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Swaminarayan

December 02, 2023

For other uses, see Swaminarayan (disambiguation).

Swaminarayan (IAST: Svāmīnārāyaṇa; 3 April 1781 – 1 June 1830), also known as Sahajanand Swami, was a yogi and ascetic, who is believed by followers to be a manifestation of Krishna,[2][3][4] or as the highest manifestation of Purushottama,[5][6][page needed][7] and around whom the Swaminarayan Sampradaya developed.

Swaminarayan
Illustration of Swaminarayan writing the Shikshapatri
Personal
Born
Ghanshyam Pande

3 April 1781[1]
Chhapaiya, Kingdom of Oudh (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India)
Died1 June 1830(1830-06-01) (aged 49)
Gadhada (present-day Gujarat, India)
ReligionHinduism
Founder ofSwaminarayan Sampradaya
Religious career
GuruSwami Ramanand
Birth of Swaminarayan: Swaminarayan and his mother Bhaktimata.

In 1800, he was initiated into the Uddhava sampradaya by his guru, Swami Ramanand, and was given the name Sahajanand Swami. Despite opposition, in 1802, Ramanand handed over the leadership of the Uddhava Sampradaya to him before his death.[8] According to the Swaminarayan tradition, Sahajanand Swami became known as Swaminarayan, and the Uddhava Sampradaya became known as the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, after a gathering in which he taught the Swaminarayan Mantra to his followers.

He emphasized "moral, personal, and social betterment,"[9] and ahimsa,[10]. He is also remembered within the sect for undertaking reforms for women[11] and the poor,[12] and performing large scale non-violent yajñas (fire sacrifices).[13]

During his lifetime, Swaminarayan institutionalized his charisma and beliefs in various ways.[14] He built six mandirs to facilitate devotional worship of God by his followers,[15][16][17] and encouraged the creation of a scriptural tradition,[14][18][19] including the Shikshapatri, which he wrote in 1826.[20] In 1826, through a legal document titled the Lekh, Swaminarayan created two dioceses, the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi (Vadtal Gadi) and Nar Narayan Dev Gadi (Ahmedabad Gadi), with a hereditary leadership of acharyas and their wives from his own extended family,[web 1] who were authorized to install statues of deities in temples and to initiate ascetics.[14]

Biography

Childhood as Ghanshyam

 
Dharmadev teaching Ghanshyam from the scriptures

Swaminarayan was born on 3 April 1781 (Chaitra Sud 9, Samvat 1837) in Chhapaiya, a village near Ayodhya in present-day Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.[1] Born into the Brahmin or priestly caste of Sarvariya, Swaminarayan was named Ghanshyam Pande by his parents, Hariprasad Pande (father, also known as Dharmadev) and Premvati Pande (mother, also known as Bhaktimata and Murtidevi).[1] The birth of Swaminarayan coincided with the Hindu festival of Rama Navami, celebrating the birth of Rama. The ninth lunar day in the fortnight of the waxing moon in the month of Chaitra (March–April), is celebrated as both Rama Navami and Swaminarayan Jayanti by Swaminarayan followers. This celebration also marks the beginning of a ritual calendar for the followers.[21]

A Swaminarayan sectarian legend tells how Narayana from the Nara Narayana pair, was cursed by sage Durvasa to incarnate on the earth as Swaminarayan.[22]

Swaminarayan had an elder brother, Rampratap Pande, and a younger brother, Ichcharam Pande.[23] He is said to have mastered the scriptures, including the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata by the age of seven.[24]

Travels as Nilkanth Varni

 
Nilkanth Varni during his travels

After the death of his parents, Ghanshyam Pande left his home on 29 June 1792 (Ashadh Sud 10, Samvat 1849) at the age of 11.[25] He took the name Nilkanth Varni while on his journey. Nilkanth Varni travelled across India and parts of Nepal in search of an ashram, or hermitage, that practiced what he considered a correct understanding of Vedanta, Samkhya, Yoga, and Pancaratra.[26] To find such an ashram, Nilkanth Varni asked the following five questions on the basic Vaishnava Vedanta categories:[27]

While on his journey, Nilkanth Varni mastered Astanga yoga (eightfold yoga) in a span of nine months under the guidance of an aged yogic master named Gopal Yogi.[28] In Nepal, it is said that he met King Rana Bahadur Shah and cured him of his stomach illness. As a result, the king freed all the ascetics he had imprisoned.[29] Nilkanth Varni visited the Jagannath Temple in Puri as well as temples in Badrinath, Rameswaram, Nashik, Dwarka, and Pandharpur.[25]

In 1799, after a seven-year journey, Nilkanth's travels as a yogi eventually concluded in Loj, a village in the Junagadh district of Gujarat. In Loj, Nilkanth Varni met Muktanand Swami, a senior disciple of Ramanand Swami. Muktanand Swami, who was 22 years older than Nilkanth, answered the five questions to Nilkanth's satisfaction.[30] Nilkanth decided to stay for the opportunity to meet Ramanand Swami, whom he met a few months after his arrival in Gujarat.[31] He later claimed in the Vachnamrut that during this period, he took up a severe penance to eliminate his mother's flesh and blood from his body so that the sign of his physical attachment to family, was completely removed.[26]

Leadership as Sahajanand Swami

 
Traditional iconographical portrait of Swaminarayan
See also: Swaminarayan mantra

According to the sect, Nilkanth's understanding of the metaphysical and epistemological concepts of the pancha-tattvas (five eternal elements), together with his mental and physical discipline, inspired senior swamis of Ramanand Swami.[32]

Nilkanth Varni received sannyasa initiation from Ramanand Swami on 20 October 1800, and with it was granted the names Sahajanand Swami and Narayan Muni to signify his new status.[33]

At the age of 21, Sahajanand Swami was appointed successor to Ramanand Swami as the leader of the Uddhava Sampradaya[33] by Ramanand Swami, prior to his death. The Uddhava Sampradaya henceforth came to be known as the Swaminarayan Sampradaya.[34] According to sources he proclaimed the worship of one sole deity, Krishna or Narayana.[35] Krishna was considered by him his own ishtadevata. In contrast with the Vaishnava sect known as the Radha-vallabha Sampradaya,[36] he had a more puritanical approach, rather than the theological views of Krishna that are strongly capricious in character and imagery. While being a worshipper of Krishna, Swaminarayan rejected licentious elements in Krishnology in favor of worship in the mood of majesty, alike to earlier Vaishnava teachers, Ramanuja and Yamunacharya.[37]

Manifestation of God

According to Swaminarayan-tradition, Sahajanand Swami was later known as Swaminarayan after the mantra he taught at a gathering, in Faneni, a fortnight after the death of Ramanand Swami.[38] He gave his followers a new mantra, known as the Swaminarayan mantra, to repeat in their rituals: Swaminarayan.[33] When chanting this mantra, some devotees went into samadhi,[39][note 1] and claimed that they could see their personal gods.[28][40][41] Swaminarayan also became known by the names Ghanshyam Maharaj, Shreeji Maharaj, Hari Krishna Maharaj and Shri Hari.[citation needed]

As early as 1804, Swaminarayan, who was reported to have performed miracles, was described as a manifestation of God in the first work written by a disciple and paramahamsa, Nishkulanand Swami.[33][42][note 2] This work, the Yama Danda, was the first piece of literature written within the Swaminarayan sect.[44] Swaminarayan himself is said to have intimated that he was a manifestation of God in a meeting with Reginald Heber, the Lord Bishop of Calcutta, in 1825.[45]: 81 

Some of Swaminarayan's followers believe he was an incarnation of Krishna.[43] The images and stories of Swaminarayan and Krishna have coincided in the liturgy of the sect. The story of the birth of Swaminarayan parallels that of Krishna's birth from the scripture Bhagavata Purana.[46] Most of his followers believe that Swaminarayan is the complete manifestation of Narayana or Purushottama Narayana - the Supreme Being and superior to other avatars.[33]

The belief of many followers that their founder was the incarnation of the Supreme God has also drawn criticism.[47] According to Professor Raymond B. Williams, Swaminarayan was criticized because he received large gifts from his followers and dressed and traveled as a Maharaja even though he had taken the vows of renunciation of the world. Swaminarayan responded that he accepts gifts for the emancipation of his followers.[48]

Dharma

Swaminarayan encouraged his followers to combine devotion and dharma to lead a pious life. Using Hindu texts and rituals to form the base of his organisation, Swaminarayan founded what in later centuries would become a global organisation with strong Gujarati roots.[49] He was particularly strict on the separation of sexes in temples.[50] Swaminarayan was against the consumption of meat, alcohol or drugs, adultery, suicide, animal sacrifices, criminal activities and the appeasement of ghosts and tantric rituals.[51][52][53][54] Alcohol consumption was forbidden by him even for medicinal purposes.[55] Many of his followers took vows before becoming his disciple. He stated that four elements need to be conquered for ultimate salvation: dharma, bhakti (devotion), gnana (knowledge) and vairagya (detachment).[4] Doctrinally, Swaminarayan was close to eleventh century philosopher Ramanuja and was critical of Adi Shankara's concept of Advaita, or monistic non-dualism. Swaminarayan's ontology maintained that the supreme being is not formless and that God always has a divine form.[56]

Relations with other religions and the British Government

 
In 1822, The first Swaminarayan Mandir was constructed on the land granted by the British Imperial Government in Ahmedabad.

