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68-595: Shastriji Maharaj (31 January 1865 – 10 May 1951), born Dungar Patel and ordained Shastri Yagnapurushdas, was a swami of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya and founder of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). Several branches accept him as the third spiritual successor of Swaminarayan in the lineage of Aksharbrahma Gurus through whom Swaminarayan manifests, which began with Gunatitanand Swami . Born in

136-692: A family of farmers in central Gujarat , India, he became a swami within the Vadtal diocese of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya at the age of 17 where he was given the name Yagnapurushdas Swami. The prefix Shastri was later added in recognition of his eminent scholarship in Sanskrit and the Hindu scriptures. He established BAPS after a doctrinal split from the Vadtal diocese of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. Shastriji Maharaj

204-409: A head on 8 November 1905, when several swamis of the Vadtal diocese attempted to murder Shastri Yagnapurushdas by administering poison. The following day, another attempt was made on his life. Despite the danger to his life, Shastriji Maharaj was reluctant to separate from the Vadtal diocese. Instead he decided to go on a preaching tour to nearby villages, thereby putting some distance between himself and

272-941: A large festival was held in Surat and prominent swamis and devotees, including Bhagatji Maharaj , came to celebrate the occasion. During the evening discourse, Shastri Yagnapurushdas wondered how Bhagatji Maharaj, a tailor by profession, could simultaneously stitch and speak with such profound spirituality. Bhagatji Maharaj answered Yagnapurushdas' unasked question by saying, "A man of true knowledge has countless eyes and can see from anywhere." Intrigued by this experience, Shastri Yagnapurushdas began spending increasing amounts of time listening to Bhagatji Maharaj's discourses, eventually accepting him as his guru. Once, Bhagatji Maharaj explained that only after understanding Swami Gunatitanand as Akshar and Shriji Maharaj as Narayan could one be said to have complete faith in Swaminarayan. Shastri Yagnapurushdas

340-527: A manifestation of Purushottam) and Gunatitanand Swami (as a manifestation of Akshar) in the central shrines of major mandirs in the towns of Bochasan , Sarangpur , Atladara (now an area of Vadodara ), Gondal , and Gadhada in Gujarat, India. In the early 1950s, having successfully laid the foundations of BAPS, he appointed Pramukh Swami Maharaj as its administrative head to serve under Yogiji Maharaj , whom he appointed as his spiritual successor. Dungar Patel

408-437: A part of the Vadtal diocese. Shastri Yagnapurushdas's opponents had convened this meeting to transform his departure from the Vadtal mandir into an official excommunication from the Vadtal diocese. However, his supporters asserted that their order of expulsion was morally illegitimate and legally invalid. They argued that the expulsion was illegitimate as the meeting was held under the leadership of Acharya Lakshmiprasadji, who only

476-500: A peaceful devotional tradition, one that idealizes gestures that directly serve Bhagwan and Guru." Shastriji Maharaj played an integral part in laying the foundation for the establishment of BAPS overseas through discourses and communication with devotees in Africa. In one such letter, Shastriji Maharaj emphasized his adherence to truth by stating a verse in the Gita-"Nasatyat Param Papam", Untruth

544-445: A result of this association, these swamis were demoted from their monastic status and forced to wear the white robes of the initiate. As relations improved, however, the swamis were readmitted soon after. As Bhagatji Maharaj advanced in age, he appointed Shastri Yagnapurushdas, later known as Shastriji Maharaj, as his spiritual successor. In November 1898, Bhagatji Maharaj developed a serious illness and stopped consuming food. On

612-404: A satsangi. When Pragji was ten years old, Acharya Raghuvirji Maharaj and Sadguru Gopalanand Swami visited the nearby village of Pithvadi. Due to his devotional nature, the young Pragji was chosen to perform the welcoming pujan rites of the two eminent spiritual leaders. This initial contact with Gopalanand Swami whetted Pragji's appetite for Satsang and he made a dedicated effort to remain in

