Swaminarayan a Vedic Sampraday

Name in child hood: Hari, Harikrushna, Ghanshyam

Father’s name: Hariprasad Pande. Alias Dharmadev, Vrusha

Mother’s name: Baladevi alias Bhaktidevi.

Cast: Sarvariya – Samvedi Brahmin.

Birth place: Chhapaiya District: Gonda. State Uttarpradesh, India

Birth date: Samvat 1837 Chaitra Sud Navami. 2^nd April, 1781 at 10.10 PM

Left Home: At tender age of 11 years

Travelled around 12000 KM barefoot in 7 years starting from Chhapaiya to Himalaya – Mansarovar – Assam – Jagannathpuri, Kanyakumari, Pandharpur to Loj – Gujarat. He was named Nilkanth varni during his travelling – Vicharan.

Guru: Uddhavtar Ramanad swami (incarnation of Uddhav)

Names given at time of taking Diksha: Sahajanand Swami, Narayanmuni.

Inherited Ramanad’s cathedra (Gadi): At age of 20

Belief (Mat): Vishishtadwait.

There are five Tatva :– Jiv, Ishwar, Maya, Bramha, Parabramha. Parabramha is residing in all previous four and are acting as per His (Parabramha) wish.

Parabramha is divine figure (Sakar) with two hands and residing in all living being and non-living being on any universe. He is everywhere. Everything is doing its job by His willingness (Ichhashakti).

Shashtra written and authenticated by Him: Shikshapatri, Satsangijeevan, Vachanamrut, Bhaktachintamani.

Other Shashtra He asked us to refer:

Dasham Skand (tenth canto), Pancham Skand (fifth canto) of Shrimad Bhagvat. Smruti of Yagnavalkalya. Shri Bhagvad Gita. Bhashya of Vyassutra narrated by Rmanujacharya.

Two blessings he gave at time of seating on Guru Gadi.

1.     My true subservient following all rules given by me will never be poor.

2.     My disciples will never be agonised by any difficulties or pain emerged from his Karma of this birth and previous births. If he is bound to suffer due to such Karma, I will bear on his behalf.

Shree Swaminarayan Bhagvan left this mortal world at age of 49. 

Citations and prediction in Gita, and different Purans.

How Swaminarayan Sampraday is Vaidik?

Gita:

“I (Krushna) take birth on this earth every time when Dharma diminishes  and Adharma intensifies.”

In this Shloka, Lord Krishna has mentioned that He will take and had taken birth (incarnation) every time whenever Kings, so called Dharmacharya, religious scholars deceives public in name of Dharma – Sadachar. This clearly means that there is no restriction of number of incarnation. In Shrimad Bhagavat, few of incarnations has been mentioned just to describe different Leela of these incarnations. This does not mean that Lord is bond to take only those incarnations and other incarnations will not happen on this earth. 

Shrimad Bhagvat 2^nd Skand, Adhyay -4, Shloka-18

Sinful people of different casts (in western India) like Ahir (Shepherd), Kathis (of Kathiawar – Saurashtra), Kirat, Hun, Muslims, Andra, Kanbi (Patels), Khavas will take His shelter and He will vanish their sins to make them pious. I pray such Bhagvan.

Skanda Puran Mukhya Puran - Adhyay 18 Vāsudevamāhātmya  of VIshnu khand- Shlok 42, 43  and 44 :

Along with Arjun, I (as Krushna) have eradicted the crooked people. I have given moksha to  Asura (crooked people) killed by Arjuna and died seeing me. I have given moksha also to the Asura who had been killed by me. But all other Asur Kings who had been killed by Arjun and have evil wishes in his Jiv, will rebirth in Kaliyug and will prevail Pakhand. At that time in Kaliyug, I will take birth in Samvedi Brahmin cast due to curse given by Durvasa to Narnarayandev. I will re-estabilsh “Sadadharma” and will protect all Rishies – Saints along with my mother Bhakti and father Dharma.

Bhramand Puran:

In Satyug, I will take birth as Dattatrey, In Tretayug, I will be Ram, In Dwapar I will be Krushna and in Kaliyug, I will be Son of Vrush (Vrushatmaj) - Hariprasad Pande and will be known as Swaminarayan.

Padma Puran

When Pakhand – “pretend in name of Dharma” will prevail on this earth, Hari Himself will take birth as “Swami” to uphold the people from mud of sin.

Vishwaksen Samhita:

I will take birth with name of Sahajanand swami and will take all my disciples to my divine abode – Vaikunth.

Vishnudharmottar

All sins vanishes by enchanting my name. I will take birth as son of Hariprasad Brahmin and will be known as Hari on this earth.

Characteristics of Master of all incarnations -Sarvavtari :

Why Swaminarayan Bhagvan is Master of all incarnations?