Swaminarayan strived to maintain good relationships with people of other religions, sometimes meeting prominent leaders. His followers cut across religious boundaries, including people of Muslim and Parsi backgrounds.[28][57] Swaminarayan's personal attendants included Khoja Muslims.[28] In Kathiawad, many Muslims wore kanthi necklaces given by Swaminarayan.[58] He also had a meeting with Reginald Heber, Lord Bishop of Calcutta and a leader of Christians in India at the time.[45] Bishop Heber mentions in his account of the meeting that about two hundred disciples of Swaminarayan accompanied him as his bodyguards mounted on horses and carrying Matchlocks and swords. Bishop Heber himself had about a hundred horse guards accompanying him (fifty horses and fifty muskets) and mentioned that it was humiliating for him to see two religious leaders meeting at the head of two small armies, his being the smaller contingent.[59][60] As a result of the meeting, both leaders gained mutual respect for one another.[60]

Swaminarayan enjoyed a good relationship with the government of the ruling East India Company. The first temple he built, in Ahmedabad, was built on 5,000 acres (20 km2) of land given by the company government. The company officers gave it a 101 gun salute when it was opened.[61][62] It was in an 1825 meeting with Reginald Heber that Swaminarayan is said to have intimated that he was a manifestation of Krishna.[45] In 1830, Swaminarayan had a meeting with Sir John Malcolm, Governor of Bombay (1827 to 1830). According to Malcolm, Swaminarayan had helped bring some stability to a lawless region.[63] During the meeting with Malcolm, Swaminarayan gave him a copy of the Shikshapatri. This copy of the Shikshapatri is currently housed at the Bodleian Library at University of Oxford.[64]

Temples and ascetics

 
Swaminarayan and the Paramahamsas in Gadhada
Main articles: List of Swaminarayan temples and Swaminarayan ascetics

Swaminarayan ordered the construction of several Hindu temples and he had built six huge temples by himself and installed the idols of various deities such as Radha Krishna, Nara-Narayana, Laksmi Narayana, Gopinath, Radha Ramana, and Madanamohana. The images in the temples built by Swaminarayan provide evidence of the priority of Krishna.[45]: 81 [65] Disciples of Swaminarayan composed devotional poems which are widely sung by the tradition during festivals.[66][67] Swaminarayan introduced fasting and devotion among followers.[68] He conducted the festivals of Vasant Panchami, Holi, and Janmashtami with organization of the traditional folk dance raas.[28]

The first temple Swaminarayan constructed was in Ahmedabad in 1822, with the land for construction given by the Company Government.[69][61] Following a request of devotees from Bhuj, Swaminarayan asked his follower Vaishnavananand to build a temple there. Construction commenced in 1822, and the temple was built within a year.[69] A temple in Vadtal followed in 1824,[69] a temple in Dholera in 1826,[69] a temple in Junagadh in 1828[69] and a temple in Gadhada, also in 1828.[69] By the time of his death, Swaminarayan had also ordered construction of temples in Muli, Dholka and Jetalpur.[62]

From early on, ascetics have played a major role in the Swaminarayan sect. They contribute towards growth and development of the movement, encouraging people to follow a pious and religious life.[70] Tradition maintains that Swaminarayan initiated 500 ascetics as paramahamsas in a single night. Paramahamsa is a title of honour sometimes applied to Hindu spiritual teachers who are regarded as having attained enlightenment. Paramahamsas were the highest order of sannyasi in the sect.[71] Prominent paramahamsas included Muktanand Swami, Gopalanand Swami, Brahmanand Swami, Gunatitanand Swami, Premanand Swami, Nishkulanand Swami, and Nityanand Swami.[72]

Ahmedabad and Vadtal Gadi

Prior to his death, Swaminarayan decided to establish a line of acharyas or preceptors, as his successors.[73] He established two gadis (seats of leadership). One seat was established at Ahmedabad (Nar Narayan Dev Gadi) and the other one at Vadtal (Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi) on 21 November 1825. Swaminarayan appointed an acharya to each of these gadis to pass on his message to others and to preserve his fellowship, the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. These acharyas came from his immediate family after sending representatives to search them out in Uttar Pradesh.[74] He formally adopted a son each from his two brothers and appointed them to the office of acharya. Ayodhyaprasad, the son of Swaminarayan's elder brother Rampratap, and Raghuvira, the son of his younger brother Ichcharam, were appointed acharyas of the Ahmedabad Gadi and the Vadtal Gadi respectively.[75] Swaminarayan decreed that the office should be hereditary so that acharyas would maintain a direct line of blood descent from his family.[76] The administrative division of his followers into two territorial dioceses is set forth in minute detail in a document written by Swaminarayan called Desh Vibhag Lekh.[27] Swaminarayan stated to all the devotees and saints to obey both the Acharyas and Gopalanand Swami who was considered as the main pillar and chief ascetic[77] for the sampradaya.[78]

The current acharya of the Ahmedabad Gadi is Koshalendraprasad Pande and Ajendraprasad Pande, of the Vadtal Gadi.[79][80][81]

Death

Further information: Swaminarayan Hinduism
 
Madan Mohan and Radha (centre and right) with Swaminarayan in the form of Hari Krishna (left), installed by Swaminarayan on the central altar in Dholera (1826)

In 1830, Swaminarayan gathered his followers and announced his departure. He later died on 1 June 1830 (Jeth sud 10, Samvat 1886),[62] and it is believed by followers that, at the time of his death, Swaminarayan left Earth for Akshardham, his abode.[28][82] He was cremated according to Hindu rites at Lakshmi Wadi in Gadhada.[83]

Social views

Women

Swaminarayan insisted that education was the inherent right of all people, including women, despite considerable criticism from those in his own contemporary society who "loathed the uplift of lower caste women".[84] At that time, influential and wealthy individuals educated their girls through private and personal tuition. Male followers of Swaminarayan made arrangements to educate their female family members. The literacy rate among females began to increase during Swaminarayan's time, and they were able to give discourses on spiritual subjects.[85] Members of the sect consider Swaminarayan a pioneer of education of females in India.[86][87][88][89][90]

According to the author Raymond Brady Williams, "Swaminarayan is an early representative of the practice of advocacy of women's rights without personal involvement with women".[91] To counter the practice of sati (self-immolation by a widow on her husband's funeral pyre), Swaminarayan argued that, as human life was given by God, it could be taken only by God, and that sati had no Vedic sanction. He went to the extent to call sati nothing but suicide. Swaminarayan offered parents help with dowry expenses to discourage female infanticide, calling infanticide a sin.[86][87] For calling a halt to these prevailing practices, Swaminarayan's "contemporaries naturally saw in him a pioneer of a reformed and purified Hinduism, and Swaminarayan Hinduism an 'ingrazi dharma' or British religion."[85]

Professor David Harman observed that Swaminarayan "criticized the popular shakta cults and 'gosai' and 'nath' ascetics for the contemptuous and instrumental way in which they viewed and treated women. These cults were often responsible for gross sexual abuse of women."[92] Hardiman added that Swaminarayan's view towards women was not in line with this type of misogyny and was rooted in his desire to prevent ill-treatment of women along with promoting celibacy for ascetics.[92] Swaminarayan "forbade all sadhus and sadhvis (that is, male and female ascetics) of his sect from having any contact whatsoever with members of the opposite sex."[92] This strict precept was one he likely internalized "after travelling as an ascetic throughout India [when] he was reported to vomit if approached by even the shadow of a woman".[93] To help his male ascetic followers maintain their vow of celibacy, Swaminarayan taught “the woman who attracts attention is made up of bones, blood vessels, spittle, blood, mucus and feces; she is simply a collection of these things, and there is nothing to be attractive.[92][94]

