karyakar - swaminarayan sanstha

March 2008 Annual Subscription Rs. 60

SWAMISHRI IN MUMBAIJanuary 2008

1. The murti of Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj, Mumbai mandir.2. After Thakorji’s darshan, Swamishri greets the devotees at the mandir in Dadar (1 January 2008).3. After the successful angiography, senior sadhus present the Purna Kumbh as a symbol of gratitude to the team of two in-

ternationally renowned cardiologists, Dr. Ashwin Mehta (Mumbai) and Dr. Fayaz Shawl (Washington DC).4. Swamishri in a relaxed and jovial mood after the angiography procedure at Jaslok Hospital (2 January 2008). All reports

were normal.5. Swamishri resting in hospital.

Cover Title: Obeisance to Brahmaswarup Bhagatji Maharaj on his birth anniversary on 21 March 2008, who spreadthe glory of Gunatitanand Swami as Aksharbrahman and Bhagwan Swaminarayan as the supreme God.

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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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March 2008, Vol. 31 No. 3

FIRST WORDCONTENTS1. Swaminarayan History

The Insult in Anand ..........................4Victory through humility...

2. On Life“Put that Glass Down!” .....................7Avoiding stress...

3. SpiritualityEnhancing Mental Stability.............10For peace of mind...

4. Personal DevelopmentPoliteness: A Virtue or Habit?.........13Adding value to life...

5. Guru ParamparaLike Bees to a Flower......................14The magnetic personality of Pragji Bhakta...

6. VicharanPramukh Swami Maharaj’sVicharan ..........................................18

7. Inspiring IncidentsLiving with Swamishri ....................24Motivation and guidance...

8. BAPS NewsThe Swaminarayan School Ranks4th in Independent SchoolLeague Tables, London....................25Eye Care Camp, Tanzania................25Asia-Pacific Shibir –India Trip 2007-8, India..................26Karyakar Shibirs, Gujarat, India.....26

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

Take a break. Remember, it is not a wasteof time to take official breaks during the dayat work or from study. By skipping them youwon’t necessarily save a great deal of time oraccomplish more in whatever you are doing.

Failure to take breaks soon wears you downand makes you less productive. It increases frus-tration, leaving you less attentive and irritable.At the slightest error you become edgy andexplosive. Your creativity and insight are alsodiluted. The values of human interaction, con-versation and service to others tend to fade,making you self-centred and ego-centric. Soona rigid and condescending attitude sets in.

Breaks allow you to unwind and refreshyourself. They give you time to think of and con-sider other perspectives and ways. New ideasdevelop and you get time to evaluate yourself.Breaks also allow mental and physical recoveryand replenishment of your inner resources.They rejuvenate the enthusiasm and concentra-tion that are often sapped by a hectic life.

It is important to remember that your breaksshould not disrupt your work. And neithershould they be taken out of idleness or lethargy.They should not be too long to upset your workor develop into a practice of indiscipline.

So, take planned short and long breaksevery day, week, month and year. Spend themrelaxing, reading, exercising, conversing withfamily and friends, holidaying, praying or vis-iting a mandir for satsang. The breaks will belike pushing a ‘reset button’, providing youwith a fresh start. ◆

4 Swaminarayan Bliss ◆ March 2008

When the devotees of Anand wel-comed Maharaj on the outskirtsShri Hari asked, “What are the

feelings of the local people?”The devotees replied, “Maharaj we have

invited you to bless us. Why do you ask aboutthe local folks!”

Shri Hari arranged the procession, “Thedevotees will be up front chanting the dhun.Then the sadhus will follow singing kirtans.Thereafter I will ride with a cordon of Kathidevotees around me. And finally the parshadsshall follow in the rear.” Then Maharaj repeatedagain that everyone must tolerate, forgive andnot retaliate at all. Maharaj’s words created a

concerned flutter in the hearts of the devoteesof Anand. They realized that an agitation was inthe offing. There was nothing they could donow. They proceeded forward into town withMaharaj’s name on their lips.

The moment Maharaj’s entourage entered thetown centre the belligerent crowd began hurlingsand, brickbats, dung and whatever else theyhad. They cursed and sweared, oblivious of andin stark contradiction to the norms of theirVaishnav allegiance. Despite all this the sadhuscalmly tolerated and continued singing kirtans,remaining absorbed in Maharaj’s divine murti.Since they truly revelled in bhakti they remainedimpervious to the affront being heaped upon

THE INSULT IN ANANDTHE INSULT IN ANANDThe devotees of Anand insisted that Shriji Maharaj come to their town and bless them.

Maharaj replied that its local people were averse to Satsang and thus the time was not

right. However, at their repeated insistence Shri Hari set off to Anand...

SWAMINARAYAN HISTORY ■ SADHU VIVEKJIVANDAS

Bhagwan Swaminarayan rides into Anand amidst a hail of insult

March 2008 ◆ Swaminarayan Bliss 5

them. The crowd turned wild on seeing theirindifferent attitude. Shri Hari was pleased at thespiritual equanimity of his sadhus. The devoteesmet the same fate, but they too remained calmand tolerant because of Maharaj’s mandate. Butwhen they saw mud and dung hurled uponMaharaj they became furious. Bhaguji angrilyunsheathed his sword. Though he was short hehad the power and courage to single-handedlydefeat everyone. At the same time Joban strunghis bow and took aim. An angry wave of war rip-pled through the entire rank. Dada Khachar hadhis dagger ready for the strike. Shri Hari graspedthe scene in a flash and felt that if a fight brokeout then ‘victory’ would be snatched from theirhands; his mission to establish ekantik dharmawould be hampered. He immediately called out,“If anyone wields his weapon then he will havelapsed in abiding to my word. Sheath yourweapons instantly!” Shri Hari’s commandsechoed through the company of Kathi devoteesand immediately they retracted their resolves.Maharaj’s words averted a bloodbath. Bhagujithen advanced towards the agitated crowd anduttered to them, “It wouldn’t have taken long forme to finish you all, but my Lord does not desireit. But I will say that all of you who have partici-pated in this sinful act shall have no progeny.Even your daughters shall remain childless!”Everyone flinched at Bhaguji’s curse. They allturned, seething with rage, towards the main per-petrators, Ramkrishna and Haribhai Pandya, whowere standing on a platform watching the scene.They rushed towards both of them baying fortheir blood, but the two managed to get inside themandir and lock its doors.

Shri Hari told his entourage to turn back andleave Anand. On seeing Maharaj depart DinkarPandya, Ajubhai, Jibhai and other devotees stoodwith tears in their eyes. They remained speech-less and pained. The terrible insult to Maharajand his sadhus scorched their hearts with

remorse. They felt that if onlythey had not been stubborn inmaking Maharaj come toAnand then nothing of thesort would have hap-pened.

Shriji Maharaj and hisgroup halted at the Gosai’sfarm. Everyonecleaned them-selves, brushedthe dirt offtheir clothes and drank water from the well.Thereafter they advanced towards Vartal.

On reaching Vartal Maharaj sat in the mangogrove in Gnanbaug. Devotees rushed forMaharaj’s darshan and blessings. On seeing thesadhus and devotees in a dishevelled state theyenquired as to what had happened. Shri Harireplied jubilantly, “Today, we have returned asvictors!”

Brahmanand Swami agreed and said humor-ously, “Yes Maharaj, we have won. And our victo-ry was such that the people of Anand welcomedus with mud, dung, brickbats and stones!Furthermore, when a bridegroom goes with hisparty of people for his marriage they have to bearthe insults and jibes of their host. But after thatthey are treated to a sumptuous lunch. Howeverin our case, we had only insults to bear, and nolunch to eat! It seems that we have returned vic-torious by conquering the fort of Idar.”

