SWAMISHRI IN MUMBAI February 2008 hari siddhapurush ... · SWAMISHRI IN MUMBAI February 2008 ... speak positively about a few things every day. Also, read positive things daily. You

SWAMISHRI IN MUMBAIFebruary 2008

Top: Swamishri performs murti-pratishtha of Brahmaswarup Shastriji Maharaj installed near the hari mandir in BAPS Swami-narayan Mandir. (11-2-2008)Bottom: Swamishri welcomes the renowned Yogacharya Shri Ramdevji Maharaj. He invited Swamishri to visit and sanctifyhis ashram in Haridwar and also commented, “In the language of yoga, one who is called a siddhapurush; one whom the Vedasand Upanishads describe as Gunatit; and one whom the Gita calls sthitpragna – all these qualities were evident in Yogiji Ma-haraj. And his divinity and energy resides in you.” (10-2-2008)

Founder: HDH Pramukh Swami MaharajEditor: Sadhu SwayamprakashdasContributors: Sadhu Vivekjivandas, Sadhu AmrutvijaydasDesigner: Sadhu ShrijiswarupdasPublished & Printed by: Swaminarayan Aksharpith,Shahibaug, Ahmedabad–380 004. India.

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

April 2008, Vol. 31 No. 4

FIRST WORDCONTENTS1. Swaminarayan History

Sayajirao Gaekwad of Vadodara .......4The Diwan’s plots fail...

2. BAPS FestivalsPragji Bhakta Birthday &Pushpadolotsav Celebrations............7

3. Bhagwan SwaminarayanShri Hari’s Detachment...................10No desire for worldly objects...

4. On LifeThe Hidden World of Youth:Stress Among Teenagers .................12Need for planning and understanding...

5. Great Indian PersonalitiesAndal ...............................................15Wedded to God...

6. Personal DevelopmentUse the Tools You Have...But Carefully ...................................18Use swabhavs wisely...

7. Bhajan HistoryVandu Sahajanand RasrupAnupam Sar Ne Re Lol ....................20

8. VicharanPramukh Swami Maharaj’sVicharan ..........................................22

9. Inspiring IncidentsLiving with Swamishri ....................25

10. BAPS NewsNational Satsang Prasar Karyakar Conference, London ........26Parents’ Congregations, Surat ........26BAPS Horses Win atKama Horse Show, Bhavnagar ........26

Nitpicking and backbiting are the commonfailings of mankind. It is often done casuallyand brings no credit to anyone. Colleaguesand friends with whom you share your criti-cisms will not think highly of you in the longrun. They will be cautious while dealing withyou because they know that you could do it tothem behind their back. Bad mouthing neitherconsolidates friendship nor raises your esteemas is wrongly thought of.

Such deplorable conduct does not give youinner joy, relaxation and peace of mind. Infact it spawns stress, negativity, pessimism andanxiety. Negativity breeds negativity. You areleft with an uneasy, sinking feeling, sleepless-ness, lack of concentration, bad health and lit-tle joy. Furthermore, the issue remainsunsolved. Don’t you find yourself weak anddemotivated after a session of critical talksand gossip! Remember, negative talking andhearing are both harmful and destructive.

When backstabbing, you are always anx-ious, and do not want others to overhear youfor the simple reason that they would go andtell the person you are criticizing. Wheneveryou have something critical to say, that isbothering or hurting you, then tell it straightto the concerned person.

Form a habit of cultivating a healthy out-look through daily satsang. Try to think andspeak positively about a few things every day.Also, read positive things daily. You will noticean all-round improvement and strength inyour personality. ◆

4 Swaminarayan Bliss ◆ April 2008

The Diwan of Vadodara,

Babaji Apaji and his son,

Vitthalrao Balaji, nourished an aversion

towards Shri Hari. After Babaji’s death,

the new Diwan also cultivated a deep

hatred towards Maharaj...

Sayajirao Gaekwadof Vadodara

Babaji Apaji was succeeded by Gangad-har Shastri. But he was soon mur-dered in Pune. Then Babaji’s nephew,

Vitthalrao Devaji, was appointed as Diwan. Hetoo cultivated a hostile attitude towards ShrijiMaharaj. Vitthalrao employed a Brahmin namedDhundhuba – an expert in the dark arts. Heoffered him a substantial amount of money tokill Gopalanand Swami with his tantric powers.But when he approached Gopalanand Swami,the latter transported his soul into samadhi toexperience the punishments of Yampuri. Hisbody lay lifeless. His anxious daughter sent amessenger to request Gopalanand Swami toawaken him. By Gopalanand Swami’s graceDhundhuba came out of samadhi and he askedfor forgiveness, “I have sinned terribly, punishedinnocent people and extorted money. And worstof all, I used my powers to try to kill you. Ibelieve the suffering I went through in hell wasa punishment for my evil actions. I ask for for-giveness and wish to become your disciple.”Gopalanand Swami blessed him and advised,

“You are a Brahmin. You have studied the Gitaand Bhagvatam. Why did you stray from theteachings of such holy books to learn the darkarts? Now give up your evil ways and companyand study the holy shastras on a daily basis.Your youngest daughter, Mathura, is a pioussoul. Though you are her father, give up yourpride and live in accordance with her words.”

Vitthalrao was shocked with he heard ofDhundhuba’s transformation. He realized thatwhatever means he employed in suppressingSatsang fail. In fact, Satsang was flourishingday by day. He, therefore, decided to use hispolitical powers to uproot it.

With the demise of Maharaja AnandraoGaekwad, Sayajirao II came onto the royalthrone of Vadodara. Though Sayajirao wasunder age he was very brilliant. The kingdomwas run by the advice of Diwan Vitthalrao. TheDiwan spoke disparagingly and critically of Sat-sang and Gopalanand Swami. Soon, Sayajiraobecame fed up with his talks. The Diwan thensent two of his trusted aides, Bhau Puranik and

SWAMINARAYAN HISTORY TRANSLATION: SADHU VIVEKJIVANDAS

April 2008 ◆ Swaminarayan Bliss 5

Narupant Nana, to confront GopalanandSwami. But, to the dismay of the Diwan, theywere impressed of Swami’s illustrious personali-ty and devotion to Shri Hari and became hisdisciples. Then the Diwan sent his army com-mander, Bapu Saheb, and a hundred of his mento Vartal to defeat Shri Hari, but he too wastransformed by the divine personality of ShriHari and became a satsangi.

On learning of the conversion of his high-ranking men into devotees, Sayajirao was con-vinced that Swaminarayan and his sadhu,Gopalanand Swami, were great divine personal-ities. He went to meet Gopalanand Swami, atthe house of Nath Bhakta in Vadodara. Sayaji-rao, who was accompanied by offcials, wasimpressed by the radiant and calm aura onGopalanand Swami’s face. He felt pacified bySwami’s grace. He was touched by GopalanandSwami’s discourse on atma-Paramatma, right-eousness and unrighteousness. After hearing theglory of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, he resolved totake refuge at the Lord’s feet and become hisdisciple.

Gopalanand Swami had worked a miracle.The ruler bowed at his feet and prayed,“Swami, come and sanctify the royal palace. Onhearing your talks I have mentally taken therefuge of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, but whatev-er initiation rituals are required I wish that youcome and perform them in my mandir.”

Gopalanand Swami was pleased with hispiety, and said, “I will definitely come when cir-cumstances allow me to do so. Your wish willbe fulfilled by Bhagwan Swaminarayan.”

The 21-year-old Sayajirao Gaekwad wasdrawn to the divine personality of GopalanandSwami.