680-582: A scholar par-excellence. After this incident, Acharya Viharilalji Maharaj began to take a personal interest in Shastri Yagnapurushdas's studies, once confiding to Bhagatji Maharaj that, "Yagnapurushdas's studies are essential to the advancement of the Sampradaya." Shastri Yagnapurushdas continued to serve under Bhagatji Maharaj and formed a close bond with his guru. After the death of Bhagatji Maharaj on 7 November 1897, Shastri Yagnapurushdas firmly took on

748-493: A select number of devotees. Although he told everyone that he was not splitting with Vadtal, but just going to preach in the villages, his departure gave his detractors the excuse they were looking for, and Shastri Yagnapurushdas was, as Prof. Raymond Williams observes, "expelled from the fellowship by a hastily called meeting of swamis" of the Vadtal diocese. This event marked the beginning of what would become an interminable controversy over Shastri Yagnapurushdas's official status as

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816-408: A senior swami and chief detractor who had earlier vowed to "never see Pragji's face again", became one of Pragji's staunchest defenders and organized his return to the Sampradaya. People within the Sampradaya began to refer to Pragji as Bhagatji due to his devotion and staunch adherence to his Guru's principles even though he had been expelled from the Sampradaya. After nearly three years in exile, he

884-505: A short time later was himself expelled when his immoral activities came to light. Moreover, they asserted that the expulsion was legally invalid since the Chief Administrator of the Vadtal diocese, Gordhanbhai Kothari, had refused to sign the order of expulsion. Without his signature, the order was simply a worthless piece of paper with no legal standing. As the debate raged, Shastriji Maharaj paid it no heed, but continued to preach in

952-563: A significant impact on the future of BAPS occurred on 12 August 1910 when Shastriji Maharaj met his eventual spiritual successor, Jhina Bhagat (Yogiji Maharaj). This meeting in Rajkot ultimately resulted in several swamis from the Vadtal diocese including Yogiji Maharaj and Krishnacharandas Swami, leaving to join Shastriji Maharaj. Shastriji Maharaj continued to nurture the fledgling BAPS organization and facilitated its growth by consecrating

1020-481: A variety of ways. These tests always carried an underlying spiritual message and would usually end in an apothegm from Pragji that was indicative of his superior understanding of Gunatitanand Swami's teachings. For instance, when Gunatitanand Swami bestowed upon him a boon to attain wealth, Pragji responded that there was no happiness to be derived from worldly or material pleasures. Through other similar experiences, Gunatitanand Swami slowly revealed to Pragji that he

1088-456: A verse in the Shikshapatri in which Swaminarayan instructs his followers to leave any place where their life is in danger. Krishnaji Ada argued that, in light of the threats to his life in Vadtal, Shastriji Maharaj would be disobeying the commands of Swaminarayan if he did not leave. Unable to deny this argument, Shastriji Maharaj eventually decided to leave the Vadtal temple with five swamis and

1156-730: A young age and an impromptu recital of the Mahabharata to the entire village. He first received formal education at the village school under the tutelage of Gangaram Mehta of Alindra. In addition to this, Dungar often interacted with swamis at the Swaminarayan temple in Mahelav and began studying the Bhagavad Gita and other Hindu scriptures under them. This initial education would be further enhanced under Vignananand Swami an illustrious and eminent swami who had been initiated by Swaminarayan. Dungar initially came into contact with Vignananand Swami during

1224-469: Is a cognate word. This Hinduism-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bhagatji Maharaj Bhagatji Maharaj (20 March 1829 – 7 November 1897), born as Pragji Bhakta, was a householder devotee in the Swaminarayan Sampradaya , a Hindu denomination. He is regarded as the second spiritual successor of Swaminarayan in the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) . Through his discourses he

1292-640: Is best known for passing on the philosophy of the Akshar Purushottam Upasana to his closest disciple, Shastriji Maharaj , who later founded BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in 1907 after leaving the Swaminarayan Sampradaya . His inclusion is the BAPS lineage is remarkable as he was a tailor and was not a saffron-clad swami demonstrating that status does not limit spiritual realization. The extraordinary spiritual service and unflinching devotion towards his guru elevated him to an exalted standing among devotees of

