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i Akshar-Purushottam Upãsanã As Revealed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan ii Akshar-Purushottam Upãsanã iii A Textbook of the Satsang Examination Series: 16 Akshar-Purushottam Upãsanã As Revealed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan Gujarati Kishorbhai M. Dave Translation Ramanbhai Bhatt SWAMINARAYAN AKSHARPITH Ahmedabad iv Akshar-Purushottam Upãsanã Akshar Purushottam Upãsanã As Revealed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan A textbook for the Satsang Examinations curriculum set by Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Inspirer: HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj Previous Editions: 1995, 1996 3rd Edition: January 2011 3rd Edition, 1st Reprint: May 2012 Copies: 5,000 (Total:11,000) Price: ` 40/- (Reduced from ` 45/- by courtesy of Swaminarayan Aksharpith) ISBN: 978-81-7526-432-8 Copyright: © Swaminarayan Aksharpith All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for brief quotations embodied in reviews and articles. Published & Printed by Swaminarayan Aksharpith Shahibaug Road, Ahmedabad-4 Gujarat, India. Website: www.baps.org Contents v CONTENTS Introduction ........................................................................................ ix 1. UPÃSANÃ .......................................................................... 1 1.1 Importance of Upãsanã ............................................................... 2 1.2 What is Upãsanã? ....................................................................... 3 2. KARTÃ ............................................................................... 4 2.1 How Is God Kartã?...................................................................... 4 2.2 Shriji Maharaj: The All-doer ....................................................... 5 2.3 Necessity of Knowing God as the All-doer .................................. 7 3. SÃKÃR ............................................................................... 9 3.1 Liking for Sãkãr......................................................................... 9 3.2 Disadvantages of Understanding God as Nirãkãr .................... 11 3.3 Origin of the Understanding of God as Nirãkãr ....................... 13 3.4 How Is God Sãkãr? ................................................................. 15 3.5 God with a Form as Well as All-Pervasive ................................ 17 3.6 God as Sãkãr in Akshardhãm and on Earth ............................. 19 3.7 Divyabhãv – Divine Attributes ................................................. 21 3.8 Necessity of Understanding Divyabhãv ................................... 24 3.9 Disadvantages of Perceiving Manushyabhãv in God and His Sadhu 3.10 Omniscience ............................................................................ 31 4. SARVOPARI ..................................................................... 33 4.1 Necessity of Faith in Divine Supremacy ................................... 33 4.2 Akshardhãm: The Highest Abode; Shriji Maharaj: The Supreme .................................................. 35 4.3 Shriji Maharaj: The Supreme .................................................. 39 vi Akshar-Purushottam Upãsanã 4.3.1 In His Own Words ......................................................... 39 4.3.2 As Expressed in Swãmini Vãto ....................................... 41 4.3.3 In the Words of the Paramhansas .................................. 45 4.4 Cosmic Evolution .................................................................... 49 4.5 Parabrahman Purushottam Nãrãyan: One and Unique .......... 53 4.6 Well-known incidents ............................................................. 54 4.6.1 Shriji Maharaj’s Supremacy: As Understood from His Incidents ................................. 54 4.6.2 Shriji Maharaj’s Supremacy: As Explained by Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami ........................... 63 4.7 Questions Regarding Supremacy ............................................. 65 4.8 Above All but Respect for All .................................................. 72 PRAGAT .............................................................................. 75 5.1 Meaning of Pragat? How? ....................................................... 75 5.2 True Knowledge Is Recognizing the Pragat Form of God ........ 78 5.3 The Importance of Devotion to the Pragat Form of God.......... 80 5.4 Pragat Bhakti: The Pathway to Peace ...................................... 