Everyone was amused at BrahmanandSwami’s telling words. Then Brahmanand Swamiadded, “Look at this gulal on my body! It willrequire several washings, at least two to threedays, to remove it. My eating bowl and drinkinggourd are broken, but by Maharaj’s grace I’ll getanother.”

Mulji Brahmachari commented, “Maharaj,today you have tarnished our names and pres-tige.”

Shri Hari replied, “Since you all obeyed mywish your names and prestige have in factincreased. If you had retaliated then you wouldhave sown the seeds of vengeance, and the gov-ernment officials would have locked you allbehind bars. But because of your patience andtolerance see how peacefully we are all sittinghere now. The perpetrators must be repentingfor their actions. They will come to welcome us,and many will become satsangis.”

From this one incident Shriji Maharaj revealedthe saintliness of his sadhus and the tolerance ofhis brave devotees. He also exposed the nature ofhostile people. For him it was not an occasion ofinsult and ignominy but one of sterling pride andhonour for Satsang. The memorable day was 10June 1818 CE (Jeth sud 6 V.S. 1874).*

Shri Hari departed from Vartal and travelledto Gadhpur.

Satsang in Vadodara

Prior to his diksha as a sadhu GopalanandSwami was known by the name of KhushalBhatt. He had stayed for sometime in Sarsavnivillage and Vadodara. There he had inspired sat-sang and the glory of Shriji Maharaj in manypeople through his yogic powers. Thereafter,satsang in Vadodara gradually spread. The localdevotees, namely, Nath Bhakta, Sadashivbhai,Vaidraj Ramchandrabhai and others becamestaunch devotees through the association ofGopalanand Swami.

The diwan (minister) of Vadodara, BabajiApaji, and his son Vitthalrao Babaji, were averse

towards satsang. They were bitterly against thesatsang activities in their region. So to suppressthem they employed their political powers. Butthey failed. The devotees remained undeterredbecause of their faith in Shri Hari and their spir-itual association with Gopalanand Swami. Thediwan sulked. He was further angered when helearnt that his wife, Tuljabai, had been attractedto Satsang and had become a satsangi. Tuljabaicould miraculously see the divine forms of ShriHari and Gopalanand Swami. Whenever shetalked of the divine darshan to her husband,diwan Babaji Apaji simply ridiculed her.

One day, Tuljabai told her husband, “ShrijiMaharaj and Gopalanand Swami appear to medaily. They said that they will take me toAkshardham in three days. So you be patient andcultivate love and devotion for Shriji Maharaj.Ask him to forgive you for your sins.” DiwanBabaji was shocked to hear about her impendingdeath. But still, on seeing her in good health hesimply ignored her words and felt she was sayingit out of her devotional frenzy. On the third dayTuljabai had the divine darshan of Shri Hari andGopalanand Swami. She called out to herhusband and said, “See, Maharaj has arrived andGopalanand Swami is with him. They have cometo take me to Akshardham. You must wish wellfor and have good feelings towards Satsang.”And then she said, “Jai Swaminarayan,” closingher eyes forever.

Babaji simply watched on helplessly. He sawhis wife’s death with his own eyes, but couldnot see the divine presence of Maharaj andGopalanand Swami. Despite being the diwan ofVadodara, he felt powerless and puny. After thishis aversion for Satsang should have dissolved,but on the contrary, he thought that Shri Harihad used dark powers to kill his wife. DiwanBabaji Apaji deeply grieved the loss of his wife.Three months later he too passed away. ◆


* Following the shameful incident in Anand its people wentthrough difficult and miserable times. They realized thatit was a consequence of their dastardly act against Bhag-wan Swaminarayan, his sadhus and devotees. Further-more they were anxious of Bhaguji’s curse upon them. Toward off any further misery the agitators met the devoteesDinkar Pandya, Ajubhai and others and came to Vartal toapologize to Maharaj. Shri Hari forgave them and blessedthem. They all became devotees of Maharaj. Thereafterthe Satsang fellowship flourished in Anand, its peoplebecame prosperous and the curse of Bhaguji ended.

A lecturer, when explaining stressmanagement to an audience, raiseda glass of water and asked, “How

heavy is this glass of water?” The answerscalled out ranged from 20 g to 500 g. The lec-turer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’treally matter. It depends on how long you tryto hold it.”

He continued, “If I hold it for a minute,that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’llhave an ache in my right arm. In each case, it’sthe same weight, but the longer I hold it, theheavier it feels. And that’s the way it is withstress management. If we carry our burdens all

the time, sooner or later, the burden becomesheavier and we won’t be able to carry on.”

This principle of stress management is veryrelevant to spiritual advancement. It is said inthe scriptures that spiritual progress or regressis directly related to the observance or non-observance of God’s and guru’s commands –agna. The Upanishads sing the glory ofSatyakam Jabali, Aruni and Upmanyu. Theydescribe the way in which they all attainedspiritual heights by obeying the guru’s com-mands. Even today, their spirit of obediencesets an example for all spiritual seekers. Theirexamples typically show that if we hold on to

ON LIFE ■ SADHU GNANPURUSHDAS

“PUT THAT GLASS DOWN!”“PUT THAT GLASS DOWN!”


our mind’s thoughts and disobey the guru’sword, we not only regress spiritually, but theburden of disobedience gives us stress. Wehave to learn to obey the guru’s wishes toavoid further ache, just as we obey the mindby putting the glass down.

It is a burden on the spiritual path to holdon to our mind’s thoughts. We lose the oppor-tunity of pleasing God and our guru. We don’tneed to look further than the glaring incidentof Shantanand Swami in the time of BhagwanSwaminarayan.

Once, Muktanand Swami was in Suratalong with Gunatitanand Swami and othersadhus. A local devotee had specially preparedsome fresh pickles for Bhagwan Swami-narayan, who at the time was in Gadhada.

“Swami, is there anyone who can carrythese jars of pickles to Gadhada for Maharaj?”the devotee asked.

Muktanand Swami thought for a while. Hehad concluded writing his scripture, Sati Gita,and was also looking for someone to take it topresent it to Shriji Maharaj. He looked aroundin the assembly of sadhus and fixed his gazeon Gunatitanand Swami.

“If it is your wish, I’ll go,” GunatitanandSwami complied to Muktanand Swami’s wish.

The four-day journey by foot was not goingto be easy. But Gunati-

tanand Swami believedthat obeying Muk-

tanand Swami’swish was of

paramount importance. They both smiled. Justthen, another sadhu, Shantanand Swami, gotup in the assembly and blurted out, “Swami, Iwill accompany Gunatitanand Swami to Gad-hada.” And before Muktanand Swami couldreact, Shantanand Swami added adamantly, “Iwill still go, even if you say no.” MuktanandSwami was speechless. He had no choice. Hesmiled again and said, “Since you have decid-ed on your own, I can’t say anything.”

And so, without Muktanand Swami’s con-sent or inner wish, Shantanand Swami wilfullyprepared to set out for Gadhada with Gunati-tanand Swami.

The small contingent of devotees seated inthe assembly requested Gunatitanand Swami,“Please, Swami, embrace Shriji Maharaj on ourbehalf and pass on our regards.”

Gunatitanand Swami started his long jour-ney on foot, accompanied by ShantanandSwami, who had decided to carry the burdenof his mind’s thoughts. They arrived in Gadha-da on the fourth day with three large jars ofpickles, the Sati Gita scripture and a fine rug.