1360-520: Is credited with establishing BAPS on 5 June 1907 CE in Bochasan, Gujarat to propagate the Akshar-Purushottam Upasana (worship of Akshar (guru) and Purushottama (Swaminarayan)), which according to him had been revealed by Swaminarayan and was passed on to him from his own guru, Bhagatji Maharaj . As staunch proponent of this mode of worship, he consecrated the sacred images of Swaminarayan (as

1428-403: Is master of himself/herself". The term is often attributed to someone who has achieved mastery of a particular yogic system or demonstrated profound devotion ( bhakti ) to one or more Hindu gods . The Oxford English Dictionary gives the etymology as: Hindi svāmī 'master, lord, prince', used by Hindus as a term of respectful address, < Sanskrit svāmin in same senses, also

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1496-471: Is the greatest sin-as one of his important maxims and gave a succinct reasoning for his belief in the Akshar-Purushottam upasana. As a charismatic and determined leader, he "overcame obstructions to land acquisition, temple construction, and the dissemination of his teachings and acquired a loyal and growing group of devotees, admirers, and political supporters, many of whom were formerly associated with

1564-596: The Chaitra festival in 1881 whereupon the Swami impressed Dungar with his spirituality and renunciation of material objects. Having found a suitable senior swami to learn under in Vignananand Swami, Dungar decided to become a swami himself and live a life of devotional service and asceticism. During this period, Dungar immersed himself in devotional service and scriptural study. His meticulousness and dedication to his duties caught

1632-567: The Akshar-Purshottam philosophy by saying, "Gunatitanand Swami - the Jogi of Junagadh - is the incarnation of Akshardham. He is Swaminarayan's divine abode, and Swaminarayan is not even an atom's distance away from him." Gopalanand Swami further declared that if Pragji wished to attain ultimate liberation, he should go to Gunatitanand Swami in Junagadh. Soon after the death of Gopalanand Swami, Pragji

1700-409: The Akshar-Purushottam upasana by him. In the last few years of his life, Shastriji Maharaj took steps to preserve the growth and future of BAPS by registering BAPS as a charitable trust under India's new legal code in 1947. In 1950, he appointed Shastri Narayanswarupdas (Pramukh Swami Maharaj) as the administrative head of the organization and instructed him to work under Yogiji Maharaj who would become

1768-538: The District judge, Mr. J.D Kapadiya ruled in favor of Shastri Yagnapurushdas when he stated, "The laws of natural justice have clearly been broken in these proceedings [of 1906], and I have no hesitation in holding that as far as the law courts are concerned they would not recognize the excommunication of defendant No. 1 [Yagnapurushdas]." Thus, Judge Kapadiya overturned the ruling of the lower court and validated that Shastri Yagnapurushdas had not been legally excommunicated from

1836-475: The Malan River and gave impromptu talks to his friends on the importance of worshipping God. He would often indulge in childish pranks like selling an ornamental portion of his mother's sari, on one occasion, to feed a group of swamis, that were evidence of his spirited good nature. Pragji was introduced to the Swaminarayan faith when Sadguru Yoganand Swami visited the local Swaminarayan mandir and initiated him as

1904-429: The Sampradaya by discoursing and providing material assistance in the form of grains that he had collected. However, it is argued that this was not the case and he was not reinstated at all and evidence also suggest otherwise. Throughout this episode, Pragji held no ill will towards those who had engendered his excommunication. Touched by Pragji's saintly response to his unwarranted excommunication, Pavitranand Swami,

1972-558: The Swaminarayan Sampradaya. Under Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastri Yagnapurushdas also refined his knowledge of the major Hindu scriptures and the Vachanamrut before undergoing periods of tutelage under Tyaganand Brahmachari and undertaking a course on Sanskrit studies under the famous Rangacharya of the Madhva Sampradaya. His powerful intellect and thirst for knowledge had a profound impact on Rangacharya and they become close friends. During