83 5.5 Liberation Through the Pragat Form of God or His Sadhu ...... 84 5.6 Deficiencies Resulting from Not Realizing the Pragat Form of God ........................................................... 89 5.7 The Pragat Form of God After Shriji Maharaj’s Return to Akshardhãm ............................................................ 93 5.8 Only One Pragat Form of Shriji Maharaj ................................. 96 5.9 Characteristics of the Gunãtit Sadhu ....................................... 99 5.10 Glory of the Gunãtit Sadhu ................................................... 103 5.10.1 Glory of the Gunãtit Sadhu: In the Words of Bhagwan Swaminarayan ............................................ 103 5.10.2 Glory of the Gunãtit Sadhu: In the Words of Gunatitanand Swami ........................ 106 5.10.3 Glory of the Gunãtit Sadhu: In the Bhajans of the Paramhansas ............................ 107 5.10.4 Glory of the Gunãtit Sadhu: In the Bhajans of Well-Known Devotee-Poets ............ 110 Contents vii 5.10.5 Glory of the Gunãtit Sadhu: In Other Shastras ........... 112 5.11 The Gunãtit Sadhu: The Pragat Form of God Yet a Loyal Servant ........................ 112 AKSHARBRAHMAN ........................................................... 115 6.1 Becoming Aksharrup and Offering Upãsanã to Purushottam with Swami-Sevak Bhãv ................ 116 6.2 The Need to Become Brahmarup .......................................... 118 6.2.1 For the Privilege of Worshipping Purushottam ............ 118 6.2.2 For Unhindered Devotion ............................................ 119 6.2.3 For Ultimate Liberation ............................................... 120 6.3 The Necessity of Aksharbrahman on the Path of Liberation .................................................................. 121 6.3.1 To Become Brahmarup ................................................ 121 6.3.2 To Know Parabrahman as He Is ................................... 121 6.4 The Infinite Glory of Aksharbrahman ................................... 124 6.5 The Form of Aksharbrahman ................................................. 125 6.6 The Forms of Aksharbrahman ............................................... 125 6.7 Aksharbrahman ..................................................................... 126 6.7.1 As Satchidãnand Chidãkãsh Radiance ......................... 126 6.7.2 As the Divine Abode .................................................... 127 6.7.3 As Divine, Personal and Sãkãr ..................................... 128 6.7.4 As the Param Ekãntik Satpurush ................................. 129 6.8 One and Unique .................................................................... 130 6.9 Relationship Between Akshar and Purushottam .................... 131 6.10 What Is Meant by Brahman Merging into Parabrahman? ............................................................... 133 6.11 Divine Qualities of Aksharbrahman....................................... 134 6.12 Akshar-Purushottam Upãsanã ............................................... 134 6.13 Glory of Equal Service and Bhakti to Akshar and Purushottam ....................................................... 135 6.13 Gunatitanand Swami Is Mul Akshar: How? ......................... 137 6.13.1 Gunatitanand Swami Is Akshar: Scriptural Evidence .................................................... 138 viii Akshar-Purushottam Upãsanã 6.13.2 Gunatitanand Swami Is Akshar: In the Words of Shriji Maharaj ................................... 140 6.13.3 Gunatitanand Swami’s Unique Glory: As Described by Shriji Maharaj ................................. 144 6.13.4 Gunatitanand Swami Is Akshar: In the Words of Gunatitanand Swami ........................ 147 6.13.5 Gunatitanand Swami Is Akshar: As Revealed in Swãmini Vãto ..................................... 150 6.13.6 Gunatitanand Swami’s Unique Glory: As Described in Swãmini Vãto ................................... 151 6.13.7 Gunatitanand Swami Is Akshar: In the Words of Gopãlanand Swami .......................... 152 6.13.8 Gunatitanand Swami’s Unique Glory: As Described by Gopãlanand Swami ......................... 154 6.13.9 Gunatitanand Swami Is Akshar: In the Words of the Paramhansas .............................. 156 6.13.10 Gunatitanand Swami’s Unique Glory: As Described by the Paramhansas ............................. 157 6.13.11 Gunatitanand Swami Is Akshar: Other Evidences .... 