SHRI RAMANAND SWAMI 
THE GURU OF LORD SWAMINARAYAN

      Ramanand Swami was born of Ajay Sharma (father) and Sumati (mother) in Ayodhya in Vikram Samvat 1795 in a Brahmin family. His child-hood name was Shri Rama Sharma. Ramanand Swami was considered to be the incarnation of Uddhavaji and he resembled Uddhavaji in knowledge and all other meritorious qualities. As he was inclined to asceticism from childhood, he decided not to enter worldly life. He invariably worshipped the idol of Lord Shri Krishna every day. Leaving home-life and visiting pilgrim spots he arrived in Talaja village in Saurashtra and studied Vedic and Indian Philosophical scriptures under scholar Kashiram and became the chief disciple of Atmanand Swami, the great ascetic at Gopnath. His contact with the Guru (Preceptor) led him to the Darshan of divine light of Brahman, considered as the ultimate reality in the universe. But Ramanandji always cherished a strong desire to have the Darshan of Lord Krishna with a form (shape).

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      His Guru Atmanandji believed in the principle of non-dualism. So he left that place and arrived at Sri Rang Kshetra in the south. There he accepted Bhagawati Diksha (prescribed procedure to initiate a person into particular discipline of religion) in meditating state at the hands of Shri Ramanujacharya and after attaining the Darshan of Lord Krishna he went to Prayag, where he happened to meet Dharmadev, the father of Lord Swaminarayan. Ramanand Swami first offered Mantra Diksha (to initiate into Holy Fellowship) to Dharmadev and then touring through religious places arrived in to Saurashtra region and set up a hermitage in Loj village. About fifty sadhus became his disciples; the chief among them was Muktanandji. When leaving worldly life Lord Swaminarayan known as Neelkanth Varni arrived at Loj, He came in contact with Muktanandji.

      Neelkanth Varni cherished a desire to meet Ramanand Swami. The meeting between Ramanand Swami and Neelkanth Varni took place in Piplana village. As Ramanand Swami asked Him about His caste and family; from this it was discovered that His father too, was his disciple. Ramanand Swami offered Diksha to Neelkanth Varni and initiated Him and gave Him two names Sahajanand Swami and Narayan Muni. On the 11th day of the bright half of Kartik month in Vikram Samvat 1858 Ramanand Swami assigned religious responsibility by consecrating Shri Sahajanand Swami on the High Seat of the Holy Fellowship. On that occasion Shri Sahajanand Swami asked for two boons from Ramanand Swami.

1.If any of your devotee suffers the pain of one scorpion-bite, let the pain come to Me in crores of bites (stings).

2.If any of your devotee is fated to hold a begging bowl, let it come to Me and let not any of your devotees should feel the want of food and clothing.

Even to day these boons are magical and mysterious blessings, which bring blissful happy life to the devotees of Lord Swaminarayan. He left his material body on this earth in Faneni village on the 13th day of the bright half of Margashirsha month of Vikram Samvat 1858 and left for heavenly imperishable abode.
 
Five Vows of Shree Swaminarayan Sampraday :

Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan established five (5) Vows Panch Vartaman for people in Ghruhashram i.e. house-holders and five (5) Vows for people in Tyagashram (Swamis/Saints).

The basic five Vows of house-holders :

The followers were increased in a large number. Only devotion and worship is not enough for salvation. The virtuous moral and devotional human life is absolutely necessary. So He (Lord Swaminarayan) preached the five basic Vows compulsory for all.

  1. NOT to drink wine, liquor or any intoxicating drug of any sort in any form in any case, NOT even as a medicine.
  2. NOT to eat meat in any form in any case. NOT even as the offerings of evil deities or sacrifice or as a medicine to save one's own life.
  3. To abstain from adultery. NOT to look at a lady passionately. NOT to keep close contact with ladies except the nearest relatives.
  4. NOT to steal even a smallest thing. Even the worthless flowers should NOT be taken for offerings to deities without the permission of the owner.
  5. NOT to take food and drinks from improper persons and by improper sources.