Members of the faith are defensive of the fact that some practices seem to restrict women and make gender equality in leadership impossible.[95] They are only permitted to enter special sections of the temple reserved for women or have to go to separate women's temples.[92] As with practices of niddah in Orthodox Judaism, concepts of pollution associated with the menstrual cycle lead to the exclusion of women from the temples and daily worship during the affected time.[96] Swaminarayan also directed male devotees not to listen to religious discourses given by women.[88]

In the case of widows, Swaminarayan directed those who could not follow the path of chastity to remarry. For those who could, he lay down strict rules which included them being under the control of male members of the family. This may seem regressive, however, it gave them "a respected and secure place in the social order" of the time.[97] Swaminarayan restricted widows "to live always under the control of male members of their family and prohibited them from receiving instruction in any science from any man excepting their nearest relations."[88]

Caste system and the poor

 
Swaminarayan distributing food among the needy

After assuming the leadership of the sampradaya, Swaminarayan worked to assist the poor by distributing food and drinking water.[98] He undertook several social service projects and opened almshouses for the poor. Swaminarayan organized food and water relief to people during times of drought.[99]

Some suggest that Swaminarayan worked towards ending the caste system, allowing everyone into the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. However partaking in the consumption food of lower castes and caste pollution was not supported by him.[55] A political officer in Gujarat, Mr. Williamson reported to Bishop Herber that Swaminarayan had "destroyed the yoke of caste."[91] He instructed his paramahamsas to collect alms from all sections of society and appointed people from the lower strata of society as his personal attendants. Members of the lower castes were attracted to the movement as it improved their social status.[51][88] Swaminarayan would eat along with the lower Rajput and Khati castes but not any lower.[100] He allowed dalits and lower caste people to visit places of worship .[101] However, Dalits - those outside of the caste system - were formally excluded from Swaminarayan temples.[102] Members of a lower caste are prohibited from wearing a full sect mark (tilak chandlo) on their forehead.[103] Even now, however, for the vast majority of Gujarat's lower-caste, Untouchable and tribal population, the sect is out of bounds.[104]

Reginald Heber, the Lord Bishop of Calcutta, noted that disciples of Swaminarayan cut across all castes, and even included Muslims. He writes "they all pray to one God with no difference of castes. They live as if they were brothers."[105] Furthermore, in a meeting with Swaminarayan, he noted that "[Swaminarayan] did not regard the subject as of much importance, but that he wished not to give offense (to ancient Hindu system); that people might eat separately or together in this world, but that above "oopur" pointing to heaven, those distinctions would cease."[105] Swaminarayan worked thus to dispel the myth that moksha (salvation) was not attainable by everyone.[106] He taught that the soul is neither male nor female, nor yoked to any specific caste.[51][107]

Animal sacrifices and yajnas

Swaminarayan was against animal sacrifices.[108] To solve this problem, Swaminarayan conducted several large-scale yajnas involving priests from Varanasi. Swaminarayan was successful in reinstating ahimsa through several such large-scale yajnas. Swaminarayan stressed lacto vegetarianism among his followers and forbade meat consumption, codifying the conduct in the Shikshapatri.[55][88][109][110]

Scriptures

 
Swaminarayan under a Neem tree in Gadhada

Swaminarayan propagated general Hindu texts.[49] He held the Bhagavata Purana in high authority.[111] However, there are many texts that were written by Swaminarayan or his followers that are regarded as shastras or scriptures within the Swaminarayan sect. Notable scriptures throughout the sect include the Shikshapatri and the Vachanamrut. Other important works and scriptures include the Satsangi Jeevan, Swaminarayan's authorized biography, the Muktanand Kavya, the Nishkulanand Kavya and the Bhakta Chintamani.[112]

Shikshapatri

Main article: Shikshapatri

Swaminarayan wrote the Shikshapatri on 11 February 1826.[113] While the original Sanskrit manuscript is not available, it was translated into Gujarati by Nityanand Swami under the direction of Swaminarayan and is revered in the sect.[55][114] The Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency summarised it as a book of social laws that his followers should follow.[115] A commentary on the practice and understanding of dharma, it is a small booklet containing 212 Sanskrit verses, outlining the basic tenets that Swaminarayan believed his followers should uphold in order to live a well-disciplined and moral life.[112] The oldest copy of this text is preserved at the Bodleian Library of Oxford University and it is one of the very few presented by Sahajanand Swami himself. Acharya Tejendraprasad of Ahmedabad has indicated in a letter that he is not aware of any copy from the hand of Sahajanand older than this text.[114]

Swaminarayan in various places of Shikshapatri describes Shri Krishna as the greatest entity. In Shikshapatri shlok 1 and 108 are few places that mention that Swaminarayan prayed on Shri Krishna.

Shikshapatri shlok 1

वामे यस्य स्थिता राधा श्रीश्च यस्यास्ति वक्षसि।

वृन्दावनविहारं तं श्रीकृष्णं हृदि चिन्तये॥ 1॥

vāmē yasya sthitā rādhā śrīśca yasyāsti vakṣasi ǀ

vṛndāvanavihāraṁ taṁ śrīkṛṣṇaṁ hṛdi cintayē ǁ 1 ǁ

Translation: With all My heart, I meditate on Shri Krishna, who resides in the divine abode Vrindavan; with Radha on his left and Shree residing within his heart.[116][117]

Shikshapatri shlok 108 also mentions that Shri Krishna is the greatest entity.

स श्रीकृष्णः परंब्रह्म भगवान् पुरुषोत्तमः।

उपास्य इष्टदेवो नः सर्वाविर्भावकारणम्॥ 108॥

sa śrīkṛṣṇaḥ parambrahma bhagavān puruṣōttamaḥ ǀ

upāsya iṣṭadēvō naḥ sarvāvirbhāvakāraṇam ǁ 108 ǁ[116][118]

Translation: The Lord, Shri Krishna is the greatest entity. I admire Him the most. He is the cause of all incarnations and is thus truly worthy to be worshiped.

Vachanamrut

Main article: Vachanamrut

The Vachanamrut (IAST: Vacanāmṛta, lit. "immortalising ambrosia in the form of words") is a sacred Hindu text consisting of 273 religious discourses delivered by Swaminarayan from 1819 to 1829 CE and is considered the principal theological text within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya.[119]: 6  Compiled by four of his senior disciples, Swaminarayan edited and approved the scripture. As followers believe Swaminarayan to be Parabrahman, or God, the Vachanamrut is considered a direct revelation from God and thus the most precise interpretation of the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and other important Hindu scriptures.[119]: 13–14, 45 [120]: 173  This scripture is read by followers regularly and discourses are conducted daily in Swaminarayan temples around the world.[121]: 21–27 

Satsangi Jeevan

Main article: Satsangi Jeevan

Satsangi Jeevan is the authorised biography of Swaminarayan.[119] The book contains information on the life and teachings of Swaminarayan.[122] It is written by Shatanand Swami and completed in Vikram Samvat 1885.[119] Swaminarayan decided to make Gadhada his permanent residence on the insistence of Dada Khachar and his sisters.[123] Swaminarayan instructed Shatanand Swami to write a book on his life and pastimes.[120]

To enable Shatanand Swami to write from His childhood, Swaminarayan had blessed Shatanand Swami with Sanjay Drishti - special power to see the entire past right from His childhood.[120]

Once written by Shatanand Swami, this book was verified and authenticated by Swaminarayan. He was much pleased to read the book. Swaminarayan then asked his disciples to do Katha of Satsangi Jeevan.[120]

Philosophy

Swaminarayan's philosophy asserts that Parabrahman and Aksharabrahman are two distinct eternal realities.[124]

Legacy

Schisms

Decades after his death, several divisions occurred with different understandings of succession. This included the establishment of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), the founder of which left the Vadtal Gadi in 1905, and Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan, the founder of which left the Ahmedabad Gadi in the 1940s. The followers of BAPS hold Gunatitanand Swami as the spiritual successor to Swaminarayan, asserting that on several occasions Swaminarayan revealed to devotees that Gunatitanand Swami was Aksharbrahm manifest. Followers of BAPS believe that the acharyas were given administrative leadership of the sect while Gunatitanand Swami was given spiritual leadership by Swaminarayan.[125] The current spiritual and administrative leader of BAPS is Mahant Swami Maharaj. The followers of the Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan hold Gopalanand Swami as the successor to Swaminarayan.[126][127] The current leader of this sect is Purushottampriyadasji Maharaj.[128]

Growth

 
Nara Narayana installed by Swaminarayan in the first Swaminarayan Temple, Ahmedabad.