2040-411: The Swaminarayan sect both past and present. Pragji Bhakta was born on 20 March 1829 in the small, bucolic town of Mahuva into a family of tailors. His father was Govindbhai Darji his mother was Malubai Darji. As a young child, Pragji was greatly inclined towards devotion and spirituality and often visited the nearby Laksmi-Narayan mandir (which still stands today) to offer his devotion. He frequented

2108-532: The Vadtal diocese. However, he cited an affidavit from Shastri Yagnapurushdas to rule that he had succeeded from the Vadtal diocese, and was now the head of an organization independent of "the holders of the Vadatal[sic] or Ahmedabad Gadi. Ultimately, the judge ruled that BAPS swamis did not have the right to stay or preach in the Swaminarayan Sampradaya and he restrained Shastri Yagnapurushdas from sending his swamis to that temple." An important meeting that would have

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2176-478: The administrative duties of Surat mandir with a view of initiating him as a swami at the earliest opportunity. Dungar was initiated as a Swaminarayan swami on 29 November 1882 in Vadtal by Acharya Viharilalji Maharaj, the head of the Vadtal diocese of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya . He was given the name Yagnapurushdas Swami. After his initiation, Shastri Yagnapurushdas resumed his duties as administrator of Surat mandir and continued to serve under Vignanand Swami. Soon,

2244-525: The approval of some villagers but against the wishes of the trustee" Consequently, the Acharya of Vadtal filed a lawsuit aiming to prohibit swamis of the Akshar-Purushottam Sanstha from using properties belonging to the Vadtal diocese on the grounds that they had been officially excommunicated. Although a local judge upheld the legality of Shastri Yagnapurushdas' expulsion, the verdict was appealed and

2312-546: The attention of Acharya Viharilalji Maharaj (the Acharya of the Vadtal diocese) and Gordhanbhai Kothari (Chief Administrator of the Vadtal diocese), both of whom shared a love and admiration for Dungar that would persist despite the doctrinal differences that would later emerge. Dungar continued to excel in his studies of the Sarasvat and other Sanskrit texts. He was also very adept in temple management. Taking note of this, Vignananand Swami entrusted him, while still in his teens, with

2380-452: The case of Gandhi, Shastri Yagnapurusdas blessed the efforts of the Mahatma during a meeting that took place at the time of the 1930 Dandi Salt March . Notable devotees of Shastriji Maharaj included Gulzarilal Nanda himself and Dolatram Kripashankar Pandya, a member of the Vadtal temple committee and famous Sanskrit scholar who started supporting Shastriji Maharaj after listening to a discourse on

2448-399: The commands of his guru, Pragji raised the funds, and working single-handedly 18 hours a day for 41 days, Pragji accomplished what would have taken ten tailors two months to complete. Gunatitanand Swami often explained that the spiritual knowledge or gnan necessary for liberation could only be understood after a person has "total control over all his senses and body". Pragji assimilated

2516-454: The company of Gopalanand Swami in Vadtal as often as possible. As Pragji's devotion and love for Gopalanand Swami increased, he expressed a wish to be initiated into the swami fold. However, Gopalanand Swami instructed him to remain a householder explaining, "If you attain spiritual knowledge from the swamis, then even while leading the life of a householder you will not be able to forget God and His holy Swami". Thus, Pragji Bhakta demonstrated

2584-534: The concept of Akshar and Purushottam. Bhagatji Maharaj explained that Gunatitanand Swami was the ideal devotee of Swaminarayan and all devotees should aspire to become like him in order to develop firm conviction in Purushottam. Shastri Yagnapurushdas became a staunch proponent of the Akshar-Purushottam Upasana and began spreading this philosophy despite opposition from some members of the Vadtal diocese of

2652-438: The dangerous elements in Vadtal. However, Acharya Lakshmiprasad attempted to spite Shastrji Maharaj for his previous reprimands on the Acharya's immoral liaisons by refusing to grant Shastriji Maharaj permission to leave the temple and preach in the villages. Shastriji Maharaj maintained his reluctance to leave Vadtal. However, Krishnaji Ada, a respected lay leader of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, met with Shastriji Maharaj and quoted