But Shriji Maharaj was in Kariyani. So, thetwo sadhus went to Kariyani. Bhagwan Swami-narayan was having lunch when the two came.Swami offered the jars of pickles and the SatiGita sent by Muktanand Swami. Then Maharajenquired obout Muktanand Swami’s healthand satsang activities in Surat. Swami repliedin detail. As soon as Shriji Maharaj finished hismeals, Gunatitanand Swami humbly requested,“Maharaj, the devotees of Surat have asked meto embrace you on their behalf.”

The innocence in Gunatitanand Swami’svoice pleased Shriji Maharaj, who willinglyagreed to do so. One by one, Swami called outthe names of the individual devotees. In total,Maharaj embraced Swami twenty-two times.Just then, Shantanand Swami got up andrequested, “Maharaj, please embrace me, I



SWAMINARAYAN BLISS – INFORMATION STATEMENT

I, Swami Swayamprakashdas, hereby declare that the above mentioned information is true to my knowledge.

(Signed) Swami Swayamprakashdas. Date: 5-3-2008

1. Place of Publication: Swaminarayan Aksharpith,Shahibaug, Ahmedabad-4.

2. Period of Publication: Monthly.3. Printer’s Name: Swaminarayan Aksharpith,

Shahibaug, Ahmedabad-4.4. Publisher’s Name: Swaminarayan Aksharpith,

Shahibaug, Ahmedabad-4.

5. Editor’s Name: Swami SwayamprakashdasNationality: IndianAddress: Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Shahibaug,Ahmedabad-4.

6. Owner’s Name: Swaminarayan Aksharpith,Shahibaug, Ahmedabad-4.

have also accompanied Gunatitanand Swamifrom Surat.”

“But you have come here without Muk-tanand Swami’s consent,” the all-knowingShriji Maharaj told him bluntly. Even beforeShantanand Swami could respond, ShrijiMaharaj continued, “Look, you have come ofyour own accord, so I will not embrace you.”Shantanand Swami was stunned. But Gunati-tanand Swami intervened, “Maharaj, you arecompassionate so please forgive his fault andembrace him. He helped me carry the jars ofpickles on the way.”

“Very well,” said Shriji Maharaj and heembraced Shantanand Swami.

But at the same time Bhagwan Swami-narayan starkingly revealed his unhappiness atthose who disobey. He told ShantanandSwami, “I did not feel the burden of embracingGunatitanand Swami 22 times. But embracingyou just once was a burden!”

Not only that, but Shantanand Swami washimself burdened by the thought of having dis-obeyed a simple command. If only he hadrequested Muktanand Swami instead ofstubbornly stating his resolve.

We have a tendency to act according to ourmind’s thoughts which burden our spiritualprogress. But if the Satpurush tells us to dosomething for our own good, we should happi-ly oblige. Every time we obey, we are putting

the glass of water down and relieving our-selves of unnecessary aches.

Gunatitanand Swami has said precisely thisin the Swamini Vato (5/210). “We have metand recognized God and his Sadhu so there isnothing left to be done. But we still do not feelat peace. The reason for this is that there isdesire for enjoying worldly pleasures. By doingas the mind wills, transgressing commands,and ignorance, peace is not experienced.”

That is why it is important to be flexibleand fit in with the guru’s commands.

Once, Pramukh Swami Maharaj was inBochasan. A devotee had just bought a newspectacle frame for himself. He explained toSwamishri, “Bapa, these spectacles cost Rs.18,000. The metal frame is flexible. It bends inany direction.” Swamishri mused and said, “InSatsang, if we become flexible like that, thenour value also increases.”

Yogiji Maharaj has said in Yogi Gita, “I havelived my life only according to ShastrijiMaharaj’s wishes, but I have never done any-thing that my mind wills. And, that is why Iam happy.”

So the next time you are having a glass ofwater, try it for yourself. If you hold on, youwill have an ache. The longer you hold on, themore the pain. But put it down and you will berelieved. ◆


Hinduism is a goldmine of inspiringand enlightening rituals which bringdivine joy and peace. There seems to

be a ritual for every occasion. Some rituals,however, are to be performed everyday, forexample, personal puja. In such cases the ritualsare done so often that they become more of amechanical routine than a spiritual experience.This is a common feeling for many people. Butin reality, puja is much more than just a ritual.It is a tool, and when employed properly, it hasnot only positive spiritual benefit but also muchphysical benefit.

In the Bhakti Sampraday, puja is a form of

devotion and is a medium which helps to bringone closer to God. There are different types ofpuja in Hinduism. Some are performed on adaily basis whereas others are performed onspecial occasions. Some are done individuallyand others in groups. In the SwaminarayanSampraday, puja is performed by an individualon a daily basis. It is a personal form of devo-tion that allows a one-to-one connection withGod.

Puja involves not only meditation but alsomany other aspects, all of which contribute tomental stability. In a society where everythinghappens at such a fast pace, mental stability is

SPIRITUALITY ■ S.S. PATEL (CANADA)

ENHANCINGMENTAL STABILITY

essential in reducing the stress, whichwould otherwise negatively affect one’smental and physical health. It stops onefrom over-reacting to situations and soprevents one from draining oneself ofenergy unnecessarily.

So let us now discuss the actualsteps that comprise daily puja. Puja iscommenced by doing atma vichar,that is, thinking of one’s true form asthe soul, and not the body. This helpsto think of one’s ultimate goal in life(i.e. moksha), rather than just temporary, mate-rialistic goals. Thinking of oneself as separatefrom the body, enables one to think of why oneis here on this earth and what one wishes toaccomplish.

The next step involves contemplating onParamatma, thinking of the greatness of Bhag-wan Swaminarayan. Thinking about his great-ness humbles the mind as it becomes evidentthat without his will, nothing happens, not eventhe movement of a dry leaf. Developing thesethoughts during puja makes it easier to recallthem throughout the day. It becomes a tool tohelp overcome any obstacles one may face.When something goes wrong, understanding itas the wish of Bhagwan Swaminarayan allowsone to become proactive rather than dwellingsolemnly on the situation.

Following this dhyan is performed. In this,the mind is focused solely on Bhagwan Swami-narayan and the guru, while at the same time,

avoiding any worldly thoughts. In Hin-duism, murtis are used to help focus

one’s mind on God, as they are a tan-gible form of divinity. It is believedthat Bhagwan Swaminarayan and

the Guru Parampara actually reside inthe murtis, and so puja is done withthe feelings that they are actually pre-

sent in front of you. By focusing themind and senses on BhagwanSwaminarayan and the gurus,worldly desires are subdued. Dhyan

also helps to improve concentration, as itinvolves fighting with the mind to preventmaterialistic thoughts from arising.

This concentration in turn is useful in allaspects of life, whether you are studying orworking on a project at work.

Another way to focus one’s mind on Bhag-wan Swaminarayan is by doing mantra jap, thechanting of the Swaminarayan mantra whileturning the mala. This is done after dhyan. Aseach bead of the mala is turned, the Swami-narayan mantra is recited in one’s mind. Initial-ly, it may be hard to focus and say the Swami-narayan mantra with every bead. But what isinteresting is that if concentration is lost andother thoughts arise, turning of the mala willstop. This is how one can catch oneself andthen try to re-focus.

Following mantra jap is pradakshina or cir-cumbulations. This is walking clockwise aroundthe murtis laid out on the puja mat, and sym-



bolizes that God is the centre point of all ouractivities and our life. After doing elevenpradakshinas, dandvats (prostrations) areoffered. They signify the surrendering of oneselfto God and are also a way to pay respect, simi-lar to the way one bows down to one’s parents.Doing dandvats with these thoughts helps toreduce one’s ego. Five dandvats are done andthen an extra one is done to ask for forgivenessfor mistakes done in puja and for having know-ingly or unknowingly slighted or insulted any-one.