According to the biographer Raymond Williams, when Swaminarayan died, he had a following of 1.8 million people. In 2001, Swaminarayan centres existed on four continents, and the congregation was recorded to be five million, the majority in the homeland of Gujarat.[129][130][131] The newspaper Indian Express estimated members of the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism to number over 20 million (2 crore) worldwide in 2007.[132]

Reception

The manifestation belief and Swaminarayan's teachings were criticized by Hindu reformist leader Dayananda Saraswati (1824–1883). He questioned the acceptance of Swaminarayan as the Supreme Being and was disapproving towards the idea that visions of Swaminarayan could form a path to attaining perfection. Accused of deviating from the Vedas, his followers were criticised for the illegal collection of wealth and the "practice of frauds and tricks."[133] In the views of Dayananda, published as early as 1875, it was a "historical fact" that Swaminarayan decorated himself as Narayana in order to gain followers.[134]

In 1918, Mahatma Gandhi in the letter to his nephew, expressed that Swaminarayan's values didn't align perfectly with his interpretation of Vaishnavism and the love taught by Swaminarayana was all about sentimentalism. According to Gandhi, Swaminarayan had not grasped the essence of non-violence.[42][101] In 1924, Gandhi applauded efforts of Swaminaryan and added that "what was accomplished in Gujarat by one person, Sahajanand [Swaminarayan], could not be accomplished by the power of the State".[135]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The word samadhi has different meanings in Hinduism. It may refer to a form yogic deep meditation. As a cause of death, it refers to the act of consciously and intentionally leaving one's body at the time of death.[34]
  2. ^ In his discourses recorded in the Vachanamrut, Swaminarayan mentions that humans would not be able to withstand meeting god in his divine form, hence God takes human form (simultaneously living in his abode) so people can approach, understand and love him in the form of an Avatar.[43]

References

  1. ^ a b c Williams (2001), p. 13.
  2. ^ Kim (2010).
  3. ^ Jones (2005), p. 8890.
  4. ^ a b Olson (2007), p. 336.
  5. ^ Williams (2018), p. 81.
  6. ^ Paramtattvadas (2017).
  7. ^ Singleton, Mark; Goldberg, Ellen (2013). Gurus of modern yoga. New York, NY. ISBN 978-0-19-993871-1. OCLC 861692270.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ^ Williams (2018), p. 17.
  9. ^ Jones (2005), p. 8889.
  10. ^ Williams (2018), p. 27.
  11. ^ Raval (2012).
  12. ^ Mangalnidhidas (2016).
  13. ^ Paramtattvadas, Williams & Amrutvijaydas (2016).
  14. ^ a b c Schreiner (2001).
  15. ^ S.Patel (2017), p. 65.
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External links