Thereafter the Diwan’s plan to eradicate Sat-sang in the Gaekwad kingdom fizzled out. Fromthen on at night he would often wake up star-tled from his dreams, and see the divine aura ofSwaminarayan in his room. This infuriated him,

and he unknowingly bit his lips and nails, some-times pulling his hair violently. By so doing hewould feel that he was tearing and punishingSwaminarayan. Such was his madness thatwhile drinking the blood that oozed from hisbody he would roar with laughter, imaginingthat he was drinking Swaminarayan’s blood. Hisbitter hatred for Swaminarayan made him rest-less. Sometimes he imagined seeing Swami-narayan in his bedroom, as if he had come tocatch him. He would then storm at him, only tobang his head against the wall.

During this time a pundit of Vedant philoso-phy (Vedantacharya) returned to Vadodara afterhis defeat in a debate before Shriji Maharaj inVartal. He came to know that the Diwan wasbitterly against Shri Hari. The pundit decided tocapitalize on the Diwan’s hatred. He lied tohim, “Swaminarayan is highly pretentious. Helost against me in a scriptural debate. Then hegave me Rs. 200 to keep my mouth sealed. Buthow can truth remain concealed? The Mahantof the mandir in Visnagar is here. He told methat Swaminarayan feigned divinity in Visnagarand spread the net of satsang.”

The Diwan was listening with great interest.He told him, “Tell all this to the Maharaja. I willarrange a meeting for you. There are severalpundits who are against Swaminarayan. I wishto expose Swaminarayan and destroy him. Youmake arrangements for a scriptural debate, andI will help you. ”

The Vedantcharya nourished bitter feelingsfor Shri Hari after his defeat in Vartal. He wasenthused at the Diwan’s response, but he didnot approve of his plan to destroy Maharaj. Hewas a Brahmin by birth and culture. He agreedto assemble the pundits, hold a debate, anddefeat Swaminarayan. However, he decided notto involve himself in the Diwan’s extreme itsolot.

A rumour was circulated in Vadodara thatthe Vedantacharya had defeated Swaminarayanin a debate in Vartal, and to keep his defeat


under wraps, Swaminarayan had given him abribe. The Mahant of Visnagar and many othersannyasis pitched in to spread the rumour.When King Sayajirao heard the grepevine hewas pained. At that time, the Diwan came tosee him. He said, “O King, have you heardabout it? The Vedantacharya defeated Swami-narayan in a debate in Vartal, and to suppressthe news Swaminarayan had given him Rs. 200.Listen to what happened from the Vedan-tacharya himself. I’ll bring him before you.”

“I don’t want to meet the Vedantacharyaand hear lies. If he is proud of his knowledge,then let me arrange a debate with GopalanandSwami,” the Gaekwad replied curthy.

The Diwan smiled foxily, and replied, “Hon-ourable King, when Gopalanand Swami hearsthat the Vedantacharya is in town, he willimmediately beat a hasty retreat.”

The Gaekwad perceived the Diwan’s rancour.He told him, “I’ll call Nath Bhakta and otherdevotees and ask them to call Swami here orinform Swaminarayan. But you take care of theVedantacharya that he does not run away. I def-initely want to arrange a debate.”

Sayajirao called a few devotees to enquireabout Gopalanand Swami’s presence. Theyinformed, “Swami has gone to Umreth onMaharaj’s word. He will return here only whenhe gets the command from Maharaj. At presentShri Hari is in Gadhpur. We will have to sendword to Maharaj.”

The Gaekwad gave the order, “Send a mes-senger on horseback to Gadhpur with a requestthat Gopalanand Swami should arrive here intwo days. If this is not possible, then withMaharaj’s permission another scholarly sadhushould come to expose the Vedantacharya’sdeception.” The devotees of Vadodara sent Prab-hudas, a devotee, on a swift horse with a noteto Maharaj, saying, “A Vedantacharya is present-ly in town. Though he lost the debate in Vartal,he claims that he had defeated you. TheMahant of Visnagar has also joined hands with

him and is uttering barbs against you. TheGaekwad called us and informed us of thisrumour on the grapevine. He wishes that eitherGopalanand Swami or another erudite sadhu besent here immediately for a debate with him.”

Prabhudas travelled to Vartal first and thentook parshad Jusaji with him to Gadhada. Whenthey arrived they saw Shri Hari seated beneaththe neem tree, discoursing to an assembly. Prab-hudas prostrated to Maharaj and gave the letter.Maharaj gave the letter to Shukmuni and toldhim to read it aloud. Shri Hari smiled andreplied, “The Vedantacharya was defeated inVartal. Thereafter he did not face NityanandSwami in Nadiad, and still he says he defeatedme. A debate has been arranged in Vadodaraand the Gaekwad requests to send a scholarlysadhu. I wish Muktanand Swami to go anddefeat the Vedantacharya.”

Muktanand Swami humbly questioned,“Maharaj, how can I defeat the Vedantacharya?He is a great scholar, whereas I have only stud-ied the Bhagvatam.”

Maharaj reassured, “The power of scholarli-ness depends upon saintliness and the guru’sgrace. The Vedantacharya is arrogant of hisknowledge, whereas you are an idol of saintli-ness. And you also have my grace upon you. Soit will not be difficult for you to defeat theVedantacharya. Go, you have my blessings. Vic-tory will be yours!”

On Shri Hari’s word Muktanand Swami pre-pared to leave for Vadodara with his group ofsadhus. Shri Hari called Bhaguji and told him,“Yoke the best of oxen to a cart. MuktanandSwami has to reach Vadodara at the earliest.”Maharaj removed the garland of roses he waswearing and placed it around MuktanandSwami’s neck, applied a chandlo on his foreheadand blessed him. Muktanand Swami and hisgroup departed. Prabhudas and Jasuji returnedwith them.

◆

(To be Continued in next issue)

PRAGJI BHAKTA BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONOn 21 March 2008, Brahmaswarup Bhagatji

Maharaj’s birthday was celebrated in Sarangpur.During Swamishri’s morning puja, sadhus sangbhajans describing the glory of Bhagatji Maharaj.Thereafter, Swamishri blessed the assembly,“Today is Bhagatji Maharaj’s birthday. He boldlyspread the principle of Akshar-Purushottam. Heidentified Gunatitanand Swami as Akshar, theabode of Maharaj, and that all have to becomelike him. He faced many difficulties and muchridicule in promulgating this principle. He waseven ex-communicated from Satsang for this. Buthe explained to all that Gunatitanand Swami wasthe eternal Akshar.

“He had realized spiritual wisdom through thecompany of Gunatitanand Swami. BhagatjiMaharaj explained this wisdom in tailoring terms.He said, ‘I cut two stitches and take two stitches.That is, the stitches of attachment to body and

relatives are cut and the stitches of associationwith God and his holy Sadhu are formed.’

“Develop atmabuddhi (profound association)with God and the holy Sadhu. Believing oneselfas Akshar and offering bhakti with that aware-ness brings great joy. Bhagatji Maharaj taughtthis. Even if one does not understand anythingelse today, understand two things: that twostitches are to be cut and two are to be taken.”

PUSHPADOLOTSAVOn 22 March 2008, over 60,000 devotees

from India and abroad gathered for the Fuldolfestival.

The influx of devotees from near and faradded to the spiritual vibrations of Sarangpur.

The festival stage and assembly area wasprepared on the grounds adjacent to the BAPSSwaminarayan Vidyamandir.

The grand stage was prepared with 35-ft


Pragji Bhakta Birthday &Pushpadolotsav Celebrations21-22 March 2008, Sarangpur

BAPS FESTIVALS TRANSLATION: SADHU AMRUTVIJAYDAS

sky-coloured backdrop. On one side of the stagewas a scene depicting Sarangpur village 225years ago in which Bhagwan Swaminarayan cel-ebrates Fuldol at the house of Rathod Dadhaland identifies Gunatitanand Swami as Akshar.On the other side was a scene from a Fuldol fes-tival celebrated in Vartal in which BhagwanSwaminarayan was honoured on a specialswing set up between two mango trees.

