|| Swami Shriji || Table of Contents 1 Acknowledgments 2 Introduction 3 Aashirvaad 5 How to Use This Syllabus 6 Week 1 Prasangs: Early Childhood 9 Junior Swamini Vato 1-5 11 Senior Swamini Vato - Happiness 1-5 12 YYE - Our Soul‘s Direction 13 Games 15 Youth Sabha Report for Week 1 16 Week 2 Prasangs: The Path to Virtue and Truth 18 Junior Swamini Vato 6-10 20 Senior Swamini Vato - Happiness 5-10 21 YYE - Surrendering to God 22 Games 24 Youth Sabha Report for Week 2 25 Week 3 Prasangs: The Divinity of Ghanshyam 27 Junior Swamini Vato 11-15 29 Senior Swamini Vato - Happiness 10-15 30 YYE - The Importance of Ekadashi 31 Games 33 Youth Sabha Report for Week 3 34 Week 4 Prasangs: Ghanshyam Leaves Home 36 Junior Swamini Vato 16-20 38 Senior Swamini Vato Happiness 16-20 39 YYE - Vishishtadvaita Philosophy 40 Games 42 Youth Sabha Report for Week 4 43 Appendix App. A - Sabha Arrangment 44 App. B - Stuti: Shlokas 45 App. C - Bhajan: Ugati Prabhae 46 App. D - Dhun 48 App. E - Thal 49 App. F - Arti 51 App. G - Visarjan: Ending Shloka 57 App. H - Sabha Cleanup 58 App. I - Map of India 59 App. J - Indoor Games 60 USA YOUTH SABHA GHANSHYAM MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || We are grateful to the many devotees who generously contributed their time and effort to help us make this syllabus as accurate and useful as possible. We would particularly like to express our deepest thanks to Guruvarya Param Pujya Saheb Dada for giving us the inspiration and blessings to put forth this Ghanshyam Maharaj Semester Syllabus. We would like to thank Param Pujya Shanti Dada, Param Pujya Ashvin Dada, and Param Pujya Harshad Dada who thoroughly reviewed and critiqued this revised edition. P. Jayesh Uncle has done an incredible amount of work for the youth as the mahant of our Allentown mandir. P. Virendrabhai, P. Shreebhai, P. Chetanbhai, P. Shanubhai, and P. Samirbhai were a constant source of en- couragement. Other friends who reviewed large sections of the script are P. Shivani, P. Neil, P. Charvee, P. Sneha, and P. Shirali. Their suggestions were invaluable in clarifying confusing concepts and in making the difficult decisions about what to include and what to omit. Thanks to the Bhuj Mandir for providing illustrations. Thanks to Swaminarayan Aksharpith for providing Swami ni Vato. Thanks to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha and the Yogi Divine Society for providing information on the Life and Work of Ghanshyam Maharaj. Special thanks to all those who assumed Regional Leadership roles and worked to create more sabha mandals. We would like to thank the sabha mandals who, under G.P.P. Saheb Dada‘s aagna and annuvruti, are conducting weekly satsang sabha with youth. These sabha have made a tremendous impact on the Hindu-American youth of our society, leading them to the path of truth and virtue. They have wholly accepted our syllabus and are implementing it with the utmost passion. The regional and local sabha leaders have worked in samp, suhradbhav, and ekta to inspire youth to attend weekly satsang sabha. Finally, as Saheb Dada would say, ‗Abhinandan Ghate...‘; there is not enough appreciation that we can give to those sabha leaders who devote time to organizing, conducting, and leading weekly satsang sabha for youth. These leaders are truly role models, and they have inspired those in their mandals to lead ideal lives. Special thanks to the following mandals for taking on this task: West (Chetanbhai) Northeast (Tejalben) San Fransisco/Fremont Mandal Landsdale Mandal Los Angeles Mandal Sciota Mandal Canada Mandal (Meghaben) Long Island Mandal Lynchburg Mandal Midwest (Ritaben) Richmond Mandal Rochester Mandal Maryland Mandal Ann Arbor Mandal Allentown Mandal Peoria Mandal Old Bridge Mandal Ferdinand Mandal Secaucus Mandal Louisiana Mandal Southeast (Rakshaben) Lakeland Mandal Holmstead Mandal 2 USA YOUTH SABHA GHANSHYAM MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Sahajanand Swami Maharaj ni Jai! Mukta-Akshar-Purushottam ni Jai! Guruvarya Param Pujya Sahebdada ni Jai!!! Sahebdada na Sau Vhala Mukto ni Jai!!! Dear Weekly Youth Satsang Sabha Leaders, Last summer, P. P. Ashvin Dada and P. P. Harshad Dada explained Saheb Dada‘s goal for Hindu-American youth. Saheb dada has been relentlessly working to better the future of our youth since 1975! His sole wish is that we become successful in all of our endeavors, while simultaneously nurturing our souls with satsang. With the power of Thakorji, we will have bright futures free of bad company and bad habits. In this way, our lives will be pure and powerful. They said that it is now time for us to organize the satsang that Saheb Dada has instilled in us. Param Pujya Harshad Dada asked us to channel into the sabhas that are held weekly throughout the country. Sahebdada himself organized the different centers into regions, and