavanand Swami, Swayamprakash-anand Swami and four more sadgurus in the sameway that you obey my words. You must honourthem and abide by their instructions. Since ourSatsang is flourishing day by day I have appoint-ed these twelve sadgurus for its care and nourish-ment. They will spread the light of spiritualknowledge everywhere. I have now given themthe responsibility of fostering Satsang. They willnow steer Satsang on my behalf.” All the sadhusand devotees present were pleased withMaharaj’s declaration. They felt the less the bur-den on Shri Hari the more they would receive hisdivine proximity. Shri Hari would subsequentlybe able to travel frequently to the villages of devo-tees.

Shriji Maharaj departed from Jetalpur andarrived at Vartal via Dabhan. The devoteesrejoiced on having his darshan. Shri Hari said,“I am on my way to Gadhpur so I do not wishto stay here for long.” But the devotees replied,“Your mere darshan imbues our hearts withdivine joy. But when you depart we revert toour natural selves. So just as in Gadhpur youhave consecrated the murtis of Vasudev-Narayanfor the devotees to have darshan in yourabsence we wish you to install your murti here.”Maharaj was pleased to know about their devo-tion. He immediately called Ramdas Swami andsaid, “The devotees of Vartal deeply desire tohave my murti installed here. Show me the

place for its installation.” Ramdas Swamihumbly replied, “Maharaj, the first time whenyou came to Vartal during your travels as Varniyou sat beneath this badari tree. Thereafter onmany occasions you have spoken about theglory of this place. So this would be the bestplace to install your murti.”

Shri Hari approved of the place and gaveinstructions to build a room immediately. “Iwanted to stay here for only a day, but now I’llhave to stay for a few days more to fulfil thedevotees’ wish.” Then Maharaj added, “CallHiraji the sculptor. The murti to be installed willbe called Nar-Narayan.”

“But Nar-Narayan means two forms,” Ram-das Swami added.

Maharaj explained, “I have brought Aksharwith me, yet no one seems to have understoodhim. In the forms of Nar-Narayan, Nar is a partof Akshar and Narayan is my form.”

Hiraji, the sculptor, brought the two murtisof Nar-Narayan. Once the room was builtbeneath the badari tree Maharaj called for thetwo Brahmin pundits from Umreth, Haribhaiand Ghelabhai. They conducted the pratishtharituals and finally Maharaj performed the arti.In this way Shri Hari consecrated his own formby installing the murtis of Nar-Narayan andhinted that he has an ideal devotee who is hisabode. Finally Maharaj said, “Believe these mur-tis of Nar-Narayan to be my form and worshipthem.” Thereafter the devotees were servedprasad.

Dalabhai told Maharaj, “I want to donateland for a magnificent mandir here in Vartal.How much land would you require to build themandir, living quarters for sadhus, an assemblyhall and other things?”

Shri Hari replied, “Let us think about thatafter I return again. Till then you decide on howmuch land you want to give.”

Shriji Maharaj departed from Vartal. He trav-elled to Valotva and took lunch at Vaso. Then hetravelled ahead to Palana, Dholka, Sosarva and

December 2008 ◆ Swaminarayan Bliss 5


camped by the pond on the outskirts of Chikhli.After having lunch Shri Hari proceeded towardsKoth, Javaraj, Adval, Vagad, Nagnesh, Ranpur,Bhesjal and Nagadka. Here he stayed for threedays at the house of Sura Khachar. Then hetravelled to Botad and stayed at the house ofDaha Khachar for ten days. Further on hestayed for another ten days in Sarangpur andfifteen days at the house of Vasta Khachar inKariyani. Shri Hari then proceeded to Jhin-jhavadar to the house of Allaiya Khachar andresided there for seventeen days. From thereMaharaj finally reached Gadhpur. It was nearthe end of the month of Posh (Dec-Jan) in 1819CE.

Shri Hari saw that preparations for the cel-ebrations of Vasant festival were afoot in Gadh-pur. Maharaj stated, “I had not sent word that Iwould be celebrating Vasant here.”

Jivuba replied, “Maharaj, we had so wished,and you always fulfil the wishes of your devo-tees. Dada Khachar (brother) and Lalita (sister)were also saying that you would celebrate Vas-ant here.”

“So it seems that all of you have united inwishing so,” Shri Hari replied with a smile.

“No, Maharaj. That is not so. It is you as theindweller (antaryami) in our hearts who, onknowing our longing, inspired us to make sucha wish,” Jivuba clarified.

As word spread that Maharaj was going tocelebrate the Vasant festival there devoteesstarted flocking to Gadhada. Daily, everyone lis-tened to Maharaj’s discourses and performedseva. Once Maharaj said in his discourse,“When I was travelling in the forests during myvicharan I came across a large pond. There wasa renunciant (bawaji) living in a hut by thepond. I asked, ‘How far is the village fromhere?’ He replied, ‘It is about six kilometres.’ Iasked further, ‘What arrangements do you havefor your lunch and dinner?’ He replied with dis-tress, ‘Oh, I have to walk to the village and begfor alms. But whenever I am too tired to go I

simply fast for that day.’ I was surprised to hearthat. So I asked, ‘Then Bawaji, why don’t youstay near the village? Why do you take suchtrouble?’ On hearing this the Bawaji beamed,‘Look child, what do you know! I had plantedthis banyan tree, and now it is like a son to me.How can I leave it and go elsewhere?’” ThenShri Hari explained, “It is quite easy to under-stand that a person becomes attached to hisown kith and kin, but it is amazing when onebecomes attached to trees, animals and trifleobjects. To free oneself from such bondage onehas to give up the base instincts and realizeone’s true form to be atma through spiritualknowledge.”

