Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan

Bhagwan Swaminarayan (April 2, 1781 - 1830) was born Ganshyam Pande to a brahmin family in the village of Chhapaiya, Uttar Pradesh, India. His father's name was Hariprasad Pande (also known as Dharmadev) and his mother's name was Premvati (also known as Bhaktimata). He had two brothers, Rampratapji Pande, the older brother, and Icharamji Pande, the younger brother. After serving his parents, he left home at the age of 11 to travel over 8,000 miles throughout India on a holy pilgrimage for 7 years, 1 month, and 11 days. During his travles, Ghanshyam was given the name Neelkant for his fearless acts against nature's most ferocious animals. He eventually settled in Gujarat. At age 21, he was given the headship of a religious sect known as Uddhav Sampradaay (later known as Swaminarayan Sampradaay), with the blessings of his Guru Sadguru Ramanand Swami. He later became known as Bhagwan Swaminarayan after the mantra he taught. Bhagwan Swaminarayan was known by many names such as Shreeji Maharaj, Shri Hari and Sahajanand Swami. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (504x756, 86 KB) Summary www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (504x756, 86 KB) Summary www. ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश, Urdu: اتر پردیش), also popularly known by its abbreviation UP, is the most populous and fifth largest state in the Union of India. ... A pilgrimage is a term primarily used in religion and spirituality of a long journey or search of great moral significance. ... Gujarat (Gujarati: , Hindi: ,, IPA ; also spelled Gujrat and sometimes Gujarath). ... Fishers of Men, oil on panel by Adriaen van de Venne (1614) Various religious symbols Religion is commonly defined as a group of beliefs concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions, and rituals associated with such belief. ... A sect is generally a small religious or political group that has branched off from a larger established group. ... References ^ Tirha, B. B. A Taste of Trascendence, (2002) p. ... A mantra is a religious syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. ...

He established temples at: Ahmedabad, Bhuj, Muli, Vadtal, Junagadh, Dholera, Dholka, Gadhpur & Jetalpur – installing images of various manifestations of God, such as Nar Narayan Dev, Laxmi Narayan Dev, Radha Krishna, Radha Raman, Revti Baldevji, etc. Shreeji Maharaj made Gadhpur his home, in recognition of the exceptional devoted love from Dada Khachar, one of his most devoted disciples. Ahmedabad (Gujarati: અમદાવાદ) or Ahmadābād is the largest city in Gujarat and the 7th largest city in India, with a population of more than 5. ... Bhuj is a town in Gujarat, India. ... Muli Tibetan Autonomous County is in the Liangshan (Cool Mountains) prefecture of Sichuan province in China. ... Vadtal is a small village in the Kaira district of Gujarat, India. ... Junagadh is a city, in Junagadh District, in the Indian state of Gujarat. ... Dholka is a town in western India. ... Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan Bhagwan Swaminarayan (April 2, 1781 - 1830) was born Ganshyam Pande to a brahmin family in the village of Chhapaiya, Uttar Pradesh, India. ...

Philosophy and claims of Godhood

The Swaminarayan Sampradaya is a Bhakti Sampradaya which advocates for God within the disciplines of Dharma. Lord Swaminarayan has propagated a philosophy which holds that God is Supreme, has a divine form, is the all doer and always present on earth. He simply states that jivas, or individual souls, never merge or dissolve into God, but they are not part of God. Yet all jivas are always subservient to God. The Jiva, through absolute surrender and attachment toward the Guru, attains the realized state and becomes eligible to offer pure worship to God. In Hinduism, a Sampradaya is a tradition encompassing a common philosophy but embracing many different schools, groups, or guru lineages (called parampara). ... Bhakti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Dharma (Sanskrit धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli) means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ... The Philosopher (detail), by Rembrandt Philosophy is a field of study that includes diverse subfields such as aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphysics, in which people ask questions such as whether God exists, whether knowledge is possible, and what makes actions right or wrong. ... The concept of the divine or of The Divine, meaning matters relating to a god, forms an important ingredient in many religious faiths (but compare Buddhism, for example, or Scientology). ... This article is about the meanings of the word form connected with shape or structure. ... In Hinduism and Jainism, a jiva is the immortal essence of a living being, subject to maya. ... In Hinduism and Jainism, a jiva is the immortal essence of a living being, subject to maya. ... References ^ Tirha, B. B. A Taste of Trascendence, (2002) p. ... Worship usually refers to specific acts of religious praise, honour, or devotion, typically directed to a supernatural being such as a god or goddess. ...

The world's first Swaminarayan Temple was built in Ahmedabad by the instructions of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.

