CHARNARVIND DHYAN CHARNARVIND DHYAN An explanatory treatise on holy Lotus-feet marks of FIRST EDITION Shri Hari August, 2014 based on sacred text CHINHA CHINTAMANI COPIES by 2,000 Nishkulanand Swami PRICE ` 50/- TRANSLATION Prof. Madhusudan Vyas PRINTER Kavya Printers Amdavad PUBLISHED BY Shri Swaminarayan Bhagwan Kala Kendra Trust Inspiration Jnan Baug, Vadtal, Ta. Nadiad, Dist. Kheda Kanji Bhagat Gujarat, India - 387 375 Jnan Baug, Vadtal. www.harismruti.com of Lord Swaminarayan. By this connection with the lotus-feet the Master-servant bondage is consolidated, and that is the essence of all sacred scriptures. The person who realizes the deep meanings of the marks on the lotus-feet of Lord Swaminarayan, is considered as a sensible person. He gets all types of happiness. When he leaves his material body, his soul ascends to the PREFACE level of Brahman-hood and there is no doubt that he rises up to enter in the service divine of Lord Ahstang Yoga is a wholesome tool Swaminarayan. with limitless modes, In this booklet we have included the significant To contemplate Feet of Shri Hari, description of the sacred marks on the lotus-feet is the advice for all. of Lord Swaminarayan. This description is based By coveting the Feet of Shri Hari, on "CHIHNA CHINTAMANI" an inspiring volume Sensible seeker can get boundless happiness. written by Nishkulanand Swami. We hope that After leaving the body, the reading, remembering, reiteration and doubtlessly attains Brahman-hood. contemplation of the contents of this booklet will inspire spontaneous, unconditional love for the - Premanand Swami idol of Lord Swaminarayan. After completing the practice of Ashtang Yoga (eight-fold yoga) penance and sacred deeds, Jnan Baug - Vadtal there remains live connection with the lotus feet Charnarvind Dhyan redeemed souls with supreme gaiety in that eternal Akshardham. How is Lord Swaminarayan Who is worshipped by us with profound devotion? And what is His grandiose? If these matters become clear before practising His devotion, that devotion will be very strengthening for our souls. In the evening prayer Premanand Swami says – we should humbly pray God, “O Lord Swaminarayan! || CHARNARVIND DHYAN || Let me attain Your absolute devotion coupled with the divine knowledge of Your grandiose.” The idol of Lord Swaminarayan is coupled with welfare-causing CONTEMPLATING HIS DIVINE FOOT-SOLES qualities, but the same welfare lies in His lotus-feet also. There are sixteen holy marks on His lotus foot- soles. The devotee who contemplates them attains supreme peace. As the feet of Shri Hari are welfare- I bow my head to touch the dust of Lord causing the Nand saints have composed various Sahajanand's feet where reside all pilgrim-spots, an Mangalacharans (auspicious beginning prayers) at auspicious abode which fulfil all desires and destroys the beginning of their scriptures; and many of these all inauspicious matters. The same holy dust is always Mangalacharanas begin with the appreciation of adoringly put on their heads by Brahma etc. gods and Charanraj (the holy dust of feet). Here are a few of Munis, and is being prayed extensively by them as given under : Sheshnarayan with thousand faces, in the company of Shuka, Sharada and Narad. It spreads imperishable I bow to the moon-nailed feet of Lord Sahajanand radiance which can match innumerable crore of suns Good and peerless heart-scient, Sahajanand Swami, and moons. That is the super dust of feet which is Holding the dust of His feet on my head, collectively adored and worshipped by crore of While holding Shri Ghanashyam in my heart” 5 6 Charnarvind Dhyan Charnarvind Dhyan Muktanand Swami too, writes in Arati : such competent Lord of Premanand Swami, so now I fold my hands to bow to Your lotus-feet my mind will not go anywhere else except His lotus- All pains are destroyed as I put my head at Your feet. feet. If devotion is offered to Lord Swaminarayan with Jay Sadguru Swami such intense and firm faith, that devotion will bring In this way the lotus-feet of Shri Hari and the great happiness to us. dust of His feet are frequently referred to by the Nand The contemplation of Lord Swaminarayan's saints. In the above Mangalacharan lines explaining lotus-feet is the best means which confirms the the importance of the lotus-feet and the dust of the servant-master feeling and confirms the maturity of feet of Shri Hari, Premanand Swami says that the soul our goal. of the person who comes in relation with the dust of Therefore every follower in the Holy Fellowship the feet of Shri Hari becomes the residence of all sings Swami Premananda's lyric on contemplation of pilgrim spots. The lotus-feet of Shri Hari are the lotus-feet. There are eight numbers of lyrics, source