During Maharaj’s stay in Gadhada Ramchan-dra Bhatt of Ruvad village in Kanam districtcame with his brother, Ratneshwar, and motherto avail themselves of Maharaj’s divine pres-ence. Whenever Maharaj performed his morn-ing puja, Ramchandra would come and sitbefore him and chant the Vishnusahasranam.Ratneshwar performed whatever seva he wasshown and his mother was with Laduba andJivuba engaged in doing whatever seva she wasgiven.

One day, a twist occurred in the life of Ram-chandra. The reason was Hasan, who ran atobacco business in Gadhpur. On seeing Ram-chandra he remembered that Ramchandra hadsome capital after selling his property and land.So Hasan went up to him with a proposal, “Letus be partners and sell the tobacco I have inSardhar. Then we will share whatever profit orloss we get.”

The naïve and gullible Ramchandra did notrealize Hasan’s crafty ways. He only thoughtthat he would earn a little more money, andadd it to his capital. Thereafter, he could happi-ly do bhajan. Thus Ramchandra decided toaccompany Hasan to Sardhar. ◆

(To be contd.)

Astikta is the belief that God exists.

God infuses astikta in the hearts of his

devotees. God is the source from

which an aspirant develops true

conviction in God. You cannot form

a sentence without a subject.

Similarly, God is the sole basis

of spirituality.


Astikta has many meanings:God is the all-doer. Even when theentire creation is destroyed a devotee

should remember that God still exists and has adivine form.

God is present in the eight types of murtis.He blesses the devotees and fulfils their wishes.

Also, astikta includes faith in the word ofGod, the Vedas and other spiritual texts.

The Gunatit Sadhu is the closest to God.Therefore, he is the ideal astik devotee. He hasexperienced and realized God; he lives astikta.Pramukh Swami Maharaj (Swamishri) sees Godin everyone and everything. Swamishri hasimmeasurable faith and conviction in God’smurtis. He knows that they are not merely asymbol or form of God. In fact, he knows thatGod is present in the murtis.


The murti of Shri Harikrishna Maharaj heworships and serves daily is dearer to him thanlife.

In 1988 in Zimbabwe a TV reporter, MosesFisi, pointed to the murti of HarikrishnaMaharaj and asked, “What is that a symbol of?”

Swamishri replied, “This is not a symbol.This is Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He inspires usand guides us in everything that we do. Weworship him. He fulfils the devotees’ wishes andlooks after their wellbeing. God is omnipresent,but he is always present in this murti. We offereverything to him before we use it.”

Swamishri’s faith in murtis is evidentthrough this dialogue.

* * *Just observing Swamishri serve and worship

Bhagwan Swaminarayan instills astikta in oth-ers.

Shri Harikrishna Maharaj is the small metal-lic murti of Bhagwan Swaminarayan whichSwamishri keeps with him wherever he travels.Also referred to as ‘Thakorji’, the murti was ini-tially from Junagadh. Aksharbrahman Gunati-tanand Swami used to worship the same murti.When Yogiji Maharaj left Junagadh, he wasgranted permission to take the murti with him.Yogiji Maharaj served the murti until he passedaway to Akshardham on 23 January 1971.Since then, Swamishri has served the murtiwith the conviction that God is manifest within.

Thakorji is Swamishri’s life. His existence iscentred around Thakorji. He offers everythingto him before he eats, drinks or uses it.

Swamishri keeps Thakorji in the forefrontwhen he is honoured, or when he is inaugurat-ing something. Grand celebrations and evenpadhramanis are performed with Thakorji as thecentre of attention. Swamishri believes thateverything is due to his grace and blessings.

In 1988, Swamishri was getting ready to goto a satsang assembly in a local community cen-tre in Atlanta. A devotee walked up toSwamishri and demanded to meet him. He was

building a motel and wanted Swamishri’s bless-ings. He had brought some soil from his proper-ty in a cloth. He wanted Swamishri to step on itand consecrate it.

Swamishri called Brahmatirth Swami andtold him to bring Thakorji. Before the attendantsadhus could figure out what was going on,Swamishri sat down on the floor, took Thakorjiinto his hands and placed him on the soil. Hechanted the dhun and placed flower petals onthe soil. He told the devotee that the motelwould turn out perfect because Thakorji hadconsecrated it.

The devotee was overjoyed, but more impor-tantly, this incident showed Swamishri’sunflinching devotion to and faith in BhagwanSwaminarayan.

The Mayor of Nairobi had come to presentSwamishri the Key to the City. As he walked toSwamishri to present him with the award,Swamishri led him by the hand and broughthim to Thakorji. He told the Mayor to offer it toThakorji and then accepted it.

* * *Swamishri always shows his reverence for

Thakorji.If at times Thakorji’s seat is lower than his,

Swamishri immediately instructs, “This isn’tright! God is almighty. We are his servants, somake sure his seat is higher than mine.”

Swamishri was inaugurating the newly builtair-conditioned J.J. Market in Surat. He arrivedon the stage and noticed that there was a lavishseat for him and a very simple one for Thakorji.Swamishri told the attendant sadhu to placeThakorji on his seat while he sat on a plain one.It was only after the devotees decorated Thako-rji’s seat that Swamishri took his seat.

Once, Swamishri was exhausted from travel-ling all day. He arrived in Mahelav at about8:00 p.m. The devotees had organized a proces-sion around the village. Though Swamishri wasextremely tired, he got onto the tractor andpleased the many devotees who were present.