December 02, 2023
swaminarayan, other, uses, disambiguation, iast, svāmīnārāyaṇa, april, 1781, june, 1830, also, known, sahajanand, swami, yogi, ascetic, believed, followers, manifestation, krishna, highest, manifestation, purushottama, page, needed, around, whom, sampradaya, d. For other uses see Swaminarayan disambiguation Swaminarayan IAST Svaminarayaṇa 3 April 1781 1 June 1830 also known as Sahajanand Swami was a yogi and ascetic who is believed by followers to be a manifestation of Krishna 2 3 4 or as the highest manifestation of Purushottama 5 6 page needed 7 and around whom the Swaminarayan Sampradaya developed SwaminarayanIllustration of Swaminarayan writing the ShikshapatriPersonalBornGhanshyam Pande3 April 1781 1 Chhapaiya Kingdom of Oudh present day Uttar Pradesh India Died1 June 1830 1830 06 01 aged 49 Gadhada present day Gujarat India ReligionHinduismFounder ofSwaminarayan SampradayaReligious careerGuruSwami RamanandBirth of Swaminarayan Swaminarayan and his mother Bhaktimata In 1800 he was initiated into the Uddhava sampradaya by his guru Swami Ramanand and was given the name Sahajanand Swami Despite opposition in 1802 Ramanand handed over the leadership of the Uddhava Sampradaya to him before his death 8 According to the Swaminarayan tradition Sahajanand Swami became known as Swaminarayan and the Uddhava Sampradaya became known as the Swaminarayan Sampradaya after a gathering in which he taught the Swaminarayan Mantra to his followers He emphasized moral personal and social betterment 9 and ahimsa 10 He is also remembered within the sect for undertaking reforms for women 11 and the poor 12 and performing large scale non violent yajnas fire sacrifices 13 During his lifetime Swaminarayan institutionalized his charisma and beliefs in various ways 14 He built six mandirs to facilitate devotional worship of God by his followers 15 16 17 and encouraged the creation of a scriptural tradition 14 18 19 including the Shikshapatri which he wrote in 1826 20 In 1826 through a legal document titled the Lekh Swaminarayan created two dioceses the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi Vadtal Gadi and Nar Narayan Dev Gadi Ahmedabad Gadi with a hereditary leadership of acharyas and their wives from his own extended family web 1 who were authorized to install statues of deities in temples and to initiate ascetics 14 Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Childhood as Ghanshyam 1 2 Travels as Nilkanth Varni 1 3 Leadership as Sahajanand Swami 1 4 Manifestation of God 1 5 Dharma 1 6 Relations with other religions and the British Government 1 7 Temples and ascetics 1 8 Ahmedabad and Vadtal Gadi 1 9 Death 2 Social views 2 1 Women 2 2 Caste system and the poor 2 3 Animal sacrifices and yajnas 3 Scriptures 3 1 Shikshapatri 3 2 Vachanamrut 3 3 Satsangi Jeevan 4 Philosophy 5 Legacy 5 1 Schisms 5 2 Growth 5 3 Reception 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 Sources 10 External linksBiographyChildhood as Ghanshyam nbsp Dharmadev teaching Ghanshyam from the scripturesSwaminarayan was born on 3 April 1781 Chaitra Sud 9 Samvat 1837 in Chhapaiya a village near Ayodhya in present day Indian state of Uttar Pradesh 1 Born into the Brahmin or priestly caste of Sarvariya Swaminarayan was named Ghanshyam Pande by his parents Hariprasad Pande father also known as Dharmadev and Premvati Pande mother also known as Bhaktimata and Murtidevi 1 The birth of Swaminarayan coincided with the Hindu festival of Rama Navami celebrating the birth of Rama The ninth lunar day in the fortnight of the waxing moon in the month of Chaitra March April is celebrated as both Rama Navami and Swaminarayan Jayanti by Swaminarayan followers This celebration also marks the beginning of a ritual calendar for the followers 21 A Swaminarayan sectarian legend tells how Narayana from the Nara Narayana pair was cursed by sage Durvasa to incarnate on the earth as Swaminarayan 22 Swaminarayan had an elder brother Rampratap Pande and a younger brother Ichcharam Pande 23 He is said to have mastered the scriptures including the Vedas the Upanishads the Puranas the Ramayana and the Mahabharata by the age of seven 24 Travels as Nilkanth Varni nbsp Nilkanth Varni during his travelsAfter the death of his parents Ghanshyam Pande left his home on 29 June 1792 Ashadh Sud 10 Samvat 1849 at the age of 11 25 He took the name Nilkanth Varni while on his journey Nilkanth Varni travelled across India and parts of Nepal in search of an ashram or hermitage that practiced what he considered a correct understanding of Vedanta Samkhya Yoga and Pancaratra 26 To find such an ashram Nilkanth Varni asked the following five questions on the basic Vaishnava Vedanta categories 27 What is Jiva What is Ishvara What is Maya What is Brahman What is Parabrahman While on his journey Nilkanth Varni mastered Astanga yoga eightfold yoga in a span of nine months under the guidance of an aged yogic master named Gopal Yogi 28 In Nepal it is said that he met King Rana Bahadur Shah and cured him of his stomach illness As a result the king freed all the ascetics he had imprisoned 29 Nilkanth Varni visited the Jagannath Temple in Puri as well as temples in Badrinath Rameswaram Nashik Dwarka and Pandharpur 25 In 1799 after a seven year journey Nilkanth s travels as a yogi eventually concluded in Loj a village in the Junagadh district of Gujarat In Loj Nilkanth Varni met Muktanand Swami a senior disciple of Ramanand Swami Muktanand Swami who was 22 years older than Nilkanth answered the five questions to Nilkanth s satisfaction 30 Nilkanth decided to stay for the opportunity to meet Ramanand Swami whom he met a few months after his arrival in Gujarat 31 He later claimed in the Vachnamrut that during this period he took up a severe penance to eliminate his mother s flesh and blood from his body so that the sign of his physical attachment to family was completely removed 26 Leadership as Sahajanand Swami nbsp Traditional iconographical portrait of SwaminarayanSee also Swaminarayan mantra According to the sect Nilkanth s understanding of the metaphysical and epistemological concepts of the pancha tattvas five eternal elements together with his mental and physical discipline inspired senior swamis of Ramanand Swami 32 Nilkanth Varni received sannyasa initiation from Ramanand Swami on 20 October 1800 and with it was granted the names Sahajanand Swami and Narayan Muni to signify his new status 33 At the age of 21 Sahajanand Swami was appointed successor to Ramanand Swami as the leader of the Uddhava Sampradaya 33 by Ramanand Swami prior to his death The Uddhava Sampradaya henceforth came to be known as the Swaminarayan Sampradaya 34 According to sources he proclaimed the worship of one sole deity Krishna or Narayana 35 Krishna was considered by him his own ishtadevata In contrast with the Vaishnava sect known as the Radha vallabha Sampradaya 36 he had a more puritanical approach rather than the theological views of Krishna that are strongly capricious in character and imagery While being a worshipper of Krishna Swaminarayan rejected licentious elements in Krishnology in favor of worship in the mood of majesty alike to earlier Vaishnava teachers Ramanuja and Yamunacharya 37 Manifestation of God According to Swaminarayan tradition Sahajanand Swami was later known as Swaminarayan after the mantra he taught at a gathering in Faneni a fortnight after the death of Ramanand Swami 38 He gave his followers a new mantra known as the Swaminarayan mantra to repeat in their rituals Swaminarayan 33 When chanting this mantra some devotees went into samadhi 39 note 1 and claimed that they could see their personal gods 28 40 41 Swaminarayan also became known by the names Ghanshyam Maharaj Shreeji Maharaj Hari Krishna Maharaj and Shri Hari citation needed As early as 1804 Swaminarayan who was reported to have performed miracles was described as a manifestation of God in the first work written by a disciple and paramahamsa Nishkulanand Swami 33 42 note 2 This work the Yama Danda was the first piece of literature written within the Swaminarayan sect 44 Swaminarayan himself is said to have intimated that he was a manifestation of God in a meeting with Reginald Heber the Lord Bishop of Calcutta in 1825 45 81 Some of Swaminarayan s followers believe he was an incarnation of Krishna 43 The images and stories of Swaminarayan and Krishna have coincided in the liturgy of the sect The story of the birth of Swaminarayan parallels that of Krishna s birth from the scripture Bhagavata Purana 46 Most of his followers believe that Swaminarayan is the complete manifestation of Narayana or Purushottama Narayana the Supreme Being and superior to other avatars 33 The belief of many followers that their founder was the incarnation of the Supreme God has also drawn criticism 47 According to Professor Raymond B Williams Swaminarayan was criticized because he received large gifts from his followers and dressed and traveled as a Maharaja even though he had taken the vows of renunciation of the world Swaminarayan responded that he accepts gifts for the emancipation of his followers 48 Dharma Swaminarayan encouraged his followers to combine devotion and dharma to lead a pious life Using Hindu texts and rituals to form the base of his organisation Swaminarayan founded what in later centuries would become a global organisation with strong Gujarati roots 49 He was particularly strict on the separation of sexes in temples 50 Swaminarayan was against the consumption of meat alcohol or drugs adultery suicide animal sacrifices criminal activities and the appeasement of ghosts and tantric rituals 51 52 53 54 Alcohol consumption was forbidden by him even for medicinal purposes 55 Many of his followers took vows before becoming his disciple He stated that four elements need to be conquered for ultimate salvation dharma bhakti devotion gnana knowledge and vairagya detachment 4 Doctrinally Swaminarayan was close to eleventh century philosopher Ramanuja and was critical of Adi Shankara s concept of Advaita or monistic non dualism Swaminarayan s ontology maintained that the supreme being is not formless and that God always has a divine form 56 Relations with other religions and the British Government nbsp In 1822 The first Swaminarayan Mandir was constructed on the land granted by the British Imperial Government in Ahmedabad