pictorial representation of sastrijimaharaj life in pdf

8/6/2019 Pictorial Representation of SastrijiMaharaj Life in PDF

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Birth Place

Nature had blessed the village of Mahelav with all its profuse wealth of lush vegetation,birds, fresh water, serenity and fertile soil. The advent of spring cloaked the village in a

thousand colours and sweet fragrances. It was a perfect setting for a special, auspiciousoccasion.

Birth

Dhoribhai and Hetba, were profound devotees of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya(Fellowship). By the wish and blessings of Lord Swaminarayan, Dungar Bhakta (later

Shastriji Maharaj) was born to them in Mahelav in 1865 (Samvat 1921, VasantPanchmi)

His mother, Hetba, experienced divinity in her new born child. As days passed by thevillage folks of Mahelav were attracted by the divine magnetism of Dungar Bhakta.


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Blessings of Gunatitanand Swami

Mul Aksharbrahm Gunatitanand Swami always stopped by in Mahelav each year whileon his way to Vadtal. On one such occasion, Mathurbhai, the eldest son of Dhoribhai,

brought the one-year old Dungar Bhakta to Gunatitanand Swami. The Swami placed hishands on Dungar Bhakta as a sign of blessing and prophesied, "This child will become a

sadhu and spread the supreme glory of Lord Swaminarayan."

Divine Trance

During a marriage function in the family, two-year old Dungar Bhakta became absorbedin a divine trance. On seeing her lifeless child, Hetba began to grieve. But several hourslater, when Dungar Bhakta awoke, his mother, father and relatives experienced a glow

on his face and a divine presence in their midst. A few years later Hetba, who hadlovingly raised her child, passed away. Then, the responsibility of rearing him fell upon

his loving father.


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Divine Childhood Sports

When other children of his age played games, Dungar rejoiced in making mandirs out ofsand and mud. He installed the murti of the Lord, offered a feast (Annkut) and performed

arti. At the age of six, Dungar remained firm in observing Ekadashi fast despite the

persuasion of his relatives.When Dhoribhai, his father, read stories from the Ramayan and Mahabharat, Dungar

would listen with rapt attention, and get absorbed in the Lord's divine form.

Faith and Fearlessness

Once, in the middle of night Dungar Bhakta undauntingly set out to his farm. Chanting

the name of Swaminarayan and a staff in hand he walked through the dark, eerie path.When Dhoribhai saw him arrive alone he asked in surprise, "Weren't you afraid of theghosts on the way?" Dungar Bhakta replied bravely! "Had you not said that one who

chants the holy name of Swaminarayan is accompanied by Maharaj. So I have broughtMaharaj with me."

Sometimes when Dhoribhai asked Dungar to help him in farming the land he wouldreply, "If you talk about God's greatness then I will work and help you in whatever you

say."His spiritual inclination was further revealed through his regular visits to the mandir in

Vadtal on Ekadashi and Punam.


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Signs of Scholarship

The young Dungar Bhakta's love for spiritual learning was immense. He was often foundreading discarded manuscripts of Vachanamrut on the verandah of the assembly hall.

Schooling

Dungar Bhakta began his first year of academic learning. He was highly intelligent andresolved to stand first in class.

During this time a group of Swaminarayan sadhus arrived in Mahelav. Dungar Bhaktaserved them and studied the holy scriptures of Vachanamrut, Bhaktachintamani and

the Shrimad Bhagvat from them. And along with his rapid pace of academic progress,Dungar Bhakta's spirit of renunciation also increased.


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Remains Unenticed

The wealthy Ravjibhai Patel of Mahelav was impressed by the illustrious ten-year oldDungar Bhakta. Whenever he saw him go to school he desired to adopt him as his son.

Once he asked him, "Dungar, if you stay with me I will educate you in an English schoolin Petlad and make you an officer of the British government." But Dungar Bhakta

rejected the proposal, saying, "Of what use is education that makes one dependant! Iwant to become a sadhu and a pundit and teach Brahmavidya to others."

Dungar Bhakta was virtuous and talented.

Stunning Performance

A pundit was delivering a discourse on the epic Mahabharat in the village square.Midway, the narrator passed away. At the insistence of all, eleven-year old Dungar

Bhakta continued the narration in a fluent, scholarly manner. While he discoursed, heskillfully played the maan (a brass pot). The village folks were simply stunned by his

unique performance and lavished praise on him.As time passed by, regular visits of senior sadhus from Vadtal saw the flourishing ofSatsang in Mahelav. Through the spiritual company of Adbhutanand Swami, DungarBhakta's wish to become a sadhu was strengthened. He thus began his quest for apowerful Guru. His relatives however, on learning of his resolve to become a sadhu,

tried to dissuade him with their love and affection.