Nearing the end of the procession, a devoteeextended his hands to garland Swamishri.Swamishri grabbed his hand and said, “Offer itto Thakorji first and then to me.”

Swamishri remembers Thakorji even amidstchaos.

If anyone tries to commend him on his devo-tion towards Thakorji, he says, “I don’t do any-thing for Thakorji. He provides for us. Who arewe to take care of him? He takes care of us.”

* * *Swamishri cares for Thakorji even when his

own health is failing him.In 1998, Dr Jeffrey Moses and Dr William

Schwarz completed Swamishri’s angiography atLenox Hill Hospital in New York. They urged foran emergency bypass operation. Dr Subramani-um was called and he prepared himself for theoperation. In the meantime, Swamishri hadbeen fully examined and prepared for the majorsurgery. The time was 11:30 a.m. Swamishridecided to go in for surgery at 3:00 p.m. Thephysicians explained that it was not a good ideato delay. They should perform the bypass assoon as possible. Still, Swamishri insisted towait till 3:00 p.m. The doctors acceptedSwamishri’s wish. So, Swamishri waited in hisICU room as sadhus read the HaricharitramrutSagar and sang bhajans.

At exactly 3:00 p.m. Swamishri entered theoperation theatre with Thakorji at his side.Arrangements had been made for Thakorji to beseated near him. It was a major operation, buteveryone breathed a sigh of relief after it wascompleted successfully.

After two weeks, while Swamishri wasrecovering at Dr Mahendrabhai’s house inWestchester, the sadhus asked why he hadinsisted on waiting until 3:00 p.m. to begin theoperation.

Swamishri explained, “If we went in at threeo’clock, we would be able to serve Thakorji thaland let him rest for a while before waking himup. We would be able to work according to his

schedule and not inconvenience him.”Swamishri’s focus has always been Thakorji

and his seva. He has never thought of himself.* * *

Another symbol of his astikta is mandirs.Swamishri has built traditional mandirs aroundthe world that are alive with spiritual and cul-tural activities. These mandirs are not just mar-vels of ancient Indian architecture. They are asymbol of Swamishri’s faith in Bhagwan Swami-narayan. Worldwide, he has inspired over 750mandirs.

These mandirs are a haven for spiritual andreligious activities that infuse astikta in thosethat visit them. Swaminarayan Akshardham inNew Delhi, and traditional mandirs in London,Nairobi, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and Torontoinspire hundreds of thousands of individuals tolive morally pure and spiritually enriched lives.

Hundreds of people leave the campuses ofthese magnificent mandirs with a revived senseof faith and belief in God.

Mahendrabhai Jamnadas Amin wouldalways house sadhus when they visited Nadiad.In fact, he had been doing so since YogijiMaharaj’s time. His wife, Bhanuben, had alwaysbeen a firm believer in community service.

One afternoon, Mahendrabhai came homeafter talking to Swamishri about the plans forthe new mandir in Vaso. He started telling hiswife about it, but she wasn’t too impressed,“Building mandirs is like piling stones on top ofeach other. Your Swami should build hospitalsand community centres to help the needy.”Mahendrabhai decided it was best not to argue.

That evening, Swamishri came to Mahen-drabhai’s house. Swamishri was sitting talkingto Mahendrabhai and his male relatives aboutthe Vaso mandir, “The mandir will be fabulous.It’s a shame that some people do not under-stand the importance of a mandir. They thinkthat these mandirs are just lifeless stone struc-tures. They are a source of spirituality and val-ues. There is a time in everyone’s life when they


need solace and comfort. These mandirs pro-vide that comfort and peace. That is why webuild mandirs.”

Bhanuben was sitting in a nearby room andheard Swamishri’s discourse. She immediatelyrealized her mistake. She felt a surge of devo-tion overflow in her heart. Swamishri’s talkshad breathed faith and conviction in her. Shewas convinced that Swamishri’s mandirsbreathed spirituality.

Swamishri’s intense faith in God has inspiredmany atheists and agnostics to believe in God’sexistence.

Satish Gujral is a renowned architect and thebrother of former Indian Prime MinisterIndrakumar Gujral. He has never believed inGod! He had never visited mandirs or bowed tomurtis.

After hearing a lot about SwaminarayanAkshardham, New Delhi, Satish Gujral came tovisit it with his wife in November 2005. Theatmosphere was different. He was feeling spiri-tually inclined. He couldn’t seem to figure outwhy, but he couldn’t resist going to meet Pra-mukh Swami Maharaj. The rest is bestdescribed in his own words, “I am an atheist,but this monument has the power to make anatheist believe in God! The atmosphere here isbeyond logic and reason. There is a divinepower behind all of this. I can feel it. I feel thatit is still with me. Don’t get me wrong, I haveseen the world. I have seen plenty of monu-ments, but I have never seen anything like thisbefore. It is mind boggling. I am an architectmyself and I have seen plenty of architecturalwonders, but this is different. Given the limita-tions in India, this project should have takenabout 50 years. Swamishri completed it in five!What they have made is truly remarkable. Mon-uments like these cannot be explained withlogic. This monument is different to all others.It will attract many more people.”

Thousands of devotees across the world havethe firm faith that God is always present on

earth. The reason behind that faith isSwamishri’s presence. He has nourished thatfaith on various occasions.