The celebration assembly began at 4.45 pmwith prarthana and bhajans. Thereafter, PriyavratSwami spoke on the glory of this celebration,Viveksagar Swami described ‘Swamishri’sColours’ and Dr Swami spoke on ‘What It Meansto Be Coloured by Swamishri’s Colour.’

Swamishri arrived at 5.45 pm and greetedthe dignitaries on stage: President of NCP,Maharashtra, Shri Arunbhai Gujarati; HomeMinister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Himmatji

Kothari; Speaker of the Gujarat LegislativeAssembly, Shri Ashokbhai Bhatt; Shri Bhupen-drasinh Chudasama; Shri Kiritsinh Rana; ShriAmbalalbhai Rohit and others.

Ishwarcharan Swami spoke on ‘Caring forSwamishri’s Health’. He said that Swamishri’shealth is fine, but that leading doctors haveadvised him to rest. So we should feel blessedby Swamishri’s darshan from a distance.

Following this, Mahant Swami spoke, givingpractical guidance on how we should now serveSwamishri and revel in the divine memories hehas blessed us with.

On this occasion, the following publicationswere inaugurated by Swamishri: Shikshavalliwritten by Viveksagar Swami (Gujarati); andGhanshyam Charitra, Yogiji Maharaj, Akshar-brahman Gunatitanand Swami (all in Tamil);and brochures on Swaminarayan Akshardhamin New Delhi in French, German, Spanish,Dutch, Italian, Gujarati, Kannad, Telugu, Tamil,Bengali, Marathi, Udiya and Punjabi. The seniorsadhus then honoured Swamishri with a varietyof garlands.

After his blessings, Swamishri sprayed themurti of Shri Harikrishna Maharaj with saffron-scented water while sadhus sang Vedic verses.

Thereafter Swamishri sprayed the devoteesand sadhus with the sanctified water, conclud-ing at 9.15 pm.

Swamishri graced the celebration assemblyfor 3½ hours and granted everyone divine bliss.

Everyone departed, thoroughly soaked inspiritual joy and devotion sprayed bySwamishri. ◆


“These type of celebrations were alsoheld in the time of Shriji Maharaj.Rangotsavs were held in Vartal and

here in Sarangpur. This village is small, butNishkulanand Swami writes, ‘ShobhãvantSarangpur gãm…’ (The beautiful village ofSarangpur…). In those days there were no facili-ties, so how can it be beautiful? One may doubt.But ‘beautiful’ because Bhagwan Shriji Maharaj,and his sadhus and devotees had come to the vil-lage and this celebration took place.

We do many things to beautify our mind.But the association of God and his devotees isthe true decoration. So, the women devotees ofNorth Gujarat prayed, ‘Mahã balvant mãyãtamãri, jene ãvariyã nar-nãri… Je je lilã karotame Lãl tene samju alaukik khyãl.’ (Your power-ful maya which has trapped all men andwomen… Whatever actions you perform, maythey all be perceived as divine…)

When one sees the human-like actions of God,one becomes confused. Doubts may arise that: Ishe really God? He may accept illness, he may beclumsy while eating, travelling, walking, talking,etc. But the shastras guide us to sing the glory ofboth his divine and human-like actions.

When Ravan abducted Sitaji, Bhagwan Ramdisplayed human-like traits. He would ask theanimals, birds and trees, ‘Have you seen mySita?’ Shiv and Parvati saw him in this appar-ently despaired state. So Parvati told Shiv, ‘I’llassume the form of Sita and reduce his shock.’

Shivji said, ‘He is God. When he assumes ahuman form, he acts like a human. So do not bedeluded.’ Yet, when Parvati assumed Sita’s formand went to Ram, he said, ‘O Sati (Parvati),why are you alone” Where is Shivji?’ Hearingthis, Parvati was embarrassed.

Whether he displays madness or another

trait, God’s actions are to foster devotees’ lovefor him. They increase the bhakti of devotees.In whatever way possible, the devotees’ recol-lection of and attachment towards God is to beincreased.

That is why devotees have asked for protec-tion from maya, which has trapped and broughtmisery to countless people. Devotees have notasked for worldly pleasures, but have asked forthe highest bliss.

Maharaj grants them their wish, but on onecondition: always believe me to be fault-free. Iam divine. When this is resolute in your mind,then maya will not trouble you.

Thus, we have to understand that we shouldnot be drawn to maya and never attributehuman traits to God.

God will always do what is for our benefit.He has come to give his spiritual wealth to us.Worldly wealth will come and go, so do not beattached to it. Those who have attained thisspiritual wealth, and have no worldly wealth,still continually experience divine joy.”

◆

Swamishri’s Blessings22 March 2008, Sarangpur


“Brahmacha ri!Keep somefood for the

afternoon!”“If I were to think of

what I was going to eatthis afternoon or thefollowing morning,what meaning wouldthere be to my renun-ciation?”

Hearing thesewords from a tender

eleven-year-old child, thevillagers of Amarpur were taken aback. The vil-lagers had been observing this impressive childsince dawn. Sitting under a banyan tree on theoutskirts of the village, the luminous child-yogiwas the centre of attraction for all. The devoutpeople from the village brought him fruits andsweets. Accepting their devotion, Nilkanth Varnioffered the fruits and sweets to Thakorji, ate asmall amount himself and distributed the restamong the villagers standing around him. Oneof the villagers had made the initial request onseeing this young, homeless child, and wonder-ing what he would eat that afternoon. However,noting the absence of desire in Nilkanth Varni’sreply, everyone was speechless. They realizedthat he was not a ordeinary child.

One of Shri Hari’s innate qualities was hislack of desire for any worldly objects. He wasan ideal of detachment during his seven years

of pilgrimage throughout India, submitting hisbody to intense austerities and staying alooffrom all temptations.

Even after his arrival in Loj, his focusremained the same. Once he called MuktanandSwami and told him, “After you arrange for meto have darshan of Ramanand Swami, the twoof us will retire to the forests and constantlyengage ourselves in the meditation of God; weshall never return to stay amongst people.”Remembering this incident 28 years later, ShriHari says, “Such was the resolution of my mindthen; even now, I feel exactly the same.”(Vachanamrut Gadhada III-13)

However, for the spiritual uplift of the people,Shriji Maharaj accepted Ramanand Swami’s com-mand, forsaking his inner wish, and stayed amongthe fellowship of devotees to guide them on thepath of spirituality. He mixed with devotees andshowered them with his love. They all revelled inthis natural bliss called Sahajanand. However,within, Shri Hari remained extremely detachedfrom everything besides his beloved devotees.Maharaj explained, “I would be unable to staywhere I do not find such devotees of God, even ifsomeone were to try by a million means to keepme there. Regardless of how well one may serveme, I simply cannot get along with one who is nota devotee of God. In this way, I have attached mymind with profound love to God and his devotees;and other than God, I have no liking for anythingelse.” (Vachanamrut Gadhada III-13)

“For example, if the only son of a king dies

SHRI HARI’SDETACHMENT

“There is no object which can obstruct me.”- Shri Haricharitramrut-Sagar: Pur 6, Tarang 26

BHAGWAN SWAMINARAYAN SADHU AKSHARMURTIDAS


when the king reaches the age of 60 or 70, theking would become disinterested in all things.In the same manner, I constantly remain disin-terested – while eating, drinking, mounting ahorse and even when I am pleased or dis-pleased.” (Vachanamrut Gadhada II–55)

Shri Hari was offered the worldly pleasuresof kingdoms, marriage and wealth many times,yet not once did he feel enticed. No place, per-son, or object was ever able to bind him.