160 6.13.12 Gunatitanand Swami Is Akshar: From His Life and Work ............................................... 163 SUMMARY ......................................................................... 168 7.1 Upãsanã: What to Understand .............................................. 168 7.2 Upãsanã: What Not to Understand ....................................... 174 APPENDIX ......................................................................... 176 GLOSSARY ........................................................................ 191 INDEX ............................................................................... 206 Introduction ix INTRODUCTION He was a spiritual colossus who walked the
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    SWAMINARAYAN AND ETHICS; A RELIGIOHISTORICAL STUDY by DAVRAJ KAMAL submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the subject RELIGIOUS STUDIES at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR C DU P LE ROUX NOVEMBER 1994 SUMMARY As part of the Phenomenological Method used in this dissertation, the research work applied the hermeneutical concepts of bhakti, karma and moksha. Focus was on the role played by the guru, the sadhus and devotees of the Swaminarayan Movement and how they related t~ their religious, ethical and social obligations. Their responses to ethical scriptures were evaluated, especially with a view to determining the extent to which ethical injunctions permeates, enhances, uplifts and shapes the adherents spiritually,morally and socially. Swaminarayan ethics was also placed within the context of Classical Hindu Texts and in particular, the work of Ramanuja and his Vishistadvaita philosophy. Further, it has been observed that the quest for the Ultimate Reality (Purushottam) is through their relationship with Akshar, Guru Pramukh Swami, the model of ethical excellence whose charisma binds the fibre of the Movement and his role serves both the ethical and transcendental plane of the Movement. TITLE OF DISSERTATION: SWAMINARA Y AN AND ETHICS; A RELIGIOHISTORICAL STUDY KEY TERMS: SAMPRADAYA; AKSHAR; PURUSHOTTAM; DHARMA; BHAKTI; MOKSHA; KARMA; SADHU; JNAN; VAIRAGYA; VISISHTHADVAITA; ATMAN-BRAHMAN; VARNASIIRAMA; ASIIRAMA. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are a number of people without whom the completion of this dissertation would not have been possible. Firstly, I wish to thank Sagie and Vino Moodley fo~ typing the dissertation with efficiency and pride. I am also immensely grateful to Pranesh Sewpershad and Ray Naguran for assisting with the correction of errors.
  • R.D NSPC, TPG, PK About the Author Dr

    R.D NSPC, TPG, PK About the Author Dr

    R.D NSPC, TPG, PK About the Author Dr. Hiro Badlani practiced ophthalmology for 40 years in Mumbai, India. After re tiring, he moved to the U.S. to join his children. Dr. Badlani has dedicated the last decade, what he calls the second inning of his life, to the "Hinduism: Path of the Ancient Wisdom" Dr. Hiro Badlani, retired ophthalmologist from Mumbai, presently settled in U.S. A., worked passionately for over ten years, and wrote this volume after meticulous research . In nearly 400 pages, divided in 65 small easy to read chapters, in lucid narrative style, this book has been acclaimed as mini-encyclopedia of Hinduism, covering all the aspects from i ts very origin till the modern period. The highlight of the book is that it is completel y non-dogmatic and non-fundamental in its approach. Graciously blessed on behalf of H.H. Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Swaminarayan Sanstha, with an inspiring message from H.H.Swami Hari Dass from Mount Maddona, California, and crowned with the American publishers coveted Editor Choice Award, the book is presented in excellent state-of-the-art printing standard. The book emph asizes the essential unity and homogeneity of all the religions; spiritual teachings form t he core of the book. Without the spiritual teachings what other role any religions has to play?, says the author. Engaging with this book will not only educate you, but imbue you with personal p eace and happiness, becoming an experience both elegant and empowering. Dedicated especia lly to the Hindu Youth Diaspora, now living in many countries around the globe, to acqu aint them of their glorious ancient culture, the book will appeal to anyone who is interes ted in knowing the philosophy and teachings of Hinduism, the oldest living faith of the world today.