The last step of puja is reading the Shikshap-atri. The Shikshapatri outlines the codes of con-duct for all devotees. Reading it at the start ofthe day makes it easier to remember the codesthroughout the day. Being able to rememberthem, in turn makes it easier to follow them. Inthis way, puja is complete.

During puja, one experiences a feeling ofrelaxation, as it is an opportunity to break awayfrom daily stresses and by solely focusing onGod, it brings great mental relief. Doing pujaalso evokes feelings of admiration and love forBhagwan Swaminarayan as well as for thegurus.

Performing personal puja is much more ben-eficial than meditation alone. It is a way torelax both the body and the mind. After com-pleting puja, the feeling of tranquility experi-enced during puja continues to persist. Puja is away to train the mind to remain calm even dur-ing difficult situations, and a sense of prepared-

ness develops by performing puja. Strength isobtained in facing obstacles. This divine connec-tion with God enables one’s mind to remaincalm and stable. One also feels closer to God,which in itself is a peaceful feeling.

From my personal experience, the mentalstability and peace gained from puja has beeninvaluable. Being a person who is easilystressed, this stability has helped me in allaspects of life. It has kept me calm during tensesituations, both at school (such as when writingan exam) and at work (when trying to meet atight deadline). I find that on days when I rushmy puja, my entire day becomes rushed. How-ever, on days when I do my puja properly, I findmyself being able to think with clarity beforeacting and thus prevent myself from beingentangled in stressful circumstances. Therefore,when performing daily puja, do not think of itas just another passive, mechanical ritual, butrather as a way to control your mind, and thus,your life, and to develop a connection with Godand guru.

◆


In dealing with people, our own personality is displayed. Based on

this, others pass judgement on us. So living by the ideal,

‘Treat others the way you would like to be treated yourself’,

is the surest way to develop good rapport with others.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT ■ RITESH GADHIA

Anil: Hey, that Falgun is really a verynice guy – he’s good at helping oth-ers, he helps out with seva at the

mandir, does well at his work, and even hastime left over to play baseball every week!

Biren: Yeah, but I’m not sure I like himmuch. He didn’t speak to me properly the lasttime we met. He acted as if he was really occu-pied on the phone.

Anil: Maybe he was busy. After all, he isinto this 24/7 customer care business. And justbecause he wasn’t polite to you on one occasiondoesn’t mean he isnt a nice guy.

Biren: Yes, but politeness does matter! Youhave to be polite to your parents, you know,and to your seniors, so why shouldn’t we bepolite to each other?

Anil: Look, politeness is good, but it’s notthe end of the world, right?

Biren: Yes, but we should have goodvirtues...

Anil: Politeness is not a virtue, it’s more likea habit. Just saying thanks or sorry doesn’tmake a person better, you know, it only means aperson can talk more humbly.

Biren: Look at all the big people, aren’tthey all polite?

Anil: Well, a Hitler might have been as

polite as a Gandhi, but itdoesn’t make him a betterperson. In fact, Al Caponewas known for his kind words.

Biren: Okay, okay, point noted. But thinkabout what Maurice Maeterlinck said, “Mannersare like the zero of arithmetic. They may meannothing by themselves, but they add a greatdeal of value to everything else.” So politenesscan only be a starting point or a small part ofyour virtues.

Anil: Agreed. Politeness is a small part ofother virtues like being humble or beingpatient.

Biren: Well, that’s exactly what I’ve beensaying! A humble person or a patient personwill always be polite, right?

Anil: Yes, and that’s one of the reasons thatwe should be polite. Because learning politenesswill help us to gain better virtues, become morehumble and develop a better character. It is ahabit, but one that helps us get nearer to biggervirtues.

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POLITENESS:A VIRTUE OR HABIT?


Brahmaswarup Bhagatji Maharaj’s con-tributions for the spread of theAkshar-Purushottam philosophy are

incomparable. At a time when many had misun-derstood Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s originalteachings, Bhagatji Maharaj was a saving light.His resolute proclamations and explanationsthat Bhagwan Swaminarayan was Purushottam– the supreme God – and Gunatitanand Swamiwas Aksharbrahman – the ideal Devotee – guid-ed the devotees onto the right path. Despitemuch resistance, he persevered. In addition tohis profound, insightful discourses, his saintlylife also touched deep into people’s hearts andconvinced them of the truth of this teaching. Itwas this combination of a saintly life and sin-cere message that drew people of all back-grounds to seek his company and strive for thedivine joy of God he constantly enjoyed.

Much of the antagonism towards BhagatjiMaharaj was due to the fact that he was a tailorby birth and lacked a formal education. Yet, hehad so wholeheartedly served GunatitanandSwami and so completely understood his teach-ings that people were drawn to him like bees to

a flower and accepted him as their guru. Appre-hensive that he was taking the limelight, thethen administrative powers of the Sampraday inVartal placed many restrictions on the activitiesof Bhagatji Maharaj and his faithful devotees inan attempt to stifle their genuine spiritualendeavours. However, such was the trustingbond between guru and disciples that nothingdeterred them. They stoically accepted all thelimitations placed on them, but did not waverin their faith.

Among those who revered BhagatjiMaharaj as a spiritually perfect guru and themanifest form of Aksharbrahman, was ShastriYagnapurushdasji – Shastriji Maharaj. Manyridiculed this scholarly and saintly sadhu foraccepting a tailor as his guru. But, as Bhag-wan Swaminarayan had taught, on the spiritu-al path, worldly status is absolutely irrelevant.Thus, together with a dedicated group of sad-hus and devotees, Shastriji Maharaj continual-ly endeavoured to seek the spiritual companyof Bhagatji Maharaj despite the huge restric-tions and humiliating treatment they weresubject to.

GURU PARAMPARA ■ BAPS YOUTHS (USA & UK)

LIKE BEES TO AFLOWERBhagatji Maharaj was from a very ordinary background,

but through his association with Gunatitanand Swami, he

attained extraordinary spiritual heights. His spiritual mag-

netism attracted all...


An idea of the situation at the time can begauged by the written accounts of ShastrijiMaharaj and Nirgundas Swami in their corre-spondence to Bhagatji Maharaj and others. Thefollowing selection of letters reveal the bold res-oluteness of Shastriji Maharaj and his profoundunderstanding of the real glory of guru BhagatjiMaharaj.

Revoking the Order

As Bhagatji Maharaj’s popularity increased inthe Sampraday, resentful sadhus and devoteesinstigated the administrative authorities toreduce his influence. The authorities had tobow to the pressures and unreasonabledemands of this powerful lobby. Thus, toappease them, Bhagatji Maharaj was bannedfrom venturing outside his home town of Mahu-va to preach, nobody was permitted to visit himfor spiritual association without permission ofthe authorities and the sadhus who were closestto him were forced to exchange their saffronrobes and wear white robes – a humiliationworse than death for a sadhu. Even so, theresolve of the faithful sadhus and devoteescould not be broken.

The following is a letter written (c. 1890) toBrahmaswarup Pragji Bhakta by Shastri Yagna-purushdas, describing the events occurringwhen he met Acharya Maharaj at Kandari.‘Maharaj’ and ‘Maharajshri’ refer to AcharyaViharilalji Maharaj. In this letter, “regain the sta-tus of a sadhu again” refers to reinstating Shas-triji Maharaj to his saffron robes after makinghim and his supporters wear white robes fortwo years. It also reveals the high regard thatAcharya Viharilalji Maharaj had for BhagatjiMaharaj.

