SHIKSHAPATRI THE SUM AND SUBSTANCE OF ALL THE SCRIPTURES Written by Lord Swaminarayan Inspirer Shastri Swami Shri Ghanshyamprakashdasji Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul Kandari SHIKSHAPATRI THE SUM AND SUBSTANCE OF ALL THE SCRIPTURES 1st Edition: January 2003, Copies PRICE: © Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul Kandari No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written consent of the publisher INTRODUCTION Shikshapatri is the only divine gospel written by God Himself, unlike most of the gospels which appeared at various stage of hum an evolution. Shikshapatri is originally written in Sanskrit, the language of gods, on Maha Sud Panchami ( Vasant Panchami ) of Samvat year 1882 (1826 AD). Shikshapatri is written in such a simple style that it can be understood easily even by a layma n. Shikshapatri is the essence of all scriptures written so far. Shikshapatri shows the way of life, which any person of any reasonable age, living in any country, holding any faith or belief, literate, or illiterate, having any vocation or activity; can easily follow. Shikshapatri has the shortest but the most logical definition of Religion which was for the past, which is for the present and which will be for the future in all parts of the world and at all times. Religion in the west is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature and purpose of the universe especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies usually involving devotional and ritual observances and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. This is a jumble of definitions of theosophy, philosophy, cosmology, metaphysics, evolution and ethics. Shikshapatri gives the most scientific and logical definition of Religion as the right conduct. In any logical definition we must have a generic term because conduct can be right or wrong, good, or bad. So Religion is right or good conduct, because right conduct is the root of ideal life. Holding certain ideas, beliefs, concepts, fads and complexes means, holding abstract notions. Religion has to be concretized idealism based on right, good, constructive, positive and scientific thinking. Behavior is the integral part of human personality. Its ones actions and reactions under specified circumstances. Even the psychological school of behavior is developed. But all modern psychology studies human behavior which, when repeated, becomes a habit and when crystallized, becomes the nature of man. Shikshapatri has the most logical classification of the teachings of our Lord. It starts with the code to be followed by all. Then there is code for religious heads followed by the code for house-holders, code for government officers, code for married women and widows, general code for all females, code for Brahmacharies (celibates) and code for saints etc. Shikshapatri thus lays down commandments which can lead to ideal physical and mental development, can keep a person away from all the evils corroding the whole humanity. Shikshapatri was studied before 200 years by British officers including Sir John Malcolm, the collector of Gujarat and who became the Governor of Western India later on. He admired it greatly for its content and which is now preserved in the library of Oxford University. This scene of presentation of this Holy Scripture is painted or sculptured in side the dome of many Swaminarayan Temple. Shastri Swami Suvratvallabhdasji Gurukul Kandari SHIKSHAPATRI 1) I, Sahajanand Swami, meditate in my heart upon Lord Shri Krihsna, on whose left stands Radhikaji, on whose heart stands Laxmiji, and who plays with His Bhaktas (devotees) in Vrindavan. 2) I, Sahajanand Swami, write this Shikshapatri from Vadtal to all my followers, residing in various parts of country. 3) I have adopted Ayodhyaprasadji and Raghuvirji, the sons of my brothers, Rampratapji, and Ichharamji, born of Shri Dharmadev and established them as the Acharyas of my Sampraday (sect) 4) All Naishtic Brahmacharis, (celibates) Mukundanand and others and all house-holders, Mayaram Bhatt and others, all who have become My followers. 5) All females, married and widows and all sadhus, muktanand and others all who have become my followers. 6) All those mentioned above, shall accept My Divine Blessings, which protect their Dharmas, which carry with them the memory of ShrimanNarayan and which are authorized by the scriptures. 7) All the above shall contemplate deeply in their mind upon My purpose in writing this Shikshapatri, which is to guarantee ultimate excellence for all living beings. 8) All those who follow the rules of good conduct as prescribed by the Shastras such as Shrimad Bhagavat, shall indeed attain happiness both in this world and the world beyond. 