of all pervasive welfare and are the destroyer describing every limb of Lord Swaminarayan, but it of inauspicious matters fulfils the noble desires of all starts with the prayer of lotus-feet. the followers. Deities like Brahma etc. put the dust of This lyric is being sung everyday in every temple His feet on their heads every day. The praise of Lord and every Satsangi's residence. But we find some Sahajanand Swami is being sung in the abodes of awkwardness in the speed of singing and the feelings deities also. while singing it. While singing the feeling is to finish it speedily and mechanically. But in reality we should With extreme pleasure countless crores of remember each mark while singing and understand liberated souls worship the feet of Lord Shri the importance of each mark. The contemplation of Swaminarayan in the imperishable abode - these marks controls the rushing force of internal Akshardham which is radiant with the light similar to enemies. For this reason we will try to understand the the light of crores of suns and moons. Supreme Lord implied meaning of all the marks. So we should Shri Swaminarayan, the Supreme Purusha, the cultivate the feeling and the method of singing resident of the imperishable abode is the inspirer and appropriate to the lyric. controller of Kaal and Maya. I have been able to attain Premanand Swami says : 7 8 Charnarvind Dhyan Charnarvind Dhyan Come closer, Oh Shyam, my love, my heart, The left foot of Shree Bhagwan, Allow me a closer look of Your majestic mien; Has these seven holy marks: I shall carefully imprint, The Triangle, the Pitcher and the holy cow-foot, That vision in my soul. 1 The Bow, the Fish, the Half-Moon, Your lovely limbs have marks divine, And the Sky with auspicious stars. 8 In my mind I lovingly cherish; The lucky devotee who sees, Those auspicious marks, These holy marks will win the love; from Your crown to toe. 2 Of our Lord Who also bears, Your feet are like the lotus pink, A special mark on the right toe-nail. 9 that dances in the Sun; And the black beauty spot, I shall hold those feet, On His big toe’s upper side, Always in my memory. 3 Says Premanand the poet that; And I shall in prayer recall, He would stake his life to win, All those sixteen marks; The love of this Lord Divine. 10 Between the big toe and the second, The devotee-cum-poet who has composed this In Your right foot, my Lord. 4 lyric addresses the Lord as Vhala (dear to me) at the Runs that long auspicious line, end of every line. It suggests that this lyric should be Right to Your lustrous heel; sung comprehended and realized in the heart with Dear to Your devotees, perfect adoration for Lord Swaminarayan. Any Enumerating all these marks. 5 connection with God through this lyric is not possible Keeps mind pure and free from the thrall, without emotional bondage. The Swami has used Of base lust and dreams; such words in the lyric which would necessitate The Octagon and the long auspicious Line, proper emotional state of mind which is essential for The Swastik, the Blue fruit, the Barley-grain. 6 proper contemplation. The Thunder-bolt and the elephant goad, The divine flag and the lustrous lotus, “With extreme care I will thread words (like These nine are the marks divine, flowers) into my soul.” Of course to make a garland, On the right right foot of the Lord. 7 the word extreme care includes carefulness and 9 10 Charnarvind Dhyan Charnarvind Dhyan alertness. “Let me thread them into my soul” means it of Shri Hari was cremated and there he extended the suggests concentration and awareness of mind. So services with his material body; and there he adorably this lyric should be read out or sung with extreme placed the lotus-feet of Shri Hari engraved by care, concentration and awareness of mind. Nishkulanand Swami. Swami saw the marks with his Further, my mental inclination runs to the eyes, engraved them on black stone and also contemplation of the holy marks. The singing of this composed a small volume on it which is entitled as holy lyric should not be a compulsory exercise given CHINHA CHINTAMANI, in which a brief but accurate as homework to a school-going child; but it should be definition of the marks along with their description believed that my mind has been motivated and my has been given. Let us try to understand the same . liking and curiosity are hungry of contemplation. If with this type of sentiment the lyric is sung, the contemplation of lotus feet would become easy and natural. This is all about the status of mind while singing the lyric. But what is the significance of each mark on Shri Hari's feet (sole) and how does each inspire – this has been explicitly explained by Nishkulanand Swami in his holy lyric CHINHA CHINTAMANI.