Nilkanth Leaves Ayodhya 9 App

|| Swami Shriji ||

Table of Contents 1 Appendix Acknowledgments 2 App. A - Sabha Arrangment 62 Introduction 3 App. B - Stuti: Shlokas 63 Aashirvaad 5 App. C - Bhajan - Aakhaa Divasamaa 64 How to Use This Syllabus 6 App. D - Dhun 66 App. E - Thal 67 Week 1 8 App. F - Arti 69 Prasangs - Nilkanth Leaves Ayodhya 9 App. G - Visarjan - Ending Shloka 75 Juniors: Swamini Vato - Activity - Story 11 App. H - Sabha Cleanup 76 Senior Swamini Vato - Company 13 App. I - Political Map of India 77 YYE - Determination, Courage and… 14 App. J - Nilkanth‘s Travels 78 Youth Sabha Report for Week 1 15

Week 2 16 Prasangs - Asceticism in the… 17 Juniors: Swamini Vato - Activity - Story 19 Senior Swamini Vato - Company 21 YYE - Nilkanth Varni The Ascetic 22 Youth Sabha Report for Week 2 24

Week 3 25 Prasangs - Divinity in East India 26 Juniors: Swamini Vato - Activity - Story 38 Senior Swamini Vato - Company 30 YYE - A Divine Purpose 31 Youth Sabha Report for Week 3 33

Week 4 34 Prasangs - Devotion from South… 35 Juniors: Swamini Vato - Activity - Story 39 Senior Swamini Vato - Company 41 Youth Sabha Report for Week 4 42

Week 5 43 Prasangs - Nilkanth Finds His Guru… 44 Juniors: Swamini Vato - Activity - Story 48 Senior Swamini Vato - Company 50 Youth Sabha Report for Week 5 51

Week 6 52 Prasangs - Stepping Stone to the… 53 Juniors: Swamini Vato - Activity - Story 56 Senior Swamini Vato - Company 58 YYE - 59 Youth Sabha Report for Week 6 61

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH 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 Nilkanth Maharaj Semester Syllabus. We would like to thank Param Pujya Shanti Dada, Param Pujya Ashwin 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. We would like to thank P. Charvee for providing the material of the juniors‘ sabha. We would like to thank P. Nirav Malani for his artistic contributions to the syllabus. Other friends who reviewed large sections of the script are P. Shivani, P. Neil, 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 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 Nilkanth 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 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

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Sahajanand Swami Maharaj ni Jai! Mukta-Akshar-Purushottam ni Jai! Guruvarya Param Pujya Saheb Dada ni Jai!!! Saheb Dada na Sau Vhala Mukto ni Jai!!!

Dear Weekly Youth Satsang Sabha Leaders,

Last summer, P. P. Ashwin 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. Through Thakorji‘s grace, we will have pure and powerful futures free of bad company and habits.

Saheb Dada organized each sabha center into region, and assigned leaders the task of furthering satsang in the South, East, Midwest, and West regions. Harshad Dada asked us to channel into the sabha centers that are held weekly throughout the country. He asked us to provide a course syllabus so that each sabha center would teach similar material at similar times. In this way, Yogi Youth Camp leaders will know exactly what the youth have learned over the past year, and use that knowledge to cultivate their spirituality.

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 spiritual beliefs such as upasana and suhradbhav. It is with Harshad Dada‘s aagna, that the youth have prepared this syllabus detailing Nilkanth Maharaj‘s life. Nilkanth Maharaj, from the age of just eleven, left home to redeem countless souls and to find a guru that could answer His eternal questions. With such a commit- ment, He left barefoot, heedless of food and water; He went to the Himalayan Mountains, to the border of China, down to the southern tip of India, and west to Gujarat. He did so to understand the cultures and attitudes of contemporary humanity, with the hope to find an institution that would allow saints and devotees to freely practice Mukta-Akshar-Purushottam Philosophy.

Nilkanth 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 Nilkanth Maharaj. Then we will continue to 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.

Next, Saheb Dada 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! There- fore, 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 the phone sabha firstly because it is Saheb Dada‘s aagna, and secondly because it allows the youth to interact with each other, keep in touch, and enjoy a positive atmos- 3

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER

|| Swami Shriji ||

phere.

Thank you all for wholeheartedly devoting your time to furthering the futures of Saheb Dada‘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!

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Jai Swaminaryan to all!

Welcome to the Nilkanth 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 ar- rangement 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 all the materials have been prepared, sing the four stuti shlokas, remembering Lord Swaminarayan, Brahmaswaroop Shastriji Maharaj, Brahmaswaroop Yogiji Maharaj, and Guruvarya Param Pujya Saheb Dada.

3. Bhajan: Aakha Divasama - Appendix C · During each semester, we will be singing different bhajans. The idea of singing just one bhajan over a period of time is that it will give the chance for youth and adults to memorize it. We understand that Aakha Divasama is an evening prayer, but unfortunately, not all youth sing bhajans in the evening, and so never get the chance to learn it. The bhajan has been provided in Gujarati, Gujarati translit- erated to English, and explained in a short paragraph in English. The audio version to learn the tune was sent in the same email. It is Harshad Dada‘s hope that through the period of Nilkanth Maharaj semester, all youth will have mastered the wording, tonality, and meaning of this beautiful bhajan.

4. Readings: · These readings are in the Table of Contents page. The readings aim to give the youth a comprehensive understanding of Nilkanth Maharaj and the point of Lord Swaminarayan‘s second ten years on this Earth. The readings have been split into six weeks, so that there is an appropriate time period to cover and understand all the readings. · The first reading is a collection of the prasangs during Nilkanth Maharaj‘s childhood. Difficult words have been defined on the sides, and guided discussion questions have also been provided. · Next are Junior Swamini Vato, ages 5-13, and Senior Swamini Vato, ages 14 and above. Regardless, Harshad Dada expects all youth to participate in next camp‘s Swamini Vato competition! Please have all youth memorize one or two of the five Swamini Vato each week! · Next, is the Yogi Youth Editorial, written by a Youth Leader explaining the significance of Nilkanth Maharaj‘s life, and its application through Saheb Dada‘s philosophies. This is written at a much higher level of understanding, and is entirely OPTIONAL. · P. Nirav Malani kindly mapped Nilkanth‘s travels which can be found in Appendix J. · Finally, if there is a restriction on time, Harshad Dada suggests that the Sabha Head focus on Nilkanth Maharaj‘s Prasangs, and just one or two Swamini Vato. During the span of these six weeks, the youth should be able to recite the prasangs in red-colored font, as they are very important in our Satsang. Understanding Nilkanth Maharaj‘s life is imperative to understanding the glory and mahatmya of Lord Swaminarayan. It is difficult to have faith in our God if we do not know His life‘s story. Therefore, though Nilkanth Maharaj‘s Prasangs may seem trivial, each youth should understand and be able to recite the prasangs in red to prove that they understand Nilkanth Maharaj’s Jivan Charitra!

5. Dhun - Appendix D · Please conduct two minutes of dhun as directed in Appendix D.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

6. Thal - Appendix E · Permitting resources, please also conduct Thal, which is a food offering to God. This will teach the youth how to sing and conduct our Sampraday‘s Thal. Appendix E shows how to arrange a Thal, and how to sing. Please note to offer the Thal to all of the deities in the mandir.

7. Aarti - Appendix F · Conduct the aarti, following the steps in Appendix F. We have given you the full length of ending shlokas, but if time is restricted, simply sing ‗Krupa Karo…‖

8. Visarjan: Ending Shloka - Appendix G · To end the sabha, refer to Appendix G, and sing the ending shloka.

9. Sabha Cleanup - Appendix H · Appendix H provides suggestions on how to conduct the cleanup of your sabha. Though we may wish to have the kids play after sitting through an hour of sabha, this is a great opportunity to teach them how to perform seva, self-less service. Get them involved in folding up the comforters and vacuum- ing the floor and serving food!

10. Games- Appendix K · Param Pujya Ashwin Dada has repeatedly emphasized the importance of having fun with our youth. His logic is that since the youth are still young, they are not exposed to bad company. If they grow up with tight bonds to other satsangi youth, then when they go to high school, they will not be distracted by unfocused teenagers. Therefore, P. P. Ashwin Dada suggests that the most important activity in these youth sabha is to have fun with them, and to make sure that they enjoy sabha. Then they will continue to come back and will enjoy the benefit of association with great santo such as P. P. Saheb Dada, P. P. Ashvin Dada, and P. P. Shanti Dada. As such, we have provided word searches for youth to complete and other ideas for indoor games in Appendix K.

11. Youth Sabha Report · On these pages there is a form to fill out after each sabha. Please assign a youth leader the seva of fill- ing out this form and sending it to [email protected]. · It is very important to fill out the attendance, program guide, any suggestions, AND SEND ONE PICTURE (to [email protected]), each week! · This is so that we can forward your activity to P. P. Saheb Dada, P. P. Ashwin Dada, and P. P. Shanti Dada, and send the pictures to Brahmanirzar. Please help us let these great santo know of your weekly satsang to make them happy! · Please ensure that the youth are given a chance to present Swamini Vato, prasangs, sing bhajans, or do any other seva in each sabha. Present awards to participants who consistently perform outstandingly so that youth will be encouraged to participate even more. Indicate the name of the most exceptional youth sabha attendee in the Youth Sabha Report so that P. Swatiben can send you a certificate in the mail!

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact P. Swatiben ([email protected]) via email.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

5 min. Shlokas App. B 2 min. Dhun App. D 5 min. Bhajan - Aakhaa Divasamaa App. C 10 min. Prasangs - Nilkanth Leaves Ayodhya 9 For Juniors* 5 min. Swamini Vato 21-23 11 5 min. Story - Joey‘s Vacation 11 5 min. Activity - Picnic Game 11 Word Search (for home) 12 For Seniors* 7 min. Swamini Vato - Company 13 8 min. YYE - Determination, Courage… 14 5 min. Thal App. E 10 min. Aarti App. F 1 min. Ending Shloka App. G Youth Sabha Report for Week 1 18

*Please note that juniors and seniors should be doing these parts of the sabha separately, but at the same time.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra NILKANTH LEAVES AYODHYA Lord Swaminarayan left Ayodhya on June 29, 1792 after Bhaktimata and Dharmadev left for Akshardham. At the age of eleven, He left His friends and family without any goodbyes. As He left, He took with Him a dhoti, mrug charmaa, tumbadi, kamandal, a filter cloth, a rosary in one dhoti: a sheet to cover below his waist hand, and a palas dand in the other. On the end of the stick He had tied a gutko; He had a dou- mrug charmaa: sheet of bled-up string of tulsi beads and a janoi around His neck . He also took with Him a Shaligram (an deerskin tumbadi: a water pot image of Lord Vishnu) and a Batwa (an image of Shri Krishna). There was a tilak and chandlo on kamandal: an alms bowl His forehead and His hair was matted. As He walked barefoot in an ascetic manner, He fulfilled palas dand: a stick gutko: abstracts contain- Sage Markandeya‘s prophecy of living a life of piety, truthfulness, meditation, and renunciation. ing the essence of reli- Hence, during this period of seven years during which Lord Swaminarayan travelled India, He was gious scriptures janoi: sacred thread worn known as Nilkanth Maharaj. around the shoulders

As Nilkanth Varni left towards the Himalayan Mountains, He vowed never to go home, as He was determined to practice penance. However, the demons were still determined to kill Nilkanth. When He came to the Saryu River, He saw that it was flooded. As Nilkanth was looking for a boat to cross the river, Kaushika, a demon, crept up behind Him and hurled Him into the flooded waters of the Saryu river! Nilkanth was carried away by the floods and disappeared from Kaushika‘s sight. Kaushika and the other demons were exhilarated and proud for having killed Nilkanth. However, a miraculous turn of events led to Nilkanth surviving the deluge and ending up on the opposite bank of the Saryu.

As Nilkanth emerged from the bank, He was composed despite the near-death experience. He looked so beautiful and His young, round face glowed divinity. He was exultant as He had just offi- cially renounced the world giving up all ties with birthplace, family, and friends. With a clear vision to redeem souls, Nilkanth came to a banyan tree and sat down to meditate. When He opened His Hanumanji: son of the eyes, He saw Hanumanji before Him with folded hands! Hanumanji explained that he noticed that God of Wind, a disciple Nilkanth had left Ayodhya and so came searching for His darshan. Hanumanji then beseeched Nil- darshan: the observation of Lord Rama of a revered deity in kanth to let him stay in His service, but Nilkanth explained that He wished to travel alone as a re- image form, which nunciant. Finally, as Nilkanth Varni left towards the Himalayas, He asked Hanumanji to let the peo- results in blessings ple of Ayodhya know that He was safe.

As Nilkanth travelled, He would often sit to meditate in dhyaan; wherever He did, hundreds would dhyaan: deep meditation flock to Him for darshan thinking that He was either an incarnation of Dhruvji or Swami Dhruvji: a disciple of Lord Vishnu Swami Kartikeyiji: son Kartikeyiji. Devotees would place a heap of fruits, vegetables, and sweets before Him in offering. of Lord Shiva Nilkanth, regardless of hunger, would first offer the food to Thakorji, and then sparingly eat fruits Thakorji: image of God and vegetables. He would then distribute the rest; when the villagers asked Him if He wanted to keep some foods for dinner, He would boldly decline. He explained that He was a renunciant with incorrigible faith in God. God would supply to Him whatever food He needed. Hearing His words of wisdom, the villagers appreciated Nilkanth as a genuine renunciant. tirth sthaan: holy pil- As a sincere devotee, Nilkanth Maharaj loved to visit tirth sthaan. On His way to the Himalayas, grimage place He went to Lodeshwar Mahadev and Naimisharanya (in today‘s Uttar Pradesh, or North India). In Lodeshwar Mahadev, Nilkanth swam in the lake and had darshan of Lord Mahadev (Lord Shiva, destroyer of ego). Naimisharanya is the place where Suta Goswami retold the Shrimad Bhagavat Shrimad Bhagavat: sacred Hindu text thousands of years before. Nilkanth then came to Tapovan where Dhruvji had performed severe

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra penance; He bathed in the freezing cold water of the Holy Ganges River. There, Nilkanth Varni Laxmanji: brother of went to the Laxman Mandir where Laxmanji emerged from the idol and fell at the feet of Varniraj! Lord Rama In return, Nilkanth Varni gave darshan to Laxmanji in the form of Lord Rama. Ganga Devi also Ganga Devi: incarnation, or manifestation, of the appeared as a beautiful woman and placed fresh fruits as Nilkanth‘s feet! Ganga River

From Tapovan Nilkanth came to Haridwar, and bathed in the Ganga River during the Kumbh Me- Kumbh Mela: mass Hindu pilgrimage la festival which occurs every twelve years to celebrate the Samudra Manthan. This is a famous Samudra Manthan: episode in Hindu mythology where the demons and gods wish to control the universe. In a diplo- ancient episode in the Puranas matic competition, the two teams churn the ocean to find amrut. They use the Serpent God as a amrut: divine nectar rope, tie it around a mountain called Meru and place it on the ocean. The mountain begins to sink bestowing immortality and so Lord Vishnu takes form, in his second avatar, as a turtle to support the mountain. As they are churning the ocean, a toxic poison is released from the Serpent God and so Lord Shiva swal- lows the poison to save the rest of the gods and the world. His consort, Parvati, squeezes Shiva‘s neck so that he does not swallow the poison, and consequently his entire neck turns blue (blue – nil, kanth – neck). Finally the amrut is released, but before the gods could drink it, drops fell over what is now Haridwar, Allahabad, Nasik and Ujjain.

From Haridwar, Nilkanth travelled to Shripur, which was built by Naradji thousands of years ago mahant: leading priest of and where Uddhavji had performed austerities. When the mahant of the temple in Shripur saw a temple illustrious Nilkanth, he graciously invited Him to spend the night inside the temple as there were fierce lions that came out at night. Nilkanth declined saying that He was not afraid of death. In the middle of the night, there was a lion‘s roar so loud that even the mahant woke up from his sleep! The lion was approaching Nilkanth fast, but as Nilkanth‘s eyes met the lion‘s gaze, it fell into a divine trance. The mahant and his disciples saw this miracle; the mahant thought to himself that if Nilkanth stayed, He would attract many devotees, so he offered Nilkanth an annual income of Rs. 100,000. Hearing this, Nilkanth scoffed, saying, ―If I was interested in mahanthship and income, then why would I have left home in the first place! I am an ascetic and I want to travel to tirth sthaan and learn the values of all religions. I want to explain to all devotees in the world how to do satsang: positive think- true satsang! In fact, I am atma, distinct from my own body, and free from carnal desire, anger, ing, practicing religion and avarice. I am the divine embodiment of the Supreme God. I am going to the Himalayas to re- atma: eternal soul deem innumerable souls!‖ In this way, Nilkanth Varni was steadfast in his renunciation. Though He was God incarnate, He set an example of how a renunciant should live his life. Despite being just twelve years of age, He showed aspirants how to live in austerity and piety detached from wealth.

Finally, Nilkanth Maharaj also wished that devotees would master other human qualities, such as positive thinking. In the small city of Bansi, near the Himalayas, Nilkanth was in meditation when two men shot a few birds down. As He saw the birds fall from the sky, His heart became moved with compassion. He couldn‘t bear the thought of violence and killing, and so He thought to burn the town down. Just by hearing Varni‘s thought, the God of Fire set the town of Bansi on fire! Nil- kanth realized His mistake and immediately plunged the city into the water; all were saved except those two that shot the birds. Nilkanth realized His mistake, and understood the danger of having just one bad thought. He vowed to never have any impure opinions on any human being; in this way, He set an example showing the importance of seeing positive in others, regardless of how ter- rible their actions may be. Look at the repercussions of Nilkanth Maharaj‘s bad thought; the entire city of Bansi was set on fire!

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato – Activity – Story JUNIORS Ages 5-13 —— SWAMINI VATO —— —— STORY: JOEY’S VACATION ——

“Hamnā janātu nathi, pan āpanne Joey was excited because summer break was ap- Bhagwān malyā chhe māte krutārth proaching, and he and his family were going to the beach! thayā chhie.” He had been waiting for this trip for a long time. He had At present we do not realize it, but we have attained God so never been to a beach before, so this would be his first time. we are fulfilled. Chapter 4, Vaat 9. Finally, it was the day they were all leaving for their family vacation. Joey had packed everything he needed—sunscreen, a bathing suit, sunglasses—he had even packed his swim- Bhagwān, Sādhu, shraddhā ne ming goggles because he heard there was going to be an “ ocean. His dad had told him that the ocean was similar to a satshāstra e chār vānā hoy to prabhu big pool. bhajāy; emā shraddhā nathi, bāki When they finally got to the beach Joey was sur- badhu chhe.” prised. The beach was NOTHING like the pool he swam in. When the four – God, Sadhu, faith and scriptures are pre- When he looked at the water it looked like it never ended sent then God can be worshipped. Of them, everything is and the waves just kept crashing onto the sand. There was present except faith. Chapter 6, Vaat 259. no sidewall to hold onto like in a pool, there were no stairs that showed you where to enter, and there was no other side that you could swim to. Joey was too scared to go in. He told “Bhagwān jevā ā sādhu chhe, pan his parents that he did not feel like getting in the water that teni pāse rahevātu nathi e moti khot day and instead sat on the beach. He saw his sister, Megan chhe.” run into the waves and splash around happily. Joey collected This Sadhu is like God, but that we are unable to stay with some sea shells and made a sand castle. him is our great loss. Chpater 1, Vaat 289. That night, Joey lay awake, thinking about how big the ocean was and the next morning, when they went back to the beach Joey still did not want to go in. Then, after —— PICNIC GAME —— lunch, he saw how much fun Megan was having and decided to try going near the water. As he got closer, the waves Materials needed: None. roared louder, but he took a deep breath and kept walking. Soon he was at the edge of the water. Megan waved at him How to play: One person begins by thinking of a theme of to come in the water, so he took one step closer. The waves food to bring to a picnic and without sharing with anyone tickled his feet as they came up on his toes. Joey laughed—it says, ―I‘m going on a picnic and bringing cookies.‖ This indi- felt nice! He took another deep breath and walked towards vidual then lets others guess what types of food they can Megan! When he went to bed that night, Joey had a big smile bring and says yes or no. If the theme were desserts, if the on his face. second person asked if they could bring celery, the one who came up with the theme would say no. If a third person were Discussion Questions to ask if they can bring cake, the first person would say yes. Where is Joey‘s family going? Keep playing this game until someone guesses the theme. What did Joey think the beach would be like? The person who gets the theme right, gets to decide the What did Joey do instead of going into the ocean? theme for the next round. What made Joey change his mind? Give an example of when you showed courage or you saw someone else showing courage.