On 23 January 2006, Swamishri was inMumbai paying a special tribute to YogijiMaharaj. A youth stated his confusion, “Today,when they were singing Yogiji Maharaj’s bha-jans I thought of Brahmanand Swami. He wasdevastated when Bhagwan Swaminarayan lefthis mortal body for Akshardham. I am worriedabout what will happen to us in the future…”

Swamishri replied, “Always remember thatBhagwan Swaminarayan never left and is nevergoing to leave. He will be present through theGunatit Sadhu forever. He may change formsand be present through different mortal bodies,but he is always present. You will love andbecome attached to the other form too. Nevereven think that Bhagwan Swaminarayan hasleft this world.”

Bhagwan Swaminarayan describes theimportance of understanding God as alwayspresent on earth in Vachanamrut I- 37:

“There is a person who has bhakti for God inhis heart. He understands that the manner inwhich the incarnate form of God resides on thisearth, and the manner in which the devotees ofGod remain in the vicinity of God is exactly howthey remain when atyantik pralay occurs. Healso understands that God and his devotees pos-sess a form; but never does he understand themto be formless…A sadhu with such conviction isso highly respected by me that even I place thedust of his feet on my head. In my mind, I amafraid of harming him, and I also long to havehis darshan…In fact, the darshan of such a trueBhakta of God is equivalent to the darshan ofGod himself. He is so great that his darshanalone can redeem countless wretched jivas.”

◆- Translation by Yogi Trivedi, USA,

from ‘Jena Gune Rijhya Girdhari’ by Sadhu Aksharvatsaldas

28 October 2008, Gondal; DiwaliAt 6.40 p.m. Swamishri arrived on stage for

the mahapuja rituals of Chopda pujan. Thefunction was arranged on the mandir grounds.Thousands of accounts books were arrangedneatly on stage. Swamishri participated in themahapuja rituals till they concluded at 7.40p.m.

Viveksagar Swami addressed the large num-ber of devotees. Finally, Swamishri blessedeveryone, “People either take their accountsbooks to a mandir for sanctification or they do

the rituals at home. The rituals are done tobless one with pure thoughts so that one canearn money successfully and use it in a benevo-lent way. The rituals may appear formal, butthey are in accordance to our shastras and cul-ture. God is pleased by such rituals. We alwayshave God in the forefront of all our festivals.By keeping God in the forefront of all our activi-ties, God will bless us.”

In conclusion, Swamishri blessed all theaccount books by showering flower petals andrice grains.


Diwali and Annakut28-29 October 2008, Gondal

Swamishri performs arti during Chopda Pujan


29 October 2008, Gondal; New Year’s DayThousands of devotees had gathered for

Swamishri’s morning puja darshan on NewYear’s Day. Sadhus sang prayers and bhajansduring Swamishri’s puja. Thereafter Swamishrigave blessings for the New Year, “Since the timeof Yogiji Maharaj the annual annakut festival iscelebrated here with great devotion and joy.The annakut festival is celebrated in all ourmandirs and in all Vaishnav mandirs. ShrijiMaharaj celebrated festivals to allow bhakti toflourish in the hearts of devotees. Bhakti shouldbe offered in accordance with dharma. All ofyou have done a lot of bhakti. Today, we willhave darshan of annakut. May all be inspired byGod and attain peace by doing his darshan.

“Bhakti done with dehbhav does not last,because it is soiled with ego and jealousy. But

bhakti performed without mayik-bhav pleasesGod.” Swamishri further explained that oneshould not look at the faults of others but lookwithin oneself and make efforts to dissolveone’s own faults.

At 11.35 a.m. Swamishri went before Thako-rji in the mandir and sang thals. The annakutitems in all the three shrines of Thakorji hadbeen arranged beautifully. At 12.00 noonSwamishri performed Govardhan puja and theannakut arti in all three shrines. ThereafterSwamishri performed the annakut arti inAkshar Deri and blessed Maharaja Jyoti Bapu ofGondal and devotees.

In all, 20,000 devotees had annakut darshanduring the whole day. ◆

Annakut offered to Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj, Gondal

1 September to 30 October 2008, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Bhadra, Gondal

Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s


Swamishri observes the new mandirunder construction, Bhadra

Shastriji Maharaj’s Smruti Parva assembly, Ahmedabad

Swamishri’s daily ritual in Ahmedabadincluded darshan of Thakorji at 7.30a.m. and thereafter he performed puja

in the assembly hall where devotees would havedarshan. Prior to his puja Viveksagar Swamiconducted a discourse on Yogi Gita. WhenSwamishri came daily to perform his morningpuja volunteer-devotees of different suburbs ofthe city displayed information about their sat-sang activities. Swamishri would bless themand also those who had pilgrimaged by foot tothe mandir.

Every Sunday Swamishri attended theevening satsang assembly and gave blessings tothe devotees.

During festive days the festival was cele-brated during Swamishri’s morning puja afterwhich he gave blessings.

For 15 days Swamishri had EECP treatment(4-18 September).

11 September 2008, Ahmedabad; Jal JhilaniAfter the mangala arti at 6.00 a.m. a ritual

procession of Thakorji, in celebration of Jal Jhi-

lani, was carried out in a decorated palanquin.Senior sadhus and devotees circumambulatedthe mandir amidst singing of bhajans and withchildren dressed in festive costumes. Thereafterthe procession terminated in the assembly hallwhere a mahapuja was held. Prior toSwamishri’s arrival Viveksagar Swami explainedthe meaning and significance of the festival.When Swamishri arrived he performed the artiof the mahapuja and then performed his dailypuja. During puja sadhus sang bhajans and thecustomary five artis were performed at regularintervals. During the bhajans Thakorji wasplaced in a remote-controlled boat in a largemakeshift pool in the assembly hall. Swamishri’sHarikrishna Maharaj was placed in anothersmaller pool before him. As the sadhus sangbhajans in consonance with the occasion a pro-jection of different pictures related to Jal Jhilaniappeared on a wide-screen backdrop on stage.The fifth and final arti was performed bySwamishri. Thereafter he blessed the assembly,“Because there is bhakti in our hearts for Godwe make such arrangements to please him.