Whosoever wants to become the follower of Lord Swaminarayan has to take an oath in presence of a great Saint keeping water in his right hand to abstain from these five. If anybody transgresses any of these five is not called a follower of Swaminarayan. He is excommunicated. These are the five basic Vows for house-holders. These are known as Panch Vartman.

The five Vows of Saints (Sadhus) :  

Saints of Swaminarayan have to observe strictly their special five vows listed below as well as the five basic vows listed above. They are given them at the time of their initiation as Saints. They are initiated by either Vadtal or Ahmedabad gadi's Acharya.

  1. Lustless: Desireless:- He has to observe Naishthik Brahmacharya i.e. eight-fold celibacy strictly. He has to observe a fast if he has seen a face of a lady. Not to expect any remuneration even of his good deeds or must not have any desire of anything.
  2. Greedless:- He should not be attached at all to the worldly objects. He should keep clothes and things only permitted to him. He should not accept, touch or possess even any sort of currency of his own.
  3. Tasteless:- He should not be allured or tempted at all to any taste. Not to eat anything which is not offered to God, that also mixed togather with water.
  4. Prideless:- He should not have any sort of pride of renouncement, penance, knowledge, efficiency religious austerity, devotion, etc. If anybody beats him, abuses him or insults him, he should endure patiently, not to be angry at all, should forgive, not to oppose, not to keep any grudge or any ill feelings for him, but to wish good for him and to pity for his ignorance.
  5. Affectionless:- He should not have any affection at all towards his body, his relatives, his disciples or anything except Almighty God Supreme.

There are 11 Niyams that each Satsangi of Shree Swaminarayan Sampraday has to follow :

  1. Hinsa na karvi (Be non-violentby any means)
  2. Parstri no sang na karvo (Do not have any kind of relationship with other woman other than your wife)
  3. Mansh na khavu (Do not eat meat, i.e. including seafood, poultry products, eggs)
  4. Daru na pivo (Do not drink products that contain alcohol, i.e. wine, beer, medicine that contains alcohol)
  5. Vidhva stri no sparsh na karvo (Never touch widow woman whom you do not know)
  6. Atmaghat na karvo (Never commit a suicide in any circumstances)
  7. Chori na karvi (Do not steal things that belong to others)
  8. Koi ne kalank na devu (Never blame others for something that you may not know about)
  9. Devo ni ninda na karvi (Never bad mouth about God, Goddesses, or any religion)
  10. Jenu na khaptu hoy tenu na khavu (Never eat someone's food who does not follow these eleven rules established by Lord Shree Swaminarayan in Shikshapatri)
  11. Bhagwan thi vimukh hoy tena thaki katha na sabhalavi (Never listen holy stories from a person who does not believe in the existence of God, i.e. a person who is an atheist)
Questions and Answers based on "Shikshapatri" Sloks :

What should a devotee ask to Bhagwan ?

  1. Hey Maharaj! Hey Swami! Hey Krupasindhu! Hey Sharnagat Pratipalak! Ohh Lord! please save me from Kusangi (bad people). There are 4 types of bad people: (I) Kundapanthi - People who won't let you follow the Niyams of Satsangi, (II) Shakti Panthi - People who would force you to eat meat and to drink beer, wine, etc., (III) Shushka Panthi - People who would not let you perform Bhakti, etc., (IV) Nastik - People who do not believe in existence of God
  2. Hey Maharaj! Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh, Ahankar, Irshya, Dehabhiman aa je antahsatru thanki maari raksha karjo.
  3. Hey Maharaj! Nitya tamara bhakt no samagam dejyo. (Please give me an opportunity to meet your satsangi everyday)
Reference: "Vachanamrut", Gadhada Pratham - 48
Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan also told his devotee to do one extra Dandvat Pranameveryday after the Puja and prey Him "Hey Bhagwan! mara thi jan ta ajanta mun, vachan ane dehe kari ne aapna bhakt no dhroh thayo hoy to mane maaf karjo." This way Bhagwan will forgive you in case if you hurt a Bhagwan's Bhakt with or without any purpose. ("Vachanamrut", Gadhada Madhya - 40)
 
 
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