Harshad Dada followed by designating sabha centers to the different regions. He then designated four regional leaders the task of further satsang in the South, East, Midwest, and West regions. Finally, he asked the youth to come up with a course syllabus so that all of youth weekly satsang runs in parallel. In this way, our leaders will know exactly what the youth have learned over the year, and during Yogi Youth Camp, they can better cultivate our spir- itual knowledge. Harshad Dada explained the importance of understanding the glory of Lord Swaminarayan, Gunatitanand Swami, and all of their spiritual successors. This is a necessity to cultivating faith in God, and practicing spir- itual beliefs such as upasana and suhradbhav. It is with Harshad Dada‗s aagna, that the youth have prepared this first syllabus detailing Ghanshyam Maharaj‗s life. Ghanshyam Maharaj was an extraordinary character who struck the hearts of hundreds just by his playful laugh and positivity. His divinity and purity were so powerful that he convinced many sinners and unrighteous people to lead virtuous and dignified lives. When Ghanshyam Mahraj left Ayodhya at the age of eleven, the entire city fell into grief! Ghanshyam Maharaj‘s life stories may seem appropriate just for small children, but they are actually important for all of us to understand and embed into our memories. When we stand before Thakorji Maharaj, we can see and understand His beauty much better if we can remember His life work! Then we will understand the reason that He came to Earth, and the difficulties He undertook so that He could explain to satsangis how to live happily and peacefully! So with this idea Harshad Dada directed us to begin our course syllabus with Ghanshyam Maharaj. Then we will continue to Nilkanth Maharaj, Sahajanand Swami Maharaj, Gunatitanand Swami, Gopalanand Swami, and so forth. We must also note that these stories will be embellished because when looking at any incarnation of God - the stories will be created or told in a certain way in order to establish the divinity of God. For youth leaders it is important to understand the underlying message. We understand that many of you have already accepted Harshad Dada‘s aagna, and began to follow the Ghanshyam Maharaj syllabus that we introduced in September. However, as per Harshad Dada‘s direction, we sincerely request you start from the beginning, from Ghanshyam Maharaj. I assure you that you will not find yourself repeating material, and repeating discussion. All the Ghanshyam Maharaj prasangs 3 USA YOUTH SABHA GHANSHYAM MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || are condensed and original. All the guided questions and discussions are original. The Yogi Youth Editorials are repeated, but still we suggest that the senior youth reread the editorials and start discussions on how Ghanshyam Maharaj applied these topics to His life. Next, Sahebdada has given the aagna for all youth to participate in Swamini Vato competition! We suggest that any free sabha time be spent training the youth to learn the Swamini Vato that we have provided. Also, please note that the phone sabha will not be coinciding with the weekly satsang sabha syllabus! Therefore, please encourage all youth to join in on the weekly phone sabha call on Sunday, 8:00 PM E.S.T. We suggest encouraging youth to join in the phone firstly because it is Sa- hebdada’s aagna, and secondly because it allows the youth to interact with each other, keep in touch, and enjoy a positive atmosphere. Thank you all for wholeheartedly devoting your time to further the futures of Sahebdada‘s youth. Through you, Harshad Dada‘s wish of an organized satsang sabha will reach the youth. With this in mind, Harshad Dada requests that you aim to follow the sabha manual as much as possible. This manual has been approved in full by P.P. Ashvin Dada, P.P. Shanti Dada, P. P. Harshad Dada and P. Virendra Uncle. Jai Swaminarayan! 4 USA YOUTH SABHA GHANSHYAM MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || 5 USA YOUTH SABHA GHANSHYAM MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Jai Swaminaryan to all! Welcome to the Ghanshyam Maharaj Semester for Sabha Mandals and Ghar Sabha! This page will help you understand how the syllabus is set up, and how to use it to your advantage. The following order and arrangement was requested by Param Pujya Harshadbhai using a one hour time slot. 1 . Sabha Arrangment - Appendix A The sabha mandal head, or the eldest in the family, should arrange a sabha and arrange the youth in a manner explained in Appendix A. 2. Stuti: Shlokas - Appendix B Once all the youth are seated properly, and the all the materials have been prepared, sing the four stuti shlokas, remembering Lord Swaminarayan, Brahmaswaroop Shastriji Maharaj, Brahmaswaroop Yogiji Maharaj, and Guruvarya Param Pujya Sahebdada.