Sahajanand Swami (Bhagwan Swaminarayan) was a Narayana and Krishna bhakta considered by his followers to be Narayana Himself, Rama, Krishna, etc. being his avataras. Swaminarayan sampradaya stems from the Ramanuja sampradaya, which holds Lord Narayana to be supreme and Krishna to be an avatar. ImageMetadata File history File links Temple4. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Temple4. ... Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan Bhagwan Swaminarayan (April 2, 1781 - 1830) was born Ganshyam Pande to a brahmin family in the village of Chhapaiya, Uttar Pradesh, India. ... Narayana (नरायण; ) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu and is in many contemporary vernaculars, a common Indian name. ... Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, IAST , Sanskrit for black or dark) is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Bhakta is a Hindu term for a person who practices bhakti, that is loving devotion for God. ... Lord Rama (center) with wife Sita, brother Lakshmana and devotee Hanuman. ... Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, IAST , Sanskrit for black or dark) is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... See Avatar (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... In Hinduism, a Sampradaya is a tradition encompassing a common philosophy but embracing many different schools, groups, or guru lineages (called parampara). ... Sri Ramanuja Acharya (traditionally dated 1017–1137 CE) was an Indian philosopher and is recognized as the most important saint of Sri Vaishnavism. ...

In his main work called Shikshapatri (108) he writes: The Shikshapatri is a text of two hundred and twelve verses, and was written by Shree Swaminarayan, a reforming Hindu from the Vaishnava tradition, who lived in Gujarat from 1781-1830 and who was recognised by his followers as a deity during his lifetime. ...

That ishvara is Shi Krishna who is PraBrahma Bhagwan Purushottam and our most cherished deity (istadeva). He is worthy of being worshipped by us all (upasya). He is the cause of all manifestations and incarnations.

Commenting on this verse, Shatanand Muni writes in Arthdipika (Shikshapatri Bhashya): "That live (saakshat) God (bhagvan) Krishna who is above kshar and akshar, appeared from Bhakti through Dharma as Swaminarayan; assumed a human body on the earth like a dramatist (natta). That Krishna whilst observing the (human) dharmas of an Acharya speaks in third person (parokshavann) but that Krishna is none other than Himself." Ishvara (ईश्वर in devanagari script, pronunciation ī:shvərə), also variously transliterated (romanized) as Īshvara, Īshwara, Īshwar, Īśvara, etc. ...

This verse is used to prove his Godhood:

43

Dharmadeva tada murtau, narnarayanatmana

Pravrte-pi kalau Brahman! Bhutvaham samago dvijaha

44

Munishapannrutam praptam, sarshim janakaatmanaha

Tato-vita gurubhyoham saddharmam sthapayannaja

with this translation: When the asuras who were killed by Myself and Arjuna begin to spread wickedness on earth, I will be born in a Brahmin family to Dharmadev and Murti from Nar Narayana. I, with many other rishis, will receive a shaap (curse) from a Muni to come on the earth to a Samved Brahmin family to protect the religion from evil gurus and rulers.” (Vasudeva Mahatmya 18.43-44 of Skanda Purana, Vishnu Khanda) Krishna to Arjuna: Behold My mystic opulence! Artwork © courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, arjuna) is one of the heroes of the epic Hindu Mahabharata. ... In Hinduism, Vasudeva is the father of Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra. ... In Hinduism, Kartikeya (also Murugan, Subrahmanya, Skanda, Kumaran, Swaminanda) is a deity born out of a magical spark created by Shiva. ... The Puranas are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss devotion and mythology. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ...

43

dharma-devaat tadaa bhaktaad

aham naaraayano munih

janisye kosale dese

bhuumau hi saamago dvijah

44

muni-saapaan nrtaam praaptaan

rsiims taata tathoddhavam

tato 'vitaasurebhyo 'ham

sad-dharmam sthaapayann aja

The complete reference in the Venkatesvara edition of Skanda Purana is 2.9.18.43-44 (2.9 is Vasudeva Mahatmya).

It is mentioned that he will establish sad-dharma; but there is no name of a mother (if her name was "Bhakti", then the word bhaktaad cannot refer to her, because this is the ablative singular ending of a masculine noun; for bhakti it would have to be bhaktyaah or bhakteh). Kali_Yuga is not mentioned. Kali Yuga is also the title of a book by Roland Charles Wagner. ...

43 "From Dharma-deva, then, from the devotee, I, Naaraayana-muni, shall take birth on this earth, in the land of Kosala, indeed, as a braahmana, a singer of the Sama Veda."

44 "O Brahma, when cursed by a muni, some rsis take birth as human beings, I will protect them from the demons and I will establish the principles of religion."

Kosala was an ancient Indian kingdom, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Oudh. ... The Sama Veda (सामवेद), or Veda of Holy Songs, is third in the usual order of enumeration of the four Vedas, the ancient core Hindu scriptures. ... Brahma carving at a temple in Halebid. ...