Once, in Gadhada, Sura Khachar, SomlaKhachar, Alaiya Khachar, and other devoteeswere discussing the best type of vehicle. Somesaid a chariot with a canopy and curtains, some-one else suggested an elephant, and othersbelieved it to be a high pedigree horse. They cameto the conclusion that the Rojho breed of horses,and in particular the Rojho horse which Maharajrode, was unparalleled and the best means oftransportation on earth. They sang the praises ofMaharaj’s horse as Maharaj listened. ThenMaharaj instructed everyone to go to the riverGhela to bathe. Maharaj mounted his decoratedhorse and also headed for the river. The devoteeswere captivated by Shri Hari’s attractive appear-ance and the horse’s majestic strides. Afterbathing, Maharaj mounted his horse and madehis way to Jiva Khachar’s residence. Here,Maharaj saw Pragji Dave. Without wasting a sec-ond, Maharaj dismounted and put the reins of thehorse in Pragji Dave’s hands and said,“Krishnarpan. I present this horse to you.” TheKathi devotees pleaded, “Maharaj this is the besthorse in the region, you cannot just give it awayto a Brahmin!” Whilst walking away, Maharajturned his head and replied, “I do not like to keepsuch nice things.” The devotees thought to them-selves that Maharaj is indeed a unique personali-ty. (Nirgundas Swamini Vato: 326)

In Dabhan, a grand Vedic yagna was takingplace. One night a devotee offered Maharaj opu-lent garments. Maharaj wore them as night-clothes. At this time another devotee, Narayandasfrom Surat, had a wish to sleep near Maharaj. As

he came close, Maharaj woke up due to the noiseand began to scream, “Thief! Thief!” All the sad-hus and devotees came running to see what hadhappened. Upon seeing Narayandas, everyonerealized the truth. In spite of this, while sitting inhis bed, Maharaj unexpectedly took off his gar-ments and threw them. In the end, he was leftwith only one garment covering his body.Maharaj explained, “I do not want anything inwhich fear resides.” Seeing Maharaj sit in the bit-ing cold wearing only one garment, a devoteeoffered Maharaj a simple cloth to wrap aroundhis body. Maharaj refused. At this point, the devo-tees were confused. They also discarded theirclothes, except for one garment and sat, shiver-ing, in front of Maharaj. Even then, Maharaj didnot budge. Finally, Ramdas Swami got up andgave Maharaj a sweet reproach, “You should actmaturely and appropriately since you are sittingon the throne of liberation.”

Respecting Ramdas Swami’s request, Maharajput on his garments and enlightened, “My soulhas a liking for renunciation. When it is wonder-struck by relinquishing, there is nothing that canstop me. And when I am intensely wonderstruck,I forget my body exists. All the flavours in thisworld are bland in comparisonto the taste of detachment” –(Shri Hari-charitram-rutsagar: Pur 13,Tarang 20).

H e a r i n gM a h a r a j ’ swords, every-one realized thathe is divine anddetached toworldly things.

◆


The high school hallway is abuzz withactivity. In one corner, a group of foot-ball players anxiously await their

upcoming game with a rival school. In anothercorner, a group of disgruntled students com-plain about their latest science project. Passingthrough the hallways is the debate team,posters in hand, on their way to advertise for afundraiser.

To an observer, the scene is nothing out ofthe ordinary. From afar, a person cannot sensethe tension in the environment, nor can theysee the thoughts racing through the students’heads.

By the end of the week, one of the four sci-ence students will be bullied by a football play-

er. One of the students on thedebate team will spend hours wor-rying about an upcoming test. Andmost of the students in the hallwaywill drink alcohol.

Such a hidden culture withinhigh schools, in addition to thedemanding environment at home,has been a source of increasingstress among teenagers.

Will Schworer, a recent highschool graduate, wrote in hishometown paper, “From the firsttime we take our first steps in theschool, we realize thatschool…actually leads most of usdeep into the shadow of the valleyof stress.”

A recent study done by Reutersshowed that one in three kids feels

stressed out every day. The study also showedthat two in three kids feel stressed out at leastonce a week. Time and time again, statisticshave proven that the root of such stress inembedded in three sources: schoolwork, peerpressure, and parental expectations.

High school students are constantly underpressure to perform well in school. Becausetheir grades determine which college they getinto, there is added pressure to get into honoursclasses and be at the top of the class. Addition-ally, college admissions committees look atextracurricular activities and letters of recom-mendation. Most students work hard in thoseextracurricular activities as well, whether theyare on a sports team or president of the Beta

STRESSThe Hidden World of Youth:

Among Teenagers

ON LIFE: BAPS YOUTHS, USA

Club. They spend quality time with their teach-ers, building relationships that will materializein the form of recommendation letters. Concen-trating on all these elements takes up time andoften saps the energy out of teenagers so thatthey are constantly stressed, tired and sleep-deprived.

For conscientious students, the high schoolculture revolves around building a track recordto gain admission into a good college. For oth-ers, high school is a forum for popularity andwild parties. But this doesn’t mean that the stu-dents who don’t drink, smoke and date are freefrom such influences. Peer pressure is a far-reaching evil within the culture of not only highschools but all schools and colleges. There isconstant pressure to dress cool and be popular,and teenagers who don’t are often shunned.Dating is rampant, as is drinking and smoking.Teenagers are pressured to join the bandwagonand often become extraordinarily stressed,depressed or uptight as a result.

At home, parents also become a primarysource of stress among teenagers. Parents con-stantly push their kids towards certain careersor colleges. They burden the child with the fam-ily’s finances. They give minimal importance tothings like clothes, claiming that such things arenot important. By doing this, parents set a trapfor their teenagers. They are allowing theirchild to be made fun of in school. Additionally,some teenagers often have to take care of afamily business or a sick family member.

For satsangi youths, mandir adds a new setof responsibilities. Both kishores and kishoris arecommitted to expending a certain amount oftheir time a week to their seva. They carry outdaily niyams such as Satsang reading andsinging chestha. ‘Sunday for Swami’ has becomea part of their weekly routine. Because Satsangis often so firmly embedded within theseteenagers’ lives, they sometimes struggle to fitin socially. They aren’t able to put their footdown and remain firm in their niyams because

the outside world places so much pressure onthem. They struggle to find the balancebetween Satsang and their social life.

A Powerful ImpactStress among teenagers endangers their

mental health and can lead to depression, lackof confidence, and even suicide, the last ofwhich is less common among satsangiteenagers.

Statistics released in 2001 by the AmericanJustice Department show that one out of everyfour kids is bullied. It is a commonly known factthat suicide is the third leading cause of deathamong teens. Other statistics show that one out ofevery 20 teenagers suffers from depression. TheOffice for National Statistics in England foundthat 33% of teenagers suffer from panic, anxietyor depression caused by the stress of exams.

Recognizing Which Battles to FightIn his book All Grown up and No Place to Go:

Teenagers in Crisis, Dr. David Elkind, a professorof Child Development at Tufts University, classi-fies teenage stress into three categories: Type A,Type B, and Type C.

Type A stress is both foreseeable and avoid-able. This can include an upcoming test orapplication deadline. It can also come up whenfollowing niyams. If a kishori is fasting onekadashi, she can foresee that she will need toeat something before the evening track meet.She can avoid such unnecessary stress by pack-ing food. This type of stress is the most easilycontrollable through time management tech-niques and proper planning.

Type B stressors are neither foreseeable noravoidable. These stressors are the most taxingon a teenager’s energy. They are also the typethat cause teenagers to plunge into depressionand anxiety. Type B stressors can include beingbullied or an unexpected assignment for class.They can be more severe, such as a car accidentor a fight with parents.



Type C stress is foreseeable but unavoidable.This can include the death of a loved one orwaiting to hear from the college admissionscommittee. Teenagers can address this type ofstress head-on by understanding that everythinghappens for a reason. They can prepare for theworst and hope for the best in such a situation.

As mentioned above, Type A and Type Cstressors can be handled through simple timemanagement and planning. Once teenagerslearn to recognize stress in such a way, they canfocus on addressing Type B stress, the mostprevalent. The most effective way to addressType B stress is to ask for help. Teenagers canturn to their counsellor, parents, sanchalaks,and other kishores or kishoris for help.