Bhakti means to devotionally offer God what weuse for our happiness. Bhagwan Swaminarayanhad bathed in the river Sabarmati often. God isdivine, whereas everything and everyone else ismayik. When the mayik comes in associationwith the Divine it becomes divine. So we mustassociate with God. This means doing dailypuja, darshan, listening to spiritual discoursesand singing kirtans in the morning. Then oneshould perform one’s worldly duties. And again,on returning in the evening, one should offerprayers, arti and do ghar sabha. Associationwith God also means taking refuge in him, hav-ing firm faith and conviction in him and offer-ing bhakti… May you remember this occasionin your last moments and attain Akshardham.”

Finally, Swamishri also sailed the boat onwhich Shri Harikrishna Maharaj was installedwith a remote control console. The entire hall,full of devotees, was overjoyed at the divinedarshan of the Jal Jhilani festival. After 23 years(1985) Swamishri celebrated the festival inAhmedabad. Thousands of devotees hadobserved a waterless fast on this day because itwas a major ekadashi.

18 September 2008, Ahmedabad; ShastrijiMaharaj’s Smruti Parva

After Thakorji’s darshan Swamishri wasgoing towards the assembly hall to perform hismorning puja. Since it was a memorial day ofShastriji Maharaj in the shraadha periodSwamishri was adorned with a pagh similar towhat Shastriji Maharaj used to wear. On theway he was greeted by youths who weredressed up as famous devotees from the time ofShastriji Maharaj. During Swamishri’s morningpuja bhajans on Shastriji Maharaj’s glory andwork were sung by sadhus. Twice Swamishriraised his left hand in acknowledgement to thewords “Yagnapurush is with us” when they weresung in his puja. After his puja Swamishri washonoured by senior sadhus with garlands andshawls. A variety of calendars for the year 2009

were inaugurated by Swamishri. FinallySwamishri blessed the assembly, “ShastrijiMaharaj had come from Akshardham, so fromchildhood he performed bhakti even while heplayed. He consecrated the murtis of Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj despite the flurry of trialsand tribulations. He did not care for fame orglory. He had single-minded faith, that the prin-ciple of Akshar-Purushottam is genuine. So hebuilt mandirs and proclaimed it to the world.”

More than 14,500 devotees attended thecelebration and took mahaprasad.

Programme HighlightsAHMEDABAD

3 (Sunday): Swamishri performed pujanand arti of the murti of Shri Ganeshji on the occa-sion of Ganesh Chaturthi in the BAPS mandir.

7 (Sunday): Swamishri’s blessings during theevening satsang assembly, “Shriji Maharaj,Gunatitanand Swami, Shastriji Maharaj and YogijiMaharaj have explained that we should not feeland think that we have heard enough discoursesand kirtans. We never tire or think it to be enoughwhile doing our social duties like earning money atwork, travelling abroad, or eating good food.”

14 (Sunday): Swamishri’s blessings in theevening satsang assembly, “You must do yourworldly duties but be ever alert not to get soiledby kusang. To see without, and to eat and drinkoutside is all kusang. One spends painful,unhappy days when one looks at and eatsthings that corrupt oneself.”

15 (Monday): Five thousand kishores andkishoris attended Swamishri’s morning puja aspart of Kishore Day.

21 (Sunday): Swamishri inaugurated theSanstha’s Herbal website, www.herbal.baps.org.Thereafter he blessed the satsang assembly,“Whatever discourses we listen to we need to reflectand repeat and then only can we realize them.”

30 (Tuesday): A wonderful annakut hadbeen arranged before Thakorji. Swamishri per-formed the annakut arti of Thakorji.

1 October 2008, Ahmedabad, JamnagarSwamishri departed from Ahmedabad at

11.00 a.m. and landed at Jamnagar airport at11.30 a.m. He was welcomed by the Collector,Shri V.P. Patel. On approaching the new proposedmandir site Swamishri was welcomed by devo-tees waving BAPS flags, children dressed as devasshowering flowers and youths adorned in accor-dance with the BAPS six-point theme of siddhant,sadhuta, seva, samarpan, samp and satpurush.Swamishri then went to the small hari mandir onsite for darshan. Children performed a welcomedance while Swamishri gave darshan to theassembly. More than 2,500 devotees were presentduring the brief welcome ceremony.

5 October 2008, JamnagarIn the evening satsang assembly Viveksagar

Swami gave a discourse. Thereafter youths per-formed a drama on ‘Samat Patel’ – a dedicateddevotee in the time of Shriji Maharaj. Then theMayor, Shri Kanaksinh Jadeja, MLA Shri Laljib-hai Solanki and district president of BJP ShriNileshbhai Udani honoured Swamishri withgarlands. Finally Swamishri blessed the assem-bly, “God does not take things away from any-one, but he gives to all. He will be pleased if weoffer faithful devotion to him without beingjealous of others. Through spiritual discoursesour life becomes pure and through mandirs weattain peace by offering bhakti.”