Swaminarayan strived to maintain good relationships with people of other religions sometimes meeting prominent leaders His followers cut across religious boundaries including people of Muslim and Parsi backgrounds 28 57 Swaminarayan s personal attendants included Khoja Muslims 28 In Kathiawad many Muslims wore kanthi necklaces given by Swaminarayan 58 He also had a meeting with Reginald Heber Lord Bishop of Calcutta and a leader of Christians in India at the time 45 Bishop Heber mentions in his account of the meeting that about two hundred disciples of Swaminarayan accompanied him as his bodyguards mounted on horses and carrying Matchlocks and swords Bishop Heber himself had about a hundred horse guards accompanying him fifty horses and fifty muskets and mentioned that it was humiliating for him to see two religious leaders meeting at the head of two small armies his being the smaller contingent 59 60 As a result of the meeting both leaders gained mutual respect for one another 60 Swaminarayan enjoyed a good relationship with the government of the ruling East India Company The first temple he built in Ahmedabad was built on 5 000 acres 20 km2 of land given by the company government The company officers gave it a 101 gun salute when it was opened 61 62 It was in an 1825 meeting with Reginald Heber that Swaminarayan is said to have intimated that he was a manifestation of Krishna 45 In 1830 Swaminarayan had a meeting with Sir John Malcolm Governor of Bombay 1827 to 1830 According to Malcolm Swaminarayan had helped bring some stability to a lawless region 63 During the meeting with Malcolm Swaminarayan gave him a copy of the Shikshapatri This copy of the Shikshapatri is currently housed at the Bodleian Library at University of Oxford 64 Temples and ascetics nbsp Swaminarayan and the Paramahamsas in GadhadaMain articles List of Swaminarayan temples and Swaminarayan ascetics Swaminarayan ordered the construction of several Hindu temples and he had built six huge temples by himself and installed the idols of various deities such as Radha Krishna Nara Narayana Laksmi Narayana Gopinath Radha Ramana and Madanamohana The images in the temples built by Swaminarayan provide evidence of the priority of Krishna 45 81 65 Disciples of Swaminarayan composed devotional poems which are widely sung by the tradition during festivals 66 67 Swaminarayan introduced fasting and devotion among followers 68 He conducted the festivals of Vasant Panchami Holi and Janmashtami with organization of the traditional folk dance raas 28 The first temple Swaminarayan constructed was in Ahmedabad in 1822 with the land for construction given by the Company Government 69 61 Following a request of devotees from Bhuj Swaminarayan asked his follower Vaishnavananand to build a temple there Construction commenced in 1822 and the temple was built within a year 69 A temple in Vadtal followed in 1824 69 a temple in Dholera in 1826 69 a temple in Junagadh in 1828 69 and a temple in Gadhada also in 1828 69 By the time of his death Swaminarayan had also ordered construction of temples in Muli Dholka and Jetalpur 62 From early on ascetics have played a major role in the Swaminarayan sect They contribute towards growth and development of the movement encouraging people to follow a pious and religious life 70 Tradition maintains that Swaminarayan initiated 500 ascetics as paramahamsas in a single night Paramahamsa is a title of honour sometimes applied to Hindu spiritual teachers who are regarded as having attained enlightenment Paramahamsas were the highest order of sannyasi in the sect 71 Prominent paramahamsas included Muktanand Swami Gopalanand Swami Brahmanand Swami Gunatitanand Swami Premanand Swami Nishkulanand Swami and Nityanand Swami 72 Ahmedabad and Vadtal Gadi Prior to his death Swaminarayan decided to establish a line of acharyas or preceptors as his successors 73 He established two gadis seats of leadership One seat was established at Ahmedabad Nar Narayan Dev Gadi and the other one at Vadtal Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi on 21 November 1825 Swaminarayan appointed an acharya to each of these gadis to pass on his message to others and to preserve his fellowship the Swaminarayan Sampradaya These acharyas came from his immediate family after sending representatives to search them out in Uttar Pradesh 74 He formally adopted a son each from his two brothers and appointed them to the office of acharya Ayodhyaprasad the son of Swaminarayan s elder brother Rampratap and Raghuvira the son of his younger brother Ichcharam were appointed acharyas of the Ahmedabad Gadi and the Vadtal Gadi respectively 75 Swaminarayan decreed that the office should be hereditary so that acharyas would maintain a direct line of blood descent from his family 76 The administrative division of his followers into two territorial dioceses is set forth in minute detail in a document written by Swaminarayan called Desh Vibhag Lekh 27 Swaminarayan stated to all the devotees and saints to obey both the Acharyas and Gopalanand Swami who was considered as the main pillar and chief ascetic 77 for the sampradaya 78 The current acharya of the Ahmedabad Gadi is Koshalendraprasad Pande and Ajendraprasad Pande of the Vadtal Gadi 79 80 81 Death Further information Swaminarayan Hinduism nbsp Madan Mohan and Radha centre and right with Swaminarayan in the form of Hari Krishna left installed by Swaminarayan on the central altar in Dholera 1826 In 1830 Swaminarayan gathered his followers and announced his departure He later died on 1 June 1830 Jeth sud 10 Samvat 1886 62 and it is believed by followers that at the time of his death Swaminarayan left Earth for Akshardham his abode 28 82 He was cremated according to Hindu rites at Lakshmi Wadi in Gadhada 83 Social viewsWomen Swaminarayan insisted that education was the inherent right of all people including women despite considerable criticism from those in his own contemporary society who loathed the uplift of lower caste women 84 At that time influential and wealthy individuals educated their girls through private and personal tuition Male followers of Swaminarayan made arrangements to educate their female family members The literacy rate among females began to increase during Swaminarayan s time and they were able to give discourses on spiritual subjects 85 Members of the sect consider Swaminarayan a pioneer of education of females in India 86 87 88 89 90 According to the author Raymond Brady Williams Swaminarayan is an early representative of the practice of advocacy of women s rights without personal involvement with women 91 To counter the practice of sati self immolation by a widow on her husband s funeral pyre Swaminarayan argued that as human life was given by God it could be taken only by God and that sati had no Vedic sanction He went to the extent to call sati nothing but suicide Swaminarayan offered parents help with dowry expenses to discourage female infanticide calling infanticide a sin 86 87 For calling a halt to these prevailing practices Swaminarayan s contemporaries naturally saw in him a pioneer of a reformed and purified Hinduism and Swaminarayan Hinduism an ingrazi dharma or British religion 85 Professor David Harman observed that Swaminarayan criticized the popular shakta cults and gosai and nath ascetics for the contemptuous and instrumental way in which they viewed and treated women These cults were often responsible for gross sexual abuse of women 92 Hardiman added that Swaminarayan s view towards women was not in line with this type of misogyny and was rooted in his desire to prevent ill treatment of women along with promoting celibacy for ascetics 92 Swaminarayan forbade all sadhus and sadhvis that is male and female ascetics of his sect from having any contact whatsoever with members of the opposite sex 92 This strict precept was one he likely internalized after travelling as an ascetic throughout India when he was reported to vomit if approached by even the shadow of a woman 93 To help his male ascetic followers maintain their vow of celibacy Swaminarayan taught the woman who attracts attention is made up of bones blood vessels spittle blood mucus and feces she is simply a collection of these things and there is nothing to be attractive 92 94 Members of the faith are defensive of the fact that some practices seem to restrict women and make gender equality in leadership impossible 95 They are only permitted to enter special sections of the temple reserved for women or have to go to separate women s temples 92 As with practices of niddah in Orthodox Judaism concepts of pollution associated with the menstrual cycle lead to the exclusion of women from the temples and daily worship during the affected time 96 Swaminarayan also directed male devotees not to listen to religious discourses given by women 88 In the case of widows Swaminarayan directed those who could not follow the path of chastity to remarry For those who could he lay down strict rules which included them being under the control of male members of the family This may seem regressive however it gave them a respected and secure place in the social order of the time 97 Swaminarayan restricted widows to live always under the control of male members of their family and prohibited them from receiving instruction in any science from any man excepting their nearest relations 88 Caste system and the poor nbsp Swaminarayan distributing food among the needyAfter assuming the leadership of the sampradaya Swaminarayan worked to assist the poor by distributing food and drinking water 98 He undertook several social service projects and opened almshouses for the poor Swaminarayan organized food and water relief to people during times of drought 99 Some suggest that Swaminarayan worked towards ending the caste system allowing everyone into the Swaminarayan Sampradaya However partaking in the consumption food of lower castes and caste pollution was not supported by him 55 A political officer in Gujarat Mr Williamson reported to Bishop Herber that Swaminarayan had destroyed the yoke of caste 91 He instructed his paramahamsas to collect alms from all sections of society and appointed people from the lower strata of society as his personal attendants Members of the lower castes were attracted to the movement as it improved their social status 51 88 