Swamishri: The Best CounselorFor satsangi teenagers who battle so much

stress daily, the best counsellor, parent andfriend is Pramukh Swami Maharaj. He has theanswers to helping teenagers solve their prob-lems. Swamishri’s words of wisdom show whatteenagers can do to relieve stress in each of thethree areas listed above: schoolwork, peer pres-sure, and parents.

Time and time again, Swamishri emphasizesthe importance of time management. He advises

that efficiently managing time helps studentsprepare better and perform confidently.Swamishri often quotes Yogi Bapa, “Study regu-larly, four hours a day if in school and eighthours if at college; then you will be confident inany exam. Fear comes due to lack of prepara-tion. So prepare extensively and pray fervently.”

He also tells his beloved youths to prioritizeand give the most importance to education,family, and Satsang. Recognize obstacles alongthe way and overcome those obstacles throughthe firm understanding that school, family andSatsang are the most important things in life.

Swamishri, in his teachings, focuses exten-sively on peer pressure. He stresses that peerpressure is evil and can sway a teenager fromthe path of Satsang. The solution to this evil isfor teenagers to carve their niche within society.Satsangi teenagers need to be personable, butthey need to show people that they are proud ofwho they are. They need to stand up with confi-dence in their way of life. This will show theirpeers that they can follow their religion firmly.

Also, Swamishri encourages all to firmly fol-low niyams, which will prevent teenagers frombeing drawn into the vicious web of smoking,drinking and dating. It will strengthen the

(Continued on page 19)

That stress makes one forgetful, whatever one’s age, is well known. Researchers havediscovered that even short term stress can harm memory and make people forgetful.

Researchers in the USA have found that corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) seemedto have a vital role in blocking memory in stressful circumstances. Memory and learningoccurs at synapses, which are junctions of brain cells, called neurons. Synapses are located ondendritic spines, which are specialized protrusions on neurons. The researchers found thatCRH causes much disturbance on the dendritic spines when animals are stressed.

The lead researcher of the study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Dr Taille ZBaram, explains, “Stress is constant in our lives and cannot be avoided. Our findings canplay an important role in the current development of drugs that might prevent these unde-sirable effects and offer insights into why some people are forgetful or have difficultyretaining information during stressful situations.”

STRESS HARMS MEMORY

Between the 5th and 9th centuries,South India witnessed a widespreadflourishing of the bhakti movement

by the immense fervour of bhakta poets. Thesecomprised Vaishnavites or Shaivites. The for-mer group was led by mystics known as Ãlwãrs.Ãlwãr means one who is immersed in devotionto Bhagwan. During the mid 9th century, oneof the 12 Ãlwãrs, Periyalwar, also known asVishnuchitta, lived in Srivilliputtur, a town nearMadurai. A pious brahmin, Vishnuchitta livedby accepting alms and spent his time growingflowers in his garden for Bhagwan Vatapa-trashãyi in the local mandir. Vatapatrashãyi,another name for Vishnu, means ‘one who lieson a leaf of the Vata (banyan)’. Vishnuchittadevotionally cared for tulsi plants, the favouriteleaf adornment of Bhagwan Vishnu. One dayhe discovered a female baby blissfully sleepingunder a tulsi plant. This day is recorded in theDivyasuri Charita as Kali 97, Nala year, 4th dayin the month of Adi, Shukla paksha Purva Phal-guni. Considering the child as a gift from hisBeloved, Vishnuchitta took the baby home. Henamed her Goda (Godai). Go means cow,indriya and earth, da means “gift by”. HenceGoda meant ‘gift by Mother Earth’. This is simi-lar to Sitaji, who was found in a furrow in afield. Godai was also called Nãcciyãr and Ãndãl– one who attracts.

Godai grew up in an atmosphere of devo-tion. She helped Vishnuchitta in growing flow-ers for their favourite avatãr, Shri Krishna. She

listened to Bhagwan’s lilã from her father. Shethen composed and sang poems adoring ShriKrishna as her bridegroom. She often wonderedwhether her beauty was worthy of BhuvanaSundara – the most beautiful in the world.Therefore she would wear the garland made byher father for Vatapatrashãyi and saw her reflec-tion in well-water. She would then place it inthe basket. Unbeknown to Vishnuchitta, hewould take this garland to the mandir. Once hediscovered Godai wearing the garland. On thatday he did not offer the garland to the deity.That night, Bhagwan appeared to him in adream. He inquired about the absence of thegarland on that day. Vishnuchitta explained.Bhagwan Vatapatrashayi then replied that hepreferred the garland first worn by Godai,


The girl who would marrynone other than Paramatma

ANDAL

GREAT INDIAN PERSONALITIES SADHU MUKUNDCHARANDAS

which has the fragrance of devotion. HenceforthVishnuchitta took garlands first worn by Godaito the mandir. Since then she came to be calledShoodikkodutta Nãcciyãr – the beloved who firstwore the flowers and then offered them toBhagwan, and ‘Ãndãl’ – she who ‘ruled’ over theLord.

When it was time for her to marry, Vishnu-chitta asked her about whom she wished tomarry. She boldly replied that she would onlymarry Bhagwan Shri Ranganatha at the mandirin Shrirangam. She would not wed any mortal.This worried Vishnuchitta deeply. However ShriRanganatha appeared in his dream, assuringhim that he would marry Ãndãl and that heshould bring her to the Shrirangam mandir withgreat pomp. Bhagwan Shri Ranganatha alsoappeared to the mandir’s priests, commandingthem to prepare for Ãndãl’s arrival from Srivil-liputtur.

Vishnuchitta then arranged for Ãndãl’s wed-ding procession to Shrirangam, a distance oftwo hundred miles from Srivilliputtur! Ãndãlarrived in a palanquin with bridal clothes andjewels presented by the Pandya King, Vallab-hadeva. She jumped out and rushed straightinto the sanctum, towards the murti of ShriRanganatha. The priests watched in bewilder-ment as she scaled the pedestal and embracedher Lord. In a divine flash, she merged withHim. She was then only fifteen years old. Every-body then heard a divine voice that Ãndãl wasmarried and that Vishnuchitta should return toSrivilliputtur to build a mandir and consecratethe murtis of Ãndãl and Shri Ranganatha. Sincethen there is a mandir of Ãndãl in Srivilliputtur.Flowers grown in a garden besides it are offeredto Ãndãl everyday. The garland worn by Ãndãlthe previous day is then offered to Vatapa-trashãyi the next day.

Ãndãl’s birth anniversary occurs during thePubba Nakshatra in the month of Adi (usually

in July) and is celebrated in the south as Tiru-vadippoora. On this day, the Rathosavam festivalis celebrated in Srivilliputtur, when she and herconsort Ranganatha mount the ratham (chariot)for procession through the town. Even today,Ãndãl’s murti can be seen in three shrines inSrirangam and in Srivilliputtur. Tradition alsoconsiders her to be the incarnation of BhumiDevi (Mother Earth), to show mankind the pathto His lotus-feet. Hence she is also present in allSri Vaishnava mandirs in India, next to herLord.

Moreover, in Srivilliputtur, the tulsi gardenin which she was discovered, has been pre-served. Vishnuchitta’s house, next to the Vishnumandir, has been converted into a mandir hon-ouring Ãndãl. It also has the well in which sheadmired her reflection while wearing the Lord’sgarlands.

Andãl’s Devotional Poetry

Ãndãl is the only female among the Ãlwãrs.Her poems have a special charm of their own.Whereas the other Ãlwãrs had to imagine them-selves in a feminine role – nãyaka-nãyaki bhav –Ãndãl could enact this naturally. She composedtwo poetic works in Tamil in her short life;Tiruppavai and Tirumozhi. Tiru means the high-est; pavai means religious vow.