To the best of devotees, disciple of the PragatPurushottam, param ekantik Pragjibhai Govindb-hai in Mahuva, Jai Shri Swaminarayan fromSadhu Yagnapurushdas from Vadodara.

You had sent me a message throughShivshankarbhai that I should insist on studying[shastras] and become a sadhu (to regain the sta-tus of a sadhu from parshad status). Afterwards, Iwent to the village Kandari to have darshan ofMaharajshri. I requested him to make me a sadhuagain since I would like to resume my studies. Also,I can stay here and serve Mitha Bhagat by helpinghim in the adminstration in the best way.Maharajshri was pleased and agreed to make me asadhu (he agreed to revoke his order to wear whiterobes). Then, since Shankar Bhagat went toDhuliya, Maharajshri placed him here in MithaBhagat’s service instead of me and made me asadhu. And Maharajshri kept me with him for stud-ies. I studied 11th Skandh [of the ShrimadBhagvat] at Thasra. Then my teacher,Keshavprasaddas, was sent to Vartal. I study underhim, therefore, I am also going to Vartal tomorrow.I have come here for my books [for study] fromSadhi, where Maharaj is right now.

Maharaj asked me about your health and wasvery pleased with me. Now, there are no difficul-ties to face. [Maharajshri] will reinstateKeshavprasad to a sadhu status during the festi-val. Then he will call others from Dhuliya. (Vig-nandas, Bechar Bhagat, and the rest will be calledto reinstate them to their previous sadhu status).

Maharajshri had called me to the village ofPipli, where Shastri Dharmatanaydas was present,and asked me, “Does Vignandas possess Bhagat’s[Pragji Bhakta’s] knowledge of the Vachanamrutcomprehensively or not? And what is lacking now?”Then I answered that Bhagat [Pragji Bhakta] has


taught him all theVachanamruts, and he

[Vignandas] is constantlyengaged in devotion as well.However, what is lacking is

that just as Bhagat [PragjiBhakta] withdraws his senses, introspects andspeaks with Shriji Maharaj, that level hasn’t beentaught [by Pragji Bhakta]; that much is lacking. SoMaharaj said, “I am worried Bhagat’s knowledgewill leave with him. It would be good if he makessomeone reach his state. He is old now, so there isno certainty regarding the body.”

Then Dharmatanaydas said, “He will not leavehis body without making someone reach that level.So do not be concerned about that.” Then Maharajsaid, “Very well. And for the next 12 months, youall must not say anything in public that can causeproblems, and then I will definitely call Bhagat[Pragji Bhakta]. You have affection for me and doas I say, so I’m obliged to fulfil your wishes. And Ialso wish that the knowledge known by Bhagat[Pragji Bhakta] spreads everywhere!”

Then I said, “Last time in the village of Bhadrod,Bhagat [Bhagatji Maharaj] told us that if youplease Acharyaji Maharaj and all of Satsang, Iswear in the name of Purushottam ([BhagatjiMaharaj’s nephew) that I will impart my knowl-edge to you. Also, if you please Acharyaji Maharaj,then Shriji Maharaj will also be pleased.” That iswhat he said. He also said many, many times, “Thatyou all did not abandon Satsang was in itself agreat thing. Therefore, regain your sadhu status inany way you can.” He said that.

Then, he [Maharajshri] told Muni that whoev-er associates with Bhagat walks on the right path.This is how he (Acharya Maharaj) calls us fre-quently and shows good humour.

Unique in the Sampraday

This letter is written by Nirgundas Swami on1 February 1916 to a devotee in Bhavnagardescribing an incident which occurred in Gad-hada (Gadhpur) where a scholarly guru ofanother sampraday, Shastri Rangacharya, pros-trated to Bhagatji Maharaj openly upon meetinghim. Even though he was the student, ShastrijiMaharaj had won over his preceptor, ShastriRangacharya, by extolling the virtues of Bha-gatji Maharaj. The letter also describes theunmerited reprimand Shastriji Maharaj receivedfor this commendable act.

On the occasion of the yagna in Samvat Year1949 (1893 CE), Viharilalji Maharaj invitedRangacharya to Gadhpur. Bhagatji Maharaj hadalso come at that time. [Rangacharya] prostratedto [Bhagatji Maharaj] in the ground before themandir. All the sadhus and thousands of devoteeswere upset on seeing this. Not only were they notpleased, but they also began to reprimand ShastrijiMaharaj saying that he has corrupted Shastri’s(Rangacharya’s) mind. Didn’t you feel ashamedteaching him (Rangacharya) such knowledge? Howcan you preach to a leading scholar of another sam-praday? But they did not think that, “ShastrijiMaharaj is praiseworthy that he so convinced sucha great Shastri of the glory of Bhagwan ShriSwaminarayan such that he prostrated to someonelike Pragji Bhakta; therefore he is praiseworthy!”But such thinking is hard to develop. Even afterstaying at Vartal for many years we were not ableto convince them. Then, they [sadhus and devotees]scolded Shastri Rangacharya, “Why did you pros-trate to a tailor?” Shastri (Rangacharya) replied,“What would you understand. The glory of a spiri-tually perfect devotee is tremendous; [BhagatjiMaharaj] is such a mahatma, not any ordinary


ascetic.” Rangacharya also said that there is no oneas scholarly as Shastri Yagnapurushdas, “Asminsampradãye ekameva!”1

Verses of Glory

This letter was written by Nirgundas Swamion 1 February 1916 to a devotee in Bhavnagargiving a glimpse of the early days and the amaz-ing incident in which Bhagatji Maharaj askedShastriji Maharaj to recite the shloks he had writ-ten. Shastriji Maharaj employed his mastery ofSanskrit in extolling the glory of his guru BhagatjiMaharaj, who was his whole and soul.

During the Samvat Year 1950 (1894 CE), afterreturning from Vansada, Pragji Bhagat stayed atthe Ahmedabad Mandir with two hundred devoteesfor two months continuously. With his discourses,[he] flooded everyone in divine bliss. It became agrand celebration. Bhagatji Maharaj would speakin assembly. Sadguru Krishnaswarupdas, an elder-ly sadhu, was a great scholar. Through his associa-tion with Bhagatji Maharaj, he developed venerablethoughts [towards Bhagatji Maharaj] and hebecame like a disciple. (At first, he was against thisknowledge of Akshar-Purushottam and loathedGopalanand Swami and Gunatitanand Swamiwithout reason.) Bhagatji Maharaj always sat nearSadguru Krishnaswarupdas’s seat and delivereddiscourses. Meanwhile, Shastriji Maharaj’s groupof sadhus was at Mahemdabad. They came for spir-itual association and stayed for five days. Wheneveryone gathered in the assembly, BhagatjiMaharaj said to Sadguru Krishnaswarupdas, “ThisSadhu Yagnapurushdas has written shloks aboutPragji the tailor,2 so how would that suit the sadhusof Vartal? That this would cause a conflict is no sur-prise. If I am lying, then ask him.” Then ShastrijiMaharaj said that he has indeed written them. He

answered bashfully. Then, Purani (SadguruKrishnaswarupdas) asked him to recite them.Despite being shy, he recited them realizing it wasthe wish (of Bhagatji Maharaj).