Swamini Vato Published by: Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Amdavad - 4, INDIA. Copyright: © Swaminarayan Aksharpith. 11

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Word Search JUNIORS Ages 5-13

T Z C C E I U A D N P R T J R

N D F E T F T E M F V S N Z E

A E E G O N T A M R A A B O V

H E D E U V A A V R U J K Y I

A K L I I Y R I Y R A T U Q R

M X G J O G P U C K A H M C A

Y Q Y D I K R Q A N V P B Z G

Q E H L C I A B T B U A H X N

T Y A P V E D A H A M N M U A

A H N E F Q E D S F X R E J G

S V R U N H S I V D R O L R A

P W V L A C H V L L H Z A W M

B A N S I D R V K O C U T S K

M L G F W L H J Z R R A D P E

H I M A L A Y A S D B N O K Q

AMRUT AYODHYA BANSI BATWA GANGARIVER HIMALAYAS KUMBHMELA LORD LORDVISHNU MAHADEV MAHANT PARVATI RENUNCIANT SARYURIVER SHALIGRAM UTTARPRADESH 12

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato SENIORS - COMPANY Ages 14+

A kingdom can be given in one day, but not knowledge. Even by feeding a prince plenty of food, he does not grow up in one day. He grows slowly. Sim- ilarly, knowledge also develops slowly through association with the great Sadhu.

If all the great sadhus are present, the place is like Shvetdwip, the lifetime is as long as one kalpa of Brahma and if one associates with all, learning their virtues, then only satsang develops, and worldly desires are overcome. If all these virtues described are found in one Sadhu and one attains close association with him then one attains all virtues and desires are also overcome. We have attained such an association today.

If one can, associate with a great person, but never associate with an in- ferior person.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Yogi Youth Editorial DETERMINATION, COURAGE AND PERSEVERANCE o work towards a goal requires determination and We learn to be more aware of our surroundings and T perseverance. If acquiring that goal means pushing how transient they are. We learn that the material through hardship, then an individual requires courage world is ever-changing, but bhagwan and guru are not. as well. All goals have a few basic similarities – they We learn that being a good person, helping others, come from an idea or interest you have, it takes effort thinking positively and working to please our guru are to achieve them and there has to be some form of moti- much more worthwhile goals than trying to pray for vation that keeps pushing you to get there. The extent cars and houses and money. A guru teaches us that our of your interest, your mindset to keep achieving and the worldly attachments hold us back when trying to serve motivation pushing you to get there all determine the God. success of fulfilling that goal. So this brings us down to a Let’ s take a look at two individuals, both interest- basic question: What do we live for everyday? Why do ed in becoming doctors. Person A wants to become a we wake up and keep going in life? doctor to make money and Person B wants to become a For me, the answer to that is my guru. A guru is a doctor to help people. What differences will they face spiritual leader, focusing your attention on goals be- throughout their education? It will be their approach to yond the world you live in and into bettering yourself. It their learning and their mindset will be different is due to his blessings that we, as his children and as throughout the whole process. Person B, who is becom- bhagwan’s children, do not have to worry about worldly ing a doctor for more than just himself, will be more things. Due to His blessings, we will always have clothes interested in learning the most he can, whereas Person on our back, a roof over our heads and food on the din- A will work on trying to get the best grades so that he ner table. A guru is there for all the other stuff in life, to may be placed in the best residency. Similarly, if we all be that push we need when we are too discouraged to consider ourselves as students in our Guru’ s school, continue and to help us see the light at the end. what would our goals be? One of the hardest challenges in life is self- I have seen proof of this difference in my life. Per- improvement, but that is the goal a Guruji like Saheb sonally, I am an individual that always worked hard in Dada is pushing us towards. Individuals work towards school and tried to get the best grades possible. My self-improvement in their own ways, but all individuals guru has taught me that it is not so important to worry require determination, courage and perseverance in about grades but to look at the bigger picture in life. It is working towards these goals. The benefit of being goal- with his blessing that I do not have to worry about oriented is that it gives you a reason to wake up every- grades because Saheb Dada has said, what bhagwan day and push harder. Having a goal that is not material- wants to give you, He will find a way to do so no matter istic is an even better motivator, because that goal will what. When trying to understand this statement, it not change with time. Think of a teenager saving money means that you can work years and years towards a up for a car. They will wake up and go to work everyday goal, but if He does not want you to reach that goal, it because they want to buy a car but once they buy the will never happen. I have taken Saheb Dada’ s words car, they have nothing to work towards. They might fo- and applied them to my life. I started changing my rou- cus their attention on something else. They may even tine of studying on Saturdays, and using those days to become less motivated because they already have the run a youth sabha with the youth in my area. By taking car and don’ t need anything. If you work towards a time out every week to make Saheb Dada happy, I have goal that is focused on improving yourself, there will seen myself change to be in a better mood and not fret always be more to work towards. over the little things that used to bother me. It has giv- Compare the basic difference between yourself, en me a sense of purpose where I look forward to work- an individual that goes to the mandir regularly, and ing with the youth and hearing their experiences and your friends from school. By having a Guru that is com- seeing how much they understand Saheb Dada’ s glory. mitted to bettering your quality of life from the inside, you start to notice different goals that you begin to live -Charvee Patel for. From your friends at school that do not go to church, the temple or their form of a mandir may live quite different lives as they have a different focus in life. What does a Guru draw attention to for us to change?

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:

Time/Date/Place of Sabha:

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Sections Completed (check boxes accordingly): □ Nilkanth Maharaj Charitra: □ Junior Swamini Vato □ Senior Swamini Vato □ Junior Story □ Yogi Youth Editorial: Determination Courage, and Perseverance □ Junior Activity □ Other:

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USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

5 min. Shlokas App. B 2 min. Dhun App. D 5 min. Bhajan - Aakhaa Divasamaa App. C 10 min. Prasangs - Asceticism in the Himalayan... 17 For Juniors* 5 min. Swamini Vato 24-26 19 5 min. Story - Hanuman‘s Journey 19 5 min. Activity - Name Game 19 Word Search (for home) 20 For Seniors* 7 min. Swamini Vato - Company 21 8 min. YYE - Nilkanth Varni The Ascetic 22 5 min. Thal App. E 10 min. Aarti App. F 1 min. Ending Shloka App. G Youth Sabha Report for Week 2 24

*Please note that juniors and seniors should be doing these parts of the sabha separately, but at the same time.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra ASCETICISM IN THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS Nilkanth Maharaj left Ayodhya as a renunciant to perform austerities that would remove any trace of His human birth. The severity of His countless penances left His young teenage body in a fragile state. He travelled as an ascetic through the fierce mountains of the Himalayas, oblivious to the needs of His own body. Our hearts melt upon reading about the obstacles that He faced. Whenever Guruvarya Param Pujya Saheb Dada hears Nilkanth Maharaj‘s story, He also becomes filled with emotion. Nilkanth Varni was a model youth and a determined renunciant, fearless of obstacles and focused on a singular goal to meet devotees and grant them liberation.

On September 16, 1792, at the age of eleven, Nilkanth went from Shripur to Rishikesh and then to Kedarnath. From Kedarnath, He entered the Himalayas through Badrinath on November 7, 1792. Lord Nar-Narayan: Shri He stayed for three months where Lord Nar-Narayan had done penance. Nilkanth then headed Krishna deep into the Himalayas towards today‘s Tibet to the Manasarovar Lake. He stayed there for five Manasarovar Lake: abode of Shiva days in February 1793, bathing in freezing waters but soon returning to Badrinath on May 13, 1793. There He fasted for a duration of six months! Furthering His identity as an ascetic, He then traveled through Punjab, back to Ayodhya, and then headed north again into today‘s Nepal.

Nilkanth came to Vanshipur and sat in dhyaan under a beautiful banyan tree. The king saw Nil- bramachari: celibate kanth bramachari‘s emaciated physique and invited Him to stay at his kingdom. Nilkanth‘s personality was to stay away from wealth and women, but because the king was a devotee, He decided to stay for a few days. The king, his wife, and two beautiful daughters were enchanted by Nilkanth and served Him devoutly. One day, the queen came to Nilkanth offering the entire kingdom and her two daughters in marriage! Nilkanth laughed at the idea, explaining to her that He would much rather wander the forests to redeem souls. At the age of 12, Nilkanth Varni had so much self- determination! Once He decided that he wanted to travel alone to perform austerities and redeem souls, He never let anything distract him from his goal. Moreover, He overcame any obstacle that interrupted His path. Nilkanth soon left for Nepal with a singular goal to travel all over India as an ascetic!

Continuing His trip to Nepal, young Nilkanth met a sadhu called Mohandas. They travelled together as Monhandas was eager to progress spiritually and become a genuine ascetic; however, Mohan- das was attracted to worldly things. One day, as Nilkanth was walking a slippery route, Mohandas asked him to be careful not to drop their water pot. Hearing this, Nilkanth smashed the water pot against a boulder explaining to Mohandas that he was attached to worldly items and not God. Mo- handas was reformed, and as they split ways Nilkanth promised him that they would meet again. Dwarka: dwelling place Several years later, while Monhandas was on pilgrimage to Dwarka he met Bhagwan Swaminaryan of Shri Krishna in Saurashtra and became initiated in saffron clothes as Vrajanand Swami.

The road to Nepal was difficult. Nilkanth had to pass through a forest so thick that sunlight did not reach the floor. As Varni walked on dry leaves, snakes slithered out and rhinos, buffaloes, and other wild animals appeared. Even then, Nilkanth journeyed barefoot for four days without food. He became so exhausted that he lost consciousness and fainted! As He woke, He dragged himself to the river. When He finally found food, He first offered thal to Lord Vishnu, and then ate the prasad. prasad: food that has the deity's blessing residing within it He made it to Pulhashram on August 29, 1793; it had been one year and forty three days since Nil- kanth Varni had left home. In Pulhashram, Nilkanth did something extraordinary. He underwent a 17

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra

strict penance for almost three months. At the age of twelve, during the monsoon, in the middle of monsoon: rainy season slashing rains and piercing winds, Varni held both of His hands high and stood on one leg with His gaze fixed at the tip of His nose. Without food or water, eventually his body became so emaciated that his bones were exposed and his veins were showing. The yogis and renunciants and saints staying at Pulhasharam watched Nilkanth thinking that He must be God himself. Bhaktimata and Dhar- madev appeared from heaven so that they could protect Him. Lord Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva Lord Brahma: God of also came to visit him. Finally, He ended His penance on November 14, 1793. Nilkanth performed creation such strict penances so that He could rid all traces of His human birth; in this way He would fully reveal His divinity. How fortunate are all devotees that Nilkanth Varni took on such a strict penance. He took on such severe austerities so that people on earth would learn renunciation, detachment, and austere living. No ordinary twelve-year old could have performed such a difficult penance, proving to devotees His divinity.

Nilkanth then travelled through the Himalayan forests for an entire year, remaining undeterred despite danger and the lack of food and water. He met an old rishi, Gopal Yogi, an ascetic who had ashtang-yoga: eight-fold mastered ashtang-yoga, the highest form of yogic achievement and who had incredible meditative yoga and celibacy powers. When he saw Nilkanth Varni, he exclaimed that he had never felt so attached to anybody. Nilkanth asked Gopal Yogi to teach Him ashtang-yoga. Gopal agreed and for one full year, they lived with each other. Gopal Yogi taught Nilkanth Varni the eight (ashta) forms of yoga: yam: moral codes yam, niyam, asan, pratyahar, pranayama, dharana, dhyan, and samadhi. Nilkanth in return niyam: self-purification asan: posture gave brahmagnaan. After finishing his education, Nilkanth gave Gopal Yogi darshan of His true pratyahar: sense control pranayama: breath form. So, in just one short year, Nilkanth Varni mastered ashtang-yoga, a feat that others cannot control accomplish in a full lifetime! dharana: intention dhyan: meditation samadhi: contemplation With the identity of an ascetic, Nilkanth wished to spread the purest form of worship. As such, Nil- kanth traveled to Tibet, and stayed with King Mahadutt and Queen Mayarani for five months. Then continuing His journey eastwards on August 18, 1794, He arrived with a band of sadhus in Kath- mandu, the capital of Nepal. The king of Kathmandu, Rana Bahadur, was dying from a stomach illness and was in desperate need of a cure. He would ask for the help of many priests, scholars, and sadhus to fix his ailment, but when they could not cure him, they were imprisoned! Hence, for a very long time, no sadhus had come to Kathmandu. When Nilkanth wanted to go to visit Rana Bahhadur, His companion sadhus were afraid! Nilkanth emerged as the leader, as He courageously explained that a devotee of God should never be afraid with the understanding that God is the all- doer. Then, Nilkanth went to Rana Bahadur and explained to him that his disease is incurable, as it karma: fruit of action is the fruit of his karma. Instead of complaining and imprisoning sadhus, King Bahadur should seek refuge in God. Nilkanth explained the importance of bearing any misery that comes to us, and seeking strength by offering prayers to God. Hearing Nilkanth Maharaj‘s divine words, the king‘s inner eye was opened. In this way, Nilkanth showed devotees how to keep courage through faith in God. He explained it using simple logic rather than magical powers, inspiring all aspirants to live with devotion and valor. As Nilkanth continued His journey east to (what is now) Bangladesh, He constantly exuded divinity showing His sincere asceticism and strong faith in God.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato – Activity – Story JUNIORS Ages 5-13 —— SWAMINI VATO —— —— STORY: HANUMAN’S JOURNEY ——

“Antarmā bhajan kartā shikhvu, tene Hanuman, the son of the God of wind, is fondly karine vishaynā rāg ochhā thāy chhe.” known as the highest devotee (sevak) of Lord Rama and is Learn to do bhaan from within, By this desires to enjoy the represented by a monkey. In this story, Hanuman flies to sense pleasures are reduced. Chapter 2, Vaat 30. Lanka under the instructions of Lord Rama to find Sitaji, the wife of Lord Rama, who had been kidnapped by the evil demon (raakshas) Raavan. Ā brahmāndnā sarva jivane When Sitaji goes missing, Lord Rama turns to Han- “ uman for his help in finding her. Hanuman promises Lord khavrāvaru te kartā ek Bhagvadine Rama that he will not return without news of Sitaji, and he jamādvo e adhik chhe.” sets off to find her. He starts by heading in the southern di- To feed a devotee of God is superior than feeding all the rection but is stopped when he hits the ocean. He comes jivas of this universe. Chapter 2, Vaat 117. across a bird named Jatayu, who was the vulture king. Jatayu tells Hanuman that he saw Raavan taking Sitaji across the river. As Hanuman gazes out at the ocean, he thinks of Lord “Jhernā lādvā khātā sārā lāge pan Rama and how worried he must be about Sitaji and leaps ghadik pachhe galu jhalāy tem ā into the sky to cross the ocean. vyavahār chhe.” Hanuman‘s first obstacle is a mountain that sudden- Poisoned sweet balls (ladvas) taste good when eating, but ly rises from the sea. Hanuman hits the mountain with his after a while the throat burns. Simlilarly, worldly activities are chest. The mountain tries to stop Hanuman but he refuses like this. Chpater 5, Vaat 339. to stop and continues flying towards Lanka. His next obstacle is a sea monster that comes out of the ocean with his mouth open. The sea monster tells Hanuman that he must —— NAME GAME —— fly into his mouth. Hanuman thinks for a moment and then agrees, but very quickly he makes himself small and jumps in Materials needed: None. and out of the monster‘s mouth. The sea monster realizes what Hanuman did and lets him pass for his determination Everyone sit in a circle and place both palms, facing up, on and cleverness. Finally, Hanuman reaches Lanka. your knees. Each person should connect with the people Hanuman starts looking for Sitaji and finds her in next to them, with each person‘s right hand on top and left the palace gardens. Sitaji gives Hanuman one of her jewels so hand below. One person will start and say a name by clap- that he may take it back to Lord Rama to prove he met Sitaji. ping their hand across to the person on their left. This game Before Hanuman can go back to Lord Rama he has to get continues until someone repeats a name or hesitates. That past all of Raavan‘s soldiers. He gets into a huge fight with individual is the kicked out of the circle and the circle closes them and beats them all up one by one until he can leave. up. Repeats start over when the entire round is finished and Finally, he is able to fly back across the ocean and bring a winner has been determined. news to Lord Rama that he has seen Sitaji and that she does *Try one round of this game using places that Nilkanth Ma- indeed need to be rescued. haraj went to. Discussion Questions Who has gone missing? Who is sent to find her? What is the name of the bird that helped Hanuman? Name the obstacles that Hanuman runs into on his way to Lanka.

