Page 14 - The Indian EYE 042624

SPECIAL FEATURE APRIL 26, 2024 | The Indian Eye 14

TOWARDS BETTER LIVING

Personal Magnetism

of BHAGWAN SWAMINARAYAN

t was neither day nor night; simply, whelmed and felt fulfilled by His form,
dusk. Bhagwan Swaminarayan, also from head to toe. Premanand Swami and
Iknown as Shriji Maharaj was astride the other saint poets have written hun-
Manki, his mare, trotting on the main dreds of bhajans describing His form.
street in Gadhada. His sadhus, parshads One might think that such descrip-
and devotees were singing bhajans while tions of Shriji Maharaj’s overwhelm-
they followed Him. The procession ing beauty by the paramhansas may be
ter minated at Dada Khachar’s house, idealistic or expressions of emotional
where a group of Brahmins were await- tides. However such inferences could be
ing for Shriji Maharaj’s darshan. They proved wrong through many testimonies
had gathered for an annual occasion to and incidents that have been recorded in
commemorate the death anniver sary of Satsang. There are no hyperboles, orna-
a kin. They decided to come to Dada mentations or wrong descriptions.
Khachar’s house after learning that God Once, Shriji Maharaj arrived at the
was present here. Shriji Maharaj saw village of Unza. He camped by the vil-
the Brahmins and dismounted. He gave lage pond. Later, while he was speak-
his mare’s charge to Bhaguji and said, ing at an assembly, Nityanand Swami,
“Bhaguji, feed the mare.” Then Maharaj Parmanand Swami, Mahanubhavanand
sat on a cushioned seat on the verandah Swami, and others came. The three had
of the east-facing room of Dada’s house. not taken sadhu diksha at that time.
He welcomed and honored the Brah- When Nityanand Swami saw Shriji Ma-
mins with a smile as they entered the haraj’s teeth, he felt, “Such a set of teeth
assembly. The Brahmins were pleased. can not be that of an ordinary human be-
Some even took the vows of initiation ing. He is truly a God.” From that point
and became his disciples. onwards firm faith dawned upon Ni-
Among the group was an eighty- tyanand Swami. He was given sadhu dik-
year-old Brahmin boy. He had seen and sha by Maharaj in the village of Meghpur
heard Maharaj dismount from Man- (Shri Haricharitrachintamani. 3.394).
ki and say, “Bhaguji, feed the mare.” Once, while Maharaj was traveling
The occasion left a deep impression on on horseback, he stopped by the Utava-
him. Decades later, when the boy had li river near Barvala for His horse to
reached his twilight years, at 78 years, he quench its thirst. At that time Radha,
stat ed, “The gesture and words of Bhag- the wife of Vashram Luvana, and Day-
wan Swami narayan left such an indelible abhai Sutar’s mother came to fill their
impression in my mind that I have not water pots. On seeing Maharaj they
been able to forget them.” were attracted by His divinity. Once the
That child was Gujarat’s legendary mare finished drinking Shriji Maharaj
poet and literary giant, Dalpatram. The trotted off to Gadhada. The women too
occasion marked his first and last dar- left their water pots by the river side and
shan of Shriji Maharaj. But amazingly, followed Maharaj to Gadhada on foot.
even after 70 years, during which his life This was a brief account of Shriji
was filled and impacted with so many var- Maharaj’s divine, magnetic personality.
ied mundane incidents, his experience His divine form dissolved many peo-
of Shriji Maharaj’s darshan was fresh ple’s mundane desires and ignited love
and vivid. From this one can surmise the placed on one (weighing) pan and disciple of Sadguru Muktanand for God. Premanand Swami poetical-
magnetic personality of Shriji Maharaj. put Shriji Maharaj’s personal mag- Swami, describes Shriji Maharaj’s ly penned the incident into a bhajan,
The famous Gujarati poet Nana- netism on the other, then the latter personality in his work, Harichar- “Hãre teri Sãnvari surat chhatãdãr...”
lal, the son of Dalpatram, opines about would come down.” (Kavishvar itramrut Sagar, “After fixing one’s Shriji Maharaj’s divine personality
Maharaj’s divine, arresting personality, Dalpatram Part 1). mind on one part of Bhagwan attracted thousands of aspirants. His
“The Swaminarayan Sampradaya has Truly, Shriji Maharaj’s person- Swaminarayan’s murti one cannot beauty and divinity could not be com-
got at one go a slew of religious wealth ality inspired a unique attraction fix it on another. If one wanted to pared to any human being. The swamis
like the Vachanamrut, Shikshapatri, and cast a spell. Wherever he went, shift one’s gaze from His eyes to his and devotees ‘drank’ his murti profusely
and traditions of dharma, poets, sadgu- people swarmed to Him like bees nose, then it would be like moving and experienced spiritual fulfillment.
rus, festivals and celebrations. All these to flow ers. So many became men- the Himalayas.” Such was the di-
are a great fortune for the Sampradaya tally lost and absorbed in His divine vine beauty and magnetism of His Vivekjivandas Swami
and the country. But if they were to be presence. Adharanand Swami, a form. The devotees became over- BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha

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