9) And all those who ignore them and behave according to their own whims are indeed evil- minded and shall without doubt meet with great miseries in this life and the life beyond. 10) Therefore, you all, My followers, shall always follow the doctrine of this Shikshapatri with caution and with love and sincerity. 11) My followers shall never kill any living creatures under any circumstances, nor shall they kill even the smallest insects such as lice, bugs, etc. 12) My followers shall never kill goats or other living creature for offering as a sacrifice to deities or ancestors, because non-violence is declared as the highest Dharma by all the Shastras. 13) None shall ever kill a human being for obtaining woman, wealth or even sovereignty. 14) None shall ever commit suicide even in a place of pilgrimage or through anger or on account of some problematic action by taking poison or by hanging or by falling into a well or from a hill-top or by any other means. 15) None shall ever eat meat, even if it be an offering in sacrifice or shall never drink liquor or wine even if it be offered to a deity. 16) When some unpleasant action is committed either by one self or by others, none shall through anger cut or injure ones body or body of other persons by means of any king of weapon. 17) None shall ever commit theft, even for the sake of performing an act of Dharma. Even items such as firewood, flowers, etc. owned by others shall never be taken without their permission. 18) All My followers, males and females, shall never perform adultery or gambling and such other bad habits nor shall eat or drink intoxicants like hemp, opium, etc. 19) One shall not take food or water from someone whom one is not to under the restraints of the cast system, even if it is the Prasad from the offering of Lord Krishna, except as Jagannathpuri. 20) No one shall bring false accusations against anyone, even for the sake of achieving some self interest or shall utter indecent words to others. 21) None shall ever speak or hear ill of deities, places of pilgrimage, Brahmins, chaste women, Saints and the Vedas. 22) None shall ever accept Prasad of a deity to whom offerings of meat and liquor-wine or offerings mixed with meat and liquor-wine are offered and before whom goats or other living beings are sacrificed. 23) When My followers, on their way, come across temples of Shiva and other deities they shall bow down to them and have their darshan respectfully. 24) None shall abandon ones own Dharma as ordained by ones own Varna (class) and Ashram; nor shall one practice a course of conduct prescribed for others or follow a faith which is pretentious and fictitious. 25) No one shall ever hear religious discourses or philosophical talks from a person whose words are likely to lead one astray from the path of devotion to Lord Shri Krishna or from the path of ones own Dharma. 26) None shall speak even truth which is likely to cause fatal misery to one self or to others, and shall avoid company of ungrateful persons or shall never accept illegal gratification from anybody. 27) No one shall ever associate with a thief, a sinner, an addict, a hypocrite, a debauch, and a dishonest person. 28) No one shall also associate with persons, who under the garb of Bhakti (devotion) and Jnan (knowledge) indulge in committing sins, themselves being after women, wealth and attachments objects of worldly pleasures, delicious dishes etc. 29) None shall ever hear or believe in the Scriptures which cleverly refute Lord Shri Krishna and His incarnations. 30) None shall ever drink water, milk, or edible oils, etc. unfiltered, nor shall use water containing many insects for purposes of bath, etc. 31) None shall ever take medicines which are mixed with meat or liquor-wine or with both; or take medicines given by a physician whose antecedents are not known. 32) One shall never pass urine or answer call of nature or even spit, in places, prohibited for such use, by people and by the scriptures (i.e. roads, trees, bank of river of pond, garden etc.) 33) No one shall enter in or go out through a door, not meant for the purpose or camp in a private place without the permission of its landlord. 34) Male followers shall not hear religious or philosophical discourses from females nor shall they enter into arguments with them or with a king or with his men. 35) None shall insult ones Guru, a very great person, person highly placed in society, a scholarly man and a man with arms. 36) One shall never act under sudden impulse in hurriedness, but an act pertaining to Dharma shall be done at once. One shall instruct knowledge, acquired by oneself, to others and shall always associate with saintly persons.