Swamini Vato Published by: Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Amdavad - 4, INDIA. Copyright: © Swaminarayan Aksharpith. 19

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Word Search EARLY CHILDHOOD

I P N E E W J B M I A N E D J

X R M L Z T F T M Y A H U R I

E K A L R A V O R A S A N A M

F P M H Q C N A N E W G H H O

N C R Q C S P G H S F O S I H

O I U A O A A A D C P Y I Q A

A T Y O N M M G E E C G V T N

F N N A H A S H I R S N O S D

Y X H A M X Y P A Q K A D L A

W X R G N O C A A R C T W D S

S B D W A R K A M M B H J Y D

I H D A M A S N E A H S P R H

C E M T I O F W E L L A S E Y

J H P K B L Z A C U R W R D A

G R F G G O P A L Y O G I B N

ASHTANGYOGA BRAHMA BRAHMACHARI BRAHMAGNAAN DHYAN DWARKA GOPALYOGI MAHESH MANASAROVARLAKE MOHANDAS MONSOON NIYAM PRANAYAMA SAMADHI VISHNU

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato SENIORS - COMPANY Ages 14+

Of all the endeavors for moksha, close association with the great Sadhu is the most powerful. It is through such company that all things happen and without such company nothing happens. Thus, in everything, company is the main thing. It is through such company that we progress both on the path of moksha and worldly activity. So, nothing equals good company. Of the eight factors which influence, i.e. place, time, etc., company is described as the main. Among the nine forms of devotion, listening is said to be the main., That, too, can only be attained through company. In she Shikshapatri, too, it is said, ―Daily, keep the company of sadhus!‖ In the Vachanamrut, also, the superiority of company has been described in many places. Thus, all scriptures advocate keeping the company of the Satpurush. So, keep that company, since one benefits according to the type of person whose company one gets. If one obtains the company of an all-knowing person, one attains all knowledge. Such knowledge cannot be attained from the company of one with partial knowledge. Since, from dharma, spiritual knowledge, detachment, devotion, glory of God, etc., whichever aspect is predominant in a person, through his contact only that aspect can be understood. And from the company of one who is complete in all aspects, all aspects can be understood. Thus, to attain the company of one who has all knowledge is rare. So, before keeping his company, check the guru‘s purity in three ways. The details: first, check his own behavior; second, check the capability of the one he has served (i.e. his guru); and third, know those who have attained (knowledge) through his company (i.e. his disciples). Inspect in this way. || 4 ||

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Yogi Youth Editorial NILKANTH VARNI THE ASCETIC n the Vachanamrut and the Shikshapatri, Lord Swa- So, when we examine Nilkanth Varni’s life story, re- I minarayan repeatedly emphasizes the importance in member to identify the hardships that He faced and living with dharma and niyam. In the Shikshapatri, He overcame with resilience. Note how He persevered to explicitly defines the boundaries that we should keep in live in niyam and dharma by taking refuge in God. Nil- our daily lives. We should not steal from others nor kanth gave His faith to God to guide Him as to where to harm others nor commit adultery; nor should we drink go, where to get food and water from, and who to alcohol, smoke tobacco, or eat meat; we should also meet. Nilkanth Varni showed us through example how avoid eating onions and garlic! In the Vachanamrut, to become an instrument of God by living within God’s Lord Swaminarayan explains the benefits of living with boundaries. Moreover, Nilkanth embodied the person- niyam and dharma. Scientifically, this intake chemically ality of a saint as He lived as an ascetic. His humble and stimulate our personality to be more reactive and un- loving nature was to give first priority to offering devo- settled. Spiritually, establishing boundaries in our lives, tion to God and service to devotees and second priority we direct our attention away from endless worldly de- to Himself. As such, He constantly exuded divinity, had sires and focus our minds on God and His Sadhu. This is a sparkling personality and an incorrigible charisma. In nourishment for the soul which invigorates us with short, everybody loved Nilkanth Varni. peace, satisfaction, and happiness. An Ascetic’s Understanding Varniraj’s Identity Nilkanth had to face the unbearable temperatures, fe- These are great words of wisdom and sound amazing in rocious wild beasts, and a constant lack of food while theory. But as many of us have now begun to live this trying to maintain devotion. Many times, Nilkanth path of virtue, we know that it is not so simple. There would travel for four to five days without food or water are obstacles and hardships that we have to overcome. and would faint as a result! At that point in starvation, it We can speak to our friends and family members for is very difficult to not think about food. As we would courage to persevere, but who can we look to for inspi- weigh starving to death against maintaining asceticism, ration? Can we take refuge in Lord Swaminarayan? As a Nilkanth also came to the point where He needed to eat child, Ghanshyam Maharaj lived as a prince and, as an to survive. Technically, an ascetic never even thinks adult, Sahajanand Swami lived like a king. He had eve- about food, and so Nilkanth had fallen from His path. rything in the world! He travelled on a royal horse, lived Yet, Nilkanth took every obstacle positively, and still in a royal palace, and ate from a gold plate. He had hun- remembered to offer food to Thakorji before eating dreds of thousands of followers waiting on Him from sparingly. In this way, through every obstacle, Nilkanth the second He woke up to when He went to sleep. maintained asceticism to His fullest capability. Hence, it must have been so much easier for Lord Swa- minarayan to live in niyam and dharma successfully... Similarly, when we try to take on certain fasts and vows, we will face obstacles. If I was to give up eating meat as Understanding that we would doubt His words, Lord a form of devotion to God, I would change my lifestyle Swaminarayan had to practice what He preached. For to completely avoid meat. Nilkanth realized that cli- seven years, as Nilkanth Varni, Lord Swaminarayan trav- mate, safety, and food would be obstacles in keeping elled through India living as an ascetic. From the age asceticism; so, He consciously reminded Himself to not eleven to eighteen, He traveled through the snowy Him- let those barriers affect His devotion. Similarly, I would alayan mountains barefoot, east to Bangladesh and be cognizant of any obstacles that would hinder my south to Kerala where there were ferocious wild beasts, quest to give up meat. I would keep a stack of Boca and then all the way to Gujarat! He travelled with just a Burgers in my freezer and would relocate closer to a loin cloth to cover His waist and a shaligram of Lord Taco Bell; of course, joining my friends for their daily Vishnu to offer devotion. All the while, He embodied dinner at White Castle would make it difficult for me to values of a yogi-sadhu, practicing meditation in difficult avoid meat. In this way, being aware of my obstacles to postures, begging for alms for meals and observing accomplish my goal is half the battle. Similarly, Nilkanth strict fasts. recognized the obstacles that He would face, and consciously worked to avoid them. Nilkanth taught us devo-

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

tees a valuable lesson in goal-setting; if we can under- Him what He wanted for dinner, Nilkanth politely ex- stand the obstacles ahead of us, we will not falter from plained that He was an ascetic and He did not want to our path when we come across them. think about food. It is one thing to fast and be perseverant on your own, but can you do so with hundreds of Immeasurable Barriers people asking you, so lovingly, to break it?

Fortunately, Nilkanth Maharaj showed us how to X-Factor achieve our goals by understanding our obstacles. But how else was Varni challenged to live as an ascetic? When offered all these worldly items, Nilkanth Maharaj Were there also emotional barriers that He faced that also kept suhradbhav. Sometimes, devotees would would have him waver from His path? In fact, living as force Nilkanth to accept their worldly offerings. Still, an ascetic and living with niyam and dharma become Nilkanth could decline without severing relationships, mentally challenging as we have to live in a community. He would not sleep inside in a palace, but sleep outside where there were wild animals. He would avoid women Nilkanth Maharaj’s main concern was to live His day in and wealth, and still find the inner strength to be loving full devotion to Lord Vishnu. Despite this, everywhere and caring to those same people who were distracting He came, devotees would be so attracted to Him that Him from His goal! they would offer all these worldly possessions to Him. Here, a twelve year boy was on a mission to live within In fact, when we become perseverant towards our goal, dharma, and every day people would offer Him valua- we have the tendency to become regimented. I may bles that other men spent their lives trying to earn. begin to think that I am better than everybody who When Nillkanth came to the King of Vanshipur, He was does not live with niyam and dharma. I know that this is offered the entire kingdom and two daughters to mar- what God wants me to do, and this is why I am living in riage. To some, that is a dream come true! From this this way. So, I might look down on those who are not prasang, Nilkanth showed how devotees can get dis- living within boundaries, I might sever relationships tracted so easily when offered enticing goods. Often we with them, or I might even insult them. Nilkanth never will go out to visit friends and they will offer us things did that. Nilkanth lived in harmony, never letting his that would break our niyam and dharma. Likewise when own lofty values interfere with keeping suhradbhav Nilkanth met devotees, they would offer Him money with other devotees. and women. But, He was so perseverant that He would lovingly laugh in the face of those who offered Him By living for seven years as an ascetic, Nilkanth gave an worldly items; He would confidently and boldly reply eternal example of living with niyam and dharama. He that He was God’s devotee and didn’t need the goods. faced many hardships and problems, and even dealt with real danger. But, He handled them with courage, Often Nilkanth Varni would sit under a banyan tree and perseverance, strength, and dignity. Regardless of who- meditate. When He would open His eyes, there would ever aimed to distract Him from His goals, Nilkanth re- be a mountain of fruits, vegetables, and sweets lying in mained focused and completely at peace. Nilkanth front of Him. Remember that Nilkanth Varni was an as- showed us that by living with full-confidence in niyam cetic that wanted to fast everyday! This is tantamount and dharma, we will lose our ego for endless worldly to me wanting to diet while the owner of Krispy Kreme desires and find the constant source of happiness and comes to me with a lifetime supply of creamy jelly- power that is God. He provided in seven years hun- filled, powdered donuts! My logic would lead me to ac- dreds of examples on how to live within niyam and cept the lifetime supply of donuts. First of all, they are dharma in face of hardship. When learning of His life free and I am Gujarati; also, I don’t wish to hurt the experiences, our hearts will melt thinking of the prob- feelings of the man who so lovingly offered me free lems that He faced and the solutions that He found. doughnuts... Never again will I think that it is easy for God to preach living in niyam and dharma, because in fact, Nilkanth What kind of example did Lord Swaminarayan set for us Maharaj endured much greater than we ever will have when we faced such obstacles? Nilkanth Maharaj would to! also whole-heartedly accept the offerings; but he never ate more than one or two fruits. He would offer a thal to Lord Vishnu, and then distribute the food right back to the devotees that offered it to him! When they asked 23

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:

Time/Date/Place of Sabha:

Attendance:

Sections Completed (check boxes accordingly): □ Nilkanth Maharaj Charitra: □ Junior Swamini Vato □ Senior Swamini Vato - Company/Swamini Vato □ Junior Story □ Yogi Youth Editorial: Our Soul‘s Direction □ Junior Activity □ Other:

Outstanding Performance of the Week: Name of Certificate Winner: Please circle categories: Swamini Vato Story Bhajan Games Seva Attendance Presentation Participation

Suggestions:

Please return this completed report to P. Swatiben Patel through email OR regular mail. E-mail address: [email protected] Home address: 7005 Glorious Light Place Columbia, MD 21044

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

5 min. Shlokas App. B 2 min. Dhun App. D 5 min. Bhajan - Aakhaa Divasamaa App. C 10 min. Prasangs - Divinity in East India 26 For Juniors* 5 min. Swamini Vato 27-29 28 5 min. Story - MJ‘s Struggles 28 5 min. Activity - Create a Picture Game 28 Word Search (for home) 29 For Seniors* 7 min. Swamini Vato - Company 30 8 min. YYE - A Divine Purpose 31 5 min. Thal App. E 10 min. Aarti App. F 1 min. Ending Shloka App. G Youth Sabha Report for Week 3 33

*Please note that juniors and seniors should be doing these parts of the sabha separately, but at the same time.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra DIVINITY IN EAST INDIA At the age of fifteen, Nilkanth attracted devotees wherever He went. What was so striking about Nilkanth? Did He carry kilos of gold? Did He have an army of men? Did He have an extraordinary physique? In fact, He travelled with next to nothing, and His body was emaciated from the austerities He had endured in the Himalayas. Despite His skeletal appearance, He was lustrous, as He was God incarnate. Only God could be so malnourished and emaciated, yet still be radiant and constantly exultant with energy. As He travelled towards East India, Nilkanth revealed His divinity to all the devotees whom He met.

Nilkanth first went to Tibet (the border of China), and then back through Nepal. Nilkanth then travelled east across today‘s Bangladesh. In Sirpur and Assam, there were camps of bawas who bawas: evil saints used their spiritual and yogic powers to harm devotees. They frightened others into following them by using hocus-pocus and by muttering charms. Nilkanth put an end to their terrorizing, by showing them His own yogic powers. At once, all the bawas became disciples of young Nilkanth! Nil- kanth enlightened them saying that a true devotee never hurts others because those powers are granted by Paramatma. Nilkanth taught all aspirants the worship of Paramatma rather than the Paramatma: supreme lord forced worship of bawas.

Nilkanth travelled south and after one month, on January 13, 1797 (Poshi Poonam), He came to the Navlakh Mountain. On this mountain 900,000 spiritually-elevated yogis had been performing penance for thousands of years. Before Nilkanth‘s arrival, a heavenly voice announced that the Su- preme Lord in the form of Nilkanth Varni would come to meet them the next morning at dawn. Instantly, all of them began to prepare to receive Nilkanth; they collected fruits and garlands of flowers. When Nilkanth arrived, He assumed 900,000 forms and gave individual darshan to each yogi! In this way, He satisfied the yogis desires for a vison of God after waiting so long for liberation!

Feeling content, Nilkanth went to Gangasagar and then went to Kapil Muni‘s asharam in Sundarvan. At such a beautiful location, Nilkanth decided to meditate; when He didn‘t come out of devta: demi-gods meditation for six days the devta became worried that Nilkanth would forget his earthly mission to remove unrighteousness and evil. Nilkanth heard their prayers, and once again, gave a firm com- dharma: righteousness mitment to re-establish dharma in this world.

From there, Nilkanth went towards Jagannath Puri (in today‘s Orissa). Here, while travelling through a dense forest with a devotee named Jairam, a bear charged at Nilkanth! Nilkanth just glanced at the bear, and it bowed down to Him. Hearing Nilkanth explain to Jairam that this bear was a devotee from Lord Krishna‘s time and had been cleansed of past sins, the bear began to weep with joy! Seeing this miracle, Jairam ran to his friends and family convinced that Nilkanth was God. As Nilkanth was leaving towards Jagannath Puri, Jairam tried to convince Nilkanth to stay, but Nil- kanth instead asked Jairam to join Him in His travels; however, by nature Jairam was very attached to his family and friends, and was at first hesitant to agree. However, Jairam understood Nilkanth to mahatmya: glory be God. Realizing Nilkanth‘s mahatmaya, Jairam obeyed Nilkanth‘s aagna knowing that he would aagna: divine instruction receive spiritual benefit and inner peace. So, Jairam decided to travel with Nilkanth to Jagannath Puri.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra In Jagannath Puri, Nilkanth stayed with King Rajaram Mukunddev, the Governor of Orissa. Jagan- nath Puri is famous for the Rath Yatra festival during which Lord Krishna, Balram, and Subhadra are paraded on chariots through the city. Nilkanth had gained so much respect and honor in Jagan- nath Puri, that on June 26, 1797, the king asked Nilkanth to ride the chariot as well. Local evil bawas felt jealous of Nilkanth, feeling that they were losing power in the city. One day, an angry bawa challenged Nilkanth to pluck spinach. Compassionate Nilkanth politely declined as there was jiva: soul a jiva in the spinach. He then went into meditation. The bawa saw an opportunity to attack Nil- kanth! Jairam quickly called the king‘s army which fought the bawas! Through this incident, all the impure ascetics were warded off from Jagannath Puri and Manaspur in Andhra Pradesh. After- wards, Nilkanth sent home Jairam and told him to come searching for him in Kathiawad later as he would be initiated as Jignasanand Swami. Then, Nilkanth left for Tilang in Andhra Pradesh. There he graced Tirupati, the home of Lord Venkateshwar, and continued south.

In Devipattan lived a devout mother who wished for her son, Bhagwandas, to leave his work and search for God. One day, she packed him a hundred gold coins and fruit and ordered him to leave the house! She said to only come back after Bhagwandas found God; Bhagwandas relented, and then asked how he would identify God when he met Him. So she explained that God has sixteen sacred marks on his feet, does not cast a shadow in the sun, and when one holds a lamp in front of Him when it is dark, light will pass through His body as if it were transparent. Bhagwandas‘s mother exclaimed that he would find God within a fortnight. Enthused, Bhagwandas stepped out of the house and blindly walked on. When he had walked for ten to twelve miles, he crossed a river and then thought to camp out for the night. As he was thinking this, somebody shouted, ―Bhagwandas, come here.‖ When he turned around, he saw the child-celibate Nilkanth Varni under a banyan tree! Nilkanth called Bhagwandas over, and asked for the favor to take the thorn out of His foot. As Bhagwandas did so, he saw (the 16 signs of incarnate God) trikon‚ kalash‚ gopad‚ dhanushya‚ meen‚ ardhachandra and vyom on one sole and urdhvarekha‚ ashtakon‚ swastik‚ jambu‚ java‚ vajra‚ ankush‚ ketu and padma on the other sole. Then, Bhagwandas noted the sun in the west, noticed his own shadow, but saw no shadow from Nilkanth. He was exhilarated and brought Nilkanth to his home. Finally, as the mother opened the door, she saw the light of her lamp passing through the body of Nilkanth. The entire family was exhilarated! Nilkanth stayed for two days and then gave the family the aashirvaad that they would pass away and be reborn in northern Gujarat where He would accept their full services! In such ways, Nilkanth blessed so many rishi, saints, renunciants, aspirants, devotees, and family members by giving darshan of His divine form!

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato – Activity – Story JUNIORS Ages 5-13 —— SWAMINI VATO —— —— STORY: MJ’S STRUGGLES ——

“Bhagwānnā swarupni nishthā thai Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, tene sādhan sarve thai rahyā, bāki on February 17, 1963. His parents, James and Delores Jor- kāi karvu rahyu nathi.” dan, moved to Wilmington, North Carolina when he was still One who has resolute faith in God (that he will grant libera- a toddler. Jordan has two older brothers, one older sister, tion) has completed all spiritual endeavors. He has nothing and one younger sister, so four siblings in total. more left to do. Chapter 1, Vaat 123. Jordan loved to play baseball when he was a child, and he also played some basketball and football. His love for basketball began when his older brother, Larry, always used Bhagwān to tris varas Satsangmā to beat him in one-on-one pickup games. Michael became “ determined to get better so that he could beat his brother. rahyā ne have sādhu-rupe das-vis Jordan played basketball for Laney High School in pedhi raheshe.” Wilmington, North Carolina. When he tried out for the bas- God (Maharaj) stayed in Satsang for 30 years and now He‘ll ketball team his second year, he was cut from the team. Dis- stay in the form of a Sadhu for ten to twenty generations. appointed that he had not made the team, he made up his Chapter 1, Vaat 270. mind to get better. Instead of giving up after failing to make the team, Jordan used to push himself more and more, practicing hour after hour on the court. "Whenever I was work- “More to Bhagwānne mumukshu ing out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I'd close kholtā ne ājto Bhagwān mumukshune my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my khole chhe.” name on it," Jordan said, "and that usually got me going Previously, spiritual aspirants sought God and today God again." He eventually made the team and led it to the state searches for the spiritual aspirants. Chpater 3, Vaat 162 championship. Michael got so good at basketball that as a senior in high school, he accepted a basketball scholarship from the —— CREATE A PICTURE GAME —— University of North Carolina. As a freshman in college, Jor- dan's ever-growing popularity began when he scored the Materials needed: Paper and pencil game-winning basket in the 1982 NCAA championship game against the Georgetown Hoyas. Jordan was selected Draw a picture using only the following shapes: Square, rec- college player of the year in the 1983-84 season, and led the tangle, triangle, circle and oval. Have one person decide what US Men's Basketball Team to an Olympic Gold Medal in the you are drawing and then everyone take five minutes to 1984 Summer Olympics under coach Bobby Knight. draw. Vote on the best one if you want. *Try to relate this to Nilkanth Maharaj – perhaps a place he Discussion Questions visited or him walking with just his few belongings. How many brothers and sisters does Michael Jordan have? What happened to MJ that made him work even harder to be on the basketball team? How did his hard work pay off? Give an example of someone else you know that worked hard to get what he or she wanted.

Swamini Vato Published by: Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Amdavad - 4, INDIA. Copyright: © Swaminarayan Aksharpith. 28

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Word Search EARLY CHILDHOOD

I X R X R P A T Q M J R M W T

D R Y A I U I V A T D U G Y I

B N U B T R P R I G V D Y J B

N U E P U H L R B J M A M H E

K K O P H A Y A I A P H Y V T

V L A Q B T D A N S Z A I S M

A T V E D R A O T K U B X U E

I B A W A S O N C R P A B B C

G T G T B P K L N I A N A H S

F A B J I Y W A Q A I A C A M

M N A H S R A D R V G R Y D A

Z B S U I N U S H M N A L R R

Y O G I C P O W E R A G J A I

P Q X B V M P I P E C M G X A

X H N G R Q M L C S M C P H J

BALRAM BAWAS DARSHAN DEVTA JAGANNATHPURI JAIRAM JIVA KARMA PIBEK POSHIPOONAM RANABAHADUR RATHYATRA SIRPUR SUBHADRA TIBET TIRUPATI YOGICPOWER

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato SENIORS - COMPANY Ages 14+

There is a big difference between merely keeping company (sang) and company based on proper understanding (satsang). Many sadhus and householders kept the company of Maharaj, but there are many levels in their understanding of the form of Shriji Maharaj. And there is a big difference between close association and merely staying together; just as fleas reside on the udders of cow but do not get the taste of milk and the calf stays at a distance, yet still it gets to taste the milk.