He recited nine shloks beginning with ‘Shri-man-nirgunmurtye…’. Bhagatji Maharaj said,“Explain the meaning.” So Purani said, “So thateveryone understands, say the meaning.” ThenShastriji Maharaj explained all the shloks. Puraniquestioned, “What’s prohibited about theseshloks? Whatever virtues you have have beendescribed in these shloks. Hail to that sadhu(Shastriji Maharaj). Only he could do so evenafter facing so many insults. If I had not met him,what would have happened to me? I cannot say. Ihad resentment for great sadgurus such asGopalanandji and Gunatitanand Swami, but ithas been eradicated now. Now I understand thatthey were the two sadgurus who were the sav-iours of this sampraday.” Then Purani wrote thisshlok and recited it daily for the rest of his life.

Now, while the assembly was dispersing, Bha-gatji Maharaj put both his hands on ShastrijiMaharaj’s head. Ramchandra Suba, who wasthere to take Bhagatji Maharaj with him, waspresent in the sabha and said, “Oh! Oh! Bhagatji,how can you put your hands on a sadhu’s head?”Bhagatji replied, “It is not I placing them, butShriji Maharaj himself came and placed them.”The people who saw this are still present today. Inthis manner Bhagatji Maharaj showered hisabundant blessings. ◆

1. This is a Sanskrit phrase Shastri Rangacharya used forShastriji Maharaj to pronounce that, “In the Swami-narayan Sampraday, there is only one like ShastrijiMaharaj.”

2. i.e. Bhagatji Maharaj, referring to himself

PRAMUKH SWAMI MAHARAJ’S

VICHARANNovember & December 2007

Gondal, Rajkot, Sarangpur, Bochasan, Ahmedabad

From top left, clockwise:Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj, Gondal;Swamishri blesses balaks on Chil-dren’s Day, Rajkot; Swamishri readsShikshapatri in morning puja,Gondal; Swamishri discusses mandircomplex expansion project, Gondal

GONDAL: 1 to 11 November

During Swamishri’s stay Children’s Day(1/11), Kishore Day (4/11), Diwali (9/11),Annakut and New Year’s Day (10/11) were cele-brated.

1 November 2007

Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtharituals of Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj, ShriHanumanji and Ganapatiji and Shri GuruParampara for the BAPS hari mandir in Karanjvillage.

9 November 2007, Diwali

At 6.15 pm Swamishri arrived for the Chop-da pujan ceremony in which account books forthe New Year were ritually worshipped.Swamishri presided over the mahapuja that wasperformed on the mandir precincts calledAkshar Chowk. The backdrop to Swamishri’sseat was the huge entrance to the assemblyhall. It was decorated with divas and Diwalibanners. During the mahapuja arti there was afirework display. Then Viveksagar Swami dis-coursed about the significance of the Diwali cel-ebration. Finally, Swamishri blessed the assem-bly, “Shastriji Maharaj acquired this place andenshrined our philosophy, built this mandir andenhanced the glory of Gunatitanand Swami.Yogiji Maharaj stayed here for many years. The

mahapuja was performed to erase our mistakes,negative attitudes and inner darkness. For manylifetimes there has been darkness. Out of com-passion Shriji Maharaj brought his abode,Gunatit, and Shastriji Maharaj preached theirglory, thus illuminating our hearts with divinelight – that is true knowledge.”

10 November 2007, New Year’s Day Cele-bration

The New Year’s Day mahapuja rituals wereperformed parallel to Swamishri’s morningpuja. The morning assembly was addressed byViveksagar Swami. At 10.20 am Swamishriarrived and blessed the devotees. He said, “Youhave all come to celebrate the annakut festivalhere so I pray to Maharaj, Gunatitanand Swami,Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj to blessyou all with happiness. To attain Akshardham isour goal. The monkeys in the time of Ram builta bridge and realized that he was God. Theysaid the name of Ram and the stones floated.They said his name with the faith that he wasGod. When such faith is absent one does thingsfor mere show, which obstructs the accomplish-ment of any work.

“A person or thing becomes divine throughan association with God. The Kathisbecame divine due to theirassociation with Shriji


Chopda Pujan at Gondal mandir

Swamishri bows to devotees at Yagnapurush Smruti Mandir, Sarangpur

Maharaj. To overcome the cycles of life anddeath one needs to associate with God inhuman form.”

At 11.15 am Swamishri went to the mandirsanctum where annakut had been beautifullyarranged before Thakorji. Swamishri sat beforethe middle shrine, accompanied by GondalNaresh Shri Jyoti Bapu and Prince Hemanshu.After singing five thals Swamishri performed theannakut arti. Thereafter Swamishri went toAkshar Deri and performed arti. In all, 20,000devotees attended the grand annakut celebra-tion.

RAJKOT: 11 to 17 November

During Swamishri’s stay Children’s Day(13/11) and BAPS Centenary Year Celebration(15/11) were held.

15 November 2007

The evening assembly to celebrate the BAPSCentenary Year was held at the RacecourseGround. The assembly was based on the theme“In the joy of others lies our own”. The stagebackdrop comprised a giant replica of AksharDeri enshrining the murtis of Akshar-Purushot-tam Maharaj along with huge photographicscenes of both Swaminarayan Akshardhams, inDelhi and Gandhinagar.

Viveksagar Swami first addressed the assem-bly. Then Dr Swami spoke on BAPS’ spiritual

and secular activities. Two videos on Akshard-ham and Pramukh Swami Maharaj were shown.Then the senior sadhus, devotees and guestshonoured Swamishri with flower garlands. Chil-dren performed a cultural dance. To crown theassembly Swamishri blessed the huge gatheringof 20,000 devotees and well-wishers, “Becauseof I-ness and Mine-ness one experiences painand unhappiness in life. If they are dissolvedthen one experiences the divine joy of God. Onemust first understand that one’s true form isatma, and within it resides Paramatma. WhenGod leaves from within then nothing will work.No matter how intelligent one may be nothingwill be possible through one’s own effort.”

In conclusion more than 20,000 devoteesand guests performed arti. The celebrationended with a spectacular fireworks display.

SARANGPUR: 17 to 22 November18 November 2007

The evening assembly was held to commemo-rate the BAPS Centenary Year. Viveksagar Swamispoke about Swamishri’s vicharan and the histor-ical events of BAPS. Then children enacted adrama related to Swamishri’s greatness. The bha-jan ‘Gunãtitakã dankã ãlamme’ was sung by sad-hus with all devotees joyously waving BAPS flags.The youths of Botad performed a drama on thestory of Rajabhai of Khorasa. Then Swamishriwas honoured with flower garlands. Finally


Devotees during Dev Diwali assembly, Bochasan, 24-11-2007

Swamishri blessed the assembly, “Shriji Maharajcelebrated festivals here. Nishkulanand Swamithen described this place as ‘ShobhãvantSãrangpur gãm’. There was nothing so decorativeor glorious then. But Maharaj was pleased by thedeep devotion and love of the village devotees.The glory was due to the presence of God and hissadhus. Wealth and clothes make the body beau-tiful but true beauty lies in having the associationof God and his Sadhu.”

In conclusion Swamishri and devotees per-formed arti.

BOCHASAN: 22 to 30 November24 November 2007, Dev Diwali

Like every year an annakut was offered toThakorji in all three shrines of the mandir onDev Diwali. The Kartik Punam assembly com-menced at 8.00 am on the grounds of Akshar-Purushottam Vidyalay:

◆ Viveksagar Swami spoke on Swamishri’svicharan abroad.

◆ Children and youths of Adas mandal per-formed a cultural dance.

◆ Dr Swami spoke on how to become anideal devotee.

◆ Ishwarcharan Swami gave highlights ofthe BAPS Centenary Celebrations to beheld in Ahmedabad and invited all toattend.

