29. The Immanence and Incarnatory Attributes of Shri Sahajanand Swami:

Whenever God is born among men, He naturally attracts the seekers towards His divine form and exhibits His powers by transforming the lives of the people. The following incidents prove that such divine attributes were present in Shri Swaminarayan and therefore He was worshipped as God the incarnate.

(1) Attracted by His unusual radiance, towering and awe-inspiring personality, depth of knowledge, an accomplished virtuous life, thousands of people had readily prostated before His divine lotus-feet. Heads of different sects, muslim priests, ascetics, mendicants, saints and sages, worshippers of the goddesses, believers in different theologies, the vedanties, wealthy householders, rulers and men of authority and even the bandits had sought shelter in His most perfect Supreme Self, to make their own lives complete and to attain perfection.

(2) Shri Swaminarayan had radically changed the lives of thousands of people and had lighted the flame of divinity in their hearts. His divine teachings had cleared all their doubts and had helped them attain peace. By receiving His grace many devotees had become steadfast in the state of Samadhi (a state in which one is totally absorbed in Brahman.) From the eyes of many the film that prevents us from seeing God was removed. Some attained the power to know the past, the present and the future (Trikalgnan); Some had become Satyasankalpa -one who has taken the vow of speaking truth, some became an embodiment of self-denial and for some it became possible to meditate incessantly upon Parameshwar. Some attained the power of resisting the corrupting passions arising from rajoguna (the passion which makes us thirsty for pleasure and possession) and tamoguna (the passion that binds us with delusion and sluggishness.) There were people like Gordhanbhai of Mangrol who was in communion with the divine image of God -Murti.

(3) To protect His ascetic disciples from the cruelties and tortures of the aggressive, violent monks, Shri Swaminarayan resolved to initiate them as Paramhansas. One night at village Kalwani He gathered five hundred ascetics and offered them the initiation of Paramhansa and made them part with Kanthi, Janoi and Shikha (beads round the neck, the sacred thread, and tuft of hair) and taught them to meditate upon the mental Image instead of worshipping the idols of God. Inspired by the command of Shri Swaminarayan, these newly initiated disciples, without any hesitation dropped their Kanthi, Janoi and modes of worship. It must be noted that some of them had renounced while their marriage was being solemnised; some farmers had even come there leaving their standing crop; some rich people had renounced their wealth and property; there were kings and princes who had abdicated their kingdom, and there were others who even did not wait for a glass of water when they received the message from Shri Swaminarayan asking them to renounce and become ascetics.

(4) Sahajanand Swami with a glance used to send the followers of Shiva, Goddesses, Islam and Jainism into trance and make them behold their individual Gods manifest before them and ultimately merging in His own divine form proving that the entire universe is pervaded by Him.

(5) For a devotee called Parvatbhai of Agatrai and Vyapkanand Swami of Nagadka, He made it possible to see in a vision, all the twenty four Avtars -incarnations manifesting from and dissolving back into His Luminous Divine Image asserting the fact of His being the Godhead.

(6) With a view to bringing back people on the path of righteousness and to help them attain oneness with God, Lord Shri Swaminarayan had launched what is known as Samadhi prakran. It can be described as a state of instant trance or sublimation. Here are some instances revealing His divine power:

- At the sight of Shreeji many human beings, sparrows, pigeons, monkeys and other animals instantly went into trance.

- Some went into trance simply on hearing the foot-falls of Shreeji's wooden sandals.

- To the ascetics who had not yet accomplished Ashtang yoga, He used to offer His stick saying, "If you touch a person with one end of my stick he will go into Samadhi (trance) and if you touch him again with the other end he will wake up from the trance."

After waking up from Samadhi, the blessed ones used to narrate their spiritual experiences to others. Even by listening to them many people experienced peace and joy.

(7) Muktanand Swami had some doubts and reservations about people going into trance. Sahajanand Swami showed to him in a vision Ramanand Swami sitting under a tree. In that vision Ramanand Swami told him not to doubt Shreeji's power of sending people into trance. He clarified that it was neither a pretence nor an exhibition of feigned spiritualism. This cleared his doubts and Muktanand Swami re-dedicated himself to the service of Sahajanand Swami. He tendered his apologies and begged His pardon.