If the wind blows from the direction of a sinner, then 60,000 years of merits are lost. And if the wind blows from the direction of Sadhu, then 60,000 years of sin are burnt away and merits accrue.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Yogi Youth Editorial A DIVINE PURPOSE y the late eighteenth century, religious turmoil and pure religion. In their eyes, Nilkanth was speaking blas- B political corruption ruled Indian society. The Indian phemy! They would erupt and hurl abuses at Him, and mindsets was filled with negative attitudes towards oth- in some cases even fought Him! er people and false hopes of achieving moksha. This was largely because of those few evil sadhus that were When Nilkanth arrived In Sirpur, He was an instant hit using their spiritual prowess for their own betterment. as He spoke of values such as renunciation and devo- Followers were mesmerized by the miracles and stunts tion. The local bawas became jealous as so many were that the bawas could perform, and so accepted those attracted by Nilkanth’s personality; the bawas felt that fake-sadhus as their saviors. A such, few understood a their hold on people would weaken. So, they incited a true path to salvation and the significance of God’s di- wicked Brahmin called Pibek to defeat Nilkanth using vine will. Nilkanth wished to inspire devotees to live a black magic. The yogis and devotees were so scared of life for God, His divine values, and His devotees. Pibek! But Nilkanth told them ‚ “Why are you afraid? Without Paramatma’s power nobody in this universe In this way, Lord Swaminarayan visited million of aspir- can kill anybody.” Still, seeing the monstrous Pibek, the ants in His seven year journey. He wished to learn the devotees tried to break off kanthis. Nilkanth said‚ “Do values of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islamism; not rub off your tilak marks and do not break your He wished to find a guru who understood the principles Vaishnavi kanthis. That would be sinful! Do not be of jiva, ishwar, maya, brahman, and parabrahman. Also, afraid of Pibek at all. Let him practise his devilry first on Nilkanth wished to serve those devotees that He met Me.” during His travels. Though, Nilkanth carried no material goods and hardly had food to feed Himself! Instead, He So, Nilkanth then challenged the wicked Brahmin. In gave back through self-less service; He devoted Himself order to frighten Nilkanth‚ Pibek muttered some man- to helping others’ personal, social, and professional tras. Then Pibek invoked Hanumanji. When Hanumanji lives, and by trying to reform social standards of practic- appeared and saw Nilkanth‚ he bowed to Him and ing religion. In this way, He inspired others to live more struck a blow with his fist on Pibek’s head. “You want fruitful lives. me to fight with God! I will kill you today‚” roared Hanu- manji. And he beat Pibek so severely that he vomited To a few very fortunate devotess, Nilkanth revealed His blood and fell unconscious on the ground with the thud divine form. Nilkanth travelled north to the Himalayans of a crashing tree. to visit some 900,000 aspirants who had been practicing penance for several hundred years. There, on Navlakh Nilkanth said‚ “Pibek‚ he who is a true siddha does not Mountain, Nilkanth took 900,000 divine forms to per- frighten others. He who has sought refuge in Para- sonally greet and bless all the yogis that had been per- matma is not afraid of anything. Your magical powers forming austerities. To others, such as Bhagwandas and have been reduced to ashes by Paramatma’s powers.” his family, Nilkanth showed that he possesed the three So saying, Nilkanth blessed them all and having uplifted undeniable traits of God! In this way, devotees in India them from their evil ways‚ He resumed his journey. received a life-long memory of Nilkanth Varni, the manifest form of God. Inspired self-less service

Correction of Social Standards To many, Nilkanth was a model youth. When Nilkanth came to Orissa, many were struck by asceticism. He re- Aspirants that were not proficient with reading and un- spected His elders, He served His equals and He didn’t derstanding scriptures, and so relied on sadhus to show any extraordinary attachment to food or clothes. preach God-ly values. Some evil sadhus, namely bawas Moreover, He was a model for suhradbhav and gave His that had gained spiritual prowess, used their power full support to whomever needed His help. One man, over the community to control their followers for wom- Jairam’s father, was so impressed with Nilkanth that he en, wealth, and power. So then imagine that Nilkanth, a asked Nilkanth if Jairam could stay in His service. Jairam young fifteen year old teenager, tried to explain toa served Nilkanth devoutly, and soon accepted Nilkanth community of grown men that they were practicing im- as His God. The other devotees of Orissa also became so

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

attached to Nilkanth over the next few months. When the devotees found out that Nilkanth had left one early morning to resume His journey, the devotees urged Jai- ram to find Nilkanth and bring Him back. So Jairam left in search of Nilkanth and He did find Him; however, before Jairam could ask Nilkanth to come back, Nilkanth instead asked for company in His journey. Jairam agreed, understanding the greatness of Nilkanth...

See how much spiritual wisdom and faith Jairam gained in such a short time! Jairam listened to Nilkanth’s wish and continued travelling with Nilkanth without consid- ering his family and friends. They were waiting for him to come back with Nilkanth! Jairam couldn’t facetime them on his iPhone 4 to let them know that he had found Nilkanth and now was travelling with Him. For all they knew, Jairam had never found NIlkanth and had been eaten by wilderbeasts! Jairam had incredible faith in God; he knew that listening to Nilkanth, everything would work, regardless of what seemed feasible and what seemed appropriate.

By giving others darshan of His divine form, by uplifting society and by showing His selflessness, Nilkanth Varni gave devotees a lifelong smruti of God. By remembering the manifest form of God, those devotees attained spiritual steadiness, mental easiness, and overall happiness. Therein, lies the depth of Nilkanth’s travels. Knowingly or unknowingly, whenever devotees remembered the greatness of Nilkanth, they found that their troubles and unhappiness disappeared!

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:

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Outstanding Performance of the Week: Name of Certificate Winner: Please circle categories: Swamini Vato Story Bhajan Games Seva Attendance Presentation Participation

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Please return this completed report to P. Swatiben Patel through email OR regular mail. E-mail address: [email protected] Home address: 7005 Glorious Light Place Columbia, MD 21044

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

5 min. Shlokas App. D 2 min. Dhun App. C 5 min. Bhajan - Aakhaa Divasamaa 35 15 min. Prasangs - Devotion from South India... For Juniors* 39 5 min. Swamini Vato 30-32 39 5 min. Story - Lucy‘s Piano Recital 39 5 min. Activity - Story Link Game 40 Word Search (for home) For Seniors* 7 min. Swamini Vato - Company 41 5 min. Thal App. E 10 min. Aarti App. F 1 min. Ending Shloka App. G Youth Sabha Report for Week 4 42

*Please note that juniors and seniors should be doing these parts of the sabha separately, but at the same time.

App. B

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra DEVOTION FROM SOUTH INDIA TO GUJARAT Nilkanth Maharaj was a devotee in the true sense. He inquired the values of other religions in order to understand the ancient scriptures. Despite being God incarnate, He took the time and made an effort to appreciate all different religions and evaluate their pros and cons. Nilkanth studied various sampraday: religious Hindu sampradays, and lived with many so-called sadhus to establish His credentials as a reformed institution Sanatan Dharma: eter- saint of the Hindu Sanatan Dharma. Hence, He stayed at many Jain, Vaishnav, and Shiva ashrams, nal Hindu faith incorporating and rejecting commonly held views. Nilkanth was preparing for the future when He would lead an institution with a newly reformed set of scriptures.

As Nilkanth travelled towards South India, He first reached Setubandh Rameshwar and stayed there for two months. This is where Lord Rama rested while the bridge to Shri Lanka was built so that Lord Rama could defeat the demon Ravan and rescue Sitaji. From there, Nilkanth went to Ramanand Swami: guru Srirangkshetra where Ramanand Swami was given His Vaishnav diksha in a dream by Saint Ra- diksha: a religious cere- of Nilkanth Varni mony of initiation to a manujacharya. Here Nilkanth noticed some flaws regarding the practice of the priests, seeing that life of sainthood they lived a life of material indulgence. Observing this, Nilkanth firmly resolved to establish a path free from such weaknesses.

Nilkanth then met the sadhu Sevakram on the way to Kanchipuram. Sevakram had studied the Shrimad Bhagwat: Shrimad Bhagwat and was a pundit in Sanskrit. He had a lot of spiritual knowledge, but did not sacred Hindu text put it into practice. (Saheb Dada says, one cannot be considered to have gnan, if he or she does not gnan: knowledge put it into practice.) Sevakram is the perfect example of a devotee who had studied the traits of and qualities of God, yet was arrogant, uncaring, and ungrateful. One day, he was struck with acute dysentery and began to cry because of his pain and helplessness. He felt so depressed that he could not even walk. Nilkanth comforted him and told him that He would serve him. So, Nilkanth served Sevakram for two months. He would wash his soiled clothes, dress him, and serve him meals every day. Sevakram had a thousand gold coins so he would give money to Nilkanth to buy materials to cook meals, but never offered any food to Nilkanth. As a result, Nilkanth had to beg for alms in nearby villages. Many times, Nilkanth never received alms and would have to go without eating. Regardless, Sevakram never felt pity for Nilkanth. Moreover, whenever they travelled, Nilkanth would carry Sevakram‘s twenty kilo luggage. Nilkanth soon came to realize that though Sevakram was a sadhu, he was very ungrateful and lacking in devotion. So, Nilkanth left him and continued His journey towards South India. This prasang in Lord Swaminarayan‘s life is referenced and ex- Vachanamrut: sacred plained in the Vachanamrut Gadhada I.10. Lord Swaminarayan says that a person who does not scripture of Lord Swa- minarayan appreciate favors should be considered an ungrateful person. He respected Sevakram as a sadhu and as such served him devoutly, but upon realizing his ungratefulness, Nilkanth abandoned his company. In this way, Nilkanth taught life-lessons on how to interact with and treat fellow devotees.

There are many hills and forests on the way to Bhutpuri. Nilkanth continued to walk for four days Bhutpuri: birthplace of Shrimad Ramanujacharya continuously without food to eat or water to drink. On the fifth day, He fainted because of exhaus- tion. On regaining consciousness He saw a well nearby. Nilkanth took a bath and performed His daily rituals. Then he placed his Shaligram in a vessel and began to bathe it with the water from the gourd. He poured water on the Shaligram‚ but a miracle happened! The Shaligram drank all the water. Nilkanth then poured another gourdful of water on it‚ but the Shaligram drank that too. He poured water on it for the third‚ and fourth time‚ and the Shaligram drank it all. Nilkanth thought‚ ―Since the Shaligram is so thirsty‚ it must be hungry‚ too. But where can I get food from?‖ Even 35

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra though He was God‚ Nilkanth was worshipping the Shaligram with profound devotion. Despite being so hungry and exhausted, He first offered food to God, and then ate sparingly. In this way, He taught devotees how to offer devotion and become one with God. Soon, a couple came from the sky and brought Nilkanth prasad. Nilkanth offered it to the Shaligram, ate prasad, and then prasad: food containing continued towards Bhutpuri. the blessings of a deity

Nilkanth then went to Bhutpuri and then to Totadri which is the main ashram of Shrimad Ramanu- jacharya. Ramanujacharya lived from 1017–1137 and was the first supporter of the Vishistadvaita Vishistadvaita Philoso- phy: the ideal devotee Philosophy. From childhood, Lord Swaminarayan was a proponent of the Vishistadvaita Philoso- worships God with hum- phy. Ghanshyam Maharaj went to Kashi and won a major debate proving the significance of this ble servitude special non-dualistic school of thought. As such, He stayed at Ramanujacharya‘s monastery for a few months. He noticed that the renunciants had given up money and addictions, but had not renounced women. When He began to explain this to Jeer Swami, the heir of Ramanujacharya, Jeer Swami yelled at Him! Hearing this, Nilkanth explained ―Oh preceptor‚ it does not befit a guru or a disciple to fume like this. Just as a small fire can reduce a palace to ashes‚ so can a little anger thwart salvation.‖ Jeer Swami got even angrier by hearing these words. He dismissed Nilkanth from the monastery. Despite being a major proponent of Vishistadvaita Philosophy, He noted the faults in this fellowship and vowed to start a following free of such flaws.

After reaching the southern tip of India at Kanyakumari in October 1798 (during Navratri), Nil- Kanyakumari: named in honor of goddess Parvati Melukote: sanctified by kanth headed back North. After crossing Melukote, Nilkanth entered Maharashtra. Nilkanth stayed Ramanujacharya two months at Pandharpur on the bank of the Bhim River where the abode of Lord Vithala or Pandurang: a form of Pandurang resides. He then spent one month in Pune, where Nilkanth stayed at the garden of the Lord Krishna devoted Peshwa Diwan, Bapu Gokhale. After bathing in the Godavari River in Nasikpur and going through Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh, Nilkanth proceeded towards Gujarat.

After walking for five days, Nilkanth reached Surat. From there He plunged into the deep Tapi Riv- er and swam across to the other bank. Then He walked on the bank of the Narmada River until He reached Ashwinikumar Ghat. After passing through the village of Pimpali, He reached Tavare where He did darshan of the Kapileshwar mandir and took a bath in the Narmada. Soon He came to the Bawapyara Ghat at Shuklatirth. From Shuklatirth Nilkanth went to Ambali and Ansuya. Walking along the bank of the Narmada‚ Nilkanth passed through Chanod and reached Karnali. He did darshan of the ancient mandirs of this place and then went to Dabhoi. From there He passed through Vasai and arrived in Vadodara. He stayed there for the night at the Mandvi gate which was in the center of Vadodara. Then He went to the villages of Navli, Anand, and Dakor. After performing darshan of Shri Ranchhodrai at Dakor‚ Nilkanth arrived at Vadtal. Here, a devotee named Joban Pagi took Nilkanth to be a great sage‚ offering Him some food provisions. Nilkanth cooked this food and ate it gratefully. Joban Pagi pressed Him to stay in Vadtal‚ but Nilkanth promised Him that He would return on some other occasion‚ and thus proceeded to Bochasan. Nilkanth re- deemed many people in villages and pilgrim places before reaching Budhej. From there He came to the bank of a pond on the outskirts of Gorad village. Then, Nilkanth arrived at Dhanka, a pilgrimage on the shore of the Gulf of Khambhat. He stayed the night in Vadgam and then went to Dhol- era the next day. Then He reached the Kukad village in the Bhavnagar district. From there, Nil- kanth passed through to Dihor, Lakadiya, Bholonath, and Piparla. As Varniraj approached Go- pnath, witnesses saw Him traveling with miraculous speed, convincing them of His divini- Mahuva: birthplace of ty! Nilkanth then arrived at Mahuva and then went to Guptaprayag, revealing to a devotee named Bhagatji Maharaj Bhana Pathak His future name, Sahajanand Swami. 36

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra Nilkanth then came to Lodhva and met Lakhu Charan. Lakhu was a very powerful devotee that could see things that were out of sight with a clear vision, could hear things hundreds of miles away, and could walk through walls. Lakhu Charan thought the instant she met Nilkanth that He must be a powerful saint and so she asked him to stay with her for three months! She served him devoutly, and one day Nilkanth Varniraj asked her how she was initiated into devotion. Lakhubai then told Nilkanth her story, ―Atmanand Swami was my guru. He was a supporter of the Advait philosophy; nirakar: formless hence he preached that God is nirakar. Atmanand Swami had performed many miracles in our village so we identified him with God.‖

Then Lakhubai told Nilkanth about Ramanand Swami, ―In Ayodhya there lived a Brahmin named Ajayprasad. His wife‘s name was Sarmani. On Janmashtmi she gave birth to a son‚ named Ramshar- ma. From childhood‚ Ramsharma was devoted to God. He studied at home until he was twelve years old and then left for further studies. He travelled from one holy place to another and continued his search for a true guru. In the course of his tour he came to Tramba village at the foot of the Girnar Mountain. Ramsharma went to Tramba village in search of Atmanand Swami. Ramsharma met Atmanand Swami and became his disciple. Atmanand Swami initiated him to his fold and named him Ramanand Swami. The guru and the disciple used to debate every day. Guru Atmanand nirgun: not confined by Swami would say‚ ―God is nirgun and nirakar. There can be no murti worship of God.‖ And his personality sakar: image expressing a disciple Ramanand Swami would argue‚ ―God is sakar. We must worship the murti of God and divine body render service to him.‖

―Ramanand Swami was a great devotee and he loved to offer devotion to Shri Krishna. He ardently desired to have the darshan of Shri Krishna in person. So one day he left Atmanand Swami. During his tour Ramanand Swami went to south India. He reached Srirang Kshetra‚ the seat of Shrimad Ramanujacharya. Here he commenced the worship of Shri Krishna and devotion to Ramanujachar- ya. Shri Krishna‚ pleased with his devotion‚ gave him darshan in his dream‚ and Ramanujacharya also gave him the Vaishnavi diksha in a dream. Note that Shri Ramanujacharya and Ramanand Swami were alive on Earth during different time periods. The marks of initiation were imprinted on his hands and chest. He was ordained to spread the Vaishnav religion and to propagate the worship of God with a form. Before disappearing from the dream‚ Shri Krishna told him‚ ‗I myself shall take birth on earth. I shall give deliverance to an infinite number of jivas‚ and shall meet you.‘ Ramanand Swami felt immensely happy to hear this.‘‖

―Thereafter Ramanand Swami began to tour all over India‚ preaching the worship of Shri Krishna. Kathiawad: southern Having toured the country he came back to Kathiawad and met his guru‚ Atmanand Swami. This Gujarat time also‚ he had a dialogue with his guru‚ who was finally convinced that God had a form. Thus, Atmanand Swami renounced the Advait philosophy and accepted murti-worship and devotion to God. He also acknowledged that God is sakar. He asked all his disciples to submit to Ramanand Swami and directed them‚ ‗Hereafter all of you should follow the instructions of Ramanand Swami.‘ After some time Atmanand Swami passed away. Ramanand Swami became very sad. He established his ashram in the village of Loj and began to preach the gospel of Shri Krishna from village to village. Wherever he went he declared‚ ‗I am merely the drum-beater announcing the arrival of God. The hero of the play‚ God himself‚ is yet to come.‘‖

At this point in her narration‚ Lakhubai‘s throat was choked with emotion. She told Nilkanth that she still had not switched to Ramananand Swami‘s belief; she still believed that God is nirakar. Hearing this, Brahmachari Nilkanth gave a discourse to Lakhubai, and succeeded in converting her 37

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra Advaita: God and devo- from Advaita to Vishishtadvaita philosophy. He showed revealed that God is always sakar. Nil- tee are one and the same kanth then thought‚ ―Lakhubai has served me devoutly and she has understood the truth. Therefore let me give her something.‖ Nilkanth told her to ask for a boon. Lakhubai asked that her sixty buffaloes and her son become immortal. Then Nilkanth thought‚ “This old lady does not know what boon to ask for. Let me therefore give her the best thing in the world.” So, thinking, he told her‚ “Lakhubai‚ I bestow on you the gift of my Akshardham.” Akshardham: supreme abode of God From Lakhu Charan‘s home in Lodhva, Nilanth went to Prabhas Patan, where Lord Krishna renounced his body, at Bhalka Pond. Then He went to Junagadh and climbed the Girnar Mountain. Then He went to Piplana and revealed His identity to Narsinh Mehta. A bright light emerged from Nilkanth as all ten avatars of Lord Vishnu walked to Nilkanth and merged into Him! From there, Nilkanth went to Madhada, Mangrol and finally to Lojpur.