8 October 2008, Jamnagar; Foundation-stone Laying Ceremony

At the age of 87 years Swamishri personallywished to perform the foundation-stone layingceremony for the grand shikharbaddhSwaminarayan mandir in Jamnagar. The Vedicrituals commenced at 7.00 a.m. The entire wallsof the foundation pit were adorned with red plas-tic and saris. A small canopy was set up over themain platform for the ritual ceremony. In all,there were 27 main shilas. On each of the shilas,Tyagvallabh Swami, Viveksagar Swami, Kothari

Jnanprasad Swami and other sadhus, guests anddevotees performed the rituals. Thousands ofdevotees also performed the rituals with eachhaving a foundation brick before them. WhenSwamishri arrived he performed the foundation-stone laying rituals from the main stage. Morethan 7,500 devotees participated in the rituals.After completing the rituals an assembly washeld. The invited guests who honouredSwamishri were Mayor Kanaksinh Jadeja, RetiredAir Marshal Mehra, MLA Mulubhai Bera, MLALaljibhai Solanki, Collector V.P. Patel, CityCommissioner K.N. Bhatt, IGP Shri Rabari, DSPShri Jotangiya, Air Force Head Shri Harikumarand district president of BJP Shri NarendrabhaiTrivedi. The former Defence Minister of India,Shri George Fernandes, sent a goodwill messagefor the occasion and regretted for being unable toattend the function due to ill health.

His message was read out in the assembly,“Unfortunately, I will not be able to be physical-ly present, but shall be very much there in mindand spirit. This is because I deeply value and


Swamishri performs rituals during thefoundation-stone laying ceremony, Jamnagar


appreciate the great work of national pride,goodness and unity that HDH Pramukh SwamiMaharaj is doing through the many BAPS ser-vices of health, education, culture and characterthroughout the world. Also, amazing culturalcentres like Swaminarayan Akshardham inDelhi and Gandhinagar have become places ofgreat inspiration and integration. But mostimportantly, I value the humility and simplicityof Swamiji, whom I have met a few times, andwhose presence has filled me with utter calmand spiritual peace. Today, I extend my full sup-port to the new complex at Jamnagar and thevalues upheld by BAPS… I salute all ideals andinstitutions that work for unity, peace andprogress of our people and our nation and BAPSis one that I personally respect and revere. Maythe centre at Jamnagar help elevate society inthe right moral, ethical and spiritual directionwhich remains the urgent need of our times.”

Collector Shri V.P. Patel said, “The BAPSSwaminarayan mandirs are centres of cultureand character-building. Primarily they inculcatevalues among the young.”

Commissioner Shri K.N. Bhatt expressed hisfeelings, “Only through God’s grace can amandir be built here. Pramukh Swami’s unique-ness is that no matter how great his accomplish-ments, he is simple, humble, polite and deter-mined.” Mayor Shri Kanaksinh Jadeja said, “A

golden sun has dawned in the form of Pra-mukh Swami in Jamnagar today. An edifice tobuild character is going to be constructed here.”

Finally, the assembly climaxed withSwamishri’s blessings, “The foundation-stonelaying ceremony has been performed in thepresence of God, officers, everyone and espe-cially Marshal Saheb. The foundation ritualswere completed nicely through the cooperationof officials, devotees, businessmen and every-one. The crux of the matter is that we shouldnever forget God who has given us this life. Hehas given us this life so that we may do goodworks, serve the nation and society. People inour country have a lot of spiritual faith. Thereare thousands of mandirs in which devoteesworship God according to their means andfaith. Yogiji Maharaj used to say, ‘May God dogood of all.’ God has given us this human bodyso that we can do our social duties, and offerservice to the nation and God. Together withthis we must also strive for self-elevation.”

The assembly concluded at 11.07 a.m. About12,000 devotees were served mahaprasad.

12 October 2008, Gunatitnagar (Bhadra)On the previous day Swamishri observed

the ongoing construction work of BAPS shikhar-baddh mandir in Bhadra.

After Swamishri’s morning puja the murti ofShri Harikrishna Maharaj was honoured by devo-tees. In conclusion Swamishri blessed the gath-ering of devotees, “Gunatitanand Swami,Akshardham incarnate, was born here. Heinspired satsang in thousands and thus performeda great service on earth. We can have darshan ofsuch a great person’s birthplace and also see themandir coming up here before us. Though the vil-lage of Bhadra is small the great avatar ofAkshardham was born here… You strive withfaith at work, business, in farming and studying,similarly, by making effort and having faith in thewords of God and his Sadhu one can accomplisheverything. To become free of all misery one has

Over 7,500 devotees participate in thefoundation-stone laying ceremony, Jamnagar

to abide by the moral commands and also believeoneself to be atma, akshar or brahman.”

In the evening Swamishri went to the holyriver Und.

14 October 2008, Gondal; Sharad PurnimaAt 6.50 p.m. Gunatitanand Swami’s birthday

celebration commenced on the grounds of themandir farm. The celebration theme was “I am eter-nal”. In the beginning, Pujya Siddheshwar Swamiand Pujya Viveksagar Swami addressed the assem-bly. Then children and teenagers performed a wel-come dance. Thereafter, Swamishri arrived on thefestival stage. More than 25,000 devotees were pre-sent in the assembly. Pujya Ishwarcharan Swamitalked about how Gunatitanand Swami spread theglory of Shriji Maharaj. Pujya Dr Swami discoursedon Gunatitanand Swami’s saintliness which ispresently reflected in Swamishri’s life. PujyaMahant Swami elaborated upon GunatitanandSwami as being Aksharbrahman, and thatGunatitanand Swami is Swamishri. After each ofthe speeches an arti was performed by senior sad-hus, devotees and the chief guest, Maharaja ofGondal Shri Jyoti Bapu, and Shri Shivraj Bapu.