(8) At Mandvi, using His incarnatory powers, He had made Atmanand Swami recite verses from the Koran before the congregation.

(9) He had made an illiterate boy belonging to Bhat community recite verses from the Vedas in the presence of the collector of Ahmedabad, Vitthalrao Baba. Similarly at Umreth an illiterate and dumb brahmin called Hari Bhatt was made to recite the Vedic mantras.

(10) To fulfil the wishes of his devotees Lord Shri Swaminarayan used to appear simultaneously at different places. The great bandit Joban Pagi had seen Him standing near every horse that he approached with a desire to steal. Sometimes he saw Him offering fodder to a horse and sometimes water to another. On seeing this miracle, Joban Pagi along with other dacoits, gave up plundering and became a staunch devotee of Shri Hari.

(11) At times, during the religious festivals, yajnas, samaiyas or some auspicious ceremonies in the house of a devotee, when there wasn't enough food to serve the unexpected number of guests, He saw to it that there was no shortage of food. He used to replenish it by His divine prowess.

(12) With His divine resolve Shri Sahajanand Swami had cured many incurable diseases. By offering sacred food from His plate and also from the plates of His great saints, He had cured a severe ailment of Dada Khachar's daughter. By mere wish He had corrected the vision of Mulaji Sheth of village Muli. Throughout his life he could see clearly without glasses.

(13) Predicting the drought of the Samvat year 1869, He had sent letters in advance to satsangies in every village asking them to store food, fodder and water, and if needed, sell the property but store these essential commodities. As predicted by Him the famine struck the people but those who had paid heed to His advice did not suffer.

(14) Once at Shri Gadhpur while Shreeji Maharaj was dictating letters to Shuk muni in Akshar ordi (room) all of a sudden the lamp was extinguished. Shuk muni remarked, "There is no light and the letter is incomplete." At once, Shreeji Maharaj illumined the room by a more powerful light emanating from His toe. It continued to provide light until Shuk muni completed the letter.

(15) Using His divine powers and grace, Lord Shri Swaminarayan used to bring about changes in the attitudes, temperaments and actions of His devotees. Even the plants and trees blessed by Him and His holy saints, by mere association with them, had begun to show marked changes in their natural characteristics. Many such blessed trees can be seen at the places visited by the holy company.

(16) Lacs of people during his lifetime had begun to worship Him as parbrahman purushottam -God the incarnate and had surrendered themselves completely to His divine will. They would live and die for Him and would carry out His commands without worrying about the outcome.

(17) The saints and paramhansas revered by the people as God's incarnations, themselves worshipped Him as the Godhead. Hence, it is no wonder that He is the cause and source of all incarnations. The spiritual powers equivalent to those exhibited by the incarnations were shown by Shri Swaminarayan's devotees.

(18) Shri Swaminarayan had shown His incarnatory powers to His devotees. It means that His divine prowess was superior to the one possessed and displayed by other incarnations.

Thus, Shri Swaminarayan, without trying to dazzle anyone revealed His transcendent divine form to help and redeem His devotees. In order to assert His divine supremacy, He performed deeds which appeared to be miracles.

Here are some verses from the scriptures asserting the manifestation of Bhagwan Shri Swaminarayan as God the incarnate.

It is said in the Brahmanda Puran:

दत्तात्रेयः कृते युगे त्रेतायां रघुनंदनः ।

द्वापरे वासुदेवः स्यात् कलौ स्वामी वृषात्मजः ॥

"Lord Dattatreya will manifest Himself in Satyug, Lord Ram in Tretayug, Lord Krishna in Dwaparyug and the son of Dharma, Lord Swaminarayan will arrive in Kaliyug." (Yug = an age of the world, the ages are said to be four: Kruta or Satya, Treta, Dwapar and Kali.)"