In this way, Nilkanth continued His redemptory travels by crossing villages‚ towns and pilgrimage sites. He learned the practices of several different followings with the desire to start a new flawless faith. Moreover, He longed for a guru who led an institution with flawless faith. His search for such a guru and such an institution had brought Him from Ayodhya to Tibet, from Bangladesh to Kera- la, and then to West Gujarat. His travels, though, were soon ending as He would find a sincere and devout guru, Ramanand Swami, who led an institution that propounded sincere devotion with the Vishistadvaita Philosophy.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato – Activity – Story JUNIORS Ages 5-13 —— SWAMINI VATO —— —— STORY: LUCY’S PIANO RECITAL ——

“Mokshane arthe to Bhagwān ne Lucy loved playing the piano. She loved the feeling Sādhu e be ja chhe, ne bijā sādhannu of using her tiny fingers to make a big musical sound. She fal to dharma, arth, ne kām chhe.” liked entertaining guests with the latest song she had learned For attaining moksha, there is only God and His holy Sadhu. how to play. Once, Lucy was learning to play ―Rainy Day,‖ a The fruit of other spiritual endeavors is dharma, wealth difficult song. Lucy was having trouble because she could and fulfillment of desires. Chapter 1, Vaat 152. not reach the F-sharp key with her finger. Her hands were just a little too small to stretch to that piano key. Every time she practiced the song, she got a little Ā satsang malyo chhe e to param better and her mom also kept encouraging her to keep try- “ ing. Lucy did not feel encouraged though, she felt discour- chintāmani mali chhe, temā jiva bahu aged. No matter how hard she tried, she felt like she just vrudhine pāme chhe.” could not reach that F-sharp key. Lucy got so frustrated that This satsang we have attained is the best chintamani. With it, one day, after practicing really hard, she decided she was the jiva will make great progress. Chapter 1, Vaat 166. going to quit. Lucy‘s mom knew that Lucy did not want to quit playing the piano—she was just discouraged that she could “Mahārāj swadhām padhārvānā not play the song. Her mom knew just the trick to get Lucy hatā, tyāre mane ekānte malyā, jem to practice a little bit more. She reminded Lucy that her Shri Krishna ne Uddhavji ekānte grandparents were coming to her piano recital on Friday and malyā hatā tem.” would love to hear her play ―Rainy Day.‖ When Maharaj was to return to His abode, He met me in Lucy changed her mind and started practicing again. private, just like Shri Krishna and Uddhavji had ment in pri- She practiced on Tuesday and could not reach the note. She vate (when the former was about to leave the world). Chapter practiced on Wednesday and the note felt even further away. 5, Vaat 374. On Thursday, her pinky just would not reach the F-sharp key. Finally, it was Friday and the recital was only a few —— STORY LINK GAME —— hours away. Lucy was practicing and she stretched her hand as much as she could and… she HIT the note! Her hard Materials needed: None work and lots of practice had paid off because she would be able to play the whole song for her grandparents that even- Everyone sits in a circle and the goal of the game is to create ing. a story all together. One person starts off saying a word. Each person adds one more word to the story. Keep going Discussion Questions until someone can‘t think of anything else to add. What instrument does Lucy play? *Try to make a story about Nilkanth Maharaj or make a sto- What is the name of the song Lucy is playing? The key she ry about something that happened to him while he was in his can‘t reach? yatra. What does her mom tell Lucy to keep her from quitting? Give an example of a time you worked really hard for something to happen and how it made you feel when you finally completed it.

Swamini Vato Published by: Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Amdavad - 4, INDIA. Copyright: © Swaminarayan Aksharpith. 39

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Word Search EARLY CHILDHOOD

S T Q B H T G Z K L E S A Q I

A H A L A N I I L B Z H D Z M

H P M W A N T R H Q S I A A A

E W X N G S Y I K K B V H A W

B D I P A A M A I S T J D R S

D D W W I R H D N H N I A W D

A K S V I O V B X T X A G O N

D T J V S A W Y D T R T S F A

A K E Q H M A R K A V E S K N

T R A S P U N D I T M T E Q A

U S I L U A L P U N Y I H J M

D A B H A G W A N D A S R E A

V T Y X T S O C A Y N Q D H R

P T R Z J T H N R O H T A D S

J W Y D S B T U V V G T L M B

BANYANTREE BHAGWANDAS BHIMRIVER GADHADA GNANI KALASH PUNDIT RAMANANDSWAMI SAHEB DADA SANSKRIT SEVAKRAM SHIVJI SHRIMADBHAGWAT SWASTIK THORN VAISHAVDIKSHA 40

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato SENIORS - COMPANY Ages 14+

The difference due to association with the Satpurush is that one who would have become enlightened after a hundred births becomes enlightened in this birth; and one destined to become enlightened in this birth may have to take a hundred births. These are the two differences. Then Swami gave an example: wood and metal cause each other to float and sink.

If one has performed good deeds in past births, but encounters bad company, then the good impressions are destroyed. And one destined to become good only after a hundred births immediately becomes good, if he attains the good company of a Satpurush.

A person develops qualities according to the company he keeps. Therefore, one should certainly associate with God and His Sadhu. Associate with others as Bhimsen did when he met Dhritrashtra. And taste, etc., in excess, cause misery. Therefore, do not let desires become intense. ‗Ati sarvatra varjayet.‘

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:

Time/Date/Place of Sabha:

Attendance:

Outstanding Performance of the Week: Name of Certificate Winner: Please circle categories: Swamini Vato Story Bhajan Games Seva Attendance Presentation Participation

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Please return this completed report to P. Swatiben Patel through email OR regular mail. E-mail address: [email protected] Home address: 7005 Glorious Light Place Columbia, MD 21044

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

5 min. Shlokas App. B 5 min. Bhajan - Aakhaa Divasamaa App. C 15 min. Prasangs - Nilkanth Finds His Guru in... 44 For Juniors* 5 min. Swamini Vato 33-35 48 5 min. Story - Wright Brothers 48 5 min. Activity - Name Game 48 Word Search (for home) 49 For Seniors* 7 min. Swamini Vato - Company 50 2 min. Dhun App. D 4 min. Thal App. E 7 min. Aarti App. F 2 min. Ending Shloka App. G Youth Sabha Report for Week 5 51

*Please note that juniors and seniors should be doing these parts of the sabha separately, but at the same time.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra NILKANTH FINDS HIS GURU IN GUJARAT Nilkanth Maharaj had travelled for seven years north to the border of China, east to Bangladesh, and south to Kanyakumari. He was arriving in Gujarat having experienced many different ways of practicing religions. Everywhere Nilkanth went, He evaluated their customs and traditions looking jiva: soul for an institution through which He could further His own noble work. Whichever spiritual leader ishwar: an elevated soul with unnatural talents He met, He asked the eternal questions, ―What is jiva? What is ishwar? What is maya? What is maya: that which dis- Brahma? What is Parabrahma?‖ Varniraj felt that whoever could answer these questions clearlly tracts us from God Brahma: an ideal devotee was worthy of being His guru. With a guru, He could further His spirituality and begin His life‘s of God work. Parabrahma: God guru: spiritual guide Varniraj‘s search had brought Him to Lojpur. In fact, once when Nilkanth was a child, He had climbed to the top of a beautiful, tall pippal tree outside the village of Chhapaiyya. His friend Veni Chhapaiyya: birthplace of Lord Swaminarayan climbed up next to Ghanshyam Maharaj and asked Him what He was looking at. Ghanshyam had replied, ―I am looking in the western direction to see where my devotees are. There are so many Kathiawad: southern saintly souls in Gujarat and Kathiawad who are waiting to meet the Lord.‖ Lord Swaminarayan‘s Gujarat sankalp: inner wish childhood sankalp was thus fulfilled. Nilkanth Maharaj had finally arrived in Gujarat on August 21, 1799.

He was instantly attracted to Lojpur. As the sun rose, Nilkanth bathed in a step-well and sat down for meditation on a big stone under a banyan tree. A sadhu named Sukhanand Swami saw Nilkanth and wondered why a young child like Nilkanth became a renunciant. When Nilkanth opened His eyes, Sukhanand Swami asked Him who His guru was. Nilkanth replied that He had, in fact, come in search of a guru.

Sukhanand Swami introduced himself and introduced his guru, Ramanand Swami, as the acharya acharya: religious leader of the Ramanuja Institution. Nilkanth became very eager and began asking questions about Rama- nand Swami. Sukhanand Swami beseeched Nilkanth to meet Ramanand Swami‘s senior disciple Muktanand Swami, as Ramanand Swami was on tour. Nilkanth agreed to come to the ashram, and all the sadhus, including Muktanand Swami, were greatly attracted by the divinity of Nilkanth. Then, Nilkanth Maharaj asked Muktanand Swami five philosophical questions, ―What is Jiva? What is Ishwar? What is Maya? What is Brahma and what is Parabrahma?‖ Muktanand Swami knew that by the nature of these questions, Nilkanth possesed a very elevated soul. Muktanand Swami answered the questions with humility. Nilkanth became impressed and decided to stay and wait for Ramanand Swami at the ashram.

Nilkanth came to mentally accept Ramanand Swami as His guru. He applied the two rules to accept a guru: to evaluate his guru‘s guru and evaluate his guru‘s disciples. Nilkanth recognized Ramanand Swami‘s guru Ramanujacharya as the principal founder of the Vishishtadvaita Philosophy and Vishistadvaita Philoso- phy: the ideal devotee respected Muktanand Swami as Ramanand Swami‘s disciple because he was able to answer Nil- worships God with hum- kanth‘s five eternal questions. By this logic of evaluating Ramanand Swami‘s guru and disciple, Nil- ble servitude kanth knew that Ramanand Swami was worthy of being his guru. aarti: ritual in which lighted wicks are offered to deities The Janmashtmi festival fell upon the third day of Nilkanth Varni‘s stay at the ashram. During this darshan: the observation festival Muktanand Swami performed aarti to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna. To everybody‘s of a revered deity in image form, which surprise Nilkanth Varni gave darshan in the cradle in place of the murti of Bal-Krishna. At the results in blessings 44

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra same time, everybody could also see Him standing next to Muktanand Swami while He performed the aarti. Everybody in the temple became convinced that Nilkanth was an incarnation of Lord Krishna. Everybody in the ashram was inspired with reverence for Nilkanth.

As Nilkanth stayed at the ashram, He became a role model of how a devotee should live in aagna aagna: divine instruction of his guru. Despite being the Supreme Lord, He continuously engaged in service to other devotees. Once, Anandjibhai Sanghedia came to Bhuj to report the activities of the ashram to Ramanand Swami. Upon hearing the news of Nilkanth Varni‘s arrival in Loj, Ramanand Swami instructed Ma- yaram Bhatt‚ ―Go to Loj and tell Nilkanth that if He wants to be a part of Satsang‚ He should cling to the pillar.‖ When Mayaram Bhatt and Anandjibhai returned to Loj with Ramanand Swami‘s message, Nilkanth immediately stood up and embraced a pillar. Muktanand Swami and all other sadhus were greatly surprised at Nilkanth‘s briskness in obeying the order of the guru! On seeing Nilkanth clinging to the pillar Mayaram Bhatt said‚ ―Oh Nilkanth‚ what the guru meant was that you should obey the commands of Muktanand Swami who is like a pillar in Satsang.‖ Then, just as briskly, Nil- kanth bowed to Muktanand Swami. To Muktanand Swami and the other sadhus, Nilkanth was just a young celibate renunciant. But in fact, Nilkanth Varni was the Supreme Lord—of course Nilkanth knew what Ramanand Swami was implying! However, He was inspiring the rest of devotees to live priti: love Ekantik sant: God- with such profound priti of an Ekantik Sant. Nilkanth was showing that He had developed so realized Saint much love for Ramanand Swami, that He was willing to follow His guru‘s aagna so literally as to make Him look like a fool. While Nilkanth was at the ashram under the service of Ramanand Swa- mi, He did not reveal His own identity, but rather acted as a servant of Ramanand Swami and Muk- tanand Swami. In this way, He showed to us all the life of a true devotee.

Muktanand Swami gave Nilkanth Varni a pair of clothes and said, ―You will now be called Sarjudas because you come from the place where Saryu River flows.‖ Amused, Nilkanth replied, ―Oh Muk- Akshardham: supreme tanand Swami! I am a guide who leads devotees and aspirants to Akshardham! I have forgotten the abode of God land of Saryu and several other regions in India!‖

Wearing these clothes, ―Sarjudas‖ engaged in the services of the ashram. Following Ramanand Swa- mi‘s command Nilkanth stayed at the ashram under the tutelage of Muktanand Swami. Nilkanth made himself useful to the ashram and its inmates in different ways. Once, Muktanand Swami re- quired the service of fifteen devotees to bring cucumbers from Sheel. Nilkanth said that He would go with Deva Bhakta and bring all 360 kg of cucumbers from six kilometers away. Nilkanth miracu- lously carried it all a foot above His head! Nilkanth even taught such yogic exercises to the other sadhus. He would eat only once a day in the afternoon. It was a frugal meal consisting of rotlo‚ chilli and a ball of mindhiaval. He used to get up early‚ draw water from a well for His morning bath and serve the sadhus in various ways. He would pick up the kavad and go on begging rounds in the neighboring villages and also collect cow dung for fuel. He used to spend the whole day in serving the ashram and performing bhakti. He would complete menial chores like sweeping the floor‚ wash- ing dishes‚ and drawing water for sadhus to bathe. He would then go seeking alms chanting the ―Ram-Krishna Dhun‖ with a kavad slung across His shoulder. Young Sarjudas became the darling of all.

It had been seven months since Nilkanth arrived in the ashram of Ramanand Swami. As such, Muk- tanand Swami and Nilkanth Maharaj decided to write letters to Ramanand Swami. Mayaram Bhatt brought them to Bhuj seven days later. Ramanand Swami was immensely pleased to receive the letters and he pressed Nilkanth‘s letter to his heart. The words reflected Nilkanth‘s divine personality‚ 45

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra knowledge‚ detachment and devotion. Ramanand Swami was overwhelmed with happiness and declared‚ ―The one whom I had been waiting for has arrived. God has come in a human form to gift moksha: liberation from everyone with moksha.‖ Tears of joy welled in the eyes of Ramanand Swami and he added‚ ―Glory‚ wordly attachments glory to Varniraj! We have become relieved of all our burdens.‖ And then he addressed the assembly‚ ―Devotees‚ today is a great auspicious day for us all. Through whom the Bhagwat Dharma Bhagwat Dharma: eternal morals and values will be established and thousands will become brahmarup and attain Brahmadham; that Varni - brahmarup: God- God has arrived in Loj.‖ realized Brahmadham: residency in God‘s abode The next day‚ Ramanand Swami wrote letters to Varniraj and Muktanand Swami and instructed Ma- yaram Bhatt to return with the two letters. He said to him‚ ―Mayaram‚ take these two letters and give them to Muktanand Swami. On your way‚ inform all the devotees about Varni‘s arrival in the villages you pass through. And tell them that I have instructed everyone to go to Loj for His darshan.‖ Upon hearing this message from Mayaram, Lalji Suthar came to ask Ramanand Swami how great Nilkanth was. Was He greater than Dattatray, Rishabhdev or Ramchandraji? Ramanand Swa- mi explained, ―They are all great. But Shri Krishna is greater than all of them. And Nilkanth Varni is the greatest of them all. He is the incarnation of all incarnations. However much we may sing of His greatness‚ it will be inadequate. Even the greatest of yogis and munis meditate on Him. Why did you come to Kutch without having Varni‘s darshan? Now‚ go to Lojpur‚ have the darshan of Nil- kanth and pay your respects to Him.‖

After a few days Mayaram reached Loj. He delivered the letters to Muktanand Swami. In his letter to Muktanand Swami‚ Ramanand Swami wrote‚ ―Take care of Varni. He is not of this world‚ which you will realize in the future. Arrange for all the sadhus to learn ashtang yoga from Him. I shall come at the end of the Vaishakh month.‖ To Nilkanth Varni‚ Ramanand Swami wrote‚ ―Take care of your body because you have still to accomplish many tasks. Stay there at present. Do not be in a hurry to come here.

It had been nine months since Nilkanth arrived in Loj, yet still He had not been able to meet Rama- nand Swami. Nilkanth asked Muktanand Swami to fulfill His wish to meet the guru by any means. Varni told Muktanand Swami‚ ―Swami‚ when you sit for puja tomorrow‚ I shall sit by your side.‖ puja: a daily ritual prayer Muktanand Swami did not understand the purpose behind Brahmachari‘s wish. The next day when Muktanand Swami sat down for puja‚ Nilkanth came and sat beside him. Muktanand Swami and started meditating. He was seeing Ramanand Swami in His meditation. Sarjudas linked His mind through his yogic powers with Muktanand Swami‘s mind and had darshan of Ramanand Swami. The guru had a fair complexion‚ stout body‚ lotus-shaped eyes‚ sharp nose‚ broad forehead and a deep navel. On seeing the beautiful form of the guru‚ Nilkanth was overjoyed. When Muktanand Swami finished his meditation‚ Nilkanth happily expressed His feelings‚ ―I have had the darshan of Ramanand Swami.‖ And then to the surprise of everyone‚ Nilkanth described the features of Rama- nand Swami.

In a few days Kurji Dave brought a message that Ramanand Swami was to arrive in Piplana and had invited all the sadhus and Nilkanth Varni to come for his darshan. That very same evening‚ Nil- kanth Varni‚ Muktanand Swami and other sadhus departed for Piplana. All through the night they walked in the light rain. Everyone was walking briskly because they were in a hurry to have darshan of Ramanand Swami. Whereas Nilkanth‚ who was physically emaciated got tired easily. Muktanand Swami asked Nilkanth, ―If you walk like this‚ then when will we reach Piplana? It is still very far, therefore use your yogic power.‖ 46

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra Nilkanth immediately exercised His yogic power and walked with the speed of an arrow shot from a bow. The entire group was left behind and no one could catch up with Him. Soon‚ Nilkanth reached the banks of the Ozat River. Piplana was on the other bank. The river was overflowing its banks and the current was very strong. But Nilkanth remained undeterred. He was eager for the darshan of Ramanand Swami. So He used His yogic powers and walked briskly over the waters of the Ozat and reached the opposite bank. The entire group watched in amazement. Varni then had His bath‚ performed puja and waited for Muktanand Swami and others to join Him. After an hour when the floods subsided, Muktanand Swami and everyone crossed the river in a boat and entered Piplana together. Ramanand Swami was staying at Narsinh Mehta‘s home.