Tiruppavai

Ãndãl composed her first work, the Tirup-pavai’s thirty pashurams (verses), during themonth of Margazhi (Margali) or Dhanurmãs.These embody the principles of the Sri Sampra-day. In Ãndãl’s poem, her quest is totally forspiritual love. Imagining herself as a gopi backin the days of Shri Krishna, she yearns to servehim:

Here then is the meaning and purpose,Of our early morning approach to you,for worshipping at Thy golden lotus-feet.


Though we belong to a clan of cattle-grazers,Never must you discard our services as mean.Not for today’s worship only have we come to

you, Govinda,But always – for seven generations to come –

forever – Will we feel related to you, will be atyour beck and call.

Let all our other desires be destroyed.In the first five poems, Ãndãl exhorts how

one may become worthy of being accepted byParamatma. Both body and mind should beabsolutely pure, with no other desire except thecraving for Paramatma. Ãndãl preaches totalsharanãgati to Bhagwan just as a pativratã(loyal wife) lives only for her husband, toplease him. Ãndãl beseeches Shri Krishna toawaken and ascend his ‘throne’ – the purehearts of the bhaktas. Ãndãl invites him toadorn their hearts.

Tiruppavai is an exuberant bhajan – of won-der and affection for Bhagwan, of prãrthnã andsharanãgati, praising the glory of Sri Rangan-natha at Srirangam. During Margali, one hymnis chanted per day in all homes and mandirs inthe early morning during Aradhanam. Its dis-courses are also held all over India, in otherlanguages such as Telugu, Kannada, Hindi andEnglish, during the Tamil month of Margali(Dec. 15th to Jan. 14th).

Tirumozhi

Ãndãl’s second work, Tirumozhi, also knownas Nãcciyar Tirumoli, meaning “sacred sayings”,consists of 143 verses detailing various phasesof spiritual adoration experienced by her. Inmany verses, she reiterates her desire to loveonly Tirumal (Vishnu). In a poem of elevenverses she describes a ‘dream’, recounting withrich imagery, each phase of her wedding toBhagwan. Then she describes her ride with Himin a caparisoned elephant procession throughthe town.

Ãndãl transcended the limits of human vani-ties by destroying mundane desires. In thewhole range of Tamil literature, Ãndãl remainsa unique bhakta poetess, for projecting the per-fection of nãyaka-nãyaki bhav in her mysticpoetry, for her inspiring spiritual quest and res-olute determination to attain union only withParamatma. Her Tamil poetry also reflects a fineliterary and philosophical flair far beyond herteenage years.

◆


Sri Ramanujacharya, the exponent of Vishishtadvait philosophy, was fond of reciting the

Tiruppavai, which earned him the name Tiruppavai Jiyar. His love for Tiruppavai’s pashurams

was such that he fulfilled a wish Ãndãl made in one of the hymns; that if she was successful in her

union with Bhagwan Rangannatha, she would offer 100 thadas (dishes) of Akkaravadishil – rice

cooked in milk with jaggery, similar to sakkar pongal, to the Lord of Azhagarmalai. Ramanuja

fulfilled this wish by offering the 100 thadas.

SHRI RAMANUJACHARYA’S FOR ANDAL’S TIRUPPAVAI


Chintan: Ah, there you are, Kundan. Iwas looking for you since afternoon.

Kundan: Kem bhai, not to make me a scape-goat for another of your classroom exercises, Ihope?

Chintan: Actually, this is a small exercisewhich I plan on conducting with my seventhgrade students. You might enjoy it too, thoughyou might not understand it at first.

Kundan: Me, not understand a seventh gradegame? Hah!

Chintan: Okay, here’s the exercise for you.Take this hammer. . . . . . . hold it in your hand,examine it. And answer my questions. . . . Is it atool?

Kundan: Yes, of course. Chintan: Can you use it? Kundan: Yes, of course. Chintan: Can you misuse it? Kundan: Well, yes, but

only if I want to do that. Chintan: When you

use it, does it use you? Kundan: Um, no, I

don’t think so. I use it – thehammer is an inanimate object,how can it use me!

Chintan: Does it control you or doyou control it?

Kundan: Of course I control it.Are you crazy!?

Chintan: OK, fine, I’ll comeback to that soon. Now, would

you use it with the same force on thermocoland on wood?

Kundan: No, obviously not! Chintan: Imagine if you walk around with

it all day, and keep swinging it left and right –or hitting each nail you see – would others liketo walk close to you?

Kundan: I guess not. It would be dangerousfor them – they could get hurt.With irritatingpeople like Falgun, of course, it might be a handytool to use!

Chintan: You don’t like Falgun, do you?Well, forget that right now. Say if you had achainsaw. Would you use the hammer to cut a

chain or rope, or use thethe chainsaw to fix a nail?

Kundan: Not if I wasin my senses! Each tool is tobe used for a specific pur-

pose. There is a time and a usefor each tool.

Chintan: Right! Try hittingyour palm with the hammer – gently,

of course. And hit your palm with theknife – ha, ha, don’t be so scared,they’re both tools!

Kundan: Look,you might call bothof them ‘tools,’ but there is a difference.

They are used differently - sometimesgently, sometimes a little

harder.Each has its own use –and has to be used at theright time.

Chintan: Correct! You

Use the Tools You Have...But Carefully

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT RITESH GADHIA


wouldn’t use the hammer asstrongly to hammer a nailon a wall as to hammer itinto styrofoam?

Kundan: Of course not.You have to judge how strong-ly and how much to use the tool.

Chintan: So the learning from this exerciseis - any tool can be used :

Productively or Destructively,Protectively or Aggressively.Kundan: That’s nice, my friend, but I don’t

think you wanted to talk only about tools of car-pentry or chainsaws, did you?

Chintan: No, that is only an illustration.The tools I wanted to tell you about are ourskills, including our oratory, intelligence,strength, and even our swabhavs.

Kundan: Swabhaavs? Swabhavs as tools? Chintan: Yes, why not? Provided you know

how and when to use them. Just go back towhat I asked you about the hammer and the

knife, and use ‘Krodh’(anger) instead of the hammer.

Your replies will be the same! Kundan: You mean, like ‘Does Krodh control

you?’Chintan: Yes . . . and also, ‘Can you control

it?’ and can you use it constructively?Kundan: I see your point. People would obvi-

ously dislike me if go around with hot temper,getting angry at people. It would be like carryingan unsheathed sword or a loaded gun, ready tohurt another aggressively – people will avoid sit-ting near me, or talking to me, because they willbe afraid of my hurting them!

Chintan: Right. So maybe you can try fromtoday to control these ‘tools’ better – and to usethem with discretion.

Kundan: That’s an interesting exercise, Chin-tanbhai.I will try to control my emotions and usethem for better results.

◆

(Continued from page 14)

teenager’s resolve, making him or her betterable to handle peer pressure and even teachothers about her religion.

On the home front, teenagers can also takeseveral steps to understand their parents,instead of just making it a one-way street. Theycan do this with the understanding that parentsdo try and empathize with what they are goingthrough. Teenagers should maintain open com-munication with their parents and discuss anyproblems they are having. If a mother has hurther daughter, the daughter should talk to herabout it, but should do so in a respectful way.She should calmly try to talk her parents intoseeing her side of things.

Swamishri says, “All parents are not as old-fashioned as we think. They only want to helpand make us good. That’s why they continuous-ly try to guide us. But we should make an effort

to understand them. We should never forget allthat they have done for us. If we remember this,we’ll be able to accept their views.”

This, too, will pass…Overall, teenagers can handle stress by

remembering one thing: “This, too, will pass.”With each battle they fight, this phrase andSwamishri’s words of wisdom should serve astheir guiding light. And lastly, teenagers shouldalways remember to pray to Maharaj andSwami to give them strength. They should lookto them for inspiration with the understandingthat God is the all-doer.