Padma Puran predicts:

पाखण्डबहुले लोके स्वामिनाम्ना हरिःस्वयम् ।

पापपंकनिमग्नं तज्जगदुद्धारयिष्यति ॥

"In this world of heretics, Shri Hari Himself shall manifest as the one known to the people as Swami and shall deliver the world from the mire of miseries and sin."

The Mahabharat explains the difference between Avtar-Avtari [Incarnation and Godhead] as under:

In the Shantiparva's Mokshdharmanushasan Parva Adhyay 343, Lord Nar-Narayan ask Naradjee:

अपीदानीं स भगवान् परमात्मा सनातनः ।

श्वेतद्वीपे त्वया दृष्टः आवयोः प्रकृतिःपरा ॥

"O Narad, this time, during your visit to Shwet Dwip, in what form did you behold our eternal supreme soul -Paramatma Vasudev, the cause of both of us -Nar and Narayan?"

On being asked to describe the divine form of God, Naradjee said to Lord Narayan:

दृष्टो मे पुरुषः श्रीमान् विश्वरुपधरोऽव्ययः ।

दृष्टौ युवां मया तत्र तस्य देवस्य पार्श्वतः ॥

"O Lord! Not only did I see the self-luminous universal sustainer, the Supreme Person of Lord Vasudev but I also saw you both standing there besides Him."

Bhishma Pitamah tells Yudhisthir:

कृते युगे महाराज! पुरा स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तर ।

नरो नारायणश्चैव हरिः कृष्णः स्वयम्भुवः ॥

"O King! In the past in the age of Satya, during the period of Swayambhuv Manvantar, mankind was blessed with four incarnations of Vasudev -the self-sustaining God. These four Avtars or incarnations were known by the names of Nar, Narayan, Hari and Krishna."

Shrimad Bhagwat distinguishes Avtar from Avtari as under:

In chapter 3 of section 1 of Shrimad Bhagwat, it is mentioned that by using Mahad Tatva and other elements, God assumed the form of Vairaj Purush from when emerged the twenty-four incarnations.

In section 10 of volume 1, chapter 41, Sudama speaks to Baldevji and Shri Krishna:

भवन्तौ किल विश्वस्य जगतः कारणं परम् ।

अवतीर्णाविहांशेन क्षेमाय च भवाय च ॥

"Both of you, O Krishna and Balram, are the (indefinable) author of everything that exits in this world. For the happiness and progress of this world you have manifested amongst men as fraction (ansh) of Vasudev. In other words, you are incarnations of Vasudev Himself."

In the 17th Adhyay of the 5th Anshof Vishnupuran:

Beholding Shri Krishna and Baldevji from a distance. Akrurjee observes:

भगवद्वासुदेवांशौ द्विधा योऽयं व्यवस्थितः ॥

"Of these two divine figures, Shri Krishna is the manifestation of Lord Vasudev."

In Adhyay 20, Skandh 3 ofHarililakalpataru Shri Hari tells Muljit:

नैक्यं हि विद्यते धीमन्नवतारावतारिणो ।

वर्तते वास्तवो भेदस्ताराचन्द्रमसोरिवः ॥

"There is no perceptible unity or resemblance between Avtar (Incarnation) and Avtari (Incarnator); the difference between the two, is the difference that we perceive between the moon and the stars."

In Tarang 146 of Harivakyasudhasindhu Shri Hari has said:

रामकृष्णादयः सर्वैऽवताराः सन्त्यो हि मे ।

पुरुषोत्तमस्य वित्तेरयेतत्सत्यं ब्रवीमि वः ॥

"I, the Supreme Person, tell you with authority that Ram, Krishna and other Avtars are but My own incarnations."

Garg Samhita asserts:

यस्मिन् सर्वाणि तेजांसि विलीयन्ते स्वतेजसे ।

तं वदन्ति परे साक्षात् परिपूर्र्णतमः स्वयम् ॥

"He in whom all the Avtars get dissolved and whose divine will re-creates them for His own divine purpose must be perceived as the most perfect self-sustained, self-luminous Parbrahman Paramatma (the ultimate reality.)"