Fundamentals of the Swaminarayan Philosophy

Shree Hari is Shree NarNarayan Dev Himself .

• Dharma (Religion)

Virtuous conduct as defined in the 'Shrities' and 'Smrities' (Holy Scriptures) be known as the Dharma. Dharma (Sanskrit धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli) means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ...

• Bhakti (Devotion)

Supreme fervour of the soul combined with the consciousness of the Glories of the Supreme be known as ' Bhakti'. Nothing other then Gods devotion can guide the enlighten vision of God to great deliverance. Bhakti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

• Jnyana (Enlightenment)

Correct awareness about the forms of the Soul, illusion, and God be known as 'Jnyana'.

• Vairagya (Renunciation)

Detachment of the affection for all material possessions and be absolutely attached towards the love for the Eternal God is known as Vairagya.

• Maya (Illusion)

It is considered 'Tri-Gunatmika' i.e. deceptive illusion prevails in all the three qualities of minds viz. Satva, Rajas and Tamas; To be possessed by Maya is to be caught in darkness; God is the Lord of maya who acts as the power of God; It breeds ego in one for his body and for the relatives of the body too. The word Maya or maya can refer to: The Maya – a Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America the modern Maya people the pre-Columbian Maya civilization the Maya language Maya – a concept in Hindu/Vedic philosophy a state of misperception of reality the inherent force of...

• Mukti - Moksha (Great Deliverances)

To worship God in knowing he is the Supreme Deity and reaching ultimate salvation. This article is about a religious term. ...

• Atma (Soul)

Is seated in the heart and is tiny as an atom; It is the source of energy and is the real knower; It is present in the whole body from head to toe; in character it is Insuperable, Impenetrable, Indestructible and Immortal. (Redirected from ) This is a disambiguation page for the term atman (or atma). ...

• Paramatman (The Supreme Soul)

It is omnipresent within the souls, just as soul is present in the body; it is independent and is the one whom rewards the Fala (fruits) to the souls. In Hindu theology, Paramatman is Absolute Atman or Supreme Soul. ...

Prior to Bhagwan Swaminarayan departing for Akshardham, Shriji Hari divided his mandirs into two regions and in Vadtal, he established the dual Acharyaship, in direct succession to himself. He did so by means of a legal document Desh Vibhag Lekh which is a scripture that was dictated to Shuk Swami on Maghshar Sud 15, Vikram Samvat 1883 and witnessed by elder saints and satsangis of the Sampraday. The Lekh serves two primary purposes: The Gopuram of temples, in south India, are adorned with colourful icons depicting a particular story surrounding the temples deity. ...

-Demarcation of the jurisdiction and responsibilities of the respective Gadis

-Means of appointing future Acharyas.

Bhagwan Swaminarayan's Immediate Spiritual Successors

Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan

H.H. 1008 Acharya Shree Koshalendraprasadji Maharaj.

H.H. 1008 Acharya Shree Rakeshprasadji Maharaj.

Followers of Shree Swaminarayan Sampraday believe these acharyas to be Bhagwan Swaminarayan's immediate spiritual successors. The current acharyas, by hereditary succession, are HH Acharya Maharajshri Shri Rakeshprasadji Maharaj adorns the illustrious seat of LaxmiNarayan Dev Gadi at Vadtal, whilst HH Acharya Maharajshri Shri Koshalendraprasadji Maharaj adorns the illustrious seat of NarNarayan Dev Gadi at Ahmedabad. ImageMetadata File history File links Hh01. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Hh01. ... A hereditary monarchy is the most common style of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the worlds existing monarchies. ... H.H. 1008 Acharya Shree Rakeshprasadji Maharaj. ... H.H. 1008 Acharya Shree Koshalendraprasadji Maharaj. ...

The Acharyas of the Sampraday are mere administrative heads. They are the spiritual leaders and the Guru through whom the path to atyantik kalyan (ultimate redemption) is opened. Swaminarayan Bhagwan adopted Ayodhyaprasadji from His elder brother Rampratapji and adopted Raghuvirji from His younger brother Ichcharamji. He accepted the two as His own sons and handed the Northern - NarNarayan Dev Desh (diocese) to Acharya Shri Ayodhyaprasadji Maharaj and the Southern- LaxmiNarayan Dev Desh to Acharya Shri Raghuvirji Maharaj in Vadtal on VS 1882 (1826 AD) Kartik Sud 11 - Prabodhini Ekadashi (ironically on the very same day He was given the Acharya-pad by Ramanand Swami).

