LORD SWAMINARAYAN
The Swaminarayan Sampraday is a Bhakti Sampraday
founded by Bhagwan Swaminarayan on 31 December 1801 CE. It
belongs to the Vaishnav tradition and represents the purest
form of the Hindu religion. It focuses its faith on salvation
through total devotion - bhakti - to the Supreme God developed
through dharma, jnan and vairagya (righteousness, knowledge
and detachment).
Lord Swaminarayan, the
founder of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, was born on 3 April
1781, in the village of Chhapiya, near Ayodhya, North India.
Having mastered the scriptures by the age of 7, He renounced
home at 11 to embark upon a 7 year spiritual pilgrimage on
foot across the length and breadth of India. Eventually settling
in Gujarat, He spent the next 30 years spearheading a socio-spiritual
revolution. With a faithful following of 500 Paramhansas,
He established the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, introducing social
reforms, serving the poor and the needy, challenging superstition,
addictions and blind faith. His work concentrated on promoting
personal morality and moulding spiritual character.
In a life span of 49 years, He enriched
humanity with six majestic mandirs, revealed the Vedic philosophy
of Akshar Purushottam worship, and imparted deep spiritual
wisdom in the sacred scripture - Vachanamrut. In His own lifetime,
He was worshipped as the supreme God by hundreds of thousands
of devotees. And He promised to remain ever present on earth
through a succession of spiritual Gurus - Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand
Swami, Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj
and presently Pragat Brahmaswarup Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Today
the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Bhakti sampradaya, has emerged
as one of the most progressive and purest forms of Hinduism,
internationally known as the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. We
present a brief sketch on the life and work of Lord Swaminarayan
in an appealing graphic and descriptive form.
Lord Swaminarayan enlightened innumerable
souls by His charisma, drew thousands together and fired them
with a spirit of do-or-die for Him, relieved the unscrupulous
Kathis and Kolis of their thievish tendencies, revived the
lost ethical precept of Brahmacharya, resuscitated the degenerated
ascetic order, taught the ideal of self-control and righteousness
to the Gurus and Acharyas who had fallen from their duties,
emancipated women by assigning them their rightful status
in society and in the Fellowship, morally uplifted the lower
classes, encouraged literary and musical activities, performed
yagnas which did not involve animal sacrifice, inculcated
the doctrine of tolerance, revived ethical and moral values
and devotion, taught the glory and grandeur of God and founded
and propagated Bhagwat Dharma on the principles inculcated
by Bhagwan Veda Vyas - such was Sahajanand Swami." -
Kishorelal Mashruwala (great Gandhian thinker). |