The day of this historic meeting was 19 June, 1800. News was conveyed to Ramanand Swami that Nilkanth Varni and the sadhus had arrived in Piplana. On hearing this‚ Ramanand Swami happily got up from his seat. Soon the group of sadhus arrived. Nilkanth was at the front. On seeing Rama- nand Swami He started prostrating. The guru ran towards the young Brahmachari‚ raised Him and embraced Him. Then Ramanand Swami spoke about the glory of Nilkanth to all the sadhus. Then a sadhu asked him‚ ―Swami‚ you had often said that the main player of the show is yet to come. Is it this Varni?‖

―Yes‚ it is him. It is your great fortune to have met Him today. And when you realize his true form your joy will know no bounds!‖ replied Ramanand Swami.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato – Activity – Story JUNIORS Ages 5-13 —— SWAMINI VATO —— —— STORY: WRIGHT BROTHERS ——

“Be prākārna sādhu-satsangi chhe. The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, are Temā ek Vishay male to rāji thāy ne famous for their achievements with airplanes. They were ek vishay tale to rāji thāy.” born in 1867 and 1871 into a family with three other broth- There are two types of sadhus and devotees. Of them, one is ers and sisters. When the boys were 7 and 11, their father pleased on attaining worldly pleasures and the other is bought them a toy ―helicopter.‖ It was based on an inven- pleased when desires for worldly pleasures are overcome.. tion by French aeronautical pioneer Alphonse Penaud. Made Chapter 5, Vaat 381. of cork, bamboo, and paper, with a rubber band to twirl its twin blades, it was a little bigger than an adult's hand. This sparked their interest in flight. During the next few years, Dāhvo hoy tene vadhe tyāre rāji Wilbur and Orville tried to build these themselves, but the “ bigger they made them, the harder it was for them to fly. thāy ne murkh hoy tene vakhāne tyāre Somewhat discouraged, the brothers turned to kites. rāji thāy em Mahārāj kahetā.” In 1892 they opened a bicycle shop, and Orville in- One who is wise is pleased when rebuked by God and His vented a self-oiling wheel hub. That year, German aviator holy Sadhu, while the foolish is pleased when praised. Chap- Otto Lilienthal died in a glider crash, but his pioneering ter 5, Vaat 391. work showed that manned flight was possible. French avia- tion researcher Octave Chanute experimented with gliders on the sand dunes at the Lake Michigan shore. The Wright “Kām, krodh, mān, irshā ne dehā- brothers interest in flight was renewed, and they tried learn- bhimān e sarve mukshe tyāre ing everything they could, gathering and reading whatever Bhagwān ne Bhagwānna Sādhu rāji they could, and later designing experiments of their own. thāshe.” To fly large gliders, the Wright brothers needed to When lust, anger, ego, jealousy, and body-consciousness are find a place with more wind than was typical anywhere near given up, then God and His holy Sadhu will be pleased. their home in Dayton, Ohio. In November 1899, Wilbur Chpater 6, Vaat 14. wrote to Willis L. Moore, Chief of the U.S. Weather Bureau, asking about high wind conditions throughout the country. The first rural place on the list Moore sent back was Kitty —— NAME GAME —— Hawk, North Carolina. From 1900-1902, Orville and Wilbur experimented at Kitty Hawk with kites, gliders, and a wind Materials needed: None. tunnel they built to test wing design. They used their knowledge of bicycles and gliders to build planes. The Everyone sit in a circle and place both palms, facing up, on Wright brothers developed the first effective airplane, and your knees. Each person should connect with the people made the historic first airplane flight in 1903. next to them, with each person‘s right hand on top and left In 1905, the Wright brothers built an airplane that hand below. One person will start and say a name by clap- could fly for more than half an hour at a time. In 1908 Or- ping their hand across to the person on their left. This game ville made the world's first flight of over one hour at Fort continues until someone repeats a name or hesitates. That Myer, Virginia, in a demonstration for the U.S. army, which individual is the kicked out of the circle and the circle closes made the Wright planes the world's first military airplanes. up. Repeats start over when the entire round is finished and a winner has been determined. Discussion Questions *Try one round of this game using places that Nilkanth Ma- How many years apart were Orville and Wilbur Wright in haraj went to. age? What type of shop did they open in 1892? Where in the United States did they choose to experiment Swamini Vato with gliders because it had high wind conditions? Published by: Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Amdavad - 4, INDIA. Try to imagine what the world would be like today if they Copyright: © Swaminarayan Aksharpith. had not contributed to the invention of the plane.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Word Search EARLY CHILDHOOD

A M Q E R N F Z I O J V E G J

K W A W L A B I Q O Z E I A I

S I Z N W Y K I B Q Y R R Y S

H A A T D F J A L V N A E G A

A V Q H U V N A S A H C O B Y

R M A R B P I R R A W U B L N

D A Z R A U E G M K R V T J N

H H M G T V K I A U M F E K A

A U I Z P A J A G T S W R M S

M V M U M T L D L M E M Z P G

N A R M A D A R I V E R X R W

T Y D G Z S N I R A K A R Y V

K O A N U G R I N O H G R L Y

M H L V H P E W Q F H T Q M C

B S Q A E M P R S T H C F J L

AKSHARDHAM BHAGATJIMAHARAJ BOCHASAN GIRNAR JOBANPAGI LAKUBHAI MAHUVA MANDVIGATE NARMADARIVER NIRAKAR NIRGUN SADGURU SAKAR SANNYASI VARTAL 49

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato SENIORS - COMPANY Ages 14+

People take birth, but because of the company they keep they develop profound association with worldly objects. When the meet one who can remove these attachments then they are removed. Still now, for many, it is the same, since one cannot shed the desire for material pleasures on one‘s own. Thus, one becomes like the company one keeps.

In this Satsang there is happiness, dharma, devotion, spiritual knowledge, detachment, and other noble kar- mas. But everywhere else there is fire (i.e. decay and destruction). Some are like animals who do not know how to speak and do not have nay sense of discrimination. Thus, if there is contact with bad company, then satsang is eroded, so do not keep bad company.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:

Time/Date/Place of Sabha:

Attendance:

Outstanding Performance of the Week: Name of Certificate Winner: Please circle categories: Swamini Vato Story Bhajan Games Seva Attendance Presentation Participation

Suggestions:

Please return this completed report to P. Swatiben Patel through email OR regular mail. E-mail address: [email protected] Home address: 7005 Glorious Light Place Columbia, MD 21044

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

5 min. Shlokas App. B 5 min. Bhajan - Aakhaa Divasamaa App. C 10 min. Prasangs - Stepping Stone to the… 53 For Juniors* 5 min. Swamini Vato 36-38 56 5 min. Story - Saheb Dada‘s Goal 56 5 min. Activity - Create a Picture Game 56 Word Search (for home) 57 For Seniors* 7 min. Swamini Vato - Company 58 8 min. YYE - 59 2 min. Dhun App. D 4 min. Thal App. E 7 min. Aarti App. F 2 min. Ending Shloka App. G Youth Sabha Report for Week 6 61

*Please note that juniors and seniors should be doing these parts of the sabha separately, but at the same time.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra STEPPING STONE TO THE SWAMINARAYAN FELLOWSHIP Nilkanth stayed with Ramanand Swami through Chaturmas and Annakut. During the Prabodhini Chaturmas: the four months of India‘s rainy Ekadashi: fast occurring Ekadashi on October 28, 1800, Nilkanth asked Ramanand Swami to initiate Him in the Satsang. season every full moon He explained, ―Swamiji‚ you are my father and mother. You alone are my guru. Please with your Annakut: New Year‘s maha: great Day on the Hindu calen- diksha: a religious cere- blessings give me the maha-diksha.‖ dar mony of initiation to a Satsang: fellowship life of sainthood Thereupon Ramanand Swami obliged and organized a great festival. He called Brahmins to perform yagna: ritual sacrifice to a yagna in accordance with the scriptures. Nilkanth‘s head was completely shaven. Dressed in yagnashala: place of offer worship beautiful clothes‚ He came to Ramanand Swami in the yagnashala. Ramanand Swami placed a yagna mala: rosary Tulsi mala around Nilkanth‘s neck and applied a tilak and chandlo on His forehead. Then he smeared sandal paste on both His arms and chest and gave Him the two names of ―Sahajanand Swami‖ and ―Narayan Muni.‖ Ramanand Swami also gave Him this precept: ―Oh Sahajanand‚ ob- dharma: righteousness serve dharma and inspire all others to observe the same. Redeem all the jivas living on earth and jivas: souls bhakti: devotion propagate the significance of offering bhakti with God‘s greatness.‖ Thus, Nilkanth became Saha- janand Swami. Ramanand Swami was overjoyed that day and was absorbed in the darshan of Saha- darshan: the observation of a revered deity in janand Swami. image form, which results in blessings Sahajanand Swami would travel with Ramanand Swami in Sorath (Saurashtra) touring many villages. Wherever they went, Ramanand Swami would extol Sahajand Swami, explaining His glory to the devotees. Likewise, the devotees experienced inner peace upon the darshan of Sahjanand Swami.

Young Sahajanand Swami was a renunciant, and so hardly ate anything besides rotlo and chillies. He was extremely weak, and had an emaciated body from the years of travelling. Ramanand Swami knew that Sahajanand Swami was God incarnate, and understood that He had a lofty agenda planned ahead. So, Ramanand Swami took proper care of Him. Daily he had His body massaged with wax oil and asked Him not to undertake any fasts. He made Sahajanand Swami sit by his side for meals and served Him with nourishing food and sweets so that He would gain weight. Thus a year passed.

One day, Ramanand Swami called upon his senior saints and trustees, explaining his wish to relin- gadi: seat quish the gadi of the Satsang fellowship. He asked them all who should be the heir to the gadi, and the unanimous answer was to bequeath the gadi to Sahajanand Swami! Ramanand Swami was extremely pleased with the devotees‘ instant answer.

Ramanand Swami instructed all the leading devotees and held meetings to decide upon the date for the installation ceremony. The Brahmins indicated the appropriate murat was Prabodhini Ekadashi. murat: auspicious date determined via astrology Ramanand Swami then had invitations written and sent to all his disciples. He instructed them to participate in the celebration with their families, and not to miss the occasion. Ramanand Swami asked Mayaram Bhatt to make arrangements for the Brahmins and the yagna rituals. Parvatbhai was entrusted with the work of purchases. Bhimbhai was called upon to arrange for beds and quilts. Govardhanbhai was placed in charge of arranging for ghee, oil, cereals and other provisions. Hirjibhai was asked to keep the accounts and to attend to the devotees. Thus Ramanand Swami distributed the seva. seva: volunteer work

On November 16, 1801 a spacious pavilion for thousands of devotees was prepared in Jetpur. The yagnashala‚ kitchen‚ stables‚ etc. were all beautifully set up. Then the entrance and arches were 53

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra erected by planting trunks of banana trees. The whole town of Jetpur was decorated with flags and buntings. The roads of Jetpur became overwhelmed with devotees.

Sahajanand Swami‚ Muktanand Swami and Sukhanand Swami accompanied Ramanand Swami to the Bhadar River for the early morning bath. After returning and completing His daily worship‚ Sa- hajanand Swami prostrated before Ramanand Swami. Thereafter‚ all of them started for the man- mandap: place of initiation dap accompanied by the beating of drums and pipe-playing. The guards saluted the occasion by kirtan: devotional hymn firing rifles in the air. Groups of sadhus were singing kirtans. Ramanand Swami and Sahajanand Swami were both seated in a coach driven by two horses. Thus the whole procession arrived at the mandap.

The mandap resounded with the recitation of Vedic mantras by Brahmins as the drums were being played. A beautiful seat was set up and the whole atmosphere was rendered fragrant with incense‚ murti: divine idol lighted lamps and sandalwood paste. The murtis of Radha and Krishna were placed in the yagnashala. Both Ramanand Swami and Sahajanand Swami went before the murtis and bowed to them. Then they sat down before the altar and offered oblations in accordance with the injunctions. With Yagnanarayan as a witness‚ Ramanand Swami held Sahajanand Swami‘s hand and seated Him on his gadi. Guru Ramanand Swami then applied a chandlo of sandalwood paste on the forehead of Sahajanand Swami and placed a garland round his neck. Everyone shouted‚ ―Shri Sahajanand Swami Maharaj ni Jai!‖ The deities showered flowers from the heavens. Women sang auspicious songs. The devotees hailed the victory slogan. All the sadhus performed the puja of Sahajanand Swami.

Then Sahajanand Swami prostrated before guru Ramanand Swami‚ bowed to all the sadhus and sat down to receive advice from the guru. According to tradition‚ guru Ramanand Swami instructed ―Today‚ I have offered you the seat of this fellowship‚ therefore abide by and foster the dharma prescribed in the Vedas. Perform yagnas and good deeds for the welfare of people. Propagate gnan‚ vairagya and other spiritual values. Give diksha to those aspirants who are of good conduct‚ gnan: knowledge vairagya: detachment are detached from life and want to renounce the world. Spread the doctrine of bhakti imbibed with dharma: righteousness dharma. Inspire the writing of scriptures to consolidate the establishment of the Sampraday. Ac- cept whatever clothes‚ ornaments‚ fruits‚ flowers and the like that are offered to you. Remove those from the Fellowship who are unworthy and averse to it.‖

After concluding his instructions‚ Ramanand Swami offered Sahajanand Swami beautiful clothes to wear, necklaces of gold‚ pearls‚ diamonds and rings‚ circlets‚ armlets‚ earrings‚ etc. to put on. Rama- aarti: ritual in which nand Swami then performed the aarti of Sahajanand Swami. The devotees were absorbed in a sea lighted wicks are offered to deities of divine joy. Everyone was attracted to the beautiful‚ divine form of Sahajanand Swami.

Thereafter‚ Ramanand Swami instructed all the sadhus and devotees to obey the commands of Sa- hajanand Swami and to perform bhajan of God. He added‚ ―This Sahajanand is the master of all. Purushottam Narayan: He is Purushottam Narayan himself. Therefore all of you should act according to His wishes and Supreme Lord worship him devoutly.‖

Then Ramanand Swami asked Sahajanand Swami to ask for a boon. Sahajanand Swami requested‚ ―If your devotee is to suffer the pain of one scorpion sting‚ then may the pain of the sting of millions of scorpions befall on each and every pore of My body; but no pain should afflict your devotee. And if your devotee is destined to have a begging bowl‚ then let that begging bowl come to Me; 54

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Nilkanth Charitra but your devotee should not suffer from want of food and clothing. Please grant Me these two boons.‖ Out of compassion and love for the devotees‚ Sahajanand Swami made this unparalleled prayer. On seeing the magnanimous sentiment of Sahajanand Swami‚ the eyes of Ramanand Swami and the devotees welled with tears of joy. Ramanand Swami granted him both wishes and said‚ ―So shall it be.‖

Mulji Sharma: later During this historic occasion Mulji Sharma and Lalji Suthar were present. Mulji Sharma had of- known as Gunatitanand pujan: ritual to offer Swami, the incarnation of fered respects to Sahajanand Swami by performing pujan and donating a cow. During that time sincere respect Aksharbrahm Sahajanand Swami revealed‚ ―This Mulji is my abode called Akshardham.‖ On this occasion many Akshardham: supreme Lalji Suthar: later known abode of God as Gopalanand Swami devotees offered various gifts to Sahajanand Swami and thereafter a procession was carried out in his honor.

About a month had elapsed. Ramanand Swami thought‚ ―The manifest form of Purushottam has Purushottam: God been installed on the gadi and my work is now over. I no longer want to remain in this body.‖ With this thought he went to Faneni village and told the devotees‚ ―This Varni is God himself. Firmly believe this and obey the wishes of Sahajanand Swami. I have played the role of a drum-beater to gather you all and connect you with him. He will establish and propagate Bhagwat Dharma. He will open the path of highest redemption for all.‖ On 17 December 1801 (Magshar sud 13, Samvat 1858)‚ while meditating on his seat‚ Ramanand Swami passed away and went to Akshardham. As news spread of Ramanand Swami‘s passing‚ thousands of devotees became overwhelmed with grief. At that time Sahajanand Swami consoled everyone‚ ―Great souls never leave this world. By obeying Swami‘s commands one will not feel that he has departed‚ and one will come to realize the manifest form of God.‖ From that day onwards a new chapter unfolded in the life of Sahajanand Swami.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato – Activity – Story JUNIORS Ages 5-13 —— SWAMINI VATO —— —— STORY: SAHEB DADA’S GOAL ——

“Āpanne je lābh thayo chhe te to kāi Ever since Saheb Dada has been a young boy, we kahevāy nahi mate te jālvi rākhvo.” have seen that he loved Yogi Bapa a lot. One aagna that Bapa The benefit we have gained is so great that it is indescribable, gave to Saheb Dada was to start a weekly sabha at his col- therefore preserve it. Chapter 6, Vaat 17. lege, New 3 Hostel, in 1957. In those times, people already judged Saheb Dada because he wore a tilak-chandlo, but his love for Yogi Bapa convinced him that he had to try to start Ekthi pachās mālā sudhi jo ekāgra weekly sabhas. Because he knew it was his guru‘s “ wish, Saheb Dada started weekly sabhas. drashti rākhe to sukhe dhyān thāy, ni- The very first sabha had only three attendees. After kar sankalp thayā kare.” each sabha Saheb Dada would write a letter to Yogi Bapa, If one maintains total concentration while saying the first to telling him how sabha had gone and the names of who had the fiftieth mala, then meditation can be done happily, other- attended. Each week, Bapa would reply with blessings wise thoughts continually arise during meditation.. Chapter 6, (aashirvaad) to Saheb Dada and the other attendees. In his Vaat 122. letter he would always instruct Saheb Dada to double the number of attendees. Soon, Saheb Dada moved the sabhas to another hostel called Royal Hostel. He would ride his bike “Bhagwān ne Bhagwānnā Sādhu e back to towards the old hostel every Wednesday, telling eve- be sāmu jovu ne e ja joyā jevā chhe, ryone he saw that there was going to be a sabha that night. bijāmā kāi māl nathi.” In the beginning, Saheb Dada would ride around campus all See only God and His holy Sadhu. Only these two are worth day and tell 100-200 people, but as sabha time came, only seeing. There is no worth in anything else. Chpater 1, Vaat three to four boys would attend. However, no matter how 101. few people showed up, Saheb Dada never lost hope—he would try even harder the week after. He would ride his bike for longer and tell more people in hopes that maybe a few —— CREATE A PICTURE GAME —— more people would attend. It took a long time, but Saheb Dada never gave up and kept working hard at his goal. Materials needed: Paper and pencil Discussion Questions Draw a picture using only the following shapes: Square, rec- Who was Saheb Dada‘s guru? tangle, triangle, circle and oval. Have one person decide what What was the aagnya that his guru gave him? you are drawing and then everyone take five minutes to What did Saheb Dada do to get the word out about sabha? draw. Vote on the best one if you want. Give an example of something you do to make your guru/ *Try to relate this to Nilkanth Maharaj – perhaps a place he parents happy. visited or him walking with just his few belongings.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Word Search EARLY CHILDHOOD

C D Z Y W H O E A N Q U I P S

E K A N T I K S A N T M C A E

G H K N J B H Y W C A O M R E

S L W Y C R R C S W A K C A T

A R O F A A B A S R B S J B O

E V X M H K K D H R W H O R V

L D I C N Y N Z A M L A L A E

S U A J P A Y H M H A R B H D

B A W D N N M D O H M D C M J

P Y D A M A Y A R A M J H E E

X I M U R Y T I N I V I D A T

M A L U J A D U J P D C V J M

R N P L U R H P B V S C O O T

L O R G A N A T D E E X O K D

D V G H D R U S R B W P I E O

ACHARYA ASHRAM BRAHM BRAHMADHAM BRAHMARUP DEVOTEES DIVINITY EKANTIKSANT JIVA LOJ MAYARAM MOKSHA PARABRAHM PILLAR RAMANANDSWAMI SARJUDAS 57

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Swamini Vato SENIORS - COMPANY Ages 14+

There are three types of people in this Satsang: those who convert good people into bad people, those who make inward-focused people into outward-focused people and htose who make one who is aloof from worldly matters become attached ott them. There are such people even in the mandir. So recognize them and shun them. If someone keeps company of one who is focused on sense gratification or one who is money-oriented, then after six months they would isolate a devotee from Satsang. Recognize them, but do not associate with them. Associating with one who is money-oriented, will lead to disastrous consequences. We have to leave both and become ātmā-centered.