Below are the reasons explaining as why Lord Swaminarayan is master of all incarnations.

1.     Not to kill the most crooked –evil people but to kill their evil nature – Aasuri Vrutti and make them most pious person.

a.     Few of the most crooked people before 250 years were dacoit Jobanpagi of Kheda district. Maharaja Sayajirao had announced ransom of Rs.50000 for Jobanpagi’s head. Joban Pagi had other 52 dacoits working with him from Dwarka to Puna. Few names like Kano Karastani of Mahi area, Bhojo Baradi of Okhamandal, Somo Sorathiyo of Prabhas Patan, Kalo Kamanio, Gamlo Garadio of Gohilvad, Uko Uthano of Lunavada, Lakho Vadgamo of Sabarkantha, Rudio Rakhadu from Charotar. Also Jogidas Khuman dacoit from Bhavnagar District,. All these most crooked people along with other small dacoits and evil natured villagers had taken shelter of Swaminarayan Bhagvan and had become most pious subservient of Lord Swaminarayan. British government had acknowledged this uprising of society and so Sir Malcom – British Governor of Bombay region had come down to Rajkot to meet Lord Swaminarayan personally. Bishop also had a meeting with Lord Swaminarayan.

2.     According to Samudric shashtra (science of physionomy), Sarvavtari has16 signs on both feet. 9 in right feet and 7 in left feet. Swaminarayan has these all signs in his both feet. He has given imprints of His lotus feet many times to his disciples.

3.     Sarvavtari can take any general people (who even does not know meaning of Samadhi) in Samadhi and can show his / her god in Samadhi. At the end of Samadhi, they see that his / her God idol is merging in Swaminarayan’s murti. Many times, Swaminarayan Bhagvan was taking people of all caste and religion to Samadhi and giving Darshan as his / her god. At the end of Samadhi, they used to see that their god murti will merge in the body of Swaminarayan Bhagvan. I know many Muslims and Jains following Swaminarayan Dharma till today because their ancestors had taken shelter of Swaminarayan Bhagvan by having darshan of such Samadhi. Many times Lord Swaminarayan had made monkeys, sparrows to Samadhi on request of His disciples.

Till today no other incarnation including Krushna avatar has shown such Pratap – divine miracle. As a general principle subset can merge in superset but superset cannot merge in subset.

4.     Lord Swaminarayan himself has said that no one can count my number of Avatars as I have taken thousands till today and will take thousands onwards but I as a  master of all incarnation comes only once in lifetime of any universe.

5.     To keep his sampraday intact in centuries to come,  

a.     He established 6 temples,

b.     Made celibate saints,

c.     Established two Gadis – Kalupur and Vadtal for smooth administration of the satsang. Gadipati of these two Gadis are called Acharyas and they are hairs of Lord Swaminarayan’s family.

d.     Gifted Shashtra by writing Shikshapatri and asked his saint to write Satsangijeevan – a way to live life. A book named “Vachanamrut” is daily diary of his preaching to people in religious assembly.

6.     He Himself established 6 temples and has established idols of Narnarayan (Ahmedabad Kalupur), Lakshminarayan (Vadtal), Harikrushna Maharaj (Vadtal), Gopinathji Maharaj (Gadhada), Narnarayan dev ( Bhuj), Ranchhod ray (Junagadh), Radharaman dev (Muli). He said that I will always be in these idols and accept worship of my subservient devotees and fulfil their wishes.

7.     He established Murtis of Krushna and Shiva in same temple to show that there is only one super power. As at that time, Bhrahmins were not giving respect to Lord Krushna and Vaishnav were not worshipping Shiva.

8.     Lord Swaminarayan himself wrote Shikshapatri of 212 Shlokas. This is crux of all Hindu Shashtras like veda, purana. He has given blessing that devotee following this Shikshapatri thoroughly will definitely achieve Dharma, Arth, Kam, and Moksha in this life.

9.     He made around 2500 celibate saints during 25 years of his life in Sampraday. These saints where eminent personality of that time in their field.

Saints of Swaminarayan has to follow celibacy. They protect their celibacy by not seeing, touching, speaking, thinking about women. Only Darshan of idol of Devi is allowed for saints. They also do not touch and keep money in any form. If anyone want to see such true saints implementing these vows in action thoroughly, I would suggest them to visit saints of Dhyani swamiji at Kanabha Gurukul Ahmedabad near Odhav.

Few useful links

http://swaminarayancharitra.blogspot.com/

www.swaminarayan.nu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swaminarayan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j0wcjs2G-M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssDkOkP32PU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=agnYubheB84

My special thanks to my beloved sister Dr. Dipika Hingu (Thoria) for  helping me in collecting citations.