2720-458: The day of annakut , he went to the local mandir and gave a discourse in front of the thousands who had come for his final darshan. Bhagatji Maharaj died on 7 November 1898. Bhagatji Maharaj's life epitomized that liberation was not dependent on caste or social status, but rather on detachment, devotion to God, spiritual realization and the grace of the God-realized guru. He taught renunciants

2788-458: The denomination's teaching that anyone could attain realization of God, even a lower ranked caste householder, since spiritual attainment is determined by devotion, non-attachment, and spiritual understanding and practice. One day, Gopalanand Swami delivered what was at that time a prescient message to Pragji that would lay the foundation for his future discipleship under Gunatitanand Swami. Gopalanand Swami said, "Pragji, You must go to Junagadh. All

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2856-467: The idol or temple of a god. As a direct form of address, or as a stand-in for a swami's name, it is often rendered Swamiji (also Swami-ji or Swami Ji ). In modern Gaudiya Vaishnavism , Swami is also one of the 108 names for a sannyasi given in Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati 's Gaudiya Kanthahara , along with Goswami , also traditionally used as an honorific title. Swami is also

2924-474: The importance of celibacy and of controlling the senses. His central message, however, was that Swaminarayan was the Supreme Being, all-knower, and all-doer, and that Gunatitanand Swami was Akshar, or the divine abode and matchless devotee of Swaminarayan. This message, coupled with the emphasis on living an austere and pure life, resonated with many of his followers. A hallmark of Bhagatji Maharaj's life

2992-468: The knowledge and teachings he received from Gunatitanand Swami into all aspects of his life. Despite being a householder and a tailor by profession, Pragji lived a life of strict austerity and renunciation. His adherence to the tenets of dharma and spirituality not only led to an exalted standing in the Swaminarayan Sampradaya but also strengthened the relationship with his guru. Gunatitanand Swami often tested Pragji's devotion and spiritual understanding in

3060-443: The mantle of propagating the Akshar-Purushottam philosophy. The foundations for the establishment of BAPS were laid in 1905 when a combination of factors caused Shastri Yagnapurushdas to leave the Vadtal temple. The major reason for Shastri Yagnapurushdas' departure was his belief in the doctrine of Akshar-Purushottam , regarding Gunatitanand as "the true spiritual successor of Swaminarayan." His identification of Gunatitanand Swami as

3128-606: The murti-pratishta of the Lakshmi-Vadi mandir in Gadhada, the famous Sanskrit scholar, Shri Mahidhar Shastri challenged members of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya to a debate. Mahidhar Shastri laughed in derision when he saw the young Shastri Yagnapurushdas rising up to confront him. At this point, Rangacharya said, "The virtuous are revered due to their virtue, not their gender or age." Shastri Yangnapurushdas went on to comprehensively defeat Mahidhar Shastri and further enhanced his reputation as

3196-399: The murtis of Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami in four further mandirs in the towns of Sarangpur, Gondal, Atladra and Gadhada. Furthermore, Shastriji Maharaj's captivating discourses and determination enabled BAPS to establish itself in Africa. During this period, Shastriji Maharaj interacted with various Indian freedom fighters such as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Gulzarilal Nanda . In

3264-414: The order of excommunication, but he bluntly refused. Finally, in 1935, an incident in Swaminarayan mandir in the village of Ishnav led to a lawsuit against Shastriji Maharaj by the Acharya of Vadtal that brought the dispute of Shastriji Maharaj's standing in the Vadtal diocese to its "legal conclusion". A group of Shastriji Maharaj's swamis had visited the village of Ishnav and stayed at the local mandir "with

3332-513: The original Vadtal Swaminarayan Sampradaya." Having laid the foundations of BAPS, he secured the spiritual and administrative future of the organization through the appointments of Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj, respectively. Swami The meaning of the Sanskrit root of the word swami is "[he who is] one with his self " ( swa stands for "self"), and can roughly be translated as "he/she who knows and

