Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study)

by Sadhu Gyanananddas | 2021 | 123,778 words

This page relates ‘Unique Prayer’ of the study on the Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam in Light of Swaminarayan Vachanamrut (Vacanamrita). His 18th-century teachings belong to Vedanta philosophy and were compiled as the Vacanamrita, revolving around the five ontological entities of Jiva, Ishvara, Maya, Aksharabrahman, and Parabrahman. Roughly 200 years later, Bhadreshdas composed a commentary (Bhasya) correlating the principles of Vachanamrut.

4.3. Unique Prayer

< Previous

Next >

[Full title: Bhagavān Svāminārāyaṇa and His Tradition (3): Unique Prayer]

Svāmī then prayed to Rāmānanda Svāmī for two unique boons, which remain unequaled in the history of the Guru-disciple relationship:

“If your disciple is destined to suffer the distress inflicted by the sting of one scorpion, may the distress of millions and millions of scorpion stings befall each and every pore of my body; but no pain should afflict your disciple, may that begging bowl come to Me; but on no account should your disciple suffer for want of food or clothing.”

Rāmānanda Svāmī granted the two boons.^[1]

Sahajānanda Svāmī then gave the followers the Svāminārāyaṇa mantra to chant.^[2] Henceforth, He became known as Svāminārāyaṇa. The devotees and sādhus lovingly addressed Him as Śrījī Mahārāja or Mahārāja. As soon as people chanted this mantra, they attained a trance-like state called samādhī, usually only possible after mastering the eight steps of aṣṭāṅga-yoga. However, here, by Śrījī Mahārāja’s grace, people had a vision of their personal deities or incarnations. Countless were thus attracted to the fold.^[3] Initially, Śrījī Mahārāja established alms-houses for the needy. His Paramahaṃsa dug wells and ponds in many towns and villages where there was a constant shortage of water. He knew that only if the fundamental needs of the people for food and water were met would they begin to think of higher ideals of morality, character, and devotion to God. He also persuaded them to forsake adharma, such as female infanticide and sati.^[4]