◆ Mahant Swami spoke about the CentenaryCelebrations.

◆ Senior sadhus garlanded Swamishri.Finally Swamishri blessed the festival assem-

bly, “No matter how much effort a person putsin but if God does not shower his grace then thetask remains incomplete. We have forgottenthat God has given us this human body. It is thebest of all life forms. Even the devas desire for ahuman form. By doing good deeds one getshappiness in return, but base instincts are noterased. As long as one’s inclination for andattachment to worldly pleasures remain onecannot progress. The main aim in life is tobecome aksharrup and attain Purushottam. Inall activities be conscious of God.”

More than 20,000 devotees attended andhad prasad.

26 November 2007

Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtharituals of pujan and arti of Shri Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj, Shri Hanumanji, ShriGanapatiji and Guru Parampara for the BAPShari mandir in Ratanpura.

3 December 2007

Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtharituals of pujan and arti of murtis for harimandirs in Chansad and Karvan.


7 December 2007

Today, according to the English calendar, itwas Swamishri’s 87th birthday. WhenSwamishri came for Thakorji’s darshan, chil-dren, youths and devotees hailed Swamishri’sjais and waved flags to express their love andhonour. At the same time in Chansad,Swamishri’s birthplace, the senior sadhus wereperforming the murti-pratishtha rituals at thenewly built BAPS hari mandir. On the daybefore, a yagna and grand procession of themurtis were held. The senior sadhus requestedSwamishri to come and perform the rituals, butSwamishri refused saying that Maharaj had pro-hibited sadhus to visit their native village. Morethan 25,000 devotees had attended the murti-pratishtha festival in Chansad.

The devotees celebrated Swamishri’s birthdayin the evening assembly. The senior sadhus eulo-gized on Swamishri’s saintliness. WhenSwamishri arrived in the celebration assembly at7.15 pm a cultural dance was in progress.Thereafter senior sadhus garlanded Swamishri.Viveksagar Swami addressed the celebrationassembly. Finally, Swamishri blessed the congre-gation, “I bow and convey my Jai Swaminarayanto you all for coming in such large numbers andfor your services to the Akshar-PurushottamSanstha. Shriji Maharaj came on earth with a res-olution that all people become happy, be liberat-ed and attain moksha in life. He came with hisabode (Gunatitanand Swami) and muktas. It isbecause of his divine resolution and wish that theSanstha has developed and progressed. God isthe all-doer. Gunatitanand Swami revealedMaharaj’s wish. Then Bhagatji Maharaj spreadthe glory of Gunatitanand Swami as Mul Aksharand Shriji Maharaj as Purushottam. ThenShastriji Maharaj understood this firmly andestablished Akshar-Purushottam mandirs.”

In conclusion mass arti was performed by alldevotees.

13 to 17 December 2007, Ahmedabad

BAPS Centenary Celebrations were celebrat-ed in the suburb of Chandkheda, Ahmedabad.Detailed reports of Inauguration and Youth Day(13), Women’s Day (14), Children’s Day (15)and Guru Bhakti Day (17) have appeared in theJanuary-February 2008 special issue of Swami-narayan Bliss.

15 December 2007, Ahmedabad

Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtharituals of pujan and arti of Akshar-PurushottamMaharaj, Radha-Krishna Dev, Guru Parampara,Hanumanji and Ganapatji for the BAPS harimandir in Kukadiya.


Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha rit-uals of pujan and arti of Akshar-PurushottamMaharaj, Hanumanji, Ganapatiji and GuruParampara for the BAPS mandir in Jagannathpuri.

From this evening Swamishri caught a mildfever and the day after suffered a bout of diarrheaand fever. The malaise left Swamishri weak.Swamishri recuperated till 23/12, but physicalweakness prevailed for several days thereafter.


At 12.00 noon Swamishri decided to walk inthe mandir precincts. Swamishri’s pulse was beingmonitored by Dr Kiranbhai. During his thirdround Swamishri became tired and sat down in achair exhausted. There were some irregularitieson his ECG report. After a little rest Swamishri’scondition returned to normal. The next day, afterconsultation with expert doctors they suggestedthat though there was no cause for any concernSwamishri should have an angiography done toknow his exact condition. Subsequently,Swamishri went to Mumbai where his angiogra-phy reports were normal. ◆


SPIRITUAL ENDEAVOURS

To please Bhagwan Swaminarayan and guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj children, youths andsenior devotees perform austerities, pilgrimages and other devotional means. The spiritualendeavours performed by devotees during Swamishri’s visit to the local centres are congratula-tory and worthy of recognition. They also reflect Swamishri’s divinity for inspiring such spiritualefforts in children, teenagers and devotees.GONDALNovember: ◆ 2: Harshadbhai of Jetpur observed a 10-day liquid fast. Vipulbhai of Jetpurobserved an 86-hr fast. ◆ 4: 200 male and female devotees pilgrimaged 100 km by foot fromAmreli, Dhari, Chalala and Devrajiya; 8 female and 13 male devotees from Derdi – Kumbhaji; 8women and 3 male devotees from Mehta Khambhaliya; and 43 women and 15 male devoteesfrom Moviya. ◆ 8: 15 devotees pilgrimaged by foot from Jasdan.RAJKOT◆ 11: Pragnesh (6 yrs) observed an 108-hr liquid fast; Rashmin Parmar and Pratap Chauhanobserved waterless fast for 100 hrs, Harikrishna Ranpara (72 hrs), Dinesh Amipara (24 hrs) andSiddharth Parsana (50 hrs). Many devotees observed liquid fasts: Ramesh Kholiya, Kishore Gohiland Rakshit Kheraiya (200 hrs); Siddharth Parsana and Pravin Ramani (187 hrs); Devraj Hirani,Mihir Chotaliya, Vishal Gediya and Jayesh Dakshini (100 hrs); Jitendrasinh Vala (144 hrs), KartikGediya (125 hrs), Alkesh Parikh (87 hrs) and Kirit Belar 36 hrs. Sharad Kacha refrained fromghee, cooking oil and salt. Umang Bhatt ate only one meal a day (ektana) for four months. Manyfemale devotees observed different types of austerities: 20 women observed waterless fasts for100 hrs, 25 women observed a 100-hr liquid fast, 5 women observed khatras, 550 womenobserved a chain of waterless fasts for 42 days. One female devotee observed dharna-parna for100 days. 78 women devotees performed dhun, mantra jap, mantra lekhan, Janmangal Namavali,pradakshina and dandvat. They also chanted non-stop dhun for 100 hrs. ◆ 12: A child namedHarsh observed waterless fasts for seven days and also pilgrimaged 15 km by foot to Gondal. ◆

13: 1000 bal-balikas performed 25 malas, dandvats and pradakshinas for Swamishri’s good health.◆ 14: 8 devotees pilgrimaged by foot from Moviya. 275 balikas observed various austerities. ◆

15: 17 devotees pilgrimaged by foot from Bhadra; 17 male and 27 female devotees pilgrimagedby foot. ◆ 16: Eight devotees pilgrimaged by foot from Paddhari–Moviya. Eight youths cycledfrom Sankari (450 km). ◆ 17: Seven devotees pilgrimaged by foot from Jaliya.SARANGPUR◆ 18: 137 devotees pilgrimaged by foot from Mahuva, 65 from Amreli, 107 from Gadhada, 103from Rajula, 12 from Savarkundla, 25 sadhaks and 7 sadhus from Gadhada mandir (38 km). ◆

20: 51 devotees from Vallabhipur, 35 from Pachchhegam and 4 from Ratanpar. 375 from Bhavna-gar (80 km). ◆ 22: Six youths performed prostrations from Samadhiyala.BOCHASAN◆ 23: Two BAPS sadhus and 25 youths, and 5 devotees from Dudhvala pilgrimaged by foot. ◆ 25:22 youths and kishores, 20 male devotees and 21 female devotees came by foot from Mahelav (22km). Ten youths pilgrimaged from Petlad.December: ◆ 5: Ramanbhai, Khodabhai, Thakorbhai Gohil, Kaushikbhai Patel and Lakshmi-narayan Yogi, who offer their services at Swaminarayan Akshardham, cycled from New Delhi tocelebrate the BAPS Centenary Celebrations.



