The Original || Shree Swaminarayan Sampraday ||

Q: Why does Bhagwan Swaminarayan decide to come to earth?

A: There is a very renowned line in the Bhagwat Geeta, which goes as follows:

"When there is a fall in Dharma (righteousness) and a rise in Adharma (non-righteousness), Shree Hari will take a human form on this earth in order to protect the good, destroy evil and establish Dharma."

This is evident from the Avtars (incarnations) that have taken place over the years. Swaminarayan Bhagwan had to take birth in Kali-Yug (the darkest of the 4 ages of time), as evil and atrocities had reached levels none could imagine. Religion was on the verge of being phased out by such evil. Only the supreme Himself could remove this level of immorality. Also this was when the time had come for Him to show the world the greatest form of dharma.

Q: Why Chaitra Sud Navmi - Ram Navmi as the selected time of birth?

A: Ram Bhagwan manifested on this date in Ayodhya, close by to Chhapiya. He was the epitome of the ideal son, brother, father and husband, and in retrospect, the ideal devotee. He too had practised in his time great religious duty in both letter and spirit. It was a pleasant coincidence that Bhagwan manifested Himself on the very same day. Also at the time, the evil demon Kalidatt was causing great upset amongst villagers, only Bhagwan Himself could rid this and many other forms of evil at the time.

Q: Why did he choose Dharmadev and Bhaktimata as his parents?

A: This was a Brahmin family who were very religious and had an essence of single minded devotion to Lord Krishna. Dharma Dev and Bhakti Mata were also the parents of Shree Nar-Narayan. In addition to this, Bhagwan Swaminarayan had told Dharma Dev many millions of years ago that He would be born into his family. This was all predestined and line with fate, as during the first Satya Yug, Dharma Dev and Bhakti Mata had performed a great penance to please the Lord. The Lord Supreme was to take birth as their son to reward this penance. If that was not enough, the Scriptures proclaim that wherever Dharma and Bhakti (devotion) are together, Bhagwan himself will also be present.

Q: Why did Bhagwan Swaminarayan go through the process of childhood and carry out miracles at a young age?

A: In the case of childhood, the only way children and adults alike will accept Ghanshyam, is by seeing that he is just like them. He cries and plays in the same way normal children do and he is disciplined by His parents in the same way. He descended as a human and so had to live like one. All His leelas had a moral behind them. He had to teach these morals in the simplest of ways and as soon as possible.

Q: Why did he choose to do a Van Vichran (holy pilgrimage of India) and take up a vow of celibacy?

A: Whilst in the forest, Bhagwan Swaminarayan did severe forms of tap (penance) and braved the extreme elements. He suffered pain like normal people and bled in the same way. Bhagwan Swaminarayan wanted to show that penance and detachment is achievable by anybody. Also this is tied in with the reason for His appearance on earth – To destroy evil and to re-establish Dharma. During Van Vicharan, Shree Nilkanth Varni visited the holy places and cleansed them of the evil that polluted them as a result of the Kali-Yug.

Q: Bhagwan Swaminarayan was a celibate. Then how could he preach to women?

A: Such was the mind of Sahajanand Swami, that He was not strayed. He was not at all affected by internal enemies such as kaama (lust), krodh (anger, lobh (greed). In fact this was the very question Bhagwan Swaminarayan asked Ramanand Swami when He was chosen as a successor, and was the very reason Ramanand Swami had appointed him.

Q: Why did he decide to go back to Akshardham when he did?

A: For Bhagwan Swaminarayan, his work was completed. He had re-introduced dharma and changed the way people lived, by enlightening them with His true form. He felt it was the right time to leave the sampraday under the influence of the three resolves he had established.
1. An Acharyaship, with two highly qualified leaders of the Dharmakul to run the sampraday.
2. Mandirs, for his followers to practice their Dharma and Bhakti.
3. Shastras for his followers to further themselves in knowledge.
These three resolves form the doors to Akshardham.

Q: Why is Swaminarayan Bhagwan physically himself so great?

A: He is so small that He can fit inside the Jiva, which is smaller than an atom, and resides inside your heart. Yet He is large enough to have millions of universes evolving within the pores of His skin. As Ghanshyam Maharaj, He defeated the biggest and strongest wrestlers, whilst also withstanding the great storms created by Kalidatt. He was able to put people into the state of Samadhi. He knew people’s wishes at the mere sight of them.

Q: What was the great work carried out by Swaminarayan Bhagwan?