Swamishri inaugurated a bhajan CD MurtiPyari Re sung by children. Thereafter he washonoured with garlands by senior sadhus. Thekishores of Gondal Satsang mandal performed

a traditional dance. Finally, Swamishri blessedthe assembly, “Today it is Sharad Punam. It is aday of joy, peace, coolness and one which calmsour thoughts. Gunatitanand Swami discoursedin Junagadh. His talks, related to faith and trustin God, were penetrating. The listeners wereinspired to offer bhakti, realize the glory ofGod, dissolve their worldly desires and experi-ence the eternal happiness of their own atma.When one understands the true glory of Godone realizes the futility of worldly joys and plea-sures. And that was why Shriji Maharaj broughtGunatitanand Swami with him to teach us.”

At 10.05 p.m. Swamishri performed the finalarti. Everyone in the assembly also performed arti.

22 October 2008, GondalAfter his morning puja Swamishri performed the

murti-pratishtha rituals of BAPS hari mandirs forThangadh (Surendranagar district), Chalasan(Mahesana district) and Parvala (Gadhada district).

31 October 2008, GondalAfter his morning puja Swamishri performed the

pratishtha rituals of murtis for BAPS hari mandirs inBhesan and Budhel in Bhavnagar district. ◆

- Gujarati text by Sadhu Priyadarshandas

Translation: Sadhu Vivekjivandas


Swamishri on stage during the Sharad Punam celebration assembly, Gondal


THE RIGHT TRADITION

7 September 2008, Sunday, AhmedabadWhile Swamishri was going towards the

assembly hall for the Sunday satsang assemblyhundreds of devotees were seated in the mandirgrounds. As Swamishri passed by, devotees hon-oured him by hailing his name aloud, “PramukhSwami Maharaj ni jai.” The wave of jais pro-gressed as Swamishri advanced towards theassembly hall. Swamishri did not approve of theloud jais, saying, “When the discourse is inprogress none should hail the jais.” Swamishrifirst went to the ground floor assembly stage togive darshan to the devotees. They were view-ing the assembly, held in a hall below them, ona large screen. On leaving the stage Swamishrisaid, “The proclaiming of jais should be stoppedbecause the discourse is in progress below.”

“But the sound of jais cannot reach theassembly hall below,” someone said.

“But what’s the point in repeating the samejai again and again. They should say the jais ofMaharaj and the guru parampara,” Swamishrisaid.

“Your personality is such that people sayyour jais aloud,” a disciple replied.

“But it should not be done by forgetting thename of Shriji Maharaj and the guruparampara. They should say their jais.”

Swamishri insists upon the tradition ofremembering God and the gurus first while pro-claiming the jais. He also believes that the jaisshould not be hailed if they disturb a discourse.

RESOLVING A STUDENT’S DEPRESSION

14 September 2008, AhmedabadA young doctor met Swamishri. He was

studying surgery, but because he found it diffi-cult he was feeling depressed. He even contem-plated on committing suicide.

INSPIRING INCIDENTS: TRANSLATION: SADHU VIVEKJIVANDAS

Living With Swamishri


Swamishri asked him, “Why do you feel thisway.”

He replied, “No matter how hard I work Isimply can’t cope up. Because of this my seniorsare harassing me. I feel as if I won’t be able tostudy at all.”

Swamishri advised, “If that is so then changeyour subject to another stream of medicine.Don’t ever contemplate committing suicide.There is no need to die. And don’t slip into thehabit of addictions. Pray to God. I too will prayfor you. Things will work out well.”

OUR RELATION WITH GOD

6 October 2008, JamnagarA devotee introduced a relative of his to

Swamishri, “He is my relative and a satsangitoo. The problem is that only when he so wish-es, he does the puja.”

Swamishri blessed him, “Our relations withothers come and go, but our relation with Godis for all times. So you must do puja and bhajaneveryday.”

GIVING UP A BAD HABIT

9 October 2008, Jamnagar, BhadraA youth came to meet Swamishri. Many

years before Swamishri had made great effortsin helping him give up his drinking habit. Theyouth had given it up altogether but he was stillhabituated to smoking. When Swamishri toldhim to give up smoking the youth replied, “Thebigger habit has gone altogether. Now, it’s onlythe smaller one that remains.”

Swamishri advised, “It’s good that you’vegive up the bigger one, but if you keep thesmaller one then it will allow the bigger one tocreep in again. So make sincere efforts to give itup.”

HAVING FIRM FAITH IN GOD

17 October 2008, GondalA devotee rang from New York to tell

Swamishi that his deceased forefathers weretroubling him.

Swamishri enquired, “Who are they trou-bling? Do they possess anyone physically?”

“No. It is just that my brother’s business andmine aren’t running well.” After listening tomore details Swamishri advised, “It is all due toyour past karmas. (prarabhda). There is noneed to be superstitious. Chant the JanmangalNamavali daily. I will pray for you in AksharDeri. If your business is in loss then close itdown and think of starting another one. Tell allin your house to vest their faith in God’s power.If you become superstitious then you will startthinking in that way. Whatever is decided byour prarabhda is what we get in life. Wasn’tDada Khachar a true devotee? But still he hadto face problems and miseries. Ashabhai andIshwarbhai during the time of Shastriji Maharajwent through a lot of trials. But because of theirfirm and singular faith God restored everything.So, be strong. I will pray for you in AksharDeri.” Then Swamishri told an attendant sadhuto remind him the next morning to pray for thedevotee.

The following day Swamishri prayed to Godto resolve the devotee’s problem.

◆


Between June and October 2008, sixRegional Leadership Seminars wereheld in which over 2,330 men and

women volunteers participated. The theme was‘Mahãjano Yena Gataha Sa Panthãhã’, meaning,follow the path of the great.