NO PERSON IS SMALL4 November 2007, Gondal

Swamishri was retiring to bed at night. Sad-hus and devotees were engaged in Swamishri’sdarshan. At that time Bhimo, one of the mandircooks, was also doing darshan. Swamishri sawhim and enquired as to when he had startedwearing spectacles. Bhimo was called nearer,and Swamishri asked several questions regard-ing how he managed his life and expenses.Bhimo has been offering his services as a cookin the Sanstha for many years. Swamishri tookinterest and care in Bhimo and blessed him forhis sincere services.

SWAMISHRI’S HUMILITY13 November 2007, Rajkot

A distinguished guest came for Swamishri’sdarshan and blessings. He praised Swamishriand requested, “If I can get even a little amountof the energy you have, then I believe nothingwould be impossible for me to do. I amimpressed by your organization because every-thing is so well planned, and it is all due to you.It is due to your energy.”

Swamishri replied, “No. It is due to ShrijiMaharaj’s.”

“But you are the means,” the guest added.

“But it is his inspiration,” Swamishri respon-ded with humility.

NO BOREDOM IN SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES16 November 2007, Rajkot

BAPS volunteers presented a short discussionon the principles of Akshar-Purushottam andthe efforts of Shastriji Maharaj. Swamishri wasvery pleased and inspired them, “We have torepeat the same thing again and again, that is,(the philosophy of) Akshar and Purushottam.Like we eat dal, vegetables and rice daily (weshould repeat the same knowledge of Aksharand Purushottam).”

Swamishri then asked a devotee seatedbefore him, “What do you do when you get tothe office? You have to answer phone calls!”The devotee replied in affirmation. “Then whatdo you do the next day?” Swamishri enquired.“The same thing,” the devotee answered.

“Then it is the same for spiritual matters.Like you never get fed up of attending to tele-phone calls, you should never get bored indoing this repeatedly. This is what you have todo.”

Swamishri inspired the volunteers to under-stand and consolidate their understanding ofthe core principles of satsang. ◆

INSPIRING INCIDENTS

L I V I N G W I T HSWAMISHRIL I V I N G W I T HSWAMISHRI


Every year karyakar training shibirs areconducted at BAPS Mandirs through-out Gujarat by the Satsang Activity

Central Office and Children’s Activity CentralOffice to guide registered volunteers.

In these 1½-day shibirs the karyakars areinspired by senior sadhus through speeches andquestion-answer sessions. Also, guidance isgiven by learned sadhus and experienced volun-teers through speeches, debates, discussionsand dramas, as well as, audio-visual shows.

This time, from 28 December 2007 to 3 Feb-

ruary 2008, a total 4,800 children’s activitykaryakars participated in the 11 shibirs. Thetheme of these shibirs was ‘Sincerity in Dutyand Service’.

During the same period 10,680 satsang activ-ity karyakars attended a total of 16 shibirs,based on the theme ‘I Am a BAPS Karyakar’.

In these shibirs, the agenda and details ofactivities that the volunteers will be coordinat-ing this year was also discussed.

◆

KARYAKAR SHIBIRS28 December 2007 to 3 February 2008, Gujarat, India

Mahant Swami inaugurates a Satsang ActivityKaryakar shibir

Inaugural prayers at a Children’s ActivityKaryakar shibir

As part of BAPSCentenary Cele-brations, BAPS

Swaminarayan Sanstha,Tanzania, in collaborationwith CCBRT Hospital of Dar-es-Salaam organized an EyeCamp at Kitunda PrimarySchool (near Kitunda Clinic)on Saturday 17 November 2007.

The Eye Camp was officially opened by Hon.Abbas Kandoro, Regional Commisioner of Dar-es-

Salaam.Over 600 patients

attended the camp, andreceived medicines andspectacles.

By the kind support ofthe doctors and staff ofCCBRT Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam and all the volun-

teers of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Tanzania,the Eye Camp was a tremendous success.

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EYE CARE CAMP17 November 2007, Kitunda Primary School, Tanzania

A volunteer doctor examines a patient

BAPS NEWS


Since it was found-ed by PramukhSwami Maharaj

in 1992, The Swami-narayan School in London,Europe’s first independentHindu school, has beenprogressively successful insecuring both academicexcellence and well-rounded personal develop-ment for its pupils.

The School regularly features in the UK’s topleague tables. This year, on the basis of the 2007Achievement and Attainment Tables for KeyStage 4 (pupils aged 14 to 16) published on 10

January 2008 by the UKGovernment, The Swami-narayan School in Londonwas confirmed as the fourthbest independent school inthe country. This reflects theexceptional performance byteachers and students work-ing with an ethos inspired by

Swamishri.The school also contributes to the community

through social and charitable work.Congratulations to the pupils and staff of The

Swaminarayan School for being amongst the topperforming independent schools in the UK. ◆

THE SWAMINARAYAN SCHOOL RANKS 4THIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL LEAGUE TABLES

10 January 2008, London, UK

From 13 December2007 to 17 Janu-ary 2008, balaks,

aged 11 to 13, andkaryakars from Australia,New Zealand and Singa-pore gained a hands-onexperience of India.

After attending theBAPS Centenary Celebration in Ahmedabadthey visited most of the BAPS shikharbaddhmandirs throughout Gujarat, as well as Swami-narayan Akshardham in New Delhi and theshikharbaddh mandir in Jaipur.

The balaks and karyakars also enjoyedSwamishri’s darshan and company whichturned out to be a truly marvelous, divine andenlightening experience.

The culmination of thetrip was an inspiring shibirin Sarangpur entitled ‘Brah-mavidyani College’.

The 7-day shibir wasconducted by learned sad-hus in Sarangpur, and con-sisted of interesting work-shops, speeches, audio-

visual presentations, interactive group discus-sions, outings, field trips, sports, games and funtime such as kite-flying and campfires.

The youngsters all resolved to make theirlives better and more Satsang-centred by focus-ing on niyams, seva, bhakti and studies. Manybalaks took vows to obey and respect parents.

The India trip and Bal Shibir was an unfor-gettable and wholesome experience for all. ◆

Shibir participants with Swamishri, Ahmedabad

ASIA-PACIFIC BAL SHIBIR – INDIA TRIP 2007-8 13 December 2007 to 17 January 2008, India

Swamishri in Gondal8-11-2007

Swaminarayan Bliss, March 2008. Posted at Ahmedabad, P.S.O. 5t h on every month. Licenced to post

without prepayment No. 155, Regd No. GAMC-703. Valid upto 31-12-2008, RNI 33411/79

Printed and Published by Sadhu Swayamprakashdas on behalf of Swaminarayan Aksharpith and Printed at Swaminarayan Mudran Mandir, Shahibaug

Road, Ahmedabad - 380 004 and Published from Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Shahibaug Road, Ahmedabad - 380 004. Editor: Sadhu Swayamprakashdas.

karyakar - swaminarayan sanstha

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