A: Most importantly Bhagwan was not only able to destroy evil demons, during His short time on earth, but also the evil within a person: preventing them from being encapsulated inside a life of sin, greed and desire. He showed them how they could achieve true Moksha. In order to promulgate it, He set up an infrastructure for the continuous development and adherence to satsang. Through the establishment of Acharyas to run, organise and head the sampraday. Through the writing of the Shikshapatri, showing future generations the way in which they too can achieve the ultimate Moksha. He built nine temples with much majestic splendour. Bhagwan was able to build up a group of over 500 Santos, who where well versed in the shastras and possessed many great qualities. Bhagwan also performed acts of greatness for all living beings – not just His devotees. In addition to the religious achievements He also created places of food and shelter for the homeless, built wells for villages without adequate water supply and politically influenced the denouncement of infanticide (when people killed baby girls)and satiism (forcing widows to die on their husbands’ funeral pyre).

Q: How can we differentiate between Swaminarayan Bhagwan and all other incarnations?

A: In reference to the answer in the previous question, all one has to do is look at his sheer accomplishment. All Avtars before Him had come to destroy evil and establish the reign of Dharma. However, Swaminarayan Bhagwan is the only incarnate to establish an Acharyaship, Mandirs and write a scripture himself. Only the supreme himself can do such things. All the incarnations knew this which is exactly why they had not done it themselves as they too were waiting for this truly divine being. All other incarnations succeeded in destroying evil, but only Swaminarayan Bhagwan has established a long lasting rule of dharma.

Q: If Swaminarayan Bhagwan is so great, what does He do for His devotees?

A: Before taking over the leadership of the sampraday Swaminarayan Bhagwan asked for two specific promises, in order to protect and look after His devotees: which Ramanand Swami happily granted. Firstly, that none of his devotees suffer the pain of a scorpion bite, but He Himself suffers this pain instead million fold. Secondly that none of His devotees will ever go without food and shelter (Vachanamrut: Gadhada Pratham 69). This is just one way that Bhagwan shows the esteem, within which he holds His devotees. He would rather suffer multiple pains, than see His devotees distressed.

Q: Ok, Swaminarayan Bhagwan is great, but what makes Him, the greatest?

A: Swaminarayan Bhagwan that we see before us is the Swaminarayan Bhagwan {pratyaksha} that resides in Akshardham. And He is the ultimate Lord almighty, known as “Avtar na Avtaari” {Vachanamrut: Vadtal 6} who is the source of all incarnations; sometimes referred to as Purushottam Narayan. It is He who resides in Akshardham who is the God of the entire cosmos, which includes all the dhams and universes. He is the creator, preserver and destructor of all cosmoses. He has given us the opportunity with His presence to attain true Moksha at His abode, Akshardham.

Q: What is an Acharya?

A: An Acharya is defined in general terms as a teacher or a guru. Think back to the days of Mahabharata. When it was time for princes and young boys to receive their education, their teacher was given the title of Acharya (e.g. The Pandavas and Kauravs were taught by Kripi Acharya Drona Acharya). A teacher is known to be greater than any normal person, which is why they are often seen as leaders as they direct you towards the path of knowledge and goodness.

Q: Why have an Acharaya?

A: Acharyas hold a position in our sect which is similar to that of the Pope in the Catholic religion. They are there to make sure followers do not stray away from God; so our gurus (for males and females) do their best to ensure this objective is met. In order for any sect to run properly and have a sense of control, a great leader is required who is able to ensure followers achieve the path of salvation. No normal man can do this, nor can a group of the most intelligent individuals. The Acharya personifies such a person to look after a sect.

Q: Who are the Acharyas?

A: Swaminarayan Bhagwan himself before taking leave from this earth designated his two adopted sons, Ayodhyaprasadji and Raghuvirji, and thereon in their sons to become the official Heads of the Sampraday.

Q: Why can’t you have a Swami (saints) as an Acharya?

A: The role of the swami is such that he is forbidden to have dealings in worldly affairs, which includes matters of money and the association of women, so they will not be able to preach to female satsangis. This is why it is important for an Acharya to be a Grahastha (householder) as they can marry and therefore their wives, Gadiwalla Shree can preach to women. Also Vedic tradition dictates that religious movements should be led by a Grahastha as they can relate to the critical mass of devotees, who are also Grahastha. This is what is unique about the Swaminarayan sampraday. Any other false pretenders cannot put claim to this.

Q: Then why not have the very staunchest of satsangis (followers) to run it? They are of Ghrast status.

A: Yes they are. However not anyone can control a religious sect. In the same way you can’t have just anyone running a business. It may seem practical to have the people control it, but eventually there will be a clash of egos and greed taking over. Instead they must achieve certain attributes, have knowledge of the shastras and must be appropriately chosen from the family of Dharma Dev. This is a fundamental.

Q: Can they give advice on any problem or issue a follower may have?

A: Yes they can. They are your guru; they are there to make sure your path to salvation is not troubled. In addition they (Acharya and Gadiwalla) also give advice to Swamis and Sankh Yogis (female equivalents of saints) respectively on religious issues. Such is their uniqueness. This is exactly how a Guru-Shishya (teacher-student) relationship should be. Yet at the same time that high level of respect and loyalty should not disappear.