Through these seminars, the senior volun-teers serving in the various departments at allBAPS mandirs and centres throughout NorthAmerica were given focused training.

The volunteers were given guidance on puri-ty in personal life and the practical issuesencountered while fulfilling their duties.

The shibirs were conducted by sadhus of theUSA central office and visiting sadhus fromIndia. Experienced veteran volunteers alsoshared their experiences. Through speeches,multimedia presentations, discussions, question-answer sessions and department-specific work-shops many issues were discussed.

The volunteers departed with a strengthenedfeeling that as custodians of Satsang, they wereresponsible for fulfilling their duties sincerelyand inspiring others. ◆

Atotal of 26 Satsang Shibirs were heldthroughout North America based on thetheme ‘Sakhi Samjanmã Ghanu Sukh

Chhe’, meaning the key to happiness is under-

standing. Approximately 11,500 devotees partici-pated in these two-day shibirs held at variousBAPS centres between June and October 2008.

The theme was re-inforced through speechesby experienced and learned sadhus, question-answer sessions, workshops, audio-visual pre-sentations and cultural programmes.

Guidance was given on the understandingrequired to balance satsang, personal and familylife, placing emphasis on the prime role of gharsabha. At a deeper level, devotees were enlight-ened on one’s true spiritual nature, and theglory of God and guru.

The participants were inspired and resolvedto progress in their observance of satsangniyams and values. ◆

REGIONAL LEADERSHIP SEMINARSJune to October 2008, North America

SATSANG SHIBIRSJune to October 2008, North America

Workshop session

Group photo of shibir participants, Toronto

B A P S N E W SBAPS NEWS

A total of 1,910 kishores and kishorisfrom Surat utilized their Diwalivacation by attending this shibir in

Sarangpur on the theme of Bhagwan Swami-narayan’s Vachanamrut.

The aim of the shibir was to inspire theyoungsters to read and study the Vachanamrutdaily and also to practice values which strength-en moral, spiritual and family values.

The shibir highlighted the glory of theVachanamrut as an unparalleled shastra; howits messages are relevant even today and howto practice them in daily life; and the uniquephilosophy revealed by Bhagwan Swaminarayanin the Vachanamrut.

Through speeches by senior sadguru sadhusand other learned sadhus, multimedia presenta-tions, skits, quizzes, discussions and question-

answer sessions, the shibir messages were com-prehensively conveyed to all the youngsters.

At the end of the shibir all the participantspledged to read and study the Vachanamrutdaily and to bow to their parents daily. ◆

“ITI VACHANAMRUTM”Kishore-Kishori Shibir

1 to 5 November 2008, Sarangpur, India


Group discussion with Ishwarcharan Swami


On Saturday 15 November 2008 aHealth Expo was organized by BAPSCharities at BAPS Shri Swami-

narayan Mandir in Auckland, New Zealand. The Health Expo was inaugurated with the

recital of Vedic prayers. It was supported by themedical fraternity and the exhibitors: DiabetesFoundation, Arthritis Foundation, Allergy Auck-land and the Heart Foundation. These organiza-tions provided useful information and advice onbasic medical awareness. There were alsoexperts who gave advice on physiotherapy,alternative health, diabetes risk assessment,blood pressure, BMI test and dental care.

The services were provided free of charge.As part of the expo, seminars were also

arranged on the following topics: Understand-ing ayurvedic medicine, women’s health, breastscreening, cervical screening, preventing heartdisease, diet and diabetes, and children’s health.

Over 450 people benefitted from this HealthExpo. ◆

HEALTH EXPOBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

15 November 2008, Auckland, New Zealand

OPENING OF MEDICAL CLINIC ANDCENTRES FOR PUBLIC SERVICES

6 September 2008, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Gadhada

In the sacred town of Gadhada, BAPScontinued its commitment to social ser-vices by inaugurating a health clinic and

centres for anti-addiction, women’s uplift and

environmental awareness. The Vedic inauguration ceremony took place

on 6 September 2008 in the presence ofJnaneshwar Swami, Kothari of Sarangpur BAPSMandir, Adhyatmaswarup Swami, Kothari ofGadhada BAPS Mandir, Gujarat State EnergyMinister Shri Saurabhbhai Dalal, former cabinetminister Shri Bhupendrasinhji Chudasma, andother dignitaries.

Echoing the view of all, Shri Saurabhbhai Dalalsaid, “The people of Gadhada will benefit greatlyfrom the health clinic and the three centers.”

These additions are a part of the ongoingcontributions of BAPS to the welfare of Gadha-da and surrounding villages. ◆

DIWALI AND ANNAKUTBAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Gondal

28-29 October 2008

In Gondal, Swamishri celebrated the festivals ofSharad Punam, Dhanteras, Hanuman Chatur-dashi, Lakshmi Pujan, Diwali and Annakut.Thousands of devotees from India and abroadcame to Gondal to celebrate these auspiciousfestivals in Swamishri’s presence.

1. Swamishri showers sanctified rice upon the ac-counts books of the devotees during theChopda Pujan Ceremony.

2. Devotees seated in the mandir compound dur-ing the Chopda Pujan Ceremony.

3. Swamishri and devotees perform the Annakutarti on New Year’s Day.

1

3

2

On 29.10.2008 annakut was offered to Shri Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Gondal

Chopda Pujan Video Annakut Video

http://www.swaminarayan.org/download/showvideo.php?no=q3Nke3BctFE

http://www.swaminarayan.org/download/showvideo.php?no=WLs7hw8YsNA

december 2008 annual subscription rs. 60 - swaminarayan sanstha

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