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At the Feet of the Guru

In 1881 on Chaitra Punam, in Vadtal, Dungar Bhakta met Sadguru Vignananand Swami- a senior sadhu initiated and blessed by Lord Swaminarayan. He accepted

Vignananand Swami as his guru and decided to go with him to Surat. But he was

stopped by his relatives. A few months later he ran away to Surat, but Dhoribhai broughthim back. From then on he was banned from going to Vadtal.

A Yogi

At sixteen, Dungar Bhakta ran away to Vadtal. There, the Acharya, Viharilalji Maharaj,

asked him, "What have you learnt from Vignananand Swami?"Dungar Bhakta sat in a swastik asan and performed the rosary. His calm and composedmanner pleased the Acharya, who then instructed all the sadhus and devotees to chant

in such a manner.Dhoribhai arrived at Vartal and took Dungar Bhakta back home. His anguish at being

taken back was unbearable. Dungar Bhakta felt like a fish out of water. But the intenselyattached Dhoribhai failed to understand his son.


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Turning Point

When Dhoribhai was taking him back to Mahelav, Dungar Bhakta convincingly preachedto his father about the transitoriness of the world. His voice echoed with renunciation

and thus pierced the heart of Dhoribhai. The stubborn father broke down in a stream oftears and realized the glory of his son. Soon Dhoribhai and his family happily permitted

Dungar Bhakta to renounce and accept the saffron order.

Renouncing Home

In 1882, in the month of Magshar, Dungar Bhakta was permitted to renounce home.With the blessings and good wishes from Dhoribhai and his relatives, Dungar Bhakta left

for Vadtal.On arriving at Surat he prostrated before Vignananand Swami and received his

blessings. By the wish of Vignananand Swami, Dungar Bhakta was enjoined in theservices of the mandir. He also began the study of scriptures from his guru.


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Daily Chores

Dungar Bhakta happily became engrossed in his daily chores. During a festival at theSwaminarayan mandir in Vadodara, he got into and scrubbed giant utensils. Many were

simply amazed by his spirit of service.

Bhagwati Diksha

During a grand yagna in 1883, Acharya Viharilalji Maharaj initiated Dungar Bhakta into

the saffron order. He was then renamed as Swami Yagnapurushdas. On returning toSurat, he remained in the personal service of his guru. Whenever time permitted he also

concentrated on his scriptural and Sanskrit studies. Soon, he enthusiasticallyparticipated in the various services and administrative duties of the Swaminarayan

mandir.


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A God-communion Guru

Pragji Bhakta had arrived in Surat for the consecration ceremony of the murti ofGhanshyam Maharaj. Once, he was stitching a cloth and discoursing to an assembly of

devotees. Swami Yagnapurushdas was perplexed as to how he could do so many thingsat the same time. When Pragji Bhakta answered his query, Yagnapurushdas was

impressed by his divine personality.Then through Pragji Bhakta he came to hear about the philosophy of Akshar and

Purushottam. Swami Yagnapurushdas was further convinced of this when VignananandSwami vouched for it.

Divine Darshan

During the consecration ceremony of the murti of Ghanshyam Maharaj in Surat, LordSwaminarayan appeared from the murti and gave darshan to eighty devotees. SwamiYagnapurushdas wished to have the divine darshan of the Lord. For eight hours he sat

in single-minded concentration, chanting the name of Swaminarayan. And LordSwaminarayan appeared before him in His divine form, took hold of his hand and ledhim to the mandir. Swami Yagnapurushdas experienced divine peace in his heart and

prayed to the Lord to be always with him. The Lord smiled and answered, "I am foreverwith you."


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Other Events in Brief

Then Swami Vignananand passed away. Swami Yagnapurushdas developed a reverent love for Pragji Bhakta and

desired for his spiritual communion. On festival occasions he got the opportunity of Pragji Bhakta's spiritual

company.

Swami Yagnapurushdas (Swamishri) became convinced of the truth of Aksharand Purushottam and started to spread the new gospel.

Swamishri inspired Satsang through his tour of villages. And whenever anopportunity came his way, he availed himself of the presence of Pragji Bhakta

and his disciples - Swami Vignandasji and Swami Mahapurushdasji. Pragji Bhakta's sadhu disciples were respected by all because of their

saintliness. In Bhadrod, they were blessed with divine joy from Pragji Bhakta.