Note: As explained earlier, we must remember that Shri Swaminarayan from His own divine figure creates, sustains and dissolves all the Avtars by His divine will. He had shown this power to many devotees while they were in a state of samadhi (trance). No other proof is needed to assert the fact that Shri Swaminarayan is the Supreme Soul that causes all existence to come into being.

In the Skandh 2, Adhyay 1 of Harililakalpataru, Vayuputra Hanuman says to Dharmadev and Bhaktimata:

युष्मत्पुत्राद् बिभेत्यस्मात्सर्वलोकभयंकरः ।

कालस्तथेश्वराः सर्वै सन्त्यस्यादेशवर्तिनः ॥

हेतुरेवावताराणामवतारी स्वराट् प्रभुः ।

एषाऽक्षराक्षरपरः कारणानांच कारणम् ॥

"Even Death that scares all creations fears your illustrious Son. All the incarnations along with Death obey your Son, Shri Hari. Moreover, your Son being the source and cause of all other incarnations is above all the distinctions of Kshar (mutable/mortal) and Akshar (immutable/immortal). He is the cause of all causes."

Now let us listen to Lord Shri Swaminarayan's own words, recorded in The Vachanamrutam:

Vachanamrutam No. 38 Gadhada, Last Section:

"The Supreme Person -Purushottam who has kindly manifested Himself among men for the redemption of all living beings, and who can be perceived with the eyes, is your Supreme God, the One who accepts your devotion and service. This self-revealed Purushottam Bhagwan the Supreme Reality is the controller of all existences including the Akshar. He is God of all gods, the cause of all incarnations. He is the right object of your undistracted worship. All other incarnations that preceded Him are also worthy to be revered and worshipped by you."

Vachanamrutam No. 11, Loya Section:

"Meditate only upon that Murti (Divine Form) which has been realised by you; all other incarnations of the past may not be meditated upon. One should concentrate single-mindedly with firm faith on God in His present manifestation. One must remain steadfast in one's faith in Him."

Vachanamrutam No. 13, Gadhada, Middle Section:

"That God who is above and beyond Akshar is the cause of all incarnations. All incarnations emerge from Him and return to Him, the Supreme Person. The luminous Figure of Maharaj standing before you and the one dwelling in the Akshardham is the same indivisible God, who pervades all creation. This knowledge shall redeem you. Repeat this truth over again and again. Do not forget or ignore this fact. For all your fasting and praying without firm faith in God the incarnate will avail not, will not lead you on the path of salvation."

Vachanamrutam No. 9. Gadhada, Middle Section:

"The received or realised Figure of God should always be thought of and worshipped as the self-luminous and self-sustained form (manifestation) the cause of all incarnations. Believing Him to be formless (Nirakar) or comparing Him with other incarnations will be considered as anti-God and will be treated as an affront to Him. Those who never doubt God in His present incarnation are believed to be on the path of right knowledge. One should never deviate from the faith that one is the recepient of the luminous personal form of Supreme Lord Shri Swaminarayan."

Vachanamrutam No. 58 Gadhada Middle Section:

"The devotees must study the scriptures depicting the life and divine acts of God. The scripture containing the life-story of God from the day of His birth to the day of the dropping of the body strengthens the Sampradaya or the sect founded by Him. Read such Scriptures or listen to them when you are being read to by others."

Vachanamrutam No. 1, Panchala section:

"A person who strives to increase his contact with God is said to be a learned and intelligent man. Man is certainly happier than an animal, a king is happier than a common man, the happiness of deity is far greater than that of a king and the degree of happiness increases as we move from Indra and Brihaspati, to Brahma. But one experiences the supreme joy only in God's Akshardham for the bliss experienced by a soul, there, surpasses the happiness offered by Vaikunth Lok or Gau Lok."