Swami said, ―A person is known by the company he keeps. And Maharaj also asked, ‗Who does this sadhu sit with and who does that sadhu sit with?‘ In this way, He asked the names. Then, whoever they sat with were shown, giving their names. Then, when Maharaj found out that there was someone shoe company was not worth keeping and yet a good sadhu sat with him , He would say, ‗He himself is good, but he does not know how to recognize a good sadhu.‘‖ Therefore, differences in this company were clearly shown. Keep the best company but do not keep bad company.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || Yogi Youth Editorial A REFORMER OF SANATANA DHARMA

ur Hindu culture stems from deep-rooted moral values have to go around town begging for alms. O and traditions that have been passed on for generations. This civilization has been the recipient of twenty-four Nilkanth realized that Sevakram was selfish and ungrateful, avatars of Lord Vishnu and brave devotees such as Hanu- but He never let that interfere with their relationship. If Nil- manji and Ghaneshji; in fact, with this much guidance, going kanth was helping Sevakram, He would do so unconditional- to the temple is now a center-point in our vibrant Hindu ly and never complain. In this way, Nilkanth modeled how livelihood! we should live our social lives with confidence and free of complaints. Instead of barking at Sevakram at how arrogant Hindu religion is synonymous with Hindu culture, and so and egotistic he was, NIlkanth simply explained to Sevakram Sanatana Dharma is the ideal way for a Hindu to live life. But that He wished to continue His journey across India. In this just as individuals have the tendency to live life inde- way, NIlkanth left with a good-bye and never let any ill- pendently, Hindus began to practice religion in their own natured feelings into their relationship. way! Traditions and rituals, once sacred artifacts of devotion, now became a practice of for personal endeavors. Understanding Upasana Moreover, many aspirants did not completely understand the value of their religion, and so pseudo-sadhus took the Nilkanth noticed that the devotees misinterpreted scrip- spotlight as leaders in their culture. Many of these sadhus tures, cultivating beliefs and practices that were counterpro- were self-absorbed, just using religion as a means to live ductive for a functioning society. As a reformer of Sanatana comfortable lives. Other practicing sadhus had not attained Dharma, Nilkanth wished to improve upon devotees’ under- values of renunciation, and so still preached impure practic- standing of religion. es. Nilkanth came to Totadri, where the main seat of Shrimad Instead of helping to understand the true purpose of reli- Ramanujacharya is. Nilkanth felt an innate affinity towards gion, these bawas instilled (within devotees) fears and the him, as he was the original propounder of Vishistadwaita limitations of religion. Milking the fear in these aspirants, Philosophy. When Nilkanth came to Ramanujacharya’s ash- evil bawas would then appease their minds by asking them ram, He noticed that the ascetics’ devotion had inherent to perform trivial rituals. In effect, much of aspirants’ prac- flaws. These impurities, Nilkanth Maharaj felt, would leak to tice of religion was due to a circle of never ending fears. In- devotees and the society at large. So, noting their flaws, stead of centering their practice around harmony and Nilkanth resumed His journey, wishing to return Vishishtad- peace, these aspirants revolved their practice around social waita practice to its purest form. stigmas created by ancient Hindu traditions. Then, Nilkanth came to Lodhva to Lakhu Charan, a sincere Nilkanth, as a reformer of Sanatana Dharma, wished to im- devotee that had gained spiritual prowess. As they con- press upon devotees the significance of the Supreme Lord. versed, Lakhu admited that though her guru Atmanand Swa- He wanted to guide aspirants to practice whole-hearted mi had converted to Vishistadwaita philosophy, she still be- religion. Nilkanth wanted devotees to understand that reli- lieved that God was nirakar, a principle of Adwaita philoso- gion did not just protect them from ghosts and demons, but phy. So, Nilkanth gave a discourse to Lakhubai and showed bettered human nature, and promoted harmony and peace. her that God is sakar. Happy with her, Nilkanth gave her a boon. So, Lakhu wished for sixty buffaloes and that her son Social relationships would be immortal. However, Nilkanth did not grant her the boon because He wanted Lakhu to understand the end- Nilkanth came across a well-presented and intelligent sa- game in practicing religion. So instead, Nilkanth gave her a dhu, Sevakram, in South India. Since Nilkanth had a great permanent seat in Akshardham, a lively state of eternal liking for sadhus and renunciants, He served Him devoutly. bliss. One day, Sevakram was struck with acute dysentery; he was helpless and Nilkanth felt that it was His duty to serve Se- Exemplary Devotee vakram. So for two months, Nilkanth remained as the humble servant of Sevakram. He would cook for him, bathe him, For six years, Nilkanth travelled through India in search for a dress him, and help him with other tasks. Despite Nilkanth’s pious guru and a righteous ashram. His travels brought Him selfless gesture, Sevakram never gave Him credit or appreci- to Lojpur in Gujarat, where He met Sukhanand Swami. Im- ation. Moreover, Sevakram did not even provide Nilkanth pressed with Ramanand Swami’s ashram, Nilkanth asked the with food. Sevakram would give Nilkanth a few gold coins to leading Muktanand Swami the five eternal questions, ‘What fetch enough food for himself, and then Nilkanth would is jiva, What is ishwar, What is maya, What is brahman, What is parabrahman?' Touched by Muktanand Swami’s 59

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

response, He mentally accepted Ramanand Swami as His greatness.” Thus, Nilkanth became Sahajanand Swami and guru. Narayan Muni.

Nilkanth had applied the two rules to accept a guru, to eval- Eventually, Ramanand Swami wished to relinquish the gadi uate his guru and evaluate his disciples. Nilkanth appreciat- of the Satsang fellowship. Everyone of the leading saints ed Ramanand Swami’s guru Ramanujacharya as the principal unanimously voted that he should bequeath the gadi to Sa- founder of Vishishtadwaita philosophy and respected Muk- hajanand Swami, despite Muktanand Swami being twenty- tanand Swami as Ramanand Swami’s disciple because he two years senior to Him! Sahajanand Swami had had such a was able to answer Nilkanth’s five eternal questions. By this phenomenal impact on fellow devotees in such a short peri- logic of evaluating Ramanand Swami’s guru and disciple, od of time, that they were willing to let this young 21 year Nilkanth knew that Ramanand Swami was worthy of being old be their guru! A magnificent ceremony was conducted His guru. and thousands of devotees from all over Gujarat were invited. Even Mulji Sharma, later known as Gunatitanand Swami, Nilkanth stayed in the ashram and served the ashram was present for the ceremony. wholeheartedly. He became a model devotee and a darling of all. He would eat only once a day in the afternoon. It was After the ceremony, Ramanand Swami gave Sahajanand a frugal meal consisting of rotlo‚ chilli and a ball of mindhi- Swami instructions in front of all devotees. “As You have aval. He used to get up early‚ draw water from a well for the received the seat of this fellowship, foster the dharma pre- morning bath and serve the sadhus in various ways. He scribed in the Vegas. Propogate gnan, vairagya, dharma, would pick up the kavad and go on begging rounds in the and bhakti. Give diksha to aspirants who wish to renounce neighboring villages and also pick cow dung for fuel. He used the world and remove those who are averse to the fellow- to spend the whole day in serving the ashram and perform- ship. And, inspire scriptures to consolidate the establishing bhakti. He would collect dung for making fuel cakes‚ ment of the Sampraday!” sweep the floor‚ wash dishes‚ draw water for sadhus to bathe. He would then go seeking alms chanting the “Ram- Sahajand Swami humbly acccepted the noble task, and sur- Krishna Dhun” with a kavad slung across his shoulder. prisingly asked for two very special boons from Ramanand Swami. “If your devotee is to suffer the pain of one scorpi- As Nilkanth stayed at the ashram, He became a role model on sting‚ then may the pain of the sting of millions of scor- of how a devotee should live in aagna of his guru. Despite pions befall on each and every pore of my body; but no being the Supreme Lord, He continuously engaged in service pain should afflict your devotee. And if your devotee is to other devotees. When Ramanand Swami heard that destined to have a begging bowl‚ then let that begging young Nilkanth had come to Loj, he sent the message “Go to bowl come to me; but your devotee should not suffer from Loj and tell Nilkanth that if He wants to be a part of Satsang‚ want of food and clothing. Please grant me these two he should cling to the pillar.” Hearing this, Nilkanth immedi- boons.” ately stood up and embraced a pillar. Muktanand Swami and all other sadhus were greatly surprised at Nilkanth’s This historic occasion marked the transition from a Uddhav briskness in obeying the order of the guru! On seeing Nil- Sampraday to a Swaminarayan Sampraday. Ramanand Swa- kanth clinging to the pillar Mayaram Bhatt said‚ “Oh Nil- mi felt that his work was completed. The prophecy that Ra- kanth‚ what the guru meant was that you should obey the manand Swami was simply a ‘drum-beater’, and that God, commands of Muktanand Swami who is like a pillar in the real ‘player’, would come find him was fulfilled! Nilkanth Satsang.” Then, just as briskly, Nilkanth bowed to Muk- Varni’s sankalp to find a guru and an ashram that under- tanand Swami. Nilkanth showed us that He had profound stood and practiced pure renunciation had also been ful- priti of an Ekantik Sant. He had developed so much love for filled. Ramanand Swami had laid the foundations so that Ramanand Swami, that He was willing to follow his agna Sahajanand Swami could spread and propograte Ekantik even if He looked like a fool. While Nilkanth was at the ash- Dharma. Feeling complete, Ramanand Swami took illness, ram under the service of Ramanand Swami, He did not re- proclaiming to all that Sahajanand Swami was the Supreme veal His own identity, but rather acted as a servant of Rama- Lord, and passed away to Akshardham. nand Swami and Muktanand Swami. In this way, he showed to us all the life of a true devotee. Thus, the seat of this massive fellowship in Gujarat was left in the hands of the charismatic twenty-one year old! Saha- A Stepping Stone to Swaminarayan Satsang janand Swami would further the work of His guru, making reforms for women and the poor, revamp the belief systems As Nilkanth became more involved in satsang in Lojpur, He for attaining moksha, establish temples to further Hindu asked Ramanand Swami to initiate Him. As such, Ramanand culture, initiate ascetics to further His own work, establish Swami gave Him this precept, “ Oh Sahajanand Swami! Oh texts to define principles and boundaries, improve political Narayan Muni! Observe dharma and inspire all others to relations with the British, and establish a lineage of God- observe the same. Redeem all the jivas living on earth and realized Saints! propagate the significance of offering bhakti with God’s 60

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:

Time/Date/Place of Sabha:

Attendance:

Outstanding Performance of the Week: Name of Certificate Winner: Please circle categories: Swamini Vato Story Bhajan Games Seva Attendance Presentation Participation

Suggestions:

Please return this completed report to P. Swatiben Patel through email OR regular mail. E-mail address: [email protected] Home address: 7005 Glorious Light Place Columbia, MD 21044

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

In the interest of a well-prepared sabha:

Youth should distribute the following seva among themselves: 1. Gather trash, mop, and clean the sabha seating area. 2. Spread out a clean comforter on the ground. 3. Clean the mandir and utensils (ie. Aarti, divo, murti, etc.), place Shri Thakorji in a gentle, graceful manner. 4. Set up the murti on a clean asan (cloth) on a higher plane than yours. 5. Prepare the ful (flowers), divo, incense, aarti, jal (water), and prasad in front of the murti. 6. Bring musical instruments and shloka/bhajan packets for each satsangi. Have a CD player and timer available for use. 7. Prepare a seat for the local head and person who will read the Holy Scriptures. 8. Aim for the sabha to last one hour.

How to behave in sabha:

1. Join sabha regularly and on time. Bow down to the murti respectfully and sit in straight rows. 2. During sabha, do not talk or whisper among yourselves or participate in mischief; acknowledge the presence of Shri Thakorji. 3. Attentively participate in kirtan, dhun, prayer, shlokas, and thal-aarti with clear pronunciation, pitch, and rhythm (use attached bhajans and correlating CDs to prepare). 4. When questions are asked, politely raise your hand to answer. Whoever is chosen to answer should stand up and reply with his or her hands folded respectfully.

Sabha’s commencement:

1. Light the divo in front of Shri Thakorji, start the incense stick, place a garland of flowers or just flowers before Shri Thakorji, and bow respectfully with hands folded. It is acceptable if flowers are not available. 2. Meditate before the beginning of the sabha:  Sit properly (legs crossed), place your hands faced upwards on your knees and, on each hand, touch your thumb to your index finger with the other three fingers facing outward (mudra dhyaan position), and with your eyes closed concentrate on the murti of Shri Thakorji.  Chant ―AUM‖ three times, each with one long breath.  After chanting the mantra, be silent for fifteen seconds in a state of meditation.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Stuti: (Together)

Shrimad sadgun shalinam chidachidi vyaptam cha divyakrutim Jive Sakshar Mukta Koti sukhadam naikavata Radhipam Gneyam Shri Purushottamam Munivarair vedadikirtyam Vibhum Tan Mulakshar yuktameva Sahajanandam cha vande sada. (Full of grandeur, with excellent qualities, ever-present in all life in a divine form. He is the king of incarnations imparting happiness to millions of souls, angels, mukta, and akshar. His praises are sung in the vedas and other holy scriptures. I ceaselessly pray to SAHAJANAND SWAMI who is associated with the original akshar.)

Jenu naama ratyaa thakee malina sankalpo samoola gayaa Jene sharana thayaa pachhee bhavatanaa pheraa viraamee gayaa Jenaa gaana dasho dishe harijano gaaye ati harshathee Evaa yagnyaapurushadaasa tamane paaye namu preetathee (By chanting his name, all negative desires and thoughts are totally dissolved. By surrendering to him, there is no longer a need to take another birth. With great joy, devotees from every direction sing about his glory. I bow down with reverence to YAGNAPURUSHDASJI - SHASTRIJI MAHARAJ)

Vani amrut thi bhari madhusami, Sanjivani Lok ma. Drashti ma bhari Divyata nirakhata, Sudivya Bhakto badha Haiye het bharyu mithu jana nishu, ne hasya mukhe vasyu Te Shri Gnanji Yogiraj Guru ne nitye namu bhav shu. (His speech is laced with nectar and brings happiness to this world. With love in his eyes, as seen by all his divine devotees, his face reflects laughter, and his heart reflects a motherly love. I bow down everyday with reverence to GNANJI YOGIRAJ - YOGIJI MAHARAJ)

Je Sakshat mahima tanu Swaroop chhe bhagi aho Yogina Tejasvi, Shurvir, nitya hasta, pakshe rahe Bhakta na Sarvadhar sadaye Sadhak gane neta yuvano tana Eva gaurav purna ne suhrad te, Saheb ne vandana. (The one who is the manifest form of glory, and Yogi Bapa considered him as his partner. He is bright, courageous, and ever-laughing, and remains on the side of devotees. He is the support for all aspirants, and is the leader of youths. We pay our respects to JASHBHAI SAHEB who is spiritually harmonious)

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Bhajan: All should sing bhajan and follow along with the audio, with calm attention towards Shri Thakorji.

Chorus aakhaa divasamaa taaree bhakti maanee, je karyu vichaaryu te le sveekaaree (2) aakhaa divasamaa...

Verse 1 mana karma vachane raajee tane, maare karavo chhe evu hatu mane, (2) manadhaaryu toye kaaee thayu hoya (2), kshamaa karaje o prabhu mane aakhaa divasamaa...

Verse 2 jaane ajaane vaphaadaaree taaree, chukee dukhee thayaa amahimaamaa bhalee, hatha, maana, eershyaathee karyaa, hoya oshiyaalaa to dejo maaphee aakhaa divasamaa...

Verse 3 jaanapanaano daravaajo chhodee, svaamee abhaava vikshepanaa maarge chadee, tane bhoolee beeju chintavana thayu hoya, to kshamaa maangu chhu paaye padee... aakhaa divasamaa...

Verse 4 anuvrutti jaanee tane gamashe karee, je karyu temaa na hoya bhakti taaree, karavaanu hoya te naa karyu hoya, to pharee sujhaado o praanapati... aakhaa divasamaa...

Verse 5 monghaa moolee moorti te sastee keedhee, rudaa praarabdha maate te sevaa deedhee, jaagruta, sushupti, svapnamaahee, taaraa thaee raheeye o dayaanidhi aakhaa divasamaa...

Chorus aakhaa divasamaa taaree bhakti maanee, je karyu vichaaryu te le sveekaaree (2) aakhaa divasamaa... 64

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Nirupan (Interpretation): ―Aakha divasamaa‖ is a very powerful and essential bhajan sung at the end of each day as a reflection of our actions. It is a prayer to God and to Guruvarya Param Pujya Saheb Dada asking for forgiveness in any event we forgot Saheb Dada‘s aagna. The bhajan begins by asking God to accept the things we did with bhakti throughout the day as an offering. The bhajan goes on to ask for forgiveness if we strayed from the path that Saheb Dada asked us to follow. The following is an elaboration of the bhajan.

Throughout the day, I wanted to please you with everything I did, said, and thought. I wanted You to act through me but if I ever wavered from your wishes and acted according to my own desires, then please forgive me.

I know that participating in criticism and negativity violates Your aagna and that this will lead to my own unhappiness. If I did this or if I offended you by being stubborn, egotistic, or jealous, also forgive me. Forgive me for wavering in the following of the aagna to not participate in hatha, maana, and eershyaa. Saheb Dada taught me the importance of living a God-centered life, but participating in these things will lead me to develop an ego and forget this. Karya oshiyaalaa; this is something that leads to the unhappiness of my guru. For example, if someone tells Saheb that I am eating onion and garlic, he may be unhappy because he must defend my actions. I have somehow passed my deficiencies on Him, which is a much greater offense. My actions reflect on Him because he has accepted me as his disciple. If I have blemished His image in the mind of others by not living in His aagna and not remaining faithful to Him, then please forgive me.

Saheb Dada teaches me it is essential to keep God at the center of my life. If I forget this, I lose awareness; awareness of who God is, awareness of how great God and Saheb Dada are, and awareness of what my purpose is. This will lead me onto the path of negativity as I may start to attribute things in my life to the actions of others. I want to live a God- centered life, but if I was distracted today and had forgotten your greatness, then I beg at your feet for forgiveness.

Throughout the whole day, I tried to live according to the aagna and teachings of Saheb Dada. However, if I did so without keeping God at the center and without bhakti, then please forgive me. For example, doing seva for the wrong reasons, or doing Agyaras distractedly without focusing entirely on God, would be a mistake. Niyam-dharma can lead to pride and ego if not carried out correctly. Doing Agyaras simply to pat yourself on the back and to tell people you starved yourself for a day would lead to the formation of ego. I must remember that I am doing everything to please God and to fulfill the aagna of my guru, Saheb Dada, in order to prevent this from happening. In a similar fashion, my bhakti should be offered without reservation or expectation. For example, I should join phone sabha because it is Sa- heb Dada‘s aagna and it will please him—not because I have to. On the other hand, if I did something today that I was not supposed to, then please teach me the error of my ways so I may correct it for tomorrow. For any of these mis- takes I have made today, please forgive me.

God, you have given us a priceless gift free of charge. Out of the six billion people in this world how many people really recognize the pragat guru, how many people have a guru at the Gunatit state, and how many people can appreciate the fact they have found the embodiment of God in their lifetime, in their immediate acquaintance? The association that I have with Saheb Dada is so valuable, yet I received it for free. Saheb Dada has achieved the Gunatit state, which is above all states: active consciousness, dreaming, and unconsciousness. For positive karma and my progress to this state, God has given me an opportunity to selflessly serve Him and His devotees. Throughout the day, I want to be completely devoted to God and his sadhu.

We should appreciate the fact that we are part of a Satsang that teaches Akshar Purushsottam upasana, as we have met someone whose body is the embodiment of Akshar—within him resides God. He is the living form of both Akshar and Purushottam. This bhajan reminds us how we should live our life and how to ask for forgiveness when we digress from the path to God showed to us by our guru. Saheb Dada asks us to sing this at the end of each day.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Dhun: All should chant dhun for two minutes and follow along with the audio, clapping with calm attention towards Shri Thakorji. Please read the last paragraph below for more detail.

n December 31, 1801 in the town of Faneni, Sahajanand Swami Maharaj sat paramhansas: Shriji O amongst paramhansas, saints and devotees. At 21 years of age, He sat on the throne as the Maharaj initiated 500 heir of the Uddhav Sampraday, 14 days after Ramanand Swami left for his divine abode in Ramanand Swami: guru paramhansas in one night of Lord Swaminarayan to spread satsang Akshardham. In the assembly, He announced that, from now on, there will be no confusion regard- upasana: form of ing our upasana. Everybody should now chant the Swaminarayan Maha-Mantra. The entire assem- worship bly began to chant in unison, ―Swaminarayan.‖ At once, every devotee entered a state of samadhi, samadhi: trance and each saw his favorite deity! Some saw Lord Krishna and Lord Rama, while others saw Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. As everyone became exhilarated by the divine power of this mantra, they saw another miracle before their eyes. The deities that they worshipped walked to Sahajanand Swa- mi Maharaj and then merged into Him!

In this way, He explained the meaning behind Swaminarayan Maha-Mantra. Narayan and Swami make Swaminarayan. Narayan is to worship Sahajanand Swami as Purna Purushottam, the Supreme Lord; Swami is to worship Narayan through a present-day God-realized Saint and to understand that Saint to be a manifestation of Sahajanand Swami. In this way, Sahajanand Swami came to be known as Lord Swaminarayan!