Swaminarayan would eat along with the lower Rajput and Khati castes but not any lower 100 He allowed dalits and lower caste people to visit places of worship 101 However Dalits those outside of the caste system were formally excluded from Swaminarayan temples 102 Members of a lower caste are prohibited from wearing a full sect mark tilak chandlo on their forehead 103 Even now however for the vast majority of Gujarat s lower caste Untouchable and tribal population the sect is out of bounds 104 Reginald Heber the Lord Bishop of Calcutta noted that disciples of Swaminarayan cut across all castes and even included Muslims He writes they all pray to one God with no difference of castes They live as if they were brothers 105 Furthermore in a meeting with Swaminarayan he noted that Swaminarayan did not regard the subject as of much importance but that he wished not to give offense to ancient Hindu system that people might eat separately or together in this world but that above oopur pointing to heaven those distinctions would cease 105 Swaminarayan worked thus to dispel the myth that moksha salvation was not attainable by everyone 106 He taught that the soul is neither male nor female nor yoked to any specific caste 51 107 Animal sacrifices and yajnas Swaminarayan was against animal sacrifices 108 To solve this problem Swaminarayan conducted several large scale yajnas involving priests from Varanasi Swaminarayan was successful in reinstating ahimsa through several such large scale yajnas Swaminarayan stressed lacto vegetarianism among his followers and forbade meat consumption codifying the conduct in the Shikshapatri 55 88 109 110 Scriptures nbsp Swaminarayan under a Neem tree in GadhadaSwaminarayan propagated general Hindu texts 49 He held the Bhagavata Purana in high authority 111 However there are many texts that were written by Swaminarayan or his followers that are regarded as shastras or scriptures within the Swaminarayan sect Notable scriptures throughout the sect include the Shikshapatri and the Vachanamrut Other important works and scriptures include the Satsangi Jeevan Swaminarayan s authorized biography the Muktanand Kavya the Nishkulanand Kavya and the Bhakta Chintamani 112 Shikshapatri Main article Shikshapatri Swaminarayan wrote the Shikshapatri on 11 February 1826 113 While the original Sanskrit manuscript is not available it was translated into Gujarati by Nityanand Swami under the direction of Swaminarayan and is revered in the sect 55 114 The Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency summarised it as a book of social laws that his followers should follow 115 A commentary on the practice and understanding of dharma it is a small booklet containing 212 Sanskrit verses outlining the basic tenets that Swaminarayan believed his followers should uphold in order to live a well disciplined and moral life 112 The oldest copy of this text is preserved at the Bodleian Library of Oxford University and it is one of the very few presented by Sahajanand Swami himself Acharya Tejendraprasad of Ahmedabad has indicated in a letter that he is not aware of any copy from the hand of Sahajanand older than this text 114 Swaminarayan in various places of Shikshapatri describes Shri Krishna as the greatest entity In Shikshapatri shlok 1 and 108 are few places that mention that Swaminarayan prayed on Shri Krishna Shikshapatri shlok 1व म यस य स थ त र ध श र श च यस य स त वक षस व न द वनव ह र त श र क ष ण ह द च न तय 1 vame yasya sthita radha srisca yasyasti vakṣasi ǀvṛndavanaviharaṁ taṁ srikṛṣṇaṁ hṛdi cintaye ǁ 1 ǁTranslation With all My heart I meditate on Shri Krishna who resides in the divine abode Vrindavan with Radha on his left and Shree residing within his heart 116 117 Shikshapatri shlok 108 also mentions that Shri Krishna is the greatest entity स श र क ष ण पर ब रह म भगव न प र ष त तम उप स य इष टद व न सर व व र भ वक रणम 108 sa srikṛṣṇaḥ parambrahma bhagavan puruṣōttamaḥ ǀupasya iṣṭadevō naḥ sarvavirbhavakaraṇam ǁ 108 ǁ 116 118 Translation The Lord Shri Krishna is the greatest entity I admire Him the most He is the cause of all incarnations and is thus truly worthy to be worshiped Vachanamrut Main article Vachanamrut The Vachanamrut IAST Vacanamṛta lit immortalising ambrosia in the form of words is a sacred Hindu text consisting of 273 religious discourses delivered by Swaminarayan from 1819 to 1829 CE and is considered the principal theological text within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya 119 6 Compiled by four of his senior disciples Swaminarayan edited and approved the scripture As followers believe Swaminarayan to be Parabrahman or God the Vachanamrut is considered a direct revelation from God and thus the most precise interpretation of the Upanishads Bhagavad Gita and other important Hindu scriptures 119 13 14 45 120 173 This scripture is read by followers regularly and discourses are conducted daily in Swaminarayan temples around the world 121 21 27 Satsangi Jeevan Main article Satsangi Jeevan Satsangi Jeevan is the authorised biography of Swaminarayan 119 The book contains information on the life and teachings of Swaminarayan 122 It is written by Shatanand Swami and completed in Vikram Samvat 1885 119 Swaminarayan decided to make Gadhada his permanent residence on the insistence of Dada Khachar and his sisters 123 Swaminarayan instructed Shatanand Swami to write a book on his life and pastimes 120 To enable Shatanand Swami to write from His childhood Swaminarayan had blessed Shatanand Swami with Sanjay Drishti special power to see the entire past right from His childhood 120 Once written by Shatanand Swami this book was verified and authenticated by Swaminarayan He was much pleased to read the book Swaminarayan then asked his disciples to do Katha of Satsangi Jeevan 120 PhilosophySwaminarayan s philosophy asserts that Parabrahman and Aksharabrahman are two distinct eternal realities 124 LegacySchisms Decades after his death several divisions occurred with different understandings of succession This included the establishment of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha BAPS the founder of which left the Vadtal Gadi in 1905 and Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan the founder of which left the Ahmedabad Gadi in the 1940s The followers of BAPS hold Gunatitanand Swami as the spiritual successor to Swaminarayan asserting that on several occasions Swaminarayan revealed to devotees that Gunatitanand Swami was Aksharbrahm manifest Followers of BAPS believe that the acharyas were given administrative leadership of the sect while Gunatitanand Swami was given spiritual leadership by Swaminarayan 125 The current spiritual and administrative leader of BAPS is Mahant Swami Maharaj The followers of the Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan hold Gopalanand Swami as the successor to Swaminarayan 126 127 The current leader of this sect is Purushottampriyadasji Maharaj 128 Growth nbsp Nara Narayana installed by Swaminarayan in the first Swaminarayan Temple Ahmedabad According to the biographer Raymond Williams when Swaminarayan died he had a following of 1 8 million people In 2001 Swaminarayan centres existed on four continents and the congregation was recorded to be five million the majority in the homeland of Gujarat 129 130 131 The newspaper Indian Express estimated members of the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism to number over 20 million 2 crore worldwide in 2007 132 Reception The manifestation belief and Swaminarayan s teachings were criticized by Hindu reformist leader Dayananda Saraswati 1824 1883 He questioned the acceptance of Swaminarayan as the Supreme Being and was disapproving towards the idea that visions of Swaminarayan could form a path to attaining perfection Accused of deviating from the Vedas his followers were criticised for the illegal collection of wealth and the practice of frauds and tricks 133 In the views of Dayananda published as early as 1875 it was a historical fact that Swaminarayan decorated himself as Narayana in order to gain followers 134 In 1918 Mahatma Gandhi in the letter to his nephew expressed that Swaminarayan s values didn t align perfectly with his interpretation of Vaishnavism and the love taught by Swaminarayana was all about sentimentalism According to Gandhi Swaminarayan had not grasped the essence of non violence 42 101 In 1924 Gandhi applauded efforts of Swaminaryan and added that what was accomplished in Gujarat by one person Sahajanand Swaminarayan could not be accomplished by the power of the State 135 See alsoAkshar Purushottam DarshanNotes The word samadhi has different meanings in Hinduism It may refer to a form yogic deep meditation As a cause of death it refers to the act of consciously and intentionally leaving one s body at the time of death 34 In his discourses recorded in the Vachanamrut Swaminarayan mentions that humans would not be able to withstand meeting god in his divine form hence God takes human form simultaneously living in his abode so people can approach understand and love him in the form of an Avatar 43 References a b c Williams 2001 p 13 Kim 2010 Jones 2005 p 8890 a b Olson 2007 p 336 Williams 2018 p 81 Paramtattvadas 2017 Singleton Mark Goldberg Ellen 2013 Gurus of modern yoga New York NY ISBN 978 0 19 993871 1 OCLC 861692270 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Williams 2018 p 17 Jones 2005 p 8889 Williams 2018 p 27 Raval 2012 Mangalnidhidas 2016 Paramtattvadas Williams amp Amrutvijaydas 2016 a b c Schreiner 2001 S Patel 2017 p 65 Trivedi 2015 p 353 Hatcher 2020 Paramtattvadas 2017 p 64 Williams 2018 p 200 Parikh 2016 Williams 2001 p 141 Swaminarayan Introduction Badrikashram Sabha Ahmedabad Gadi Official site 2008 Retrieved 14 September 2009 dead link Makarand R Paranjape 2005 Dharma and development the future of survival Samvad India p 111 ISBN 978 81 901318 3 4 Retrieved 12 September 2009 M Gupta 2004 Let s Know Hindu Gods and Goddesses Star Publications p 33 ISBN 978 81 7650 091 3 Retrieved 15 May 2009 a b Sampradat history Nilkanth Varni Harrow England Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple Archived from the original on 30 June 2009 Retrieved 6 July 2009 a b Williams 2001 p 15 a b Williams 2001 p 36 a b c d e f Dinkar Joshi Yogesh Patel 2005 Glimpses of Indian Culture Star Publications pp 92 93 ISBN 978 81 7650 