Vachanamrutam No. 7, AhmedabadSection:

In this Vachanamrutam Shreeji Maharaj explains, "I am the creator, sustainer and destroyer of all the Brahmandas -the entire cosmos. The entire cosmos containing many Brahmandas with innumerable Shivas, innumerable Brahmas, innumerable Kailas, Vaikunths, Gauloks, Brahmpurs and millions of other divine spheres are luminous because of Me. I am the source of their radiance. How will you perceive My greatness? When I rock this earth with My toe, innumerable earthlike spheres of innumerable Brahmandas begin to shake and even the sun, the moon and stars reflect My light. I am the self-luminous source of their light. All those who worship Me with this conviction and keep their minds steadfastin Me, without getting themselves defiled and if their hearts are united with Me and seek refuge in Me, believing Me to be above all others, I will receive them in My Dham -My Heavenly Abode."

Thus Lord Shri Swaminarayan firmly asserts that He is above all the incarnations and He alone is the cause of all the incarnations.

His contemporary saints and Paramhansas narrating their own experiences say

Ramanand Swami in Harililakalpataru tells Lalji Bhakt:

स इत्यथाऽवदद् भक्तं मतः कृष्णो यथाऽधिकः।

तथाऽत्यधिक एवेशात् तस्माद्दपि स विद्यते ॥

"O devotee! Just as Lord Shri Krishna is superior to me, Nilkanth Brahmachari, who has recently arrived at Loj is far greater than and superior to the master of Golokdham, Lord Shri Krishna."

The Swami further says:

सर्वेषामवताराणां कारणं च परात्परः ।

सोऽपाकृतगुणैश्वर्यो विद्यते पुरुषोत्तमः ॥

"O devotee! That celibate possesses all divine attributes and spiritual powers and He is the cause of all incarnations. He is Purushottam Paramatma the Lord Himself, the one who is higher than the highest."

From the discourses of Sadguru Gopalanand Swami:

Discourse No. 167

A devotee asked Swarupanand Swami: "In what terms should we try to understand the incarnation of Shreeji Maharaj?" Swarupanandji correcting the devotee observed: "Know Him not as an ordinary incarnation. He is the Incarnator of all the incarnations including Ram and Krishna. He is the self-revealed Purushottam capable of exhibiting the traits of other incarnations even in His mortal devotees."

Discourse No. 168

Once a monk boasted: "I can see the entire Brahmanda." Vyapkanand Swami turned to him and said: "You are talking about just one Brahmanda, but by the grace of Purushottam Shri Sahajanand, the creator of Ram, Krishna and other incarnations, I can readily, without any effort, see numerous mysteries, and an infinite number of cosmoses amd other divine abodes like Gaulok etc."

An interesting dialogue between Shri Sahajanand Swami and some monks:

Once Sahajanand Swami Himself asked some monks: "Like other incarnations (of God) I have not performed any acts, revealing my might or prowess: I haven't built a bridge across the sea, I haven't killed Ravan having ten heads, I haven't carried Mount Mandarachal on my back, nor have I killed Kans or Shishupal. Then why do you call me Parameshwar?"

The monks replied: "Ram did kill Ravan who was already destroyed by arrogance and lust. Vaman deceived Bali who was already deluded by greed and avarice, Krishna beheaded Kans and Shishupal, but they were already consumed by the six enemies such as pride etc. We worship You as the Godhead or Avtari because You have destroyed our inner enemies such as desire, anger, greed, delusion etc. You did not build a bridge across the sea, but You have built a straight road between the sea of life and Dham, the heavenly abode of God. You may not have lifted Mandarachal or Goverdhan mountain but You have flung mountains of our sins in a second and purified our conscience. It is for this that we call You the self-revealed Purushottam, God the incarnate."

Sadguru Niskulanandji has sung in Harismrutichintamani:

'અલૌકિક મૂર્તિ આજની, ધરી ધર્મકુમાર;

જોતાં ના'વે જોડ્યમાં, આ સમ અન્ય અવતાર.

સમર્થ મૂર્તિ સુખભરી, ધરી ન ધરશે કોઈ;

સર્વોપરી છે શ્રીહરિ, સહજાનંદ પ્રભુસોય.'

"The rare and unique Figure of God in our midst as the Son of Dharma surpasses all other incarnations. No one in the past or in the future had meditated upon or shall worship God that surpasses the accomplished the pleasant divine Figure of supreme Lord Shri Hari Sahajanand."