After completing his studies in Sanskrit grammar, and Sanskrit literary works likeKirat and Raghuvansh, Swamishri started Gita Bhashya (commentary).

In 1891, Swamishri travelled in the villages of Dabhoi and Mandala andpreached the Akshar Purushottam philosophy.

Scriptural Studies

In 1893 Swami Yagnapurushdas began his higher studies in Sanskrit andscriptures in Vadodara. The tutor, Shastri Rangacharya, was a learned scholar

of the Madhwa school. He was impressed by the Swami's memory andgrasping power.

During this academic period, Swami Yagnapurushdas explained the NavyaVishishthadvaita philosophy of Lord Swaminarayan to Rangacharya. He also

preached that Parabrahman and Brahman have a divine form (divya sakar) andPragji Bhakta is the manifest form of Brahman. In the same year, Swami

Yagnapurushdas took his guru, Rangacharya, for the murti-pratishtha ceremonyat Laxmivadi in Gadhada.


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Unique Personality

The murti-pratishtha ceremony at Laxmivadi took place in 1893.Thereafter, a prestigious assembly of scholars was held in the presence of

Acharya Viharilalji Maharaj. Mahidhar Shastri, an eminent scholar of theSaurashtra region, challenged the gathering to a debate. But no one dared

confront such a renowned scholar. Eventually, Swami Yagnapurushdasvolunteered and defeated Mahidhar Shastri. Pandit Rangacharya declaredto the assembly that Swami Yagnapurushdas was unique and the only one

of his kind in the entire Swaminarayan Sampradaya.


Because of Swami's sharp intelligence Rangacharya enthusiastically taught himSanskrit grammar, Nyaya and commentaries on the Bhagvad Gita.

The Swami's opponents could not tolerate his rising fame. They had his studieshalted and Swami got an order to preach in the villages.

Once, while Pragji Bhakta was in Ahmedabad, Swami Yagnapurushdas camefor darshan. In a large assembly of devotees he composed Sanskrit verses and

revealed the greatness and glory of Pragji Bhakta. In Vadodara, Swami explained the truth of the Akshar and Purushottam

philosophy to Jethabhai of Pij (later Nirgundas Swami). After celebrating the Jaljilni festival in Gadhada, Swami went to Rajkot for further

studies by the wish of Pragji Bhakta and Acharya Maharaj. Here, another profound scholar, Jivanram Shastri, started to teach him the Sutra

bhashya. The youths of Rajkot Satsang center were attracted by the discoursesof Swami Yagnapurushdas.

Whenever time permitted, the Swami visited Junagadh and availed himself ofJaga Swami's spiritual presence.


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Blessings of Jaga Swami

Out of envy and intolerance to the growing fame of Jaga Swami, somesadhus in Junagadh convinced Jibhai Kothari to forbid him from

discoursing. On hearing this, Swami immediately travelled to Junagadhand personally spent a whole night explaining to the Kothari about the

greatness of Jaga Swami. On realizing the truth, Jibhai repented, retractedhis order and apologized to Jaga Swami. The latter was immensely

pleased at Yagnapurushdas and blessed him, "From now on I grant youwhatever punya (merits) I attain through my good deeds."


In 1897, during a discourse session, Swami Yagnapurushdas brilliantly narratedand explained the Satsangijivan scripture. The audience was stunned by hisstyle and rhetoric. At the end of the session, when someone abused Pragji

Bhakta and Jaga Swami's status, the Swami roared like a lion and defeated hisstatement.

Swami Yagnapurushdas then entered into a phase of advanced scriptural study.He studied the Ramanuj commentary on the Brahmasutras and GopalanandSwami's exposition on the Gita from Jivanram Shastri. During this period ofstudy he convinced Jivanram Shastri, an Advaita follower, about the truth ofRamanujacharya's Vishishtadvaita philosophy. The mentor, impressed by

Swami's scholarship and saintliness, became a devotee. In 1897, a grand Janmashtami festival was celebrated in Junagadh. Through the

efforts of Swami Yagnapurushdas, Pragji Bhakta was accorded a magnificentwelcome.


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Sayajirao Gaeikwad of Vadodara

Maharaja Shrimant Sayajirao Gaeikwad, ruler of Vadodara, was relieved of his son'sdeath on meeting Shastriji Maharaj at Bochasan. Swamishri's tireless travels in Gujaratand Saurashtra inspired thousands of aspirants to the Akshar Purushottam fellowship.