Q: How many Acharayas can there be?

A: There can be only two at any time, one to look after the northern diocese and one to look after the southern diocese. These are respectively Nar-Narayan Dev Gadi in Ahmedavad and Laxmi-Narayan Dev Gadi in Vadtal. There is no such thing as a third Gadi, or any other leader in the Sampraday.

Q: How important are they?

A: They are very important. A sampraday cannot run without an Acharya, in the same way any organisation or business cannot run without a good manager. Only they can carry out murti pratishtha (to call upon God to physically reside in deities) authenticate shastras, and initiate men and Swamis into the fold. Their consort, Gadiwalla Shree initiates women and Sankh Yogis. It is also important to realise that God himself has said he will always reside in the chosen Acharyas and that followers should have the utmost respect for them and should serve them always. However it is should be taken into mind that they are in turn not God, and nor do they claim to be, and should not be idol worshiped in his place, despite what many other sects tend to practice

Q: What is the purpose and of having a Mandir?

A: The temple is where God resides. It is His home and is where all followers can collectively do darshan (prayer) of Him. It is the central part of our religion where not only do people learn the greatness of God and study His philosophy, but also meet fellow devotees and allow relations within the sampraday to remain forever strong. Also a temple is the ideal place to go after a long day of work and stress.

Q: What is the difference between worshipping in a Mandir and at home?

A: The spiritual significance of any place of worship is immense. The temple is a place of great purity and peacefulness. Such is the spiritual magnitude, that when a follower does one mala (turning of 108 sandal beads) in a temple, it is equivalent to doing it 1000 times elsewhere. This atmosphere can only be created at a Mandir. At home, it is still one’s dharma (duty) to keep a Shrine of God so that He can reside and look after that home. However you can often get distractions such as the phone ringing, the television or visitors coming round. This is why God has said we should go to the temple every evening to listen to discourses in peace.

Q: Is there a particular way a temple should be constructed?

A: Yes there is a Vedic tradition on how to build a temple. The temple Shree Hari constructed in Ahmedavad, which was the first in the world, was according to Vedic tradition. Each carving, pillar and dome has its own individual significance. Take the Shreekhar (dome) on the temple. This indicates the number of sinhasans (Shrines) inside the temple. All Mandirs which are built today are carefully constructed so that they resemble those described in the Vedas.

Q: How does one know which temple is suitable to go to?

A: Bhagwan has instructed in the Shikshapatri that when passing any temple we should bow down to the images of God inside. However He has also instructed us to do full darshan of those Murtis which have been installed by the selected Dharmavanshi Acharya (the leader of the sect who has been appointed from the lineage of Dharma Dev). This one fundamental must apply, regardless of where the temple is or how big it is.

Q: Is there significance behind particular Murtis being installed?

A: Yes there is. The obvious being the image of Sahajanand Swami at any Swaminarayan temple, as He is indeed the supreme. Secondly is the murti of Shree Nar-Narayan Dev, whom Bhagwan has declared as the King of Bharatkhand and that they look after the welfare of all satsangis. He has also instructed that this murti should be worshipped by everyone. Then there is the idol of Shree Radha-Krishna Dev. Shree Krishna was Sahajanand Swami’s ishtadev (idol he worshipped) and has instructed us to serve to him always. Radhikaji is always beside Krishna Bhagwan due the deep devotion she has for him. Other Murtis are an indication of the many forms Bhagwan takes and the fact that he is one. The murti of Shree Nar-Narayan Dev was installed in the world’s first temple in Ahmedavad as this is the birthplace of Shree Nar-Narayan Dev. The idols of Shree Laxmi-Narayan Dev were installed in Vadtal because this was the site where Laxmiji performed penance for thousands of years to be rewarded with marriage to Lord Vishnu.

Q: Why do women and men pray differently?

A: Men perform Ashtang Dandvat Pranam. This is where eight parts of the body are in contact with the ground lying before God. Women perform Panchang Pranam. This is when five parts of the body are in contact with the ground crouching before God. Women do not do Ashtang Pranam due to practical and health reasons. Significantly, they are both the same; no one way is better than the other. This is the only example of different prayer methods. Everything else such as Pradikshna (going around the image of Bhagwan) and mantra recital is the same for men and women.

Q: How should one act in a temple?

A: The way a satsangi should behave in a temple is known as shistachar. We should not make any disturbances in the temple by speaking aloud or in particular use mobile phones. Also outside trouble should be left outside as is the case with secular affairs. Males and females should sit apart and should sit straight postured with crossed legs, unless you are physically unable to do so, facing the person reciting or facing God. Scriptures are the verbal epitome of God and should be treated with care. We should behave in a temple diligently, as it is in turn the house of God.