190 3 Retrieved 7 May 2009 Gujarat India 1969 Gujarat State Gazetteers Bhavnagar Directorate of Govt Print Stationery and Publications Gujarat State p 577 Retrieved 15 May 2009 Williams 2001 p 75 Williams 2001 pp 16 17 Swaminarayan Life PDF Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Somerset NJ Vadtaldham Retrieved 6 July 2009 dead link a b c d e Williams 2001 p 17 a b Williams 2001 p 240 Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Vol 1 Asian Educational Services India 1995 p 326 ISBN 978 81 206 0833 7 Guy L Beck 24 March 2005 Alternative Krishnas Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity SUNY Press pp 65 ISBN 978 0 7914 6415 1 Aldwinckle Russell Foster 1976 More than man a study in christology Grand Rapids Mich Eerdmans p 223 ISBN 978 0 8028 3456 0 Anil Kumar Sarkar 1997 Yoga mathematics and computer sciences in change confronting the dawn of the twenty first century South Asian Publishers p 53 ISBN 978 81 7003 204 5 Retrieved 12 September 2009 Williams 2001 pp 21 240 Kirin Narayan 1992 Storytellers Saints and Scoundrels Motilal Banarsidass Publ p 141 ISBN 978 81 208 1002 0 Retrieved 8 May 2009 Williams 2001 p 21 a b Takashi Shinoda 2002 The other Gujarat Popular Prakashan p 9 ISBN 978 81 7154 874 3 Retrieved 27 June 2009 a b Carl Olson 2007 The many colors of Hinduism a thematic historical introduction Rutgers University Press p 336 ISBN 978 0 8135 4068 9 Retrieved 12 September 2009 Williams 2001 pp 17 76 189 a b c d Raymond Brady Williams 2004 Williams on South Asian religions and immigration Ashgate ISBN 978 0 7546 3856 8 OL 9414082M Retrieved 7 May 2009 Williams 2001 p 77 Schmidt Richard M 2015 Sages Saints and Seers A Breviary of Spiritual Masters Morehouse Publishing p 114 ISBN 9780819229267 Williams 2001 p 81 a b Cybelle Shattuck Nancy D Lewis 2003 The pocket idiot s guide to Hinduism Alpha Books pp 163 165 ISBN 978 0 02 864482 0 Retrieved 12 September 2009 Robert Vane Russell 2009 1916 The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India BiblioBazaar p 404 ISBN 978 0 559 11371 0 Retrieved 12 September 2009 a b c Rohit Barrot 1987 Richard Burghart ed Caste and sect in Swaminaran Movement Vol Hinduism in Great Britain Routledge pp 67 70 ISBN 978 0 422 60910 4 Retrieved 8 May 2009 Williams 2001 pp 162 David Gordon White 2001 Tantra in practice Motilal Banarsidass Publ p 269 ISBN 978 81 208 1778 4 Retrieved 12 September 2009 Williams 2001 pp 77 165 a b c d M G Chitkara 1997 Swaminarayan Pramod Mahajan Bal Thackeray Hindutva APH Pub Corp pp 227 228 ISBN 978 81 7024 798 2 Williams 2001 p 79 J J Roy Burman 2005 Gujarat Unknown Mittal Publications p 18 ISBN 978 81 8324 052 9 Retrieved 13 June 2009 Behramji Merwanji Malabari Krishnalal M Jhaveri Malabari M B 1997 Gujarat and the Gujaratis Asian Educational Services pp 263 269 ISBN 978 81 206 0651 7 Retrieved 7 May 2009 R V Russell R B H Lai 1916 Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Asian Educational Services pp 328 329 ISBN 978 81 206 0833 7 Retrieved 7 May 2009 a b Williams 2001 p 69 a b The foundations of devotion Asia Africa Intelligence Wire Financial Times 4 March 2003 Retrieved 12 March 2009 a b c Williams 2001 p 29 Williams 2001 p 7 Williams 2001 p 57 Williams 2001 p 96 Williams 2001 p 189 Mohan Lal 1992 Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature Sahitya Akademi p 4255 ISBN 978 81 260 1221 3 Williams 2004 p 162 a b c d e f Swaminarayan temples Shri Swaminarayan Temple ISSO OF CHICAGO Archived from the original on 24 May 2009 Retrieved 6 July 2009 Williams 2001 p 107 Williams 2001 p 22 Williams 2001 pp 187 189 Williams 2001 p 34 Brady Williams Raymond 2001 An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism Cambridge University Press pp 173 ISBN 9780521654227 Williams 2001 pp 35 37 Williams 2001 p 35 Williams 2001 pp 59 Dave Ramesh 1978 Sahajanand charitra University of California BAPS pp 199 200 ISBN 978 8175261525 Narnarayan Devgadi DevGadi Acharyas Ahmedabad Gadi Official site 2008 Archived from the original on 31 March 2009 Retrieved 14 September 2009 Acharya Maharajshree Janmotsav Celebration Junagadh 9 April 2015 NewsGram 18 April 2016 Spread of Swaminarayan Sampraday across Globe NewsGram Retrieved 15 July 2019 Williams 2001 p 93 Williams 2001 pp 34 36 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a b Heber Reginald 1828 Narrative of a Journey Through the Upper Provinces of India Boston Carey Lea and Carey pp 109 Williams 2001 p 162 Williams 2001 pp 57 77 Christopher John Fuller 2004 The camphor flame Princeton University Press p 171 ISBN 978 0 691 12048 5 Retrieved 8 May 2009 Williams 2001 pp 24 159 Prema A Kurien 2007 A place at the multicultural table the development of an American Hinduism Rutgers University Press p 105 ISBN 978 0 8135 4056 6 Retrieved 8 May 2009 Page 105 Julius Lipner 1998 Hindus Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Routledge p 124 ISBN 978 0 415 05182 8 Retrieved 12 September 2009 a b Williams 2001 pp 187 190 Shikshapatri BAPS Swamiranayan Sanstha Retrieved 10 February 2012 a b Digital Shikshapatri Project The Digital Shikshapatri Archived from the original on 7 February 2012 Retrieved 21 June 2013 M G Chitkara 1997 Hindutva APH p 230 ISBN 978 81 7024 798 2 Retrieved 5 May 2009 a b Swaminarayan message www standagainstswaminarayan today 3 June 2016 Archived from the original on 3 September 2018 The Digital Shiksapatri Archived from the original on 21 May 2017 Retrieved 30 May 2018 Digital Shiksapatri slok 108 a b c d Shree Swaminarayanw Temple Cardiff Scriptures Archived from the original on 15 September 2008 a b c d Archived 27 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine permanent dead link Brear Douglas 1996 Williams Raymond Brady ed Transmission of a Swaminarayan Hindu scripture in the British East Midlands Columbia University Press ed New York Columbia University Press ISBN 0 231 10779 X OCLC 34984234 Chitkara M G 1997 Hindutva APH p 228 Six Temples www swaminarayan nu Retrieved 27 July 2016 Williams 2018 pp 82 91 Swaminarayan Archived from the original on 3 June 2010 Retrieved 15 February 2010 The camphor flame popular Hinduism and society in India Princeton New Jersey Princeton University Press 2004 p 172 ISBN 978 0 691 12048 5 Williams 2001 p 52 Guruparampara Swaminarayangadi com Williams 2001 p 68 Rinehart Robin 2004 Contemporary Hinduism ABC CLIO p 215 ISBN 978 1 57607 905 8 Retrieved 10 May 2009 Marcus J Banks 1985 Review A New Face of Hinduism The Swaminarayan Religion By Raymond Brady Williams Cambridge University Press Cambridge 1984 Pp xiv 217 Modern Asian Studies 19 pp 872 874 Niche Faiths Indian Express 26 May 2007 Retrieved 6 May 2009 Narayan Kirin 1992 Storytellers Saints and Scoundrels Motilal Banarsidass India pp 141 143 ISBN 81 208 1002 3 Narayan Kirin 1992 Storytellers Saints and Scoundrels Motilal Banarsidass p 143 ISBN 81 208 1002 3 Mahatma Gandhi The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi Mar 1922 May 1924 p 469 SourcesPrinted sourcesHatcher Brian 2020 Hinduism before reform Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0 674 24713 0 OCLC 1138500516 Heber Reginald 1828 Narrative of a Journey Through the Upper Provinces of India from Calcutta To Bombay Volume 2 Jones Lindsay 2005 Encyclopedia of Religion Farmington Hills Thomson Gale ISBN 978 0 02 865984 8 Killingley Dermot 2003 Hinduism In Ridgeon Lloyd V J ed Major world religions from their origins to the present London RoutledgeCurzon ISBN 978 0 415 29796 7 Kim Hanna 19 February 2010 Public Engagement and Personal Desires BAPS Swaminarayan Temples and their Contribution to the Discourses on Religion International Journal of Hindu Studies 13 3 357 390 doi 10 1007 s11407 010 9081 4 ISSN 1022 4556 S2CID 4980801 Mangalnidhidas Sadhu April 2016 Sahajanand Swami s Approach to Caste Oxford University Press pp 115 128 doi 10 1093 acprof oso 9780199463749 003 0007 ISBN 9780199086573 Olson Carl Olson 2007 The many colors of Hinduism a thematic historical introduction Rutgers University Press p 336 ISBN 978 0 8135 4068 9 Retrieved 12 September 2009 Paramtattvadas Sadhu Williams Raymond Brady Amrutvijaydas Sadhu April 2016 Swaminarayan and British Contacts in Gujarat in the 1820s Oxford University Press pp 58 93 doi 10 1093 acprof oso 9780199463749 003 0005 ISBN 9780199086573 Paramtattvadas Swami 2017 An introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu theology Cambridge United Kingdom Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 1 107 15867 2 OCLC 964861190 Parikh Vibhuti April 2016 The Swaminarayan Ideology and Kolis in Gujarat Swaminarayan Hinduism Oxford University Press pp 94 114 doi 10 1093 acprof oso 9780199463749 003 0006 ISBN 9780199086573 Patel Shruti 2017 Beyond the Lens of Reform Religious Culture in Modern Gujarat The Journal of Hindu Studies 10 47 85 doi 10 1093 jhs hix005 Raval Suresh 2012 Renunciation Reform and Women in Swaminarayan Hinduism Ahmedabad Gujarat India Shahibaug Swaminarayan Aksharpith Schreiner Peter 2001 Institutionalization of Charisma The Case of Sahajananda in Dalmia Vasudha Malinar Angelika Christof Martin eds Charisma and canon Essays on the Religious History of the Indian Subcontinent Oxford University Press Trivedi 2015 Bhagwan Swaminarayan the story of his life 2nd ed Ahmedabad Swaminarayan Aksharpith ISBN 978 81 7526 594 3 OCLC 957581656 Williams Raymond 2001 Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 65422 7 Williams Raymond 2004 Williams on South Asian Religions and Immigration Collected Works Ashgate Publishing Ltd ISBN 978 0 7546 3856 8 Williams Raymond Brady 2018 An introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism Third ed Cambridge United Kingdom Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 1 108 42114 0 OCLC 1038043717 Web sources When One Million People Believe Your Husband Is a God www vice com 3 October 2017 Retrieved 25 June 2021 External linksSwaminarayan at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Definitions from Wiktionary nbsp Media from Commons nbsp News from Wikinews nbsp Quotations from Wikiquote nbsp Texts from Wikisource nbsp Textbooks from Wikibooks nbsp Resources from Wikiversity Swaminarayan at Curlie Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Swaminarayan amp oldid 1182772886, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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