In the words of Pramukh Swami Maharaj,“One needs awareness. Whatever you think mayhappen, never keep tension. It merely makesyou irritable and impatient. Remain peaceful.God is the all-doer, not us. Understanding thisultimate truth brings peace to the soul.” ◆


It was the morning of Maha vad 13 Sam-vat 1880 (27 February 1824). ShrijiMaharaj was seated in Dada Khachar’s

darbar near the Vasudev-Narayan room. Sadhusand devotee were seated before him in anassembly.

Just at that time, a devotee of goddess Mata-ji arrived there. His forehead was marked bysindoor, his hand gripped a trident and his headwas covered by a red turban. From a distance,he respectfully prostrated and then approachedMaharaj and sat directly opposite Him.

“O Sahajanand Swami,” the devotee began,“You are God. So, if you permit, I will sing agarbi about Mataji.” Sensing his devotion,Maharaj responded, “OK, you may sing.”

Immediately, the devotee began in a rhyth-mic tune,

“Mã tu pãvãni patrãni,bhavãni Mã Kãlkã re lol.Mã tãre dungarde chadvu te,

ati ghanu dohyalu re lol.”His devotion was apparent to all as he con-

tinued,“Mã tãri mukhni morãdtã joi,lobhãnu mukh chandã tãru re lol.Mãdi tãru mukhdu jovãne kãj,ãve chhe kunvar Nandno re lol.”

When he had finished, Shriji Maharajexpressed his pleasure by presenting him withgifts and blessing him.

With his wish fulfilled, the devotee againprostrated to Maharaj and departed.

Then Maharaj turned to Premanand Swamiand asked, “What did you think of the garbi.Wasn’t it a pleasant tune? Its composer hasdevoutly described the glory and form of Mataji.You should compose something like this.”

Premanand Swami understood Maharaj’swish.

The next day, Maha vad 14, was Shivratri.Shriji Maharaj was seated in the east-facing

Vandu SahajanandRasrup Anupam Sar Ne Re Lol...

BHAJAN HISTORY TRANSLATION: SADHU AMRUTVIJAYDAS

veranda of Dada Khachar’s darbar, wearing allwhite clothes. His neck was adorned with a newkanthi of tulsi beads and garlands of flowers.An assembly of sadhus and devotees were seat-ed before him. Shriji Maharaj instructed thesadhus to sing kirtans. So Premanand Swamistood up and finely observing the murti of ShrijiMaharaj, he described its appearance.

“Vandu Sahajanand rasrup,anupam sãr ne re lol;

Jene bhajtã chute fand,kare bhav pãr ne re lol...”

He sang with such feeling that the entireassembly became engrossed in the darshan ofMaharaj’s divine murti.

One after another, the verses flowed fromPremanand Swami’s lips. He sang a total ofeight verses, giving a detailed description ofMaharaj’s form and reflecting the thoroughnessof his observations.

When he had finished, Shriji Maharajblessed him and said, “The devotional songsyou sang were very nice. After listening to themI thought in my mind, ‘Since this sadhu contem-plates upon God’s form in this way, let me getup and prostrate before him.’

“If a person is able to contemplate upon Godin his inner faculties in this manner, and if hewere to die while harbouring such a desire forGod, he would definitely not have to takeanother birth. If he engages in such contempla-tion of God, he has certainly attained the high-est state of enlightenment while alive… In fact,one who is able to contemplate upon God’sform like this has become fulfilled and hasnothing more to do.”

Continuing to show his profound pleasure,Shriji Maharaj said, “If a person is able to con-template upon God as described in these devo-tional songs, then he is freed from the bondageof kal, karma and maya. In fact, regardless ofthe family in which such a person is born theparents of such a person should also be consid-ered fulfilled” (Vachanamrut Gadhada II-48).

These eight verses are sung every night aspart of the cheshta by all devotees of theSwaminarayan Sampraday.

The words to the first verse are as follows:Vandu Sahajãnand rasrup,

anupam sãrane re lol;Jene bhajtã chhute fand,

kare bhav pãrne re lol...1Samaru pragat rup sukhdhãm,

anupam nãmne re lol;Jene bhav Brahmãdik dev,

bhaje taji kãmne re lol...2Je Hari Aksharbrahma ãdhãr,

pãr koi nav lahe re lol;Jene Shesh sahastramukh gãy,

nigam neti kahe re lol...3Varnavu sundar rup anup,

jugal charane nami re lol;Nakhshikh Premsakhinã Nãth,

raho urmã rami re lol...4Meaning

I bow to Sahajanand, who is full of all thenine poetic sentiments, unique and the essenceof everything. By worshipping him one tran-scends worldly desires and maya (1).

I contemplate on this manifest form (of ShriHari) which is the abode of all divine bliss. Bychanting the unique name of this Shri Hari,even Shiv, Brahma and other deities overcometheir desires (2).

This Shri Hari is the support of even Akshar-brahman and that is why his divine virtues andpowers cannot be fully understood. Shesh-narayan sings his praises with his thousandmouths, but still he is unable to fully describethem. Even the Vedas are not able to fullydescribe his glory (3).

Only by his grace and by bowing at the feetof this manifest (Sahajanand) have I beeninspired to describe his beautiful, unique murti.So, before I describe your divine form, I (Prem-anand) pray that your divine form, from headto toe, resides forever in my heart (4). ◆


VICHARANJanuary and February 2008, Mumbai

Clockwise from top: Swamishri greets devoteesat Mumbai mandir; A devotee seeks guidancefrom Swamishri; Swamishri prays before thenewly consecrated murti of Shastrij Maharaj ;Swamishri performs murti-pratishtha for mur-tis of BAPS mandir in Nana Vagchhipa, Rabadiand Rohina

Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s

1 January 2008, Ahmedabad,Mumbai

With the doctors’ instruction forSwamishri’s health check-up in Mum-bai Swamishri departed from Ahmed-abad airport at 5.00 pm. On landingin Mumbai Swamishri went to theDadar mandir for Thakorji’s darshan.Thereafter Swamishri left for JaslokHospital.

2 January 2008, MumbaiIn the morning Swamishri’s ECG and

echo-cardiogram were taken. Thereafterat 11.05 am Swamishri was wheeled into thecath-lab with the murti of Shri HarikrishnaMaharaj.

At 11.55 am Dr Ashwinbhai Mehta, who wasgoing to perform the angiography, Dr FayazShawl, a leading expert in critical angioplastyfrom Washington DC, and Dr Bhattacharya, arenowned heart surgeon of India, arrived.

From 11.00 am sadhus and devotees at allSatsang centres in India and abroad had startedsaying prayers and dhun.

The angiography was completed by 2.00 pm.The doctors were satisfied with the condition ofSwamishri’s heart vessels.

Later when Swamishri was asked as to whathe was doing, he replied, “Bhajan.” He recalledthe day when Shastriji Maharaj gave himdiksha.

The next day Swamishri returned to Dadarmandir for recuperation.

Every morning, Swamishri performed hismorning puja in his room and thereafter wentfor Thakorji’s darshan. On returning, Swamishriwould give darshan to all devotees. From 8 Jan-uary, Swamishri started his daily rounds in hiswheelchair on the mandir terrace. The doctorshad advised him to have half-hour daily expo-sure to morning or evening sunlight. During theday Swamishri read and replied to devotees’ let-ters, rested and walked briefly on a treadmill.

9 January 2008, MumbaiThe day marked Swamishri’s 69th diksha

anniversary. Sadhus sang bhajans and shloks inpraise of Swamishri during his morning puja.Before Thakorji an ambience of a diksha cere-mony had been set up. When Swamishri arrivedon a platform to give darshan to the assembleddevotees, Kothari Swami tied a nada-chhadi onSwamishri’s right wrist to celebrate the occasionand Viveksagar Swami offered a garland.

12 January 2008, MumbaiSwamishri performed the murti-pratishtha

rituals of pujan and arti of the murtis for theBAPS hari mandir in Ashi. Thereafter he blessedthe devotees.