Param Pujya Shanti Dada and Param Pujya Ashvin Dada have thoroughly explained to us how to jap: chanting perform jap of this Mantra. First, clear your mind of all thoughts. As we close our eyes, we see a blank emptiness. Then we begin to chant Swa-mi-na-ra-yan, slowly emphasizing each syllable. As we do so, we then must remember the Gunatit Saint that we worship, Guruvarya smruti: remembrance Param Pujya Saheb Dada. This is called smruti. Ashvin Dada beautifully phrases it as, "chanting the Lord's name while remembering His saint." Shanti Dada explains that chanting ―Swaminarayan‖ while remembering Saheb Dada, or any Gunatit Saint, gives 100,000 times the fruit of simply chanting just ―Swaminarayan.‖ Finally, the Mantra must be chanted in God's way, which is with oneness, harmony, and unity. As Ashvin Dada does, chant ―Swaminarayan‖ in unison, clapping to a beat.

Swaminarayan… Swaminarayan… Swaminarayan…

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Thal: Prepare prasad, jal, and mukhvaas before starting thal. Have one of the youth offer thal to each of the deities and swaroops starting from Lord Swaminarayan. annam chaturvidham svaadu rasaih shadbhih samanvitam bhakshya bhojya samaayuktam naivedhyam pratigruhyataam om shree aksharapurushottamaaya bhaktamandala sahitaaya naivedhyam samarpayaami

(Please accept this food which is offered to you and consists of the 6 types of taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent; and the 4 types of food: those that are swallowed, chewed, licked and sucked; while remembering God and His Gunatit Saint and all of His Devotees, we begin Thal)

Thal (Sitting cross-legged, straight-backed, as if you are feeding Lord Swaminarayan, sing while clapping.) maare ghera aavajo chhogalaadhaaree (2) (God, who wears a headdress with a tuft on the end, has come to my home) laadu jalebee ne seva suvaalee hu to bhaave karee laavyo chhu ghaaree, maare ghera aavajo...(I have prepared sweet-balls, the yellow-to-orange spirally sweet, noodles, and a sweet made from butter) soorana poorana ne bhaajee kaarelaa paapada vadee vaghaaree (A vegetable of the potato-family, stuffing made of butter and lentils, bitter gourd, and dumplings of lentils that are fried with spices) vantaaka vaalolanaa shaaka karyaa me to, cholaaphalee chhamakaaree, maare ghera aavajo... (I prepared a vegetable-curry eggplant and beans, and a salty snack) kaaju kamodanaa bhaata karyaa me to daala karee bahu saaree (I made rice with cashew, and made very nice daal or soup-curry) leembu kaakadeenaa lejo athaanaa kadhee karee chhe kaathiyaavaadee, maare ghera aavajo... (Please take pickle-curry of lime and cucumber - I also made buttermilk-curry of the Kathaiawad or southern Guja- rat style)

Sahajanand Swami jamo! Gunatitanand Swami jamo! Gopalanand swami jamo! Bhagatji Maharaj, Jaga Swami, Krishnaji Ada jamo! Shastriji Maharaj jamo! Yogiji Maharaj jamo! Guruvarya Param Pujya Saheb Dada jamo!

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || jala ghelaanee jhaaree bharee che, chadu karave bramachari (I bring a small glass of water from the Ghela river - O Swami, please accept it) halave halave jala peevo ne tame avataaranaa avataaree, maare ghera aavajo... (Please slowly drink the water - You are the supreme God) laving sopaaree ne paana beedee vaalee, taja elachee jaavantree saaree ([As an after-mint,] clove, betel nuts, and a folded betel leaf, filled with cinnamon, cardamom, and mace-spice) nishadina aavo to bhaave karee bhetu, ema maage jeraama brahmachaaree, maare ghera aavajo... (Please come everyday, and I will lovingly hug You, says Jeram)

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Aarti: Place a divet on the aarti and light it. Prepare water in a vaadki (small bowl) with a spoon.

Aarti Shloka neeraajanam gruhaanesha panchavartisamanvitam tejoraashi mayaadattam lokaanandakara prabho shree aksharapurushotamaaya bhakta mandala sahitaaya aarteekyam samarpayaami (Oh Lord, delight of the world! Please accept my offering of this shower of light from five untaint- ed wicks; while remembering God and His Gunatit Saint and all of His Devotees, we begin Thal)

Stand in straight rows during aarti. Sing and clap together with proper rhythm. (The mandal coordinator should make sure that every child does aarti one by one.)

Aarti jaya sadguru svaamee, prabhu jaya antarayaamee, sahajaananda dayaalu, (2) balavanta bahunaamee.... jaya sadguru... (Victory to Sadguru, victory to the omniscient Lord, the merciful, almighty Sahajanand has innumerable names) charana saroja tamaaraa, vandu kara jodee; (2) charane sheesha dharyaathee, (2) dukha naakhyaa todee...jaya sadguru... (With folded hands, I pay my respects at your lotus feet, placing my mind at your divine feet, all my unhappiness is dissolved) naaraayana nara bhraathaa, dvijakula tanudhaaree; (2) paamara patita udhaaryaa, (2) aganita naranaaree...jaya sadguru... (Bestower of supreme bliss, You took birth in a brahmin family, you have rescued the poor, the sinners and countless other men and women) nitya nitya nautama leela, karataa avinaashee; (2) adasatha teeratha charane, (2) koti gayaa kaashee... jaya sadguru... (As the indestructible Lord, you continuously display many facets of your personality, all sixty-eight holy places and many million holy places like Gaya and Kashi rest at your feet) purushottama pragatanu, je darshana karashe (2) kaalakarmathee chhootee, (2) kutumba sahita tarashe...jaya sadguru... (Whoever has the darshan of manifest Purushottam, he, along with his family, will be liberated from the bonds of time and action)

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji || aa avasara karunaanidhi, karunaa bahu kidhee, (2) muktaananda kahe mukti, (2) sugama karee sidhee...jaya sadguru... (On this occassion you have graced all of us and Muktanand Swami declares that you have made a simple path to liberation) jaya sadguru svaamee, prabhu jaya antarayaamee, sahajaananda dayaalu, (2) balavanta bahunaamee.... jaya sadguru... (Victory to Sadguru, victory to the omniscient Lord, the merciful, almighty Sahajanand has innumerable names)

After aarti, take some water in a spoon and take one round around the aarti thaali with the spoon clockwise. Then, put the water back in the thaali or bowl. Do this three times. With your right hand, give aarti to Shri Thakorji three times. During this time, make sure to chant Swaminarayan dhun.

Then in unison, please respect the deities by saying—“Sahajanand Swami Maharajni Jai, Akshar Purshottam Maharajni Jai, Shastriji Maharajni Jai, Yogi Maharajni Jai, Pratakshya Dham Dhami Ane Muktoni Jai, Guruvaraya Param Pujya Sahebni Jai, Saheb na Vhala Mukto ni Jai Jai Jai.”

One child should then give aarti to all sabha attendees. The aarti thaali should be put in a safe place.

How to take aarti:

After taking aarti, place your hand on your head, ears, eyes, mouth, and heart in this order. Then, say the following prarthana in your mind. Hey Maharaj, Hey Swami, Hey Saheb! Mari buddhi, shravan shakti, drashti, vani, ane hridayni bhavana divya banavsho.

Ending Aarti Shlokas (Ashtako): (Together)

Prayer to Lord Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami: krupaa karo muja upare sukhanidhi sahajaananda (Please grace me, the giver of happiness, Sahajanand Swami) guna tamaaraa gaavavaa buddhi aapajo sukhakanda (Giver of happiness, please give me the intellect to sing Your divine qualities) akshara purushottama je pruthavee upara padhaareeyaa (Akshar and Purushottam have both come on this earth) aneka jeeva uddhaaravaa manushyatana dhaaree rahyaa (To liberate the souls, They have taken birth in human form) pragata purushottama je sukharupa sahajaananda (The present form of God is Sahajanand Swami) mool akshara eja chhe svamee gunaateetaananda (And God's Eternal Abode is Gunatitanand) e beunaa guna gaavavaa vichaar kare chhe mati (My intellect yearns to sing Their qualities) gati aapo ehavee ferafaar nava rahe rati (Please give me the speed such that not a single lapse remains)

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Prayer to Purna Purushottam, Lord Swaminarayan: janmyaa kaushala desha vesha batukano, lai teerthmaahee pharyaa raamaananda malyaa svadharma chalavyo, yagnaadi motaa karyaa motaa dhaama rachyaa rahyaa ghadhapure be deshe gaadee karee antaradhyaana thayaa leelaa haree tani, sankshepamaa uchhari You were born in the land of Kaushal and as a young boy, You left on a pilgrimage After meeting Ramanand Swami, You spread the faith and performed great sacrifices In Gadhpur [Gadhada], You constructed holy places and started two principal places of worship Lord SwamiNarayan, You have never left us are always present in the form of Gunatit saints je utpatti tathaa sthiti laya kare vedo stuti uchchare jenaa romasu chhidramaa anusamaa brahmaand koti fare maayaa kala ravi shashee suraganau aagnyaa na lope kshana evaa aksharadhaamanaa adhipati shree svaaminaaraayana (His divinity creates, sustains, and destroys - prayers to Him are recited in the scriptures. Millions of planets rotate in every pore of his being like atoms. Forces such as illusion, time, the sun, the moon, and all the respective gods do not for even a moment disobey his command. I bow down to the Lord of Akshardham, LORD SWAMINARAYAN)

Prayer to Anadi Mul Akshar Murti, Gunatitanand Swami: mahaadhyaanaabhyaasam vidadhatamajastram bhagavatah pavitre sampraaptam sthitimativaraikraantikavrushe sadaanandam saaram paramaharivaartaavyasaninam gunaateetaanandam munivaramaham naumi satatamm (He has the habit of incessant meditation and ceaseless prayer to Lord Swaminarayan. Thoroughly engrossing himself in the Lord, He is in the blissful highest liberated state. He is habituated to Lord Swaminarayan's sermons – I pay my obeisance to GUNATITANAND SWAMI)

Prayer to Mahamukta Raj, Gopalanand Swami: saadhyo ashtaangayoga pragata haritanee, preeti maate prayatne shodhee vedaantatatvo sakala grahee leedhaa, jema sindhuthee ratne aadhi vyaadhi upaadhi pranata jana tanee taalee keedhee samaadhi gopaalaanandasvaamee sakala gunanidhi vandumaayaa abaadhi (He mastered the eight-fold yoga practice for the love of the present form of God. Like pearls from the ocean, he got the essence of the original holy texts and imbibed them. He removed all three senses of unhappiness of devotees and gave divine trance. GOPALANAND SWAMI is full of all qualities - void of illusion, I bow down to him)

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Prayer to Brahmaswaroop, Bhagatji Maharaj: shobhe nirguna moorti vaibhavabharee gnyaanopadeshe pooraa chhe bhandaar samagra saadhu gunanaa sarvagya maayaapaaraa aishvaryo sahu chhe nijaashrita tanaa je doshahantaa sadaa preme praagajee brahmarup gurune vandu ja vandu mudaa (His divine image is beyond the three qualities and is full of powers - filled with knowledge, He is the greatest teacher. He is a treasure of all divine saintly qualities and is totally beyond illusion. All powers are under his control and he removes all faults. I lovingly and joyously bow down to BHAGATJI MAHARAJ)

Prayer to Brahmaswaroop, Jaga Swami: iti gunanidhivantaa, bhakta jaagaa dhimantaa, bhoomi para ehi santaa, pancha doshaanihantaa shritahita anusarataa moola agnyaana harataa ghana sama sukha karataa janopadeshe vicharataa (JAGA SWAMI is full of divine qualities and highly intelligent. On this earth, he is the saint who takes away the faults of the five desires. He does good to all devotees at his shelter and takes away their root ignorance. He gives God's happiness and goes around spreading the divine message to devotees)

Prayer to Brahmaswaroop, Krishniji Ada: shree raajadurga nagare vimale vaseene shreejee svarupa mahimaa hradaye dhareene sthaapyo prakaash moola aksharano prataapee tvaam krushnajee guruvaram sharanam prapadhye (He lived in Rajkot and without any kind of faults. He kept the glory of Gunatitanand Swami in his heart. He established the divine light and glory of Gunatitanand Swami. We take the shelter of the divine master, KRISHNAJI ADA)

Prayer to Brahmaswaroop, Shastriji Maharaj: jenu naama ratyaa thakee malina sankalpo samoola gayaa jene sharana thayaa pachhee bhavatanaa pheraa viraamee gayaa jenaa gaana dasho dishe harijano gaaye ati harshathee evaa yagnyaapurushadaasa tamane paaye namu preetathee (By chanting his name, all negative desires and thoughts are totally dissolved. By surrendering to him, there is no longer a need to take another birth. With great joy, devotees from every direction sing about his glory. I bow down with reverence to YAGNAPURUSHDASJI - SHASTRIJI MAHARAJ)

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Prayer to Brahmaswaroop, Yogiji Maharaj: Vani amrut thi bhari madhusami, Sanjivani Lok ma. Drashti ma bhari Divyata nirakhata, Sudivya Bhakto badha Haiye het bharyu mithu jana nishu, ne hasya mukhe vasyu Te shri Gnanji Yogiraj Guru ne nitye namu bhav shu. (His speech is laced with nectar and brings happiness to this world. With love in his eyes, as seen by all his divine devotees, his face reflects laughter, and his heart reflects a motherly love. I bow down everyday with reverence to GNANJI YOGIRAJ - YOGIJI MAHARAJ)

Prayer to Brahmaswaroop, Kakaji: jenee amrutavaanee to vahee rahee saakshaata maheemaarupe jenee braahmee stithi aho! lina kare subhavya akshara pade, sharanaagata nija alpa jeeva sahunaa shreeyaartha tatpara rahe kaakaa snehalasindhu divya vibhune haiyu to vandana kare (His continuously flowing eloquent speech is full of the glory of God. His liberated, divine state reveals the grandeur of Akshar. He is always prepared to bring happiness to every soul who has surrendered to him. I bow down with all my heart to that fountain of divine love, KAKAJI)

Prayer to Brahmaswaroop, Papaji: vaanee vishe akhanda vahetee suraavalee brahmanee kintu thaee agnyaata alpa sameepe rasabasa sahumaa rahee jeeve je alamasta svameeshreejeemaa chhe mokshadaataa valee pappaa jogeesvaroopa vibhu charane jhukee rahu bhaavathee (There is an incessant flow of the music of divinity in his discourses while befriending everyone, he chooses to be humble and hide his divine status. His blessings have the power to liberate us, and he joyously lives in communion with Shriji Swami. I bow down with respect to PAPAJI, the incarnation of Yogiji Maharaj)

Prayer to Pragat Gunatitbhav Sant, Hariprasad Swami: dikshaa arpee aho gunaateetasamee jene guru jogeee kaakaa ne valee aapa divya dvayanu advait anokhu ja chhe bhede saakshee anantanaa svaroopa aa shaastree maharaajanu evaa svaamee hariprasaada charane vandana sadaa hu karu (Yogiji Maharaj initiated him in the same manner as Shriji Maharaj initiated Gunatitanand Swami. His divine relationship with Kakaji is so harmonized, that they are both one. He has 'pierced the witness' of countless souls; with divine qualities like Shastriji Maharaj. I touch the lotus feet of HARIPRASAD SWAMIJI)

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Prayer to Pragat Gunatitbhav Sant, Ashkarvihari Swami: nishthaa to paripoorna addabhuta aho jenee svaroope deese moorti siddhadashaa anaadinee kharee ne dhairya saakshaat vase praasaade nija dhaama chaitanya vishe svaamee biraajee gaayaa svaamee aksharanaa vihaaree tamane chhe sarvanee vandanaa (The one who has full faith in the present form of God – he has eternally mastered the divine image and has extreme patience. Yogi Bapa resides in his soul. AKSHARVIHARI SWAMIJI, everyone bows down to you)

Prayer to Pragat Gunatitbhav Sant, Pramukh Swami: shobho saadhugune sadaa sarala ne jakate anaasakata chho shaastreejee guru yogeejee ubhayanee krupaatanu paatra chho dhaaree dharmadhuraa samudra sarakhaa gambheera gnyaaneja chho naaraayanasvaroopadaasa guneene snehe ja vandu aho (You are always simple, saintly, and have no worldly attachment. You are the recipient of the grace of both Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj. You have spread the word of God, and your knowledge runs deeper than the oceans. I bow down with reverence to you, Narayanswaroopdas - PRAMUKH SWAMIJI)

Prayer to Guruvarya Param Pujya Saheb Dada: Je Sakshat mahima tanu Swaroop chhe bhagi aho Yogina Tejasvi, Shurvir, nitya hasta, pakshe rahe Bhakta na Sarvadhar sadaye Sadhak gane neta yuvano tana Eva gaurav purna ne suhrad te, Saheb ne vandana. (The one who is the manifest form of glory, and Yogi Bapa considered him as his partner. He is bright, courageous, and ever-laughing, and remains on the side of devotees. He is the support for all aspirants, and is the leader of youths. We pay our respects to JASHBHAI SAHEB who is spiritually harmonious)

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Ending Shloka (Visarjanam): shreepatim shreedharam sarvadeveshvaram (The husband of Shree [i.e., Lakshmi], who sustains Lakshmi, the God of all demigods) bhaktidharmaatmajam vasudevam harim. (The son of Bhakti and Dharma, Lord Vasudev) madhavam keshavam kaamadam kaaranam (Sweet as honey, with beautiful hair, the fulfiller of all wishes, the reason of all reasons) svaaminaaraayanam neelakantham bhaje… (We worship Lord Swaminarayan, Nilkanth Varni)

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

Ending of Sabha:

After prostrating respectfully (dandvat pranaam) before Shri Thakorji five times, stand in line, and one by one, touch the feet of Shri Thakorji and any grahasto, sabha coordinators, and vadilo (respected elderly) in sabha. Before you leave for home, be sure to take prasad.

All the children who come to sabha should be given a chance to do some kind of seva and encouraged to participate as much as they can.

For example:

1. Trash – One child should sweep. 2. Mopping – One child should do. 3. Seat (aasan) – One child should prepare. 4. Shri Thakorji – One child should prepare and set up murti. 5. Flower garland (pushpa) – One child should set up. 6. Divo – One child should do. 7. Incense (aggarbatti) – One child should prepare. 8. Aarti – One child should prepare. 9. Thal – One child should prepare. 10. Reading stories – One child should do. 11. Prasad – One child should give. 12. Attendance – One child should take.

Eventually, every child in the sabha, one by one, should be given a responsibility.

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

NILKANTH MAHARAJ’S TRAVELS From Ayodhya to Loj

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER || Swami Shriji ||

NILKANTH MAHARAJ’S TRAVELS Ayodhya (start) From Ayodhya to Loj Saryu River Bansi LodeshwarMahadev and Naimisharanya LakshmanMandir in Tapovan Haridwar, Ganga River Shripur Rishikesh Kedarnath Badrinath Manasarovar Lake Badrinath Punjab Ayodhya Towards Nepal Vanshipur Pulhashram Pokhra Kathmandu Across Bangladesh Sirpur Navlakh Mountain and Sundarvan JagannathPuri Kanchipuram SetubandhRameshwar Srirangkshetra Devipattan Bhutpuri Kanyakumari Melukote Gujarat Surat&Tapi River AshwinikumarGhat Pimpali Tavare (Kapileshwar Mandir, Narmada River) BawapyaraGhat at Shuklatirth Ambali and Ansuya Chanod Karnali Dabhoi Vasai Vadodara Navli Anand Dakor Vartal Bochasan Budhej Gorad Dhanka Vadgam Dholera Kukad village in Bhavnagar district Dihor Lakadiya Bholonath Piparla Gopnath Mahuva Guptaprayag Lodhva PrabhasPatan, Bhalka Pond Junagadh, climbed Girnar Mountain Piplana Madhada Mangrol Loj (end)

USA YOUTH SABHA NILKANTHILKANTH MAHARAJ SEMESTER