The NarNarayan Desh is based in Amdavad (Ahmedabad) and LaxmiNarayan Desh in Vadtal. Though known as NarNarayan Dev and LaxmiNarayan Dev Gadi, both are the Swaminarayan Gadis as they are the only authentic gadis established by Lord Swaminarayan Himself.

The Acharyas are householders and their respective wives (Gadiwala) stand as the females’ Guru. The Gadi is passed on to the most capable of the Sons from their family.

The Acharya’s role is to:

• initiate followers into the Sampraday with a Samanya Diksha by giving the special guru-mantra
• initiate sadhus (monks, ascetics) by giving them the Maha-Bhagwadi Diksha
• perform murti-pratishtha, install deities in the temples
• authenticate scriptures of the Sampraday
• act as the Guru and leader of the entire Sampraday

The concept of having a householder (non-monk) as guru and that of hereditary succession are unique to the Shree Swaminarayan Sampraday. It is the uniqueness of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, that the closest a tyagi (saint) comes to leadership is being appointed the Mahant Swami (head-saint) of a Shikharbandh Temple. At all times, the true saints of the Sampraday take their instructions from the Acharya, their ultimate guru and leader. References ^ Tirha, B. B. A Taste of Trascendence, (2002) p. ... A hereditary monarchy is the most common style of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the worlds existing monarchies. ... Swami playing the Harmonium Swami is a primarily Hindu honorific, loosely akin to master. It is derived from the Sanskrit language and means owner of oneself, denoting complete mastery over instinctive and lower urges. ... An acharya is a prominent guru, teacher and scholar who teaches by his own example (from Sanskrit achara, behavior). ...

In the Shikshapatri (62), Swaminarayan Bhagwan clearly states “And the form of Shri Krishna that has been given by your Acharya for the purpose of your worship and the forms that the Acharya has installed (i.e. in the mandirs) are the only forms of God worthy of worship. The rest are worthy of respect but not worthy of worship” Therefore, the only murtis (deities) worthy of worship are those installed by the Acharyas. The Shikshapatri is a text of two hundred and twelve verses, and was written by Shree Swaminarayan, a reforming Hindu from the Vaishnava tradition, who lived in Gujarat from 1781-1830 and who was recognised by his followers as a deity during his lifetime. ... Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, IAST , Sanskrit for black or dark) is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Murti Worship Different sects of Hinduism, especially devotional/bhakti and tantric ones, have their own particular monotheistic conception of supreme Godhead from whom all other deities and principles emanate (such as Vishnu or Shiva, Krishna or Devi). ...

Swaminarayan Sampraday Developments

Shree Swaminarayan Museum under construction

Currently the Shree Swaminarayan Sampraday is working on a Swaminarayan Museum in Ahmedabad, to treasure Bhagwan’s most cherished items of Prasadi which can be viewed by all people for darshan. The museum will hold priceless items such as Bhagwan Swaminarayan writing scripts, day to day garments, ornaments etc. This is the first ever project in the Swaminarayan Sampraday to create this unity in all of Bhagwan’s Prasadi items from Temples all over the world. This museum had been a long dream of H.H Nivrut Acharya Tejendraprasadji Maharaj, now under his own guidance and by the blessings of Swaminarayan Bhagwan it is being fulfilled.

In 2001 ISSO-Seva was established. It is an independent running charity under the Swaminarayan Sampraday to give a helping hand to mankind, to help the homeless and needy as well as making awareness about the modern day diseases and infections. It provides relief for when there is a natural struck disaster worldwide. The charity is run by professionals and volunteers of the Swaminarayan Temples and Centres.[1]

In 2005 a 17 acre plot of land was acquired in North-West London UK, to build the first ever Swaminarayan Temple with separate preying halls for the men and women. This will accommodate the Asian community and help advance the future generation by providing education classes and conducting social and community events. With the Temple set in the centre of the land and with tranquillity all around, it has been named Dharma Bhakti Manor.

The original Shree Swaminarayan Sampraday controls and maintains the first nine authentic Swaminarayan temples built by the instructions of Lord Swaminarayan as well as 35 other temples in India and 45 centers worldwide.[2] Due to the Earthquake on 26 January 2001, much of the City of Bhuj was shattered, including the magnificent and divinely constructed Bhuj temple. The saints & satsangis of Kutch residing in India and satsangis living abroad, have resolved to construct a new marbled temple a short distance away from this historic site.

Latest development of Bhuj Mandir

Latest development of the Swaminarayan Museum

Latest development of Dharma Bhakti Manor

External links

• || Shree Swaminarayan Sampraday || Website
• Vadtal LaxmiNarayan Dev Mandir Website
• Bhuj NarNarayan Dev Mandir Website
• Shree Swaminarayan Museum Website
• ISSO-Seva Website
• Digital Shikshapatri Website
• Desh Vibhag Lekh Explanation