He conducted discourses at Radhu, Rajkot, Thasra, Nagasar, Chansad, Borsad, Gana,Ashi, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, etc.

The first seeds of Sastang were sown in Mumbai. In Gondal, some land and thememorial shrine dedicated to Gunatitanand Swami (Akshar Deri) was acquired for thepurpose of constructing a new mandir. The ground-breaking ceremony for the mandir

was performed.

During a 7-day discourse in Rajpur (Uttar Gujarat), Swamishri blessed Harmanbhai tospread Satsang in East Africa.

Gondal Murti Pratishtha Festival The construction of Akshar Mandir at Gondal became a banner of victory for Swamishri. The

murtis of Akshar-Purushottam were installed in the mandir amidst rejoicing by thousands ofsadhus and devotees with due solemnity. After this Swamishri never looked back in his effort to

propagate the Akshar-Purushottam creed with the blessings of Lord Swaminarayan. Shastriji Maharaj discoursing on Satsangijivan in Ahmedabad in 1936 (Samvat 1992)

Thousands of aspirants attended Swamishri's discourse on Satsangijivan. Gulzarilal Nanda, a prominent public figure and Labour Leader of India, was among those who

were attracted to the discourses. Discourses were held in Mumbai and at Bilara village of Rajasthan. The ground-breaking ceremony for the mandir at Atladra took place.

Discourses were organized in Mumbai, Bhadran, Nadiad, Babra, Chachana, Amdavad andSurat, etc.


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Shastriji Maharaj in Surat and Mumbai Shastriji Maharaj with Narayanswarupdasji at Surat after the conclusion of a 7-day discourse.

A yagna was conducted at Gondal mandir. For the first time in the Satsang Fellowship the sadhus and thousands of devotees celebrated

Shastriji Maharaj's 80th birthday in Bochasan. Murti Pratishtha festival at Atladra mandir.

In 1944 (Samvat 2000, Ashadh Sud 3) the Murti Pratishtha at Atladra mandir was yet anotherbrilliant achievement of Swamishri. He was greeted and felicitated by thousands of devotees

on the happy occasion. In 1950 (Samvat 2006, Kartik Vad 11), in the presence of Shastriji Maharaj, the foundation

stone lying ceremony for the mandir in Gadhada was performed by Krishnakumar Sinhji, theformer Maharaja of Bhavnagar.

In 1951, during his final illness, Shastriji Maharaj went to Gadhada. He bathed the murtis ofAkshar and Purushottam in the sacred waters of the River Ghela, placed the janoi, applied

kumkum, offered garlands and performed the arti.

Appointment of Narayanswarupdas as PresidentIn 1950 (Samvat 2006, Jeth Sud 4) Shastriji Maharaj appointed 28-year-oldNarayanswarupdas (Pramukh Swami) as his successor for executing the

administrative duties of the Sanstha. The ceremonial function for the appointment asPresident was carried out by Shastriji Maharaj at Amlivali Pole in Ahmedabad. On that

eventful occasion he said, "Just as Sadguru Ramanand Swami had appointed theyoung Shriji Maharaj as his successor, so do I also hereby appoint Sadguru Shastri

Narayanswarupdas as the President in my place. Though young in age, he is maturein virtues. I therefore, call upon all sadhus and devotees to cooperate with him in

bringing glory to this responsible office. From now onwards, obey Sadguru ShastriNarayanswarupdas in the same way as you have obeyed me."


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"I am Yogi and Yogi is Me"At 86 years of age, Shastriji Maharaj's health began deteriorating. When Yogiji

Maharaj was in Ahmedabad and asked for Swamishri's permission to go to Gondal,Shastriji Maharaj replied, "Now Maharaj will shortly take me. Therefore, I am placing

Narandas (Pramukh Swami) under your care. I am also entrusting all these mandirs toyou. Please look after them all."

The next day Shastriji Maharaj remembered Yogiji Maharaj, "Oh Yogi is indeed Yogi, areal Gunatit soul. It is impossible to find an equal to Yogi"

Shastriji Maharaj had also declared that, 'There is not an iota of difference betweenmyself and Yogi. All of you should obey Yogiji Maharaj I am Yogi and Yogi is me."

Shastriji Maharaj left his mortal frame in Sarangpurin 1951 (Samvat 2007, Vaishakh Sud 4).

Yogiji Maharaj continued the spiritual work of Shastriji Maharaj.

pictorial representation of sastrijimaharaj life in pdf

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