13 January 2008, MumbaiFor convenience of devotees the Uttarayan-

Jholi festival was celebrated today. After Thako-rji’s darshan Swamishri hailed the jholi mantra,“Narayan Hare Sacchidanand Prabho…” beforethe devotees. Then Swamishri blessed all, “JaiSwaminarayan. Blessings to you all thatMaharaj keeps you happy in body, mind andwealth, and that satsang becomes firm in yoursoul.”

In the evening the Uttarayan festival was cel-ebrated at Bhakti Park in the presence of seniorsadhus and 12,000 devotees. Swamishri con-


Swamishri plays ras with the sadhus


veyed his blessings by telephone, “Our Indianfestivals are our traditions. Shriji Maharaj cele-brated Diwali, Annakut, Fuldol and other festi-vals. That tradition is alive today. Festivals areassociated with God. Through bhakti, spiritualdiscourses and kirtan our faith and values arestrengthened. They give peace and happiness inone’s life. Peace lies in listening to the divineincidents of God.”


rituals of pujan and arti of Shri Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj, Shri Radha-Krishna Dev,Shri Hanumanji and Ganapatji and GuruParampara for BAPS hari mandir in Dabhan.Thereafter he blessed the devotees.


rituals of pujan and arti of murtis for BAPS harimandirs in Jalundh (Khambhat district) andVadola.

FEBRUARYSwamishri’s daily routine included Thakorji’s

darshan, darshan and blessings to devotees andmorning puja. Daily, either in the morning orevening, Swamishri would go on his rounds onthe mandir terrace. Thereafter Swamishri wouldengage himself in answering letters from devotees,

reading satsang books and occasionalmeetings.

11 February 2008, Mumbai; Vas-ant Panchmi

A murti of Shastriji Maharaj was con-secrated in the hari mandir at Dadarmandir. The preliminary murti-pratishtha rituals were performed byKothari Swami. Finally, Swamishri per-formed the pujan rituals. Then the studybooks used by Shastriji Maharaj were

brought for darshan. Finally, KothariSwami and Viveksagar Swami garlandedSwamishri to commemorate the occasion.

21 February 2008, MumbaiDuring Swamishri’s daily morning round on

the mandir terrace sadhus presented incidentsfrom the life of Brahmanand Swami. They sang,“Sakhi Gokul gamnã chowkmã re…” Shri Harikr-ishna Maharaj was placed near Swamishri andsadhus played ras. Then Swamishri was giventhe ras sticks and the devotional programme cli-maxed with Swamishri striking his sticks withthe sadhus’ sticks one after another.

22 February 2008, MumbaiSwamishri performed the pujan and arti of

murtis for the BAPS hari mandirs in NanaVaghchhipa, Rabadi and Rohina. Thereafter heblessed the devotees.

24 February 2008, MumbaiSwamishri performed the murti-pratishtha

rituals of pujan and arti of murtis of BAPS harimandirs in Tithal district, namely, Tejlav (Vad-faliya), Jatmandva (Dharampur), Orvan(Donja), Saraiya and Kudvel. ThereafterSwamishri blessed the devotees.

◆

Books used by Shastriji Maharaj for his studies

April 2008 Annual Subscription Rs. 60


BAPS karyakars fromacross the UK gath-ered at BAPS Shri

Swaminarayan Mandir, Neas-den on Sunday 17 February2008 for the National SatsangPrasar and ManagementKaryakar Conference.

The conference outlined the forthcomingsatsang projects and initiatives to be undertak-en by BAPS in the UK and Europe in 2008-9.

The conference focused onpersonal development andimprovement of inter-personalskills through small sketches,interview panels, group dis-cussions and presentations.Also group activities and exer-cises within various depart-

ments and mandals focused on improving com-munication, emphasizing commitment and pri-ority setting. ◆

NATIONAL SATSANG PRASARKARYAKAR CONFERENCE

17 February 2008, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London

Karyakars seated in the mandir Haveli

BAPS NEWS

PARENTS’ CONGREGATIONS12-18 February 2008, Surat, India

Recently, from 22 to 24 February 2008, the 10th Kama HorseShow was held in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, by the Maharaja ShriKrishnakumarsinhji Memorial Trust. Horses from the BAPS sta-

ble in Gadhada competed in the show against thoroughbred horses fromGujarat. They were assessed by experts for their breed, appearance, colour,walking, running, dancing and other features and skills. BAPS horses won1st prize in the Best Marwadi Horse category, 2nd prize in the BestKathiawadi Horse Category and 2nd Prize in the Reval Walk category.

Congratulations to the horses and their caretakers at Gadhada. ◆

BAPS HORSES WIN AT KAMA HORSE SHOW22-24 February 2008, Bhavnagar

To enlighten parentsabout their duties, aseries of Parents’

Congregations was organizedby BAPS Bal Mandal, Surat.The sessions were held from12 to 18 February 2008.

Invitations were sent out toparents and volunteers were trained well inadvance. All were briefed on the work assignedto them and their responsibilities. Everyone

worked with enthusiasm andvigour. More than 16,000 par-ents attended the sessions andwere inspired to make positivechanges in their approach totheir children. They realizedhow important it is to impartgood values to their children.

Children also vowed to perform their dutiesearnestly. ◆

Volunteers present a skit

ABSORBED IN GOD AND GURUS2 January 2008, Mumbai

After his angiography Swamishri was asked,“Were you under tension?”

Swamishri replied with great ease, “I wasengaged in bhajan and darshan of HarikrishnaMaharaj.” Then Swamishri revealed, “While theangiography was going on, I was engaged inHarikrishna Maharaj’s darshan. Then I distinctlyrecalled the occasion when Shastriji Maharajgave me diksha as a sadhu. At night Harijivan-das (Swami) talked to me (about taking thesadhu diksha). After I consented, ShastrijiMaharaj embraced me and instructed me to tellYogi Bapa to perform the (next day’s) mahapujalater (than normal) in the morning. When(Swami) was giving me diksha in (Akshar Deri)Yogi Bapa was before me. Shastriji Maharaj toldYogi Bapa to bless me so that I would receivevirtues like him. I recollected everything. Ioffered prostrations to him. I remembered allthis clearly, and was also chanting the name of

Swaminarayan. My eyes were closed, and whenI opened them I would have darshan of themurti of Harikrishna Maharaj.”

During the tense medical investigationSwamishri was unworried and absorbed in Godand the memories of his guru.

SPIRITUAL UPRIGHTNESS30 January 2008, Mumbai

It was time for dinner. Swamishri was seatedon his bed leaning on a few cushions. Narayan-charan Swami came to make the arrangementsand asked, “Would you like to sit straight?”

“All my life I’ve been straight. I’ve never satin an awkward way,” Swamishri replied in acasual and telling manner.

“I’m referring to your sitting posture on yourbed,” the attendant sadhu clarified.

“I’ve always sat straight and walkedstraight,” replied Swamishri with a smile.

◆


LIVING WITH SWAMISHRI

INSPIRING INCIDENTS TRANSLATION: SADHU VIVEKJIVANDAS

PUSHPADOLOTSAV CELEBRATION22 March 2008, Sarangpur

1 & 2. Stage backdrop: Scene of Bhagwan Swaminarayan seated on a hindolo in Vartal, and Bhagwan Swaminarayan play-ing ras with Gunatitanand Swami and identifying him as Akshar at the house of Rathod Dhadhal in Sarangpur.

3. Swamishri joyfully gestures to the words of the bhajan: ‘Vartãl gãm fulvãdie ãmbãni dãl…’4. Swamishri blesses the festival assembly.5. Over 60,000 devotees attend the memorable Fuldol celebration.

1 2

3 4

5

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

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

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

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

Top: Swamishri sprays Shri Harikrishna Maharaj with saffron-scented water. Bottom & Inset: Swamishri sprays devotees with sanctified water.

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