3400-457: The personal form of Akshar was a paradigm shift that led to "opposition and hostility" from many within the Vadtal diocese. A major incident that exacerbated the hostility was Shastriji Maharaj's stipulation that Acharya Kunjvihariprasadji consecrate the murtis of Akshar (Gunatitanand Swami) and Purushottam (Swaminarayan) in the Vadhwan mandir if Shastriji Maharaj assisted in providing the land for

3468-459: The promises [of attaining spiritual realization] I have made to you will be fulfilled by the Jogi of Junagadh (an allusion to Gunatitanand Swami)." Unable to grasp the significance of this statement, Pragji did not immediately set out for Junagadh. However, when Gopalanand Swami lay on his deathbed, he once again alluded to "keeping his vision towards the Jogi of Junagadh." When Pragji sought clarification, Gopalanand Swami gave Pragji an insight into

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3536-419: The service of Swami". Pragji's talents as a tailor also came to the fore in the course of his spiritual service, most notably when he stitched together sheets of cloth during a thunderstorm to create an umbrella for Gunatitanand Swami. On another occasion, Gunatitanand Swami asked Pragji to make a large cloth canopy to cover the assembly hall, without providing him any funds for the project. In his zeal to obey

3604-492: The spiritual head of the organization. Shastriji Maharaj died on 10 May 1951 in Sarangpur. Shastriji Maharaj's most enduring legacy is the founding of BAPS. His unwavering belief in the Akshar-Purushottam upasana was the chief reason for his departure from Vadtal and is an indication of his conviction towards this philosophy. Under his leadership, there

3672-618: The surname of the Bairagi caste in Haryana , Uttar Pradesh , and Rajasthan . In Bengali , the word (pronounced [ˈʃami] ), while carrying its original meaning, also has the meaning of " husband " in another context. The word also means "husband" in Malay , in which it is spelled suami , and in Khmer , Assamese and Odia . The Thai word for "husband", sami ( สามี ) or swami ( สวามี )

3740-470: The teachings of Swaminarayan in the Vachanamrut to argue that a spiritual leader should not be judged by social classifications but by spiritual elevation. Bhagatji Maharaj continued to spread the message of Akshar and Purushottam for the rest of his life. A group of swamis, including Shastri Yagnapurushdas and Swami Vignandas, endeavored to stay with him as much as possible and listen to his discourses. As

3808-435: The temple. Gordhanbhai Kothari's benevolent attitude towards Shastriji Maharaj led to further hostility from a section of the Vadtal swamis. Furthermore, the failure of some Vadtal swamis to strictly adhere to the monastic vows dictated by Swaminarayan and fear of some officials that Shastriji Maharaj would install an image of Gunatitanand Swami in the main shrine of the Vadtal temple led to increased harassment. Matters came to

3876-468: The villages and propagate the Akshar-Purushottam doctrine . Soon, he began to plan and construct a temple in which Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj would be installed in the central shrine. On 5 June 1907, Shastri Yagnapurushdas consecrated the murtis of Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami in the newly constructed mandir in the village of Bochasan. This marked the beginning of BAPS as an organization since it

3944-555: Was a "focused emphasis on the building of shikharbaddha mandirs as a means of conveying Swaminarayan upasana." His administrative and organizational abilities were apparent during his work as the de facto Kothari of Surat mandir and Kim observes that, "Shastri Maharaj and his small group of followers are revered by satsangis for their resourcefulness and indefatigable efforts to build temples." Further insights into his character reveal that "Shastri Maharaj expected his followers to demonstrate, by their thoughts and actions, their commitment to

4012-476: Was born on 31 January 1865 in Mahelav into a deeply religious family. His parents, Dhoribhai and Hetba Patel had 4 other children, Mathurbhai, Laldas, Sonaba and Raliatben, of which Dungar was the youngest. Various anecdotes of Shastriji Maharaj's childhood demonstrate his early spiritual inclination and intellectual prowess. These include his preference for building mandirs out of sand while other children his age played with toys, his observance of religious fasts from

4080-420: Was further impressed when Bhagatji Maharaj spontaneously addressed his incredulity and unspoken question with the phrase, "One who is wise has innumerable eyes". Realizing Bhagatji Maharaj's spiritual greatness from this incident, Shastri Yagnapurushdas requested Bhagatji Maharaj to become his guru. Although this decision was criticized by some due to Bhagatji Maharaj's low-caste, Shastri Yagnapurushdas pointed to

4148-417: Was his resoluteness in obeying Gunatitanand Swami's commands. When Gunatitanand Swami asked Pragji to go fetch the nearby Mt. Girnar, Pragji immediately rose to carry out this seemingly impossible task, explaining to others that since it was his guru's wish, he was duty bound to carry it out. Despite a simple background and minimal formal education, Bhagatji Maharaj attained a spiritually elevated state that

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4216-401: Was instrumental in propagating the belief that Swaminarayan was Purushottam , the Supreme Being, and that his own guru, Gunatitanand Swami , was Akshar , the divine abode of God. His spiritual realization and practice as a lower ranked caste householder set new precedents and acted as a bulwark against the idea that spiritual elevation was confined to upper castes. For BAPS devotees, he

4284-513: Was skeptical of this statement since his guru, Vignananand Swami, who had been a paramhansa under Swaminarayan for many years, had never mentioned it before. However, when Vignananand Swami confirmed that he also believed in this truth, having heard it on numerous occasions from Swaminarayan himself, Shastri Yagnapurushdas was convinced. Thereafter, Bhagatji Maharaj began explaining the Akshar-Purushottam Upasana to Shastri Yagnapurushdas. One important discourse involved Vachnamrut Loya 12, which explained

4352-746: Was taken by Siddhanand Swami to see Gunatitanand Swami in Junagadh. Listening to Gunatitanand Swami's discourses and experiencing his saintliness eased the pain Pragji had felt at the death of Gopalanand Swami. As Pragji's affection for Gunatitanand Swami increased, he began spending increasing amounts of time in Junagadh, up to 8 months every year. In addition to his dedication to obtaining spiritual knowledge from his new guru, Pragji implicitly obeyed Gunatitanand Swami's every command, living with great humility and devotion. At Gunatitanand Swami's behest, he would often undertake strenuous physical tasks that were shunned by others, explaining that "he had dedicated his life in

4420-401: Was the first mandir to have both murtis of Akshar and Purushottam in the central shrine. Shastriji Maharaj continued to propagate the Akshar-Purushottam doctrine and build mandirs, while the coterie of his detractors in the Vadtal diocese continued to attempt to validate his excommunication. Years after the event, they attempted to pressure Gordhanbhai Kothari, then 90 years old and blind, to sign

4488-458: Was the form of Akshar manifest on the earth. This message, coming from a member of a lower ranked caste, was anathema to a section of householder devotees and swamis, led by Pavitranand Swami. Charging that Pragji was falsely spreading the glory of Gunatitanand Swami, Pavitranand Swami had Pragji excommunicated and sent letters expressing this to the mandirs in all towns and villages. Despite this declaration, Pragji continued his association with

4556-444: Was the manifest form of God's divine abode (Mul Akshar). In addition, he gave his "spiritual powers" to Pragji, "overpowered [...] by his selfless, sincere service, love and devotion". Pragji's close association with Gunatitanand Swami and his nuanced understanding of the Akshar-Purshottam upasana, led him to begin to speak of Gunatitanand Swami's glory to the Swaminarayan followers. He would proclaim to all that Gunatitanand Swami

4624-406: Was willingly accepted back into the religious fold at the insistence of a large number of devotees and swamis. In 1873, Bhagatji Maharaj first met his eventual successor Shastri Yagnapurushdas in Surat. During an assembly, Bhagatji Maharaj delivered a discourse while simultaneously stitching a decorative cloth-piece for the mandir elephant. Yagnapurushdas, already surprised upon seeing this feat,

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