Swaminarayan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swaminarayan |
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Illustration of Swaminarayan writing the Shikshapatri
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| Birth Date | 3 April 1781 Chhapaiya, Kingdom of Oudh (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Died on | 1 June 1830 (aged 49) Gadhada (present-day Gujarat, India) |
| Birth name | Ghanshyam Pande |
| Guru/teacher | Swami Ramanand |
Swaminarayan (born Ghanshyam Pande, 3 April 1781 – 1 June 1830) was an important spiritual leader in Hinduism. He was a yogi, which is someone who practices spiritual exercises, and an ascetic, meaning he lived a simple life without many comforts. Many of his followers believe he was a form of God, specifically Krishna, or the highest form of Purushottam. The Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a large Hindu group, grew around his teachings.
In 1800, he joined the Uddhav sampradaya (a spiritual tradition) and was given the name Sahajanand Swami. His teacher, Swami Ramanand, chose him to lead the group in 1802. After Ramanand's death, Sahajanand Swami became known as Swaminarayan. This happened after he taught his followers a special prayer called the Swaminarayan Mantra. His group then became known as the Swaminarayan Sampradaya.
Swaminarayan taught people to be good, kind, and to improve themselves. He strongly believed in ahimsa, which means not harming any living thing. He also worked to help women and poor people. He performed large fire ceremonies called yajñas without using any violence.
During his life, Swaminarayan set up his beliefs in many ways. He built six temples for people to worship God. He also encouraged the writing of holy books. One important book he wrote was the Shikshapatri in 1826. In the same year, he created two main centers for his followers, called the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi (Vadtal Gadi) and Nar Narayan Dev Gadi (Ahmedabad Gadi). He chose leaders called acharyas from his own family to guide these centers.
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Biography of Swaminarayan
Childhood as Ghanshyam Pande
Swaminarayan was born on 3 April 1781 in a village called Chhapaiya. This village is near Ayodhya in what is now the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. His birth name was Ghanshyam Pande. His parents were Hariprasad Pande (also known as Dharmadev) and Premvati Pande (also known as Bhaktimata). They belonged to the Sarvariya brahmin or priestly group.
Swaminarayan's birthday is celebrated at the same time as Rama Navami. This is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Rama. Followers of Swaminarayan celebrate both Rama Navami and Swaminarayan Jayanti on this day. This special day also marks the start of their religious calendar.
Ghanshyam had an older brother named Rampratap Pande and a younger brother named Ichcharam Pande. It is said that by the age of seven, he had already learned many important Hindu scriptures. These included the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata.
Travels as Nilkanth Varni
After his parents passed away, Ghanshyam Pande left his home on 29 June 1792. He was only 11 years old. During his journey, he took the name Nilkanth Varni. Nilkanth Varni traveled all over India and parts of Nepal. He was looking for a special spiritual place called an ashram. He wanted to find an ashram that truly understood and practiced the teachings of Vedanta, Samkhya, Yoga, and Pancaratra.
To find the right ashram, Nilkanth Varni asked five important questions about Vaishnava Vedanta:
- What is Jiva (the soul)?
- What is Ishvara (God)?
- What is Maya (illusion)?
- What is Brahman (the ultimate reality)?
- What is Parabrahman (the Supreme Being)?
During his travels, Nilkanth Varni learned Astanga yoga (eightfold yoga) in nine months. He was taught by an old yoga master named Gopal Yogi. In Nepal, it is said that he met King Rana Bahadur Shah and helped him get better from a stomach illness. Because of this, the king set free all the spiritual people he had put in prison. Nilkanth Varni visited many famous temples, including the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
In 1799, after traveling for seven years, Nilkanth arrived in Loj, a village in Gujarat. There, he met Muktanand Swami, who was a senior student of Ramanand Swami. Muktanand Swami was 22 years older than Nilkanth. He answered Nilkanth's five questions in a way that satisfied him. Nilkanth decided to stay there to meet Ramanand Swami, which he did a few months later.
Leadership as Sahajanand Swami
Nilkanth Varni's deep understanding of spiritual ideas and his strong self-discipline impressed the senior students of Ramanand Swami.
On 20 October 1800, Ramanand Swami formally initiated Nilkanth Varni into the sannyasa (renunciation) path. He gave him the names Sahajanand Swami and Narayan Muni.
When he was 21, Sahajanand Swami was chosen by Ramanand Swami to be the next leader of the Uddhav Sampradaya. This happened just before Ramanand Swami passed away. After this, the Uddhav Sampradaya became known as the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. Sahajanand Swami taught his followers to worship one main God, Krishna or Narayana. He considered Krishna to be his most important deity.
Becoming Swaminarayan
According to the Swaminarayan tradition, Sahajanand Swami became known as Swaminarayan after teaching a special prayer. This prayer, called the Swaminarayan mantra, was taught at a gathering shortly after Ramanand Swami's death. When people chanted this mantra, some went into a deep meditative state called samadhi. They said they could see their personal gods during this time. Swaminarayan was also known by other names like Ghanshyam Maharaj and Shreeji Maharaj.
As early as 1804, Swaminarayan was described as a form of God. This was written by one of his first students, Nishkulanand Swami, in a book called Yama Danda. Swaminarayan himself is said to have hinted that he was a form of God during a meeting in 1825. This meeting was with Reginald Heber, a leader of Christians in India.
Many of Swaminarayan's followers believe he was an incarnation of Lord Krishna. The stories of Swaminarayan's birth are similar to those of Krishna's birth in the holy book Bhagavata Purana. Most followers believe Swaminarayan is the complete form of Narayana or Purushottam Narayana, who is the Supreme Being.
Some people criticized Swaminarayan because he accepted many gifts from his followers. They also noted that he dressed and traveled like a king, even though he had promised to live simply. Swaminarayan explained that he accepted gifts to help his followers achieve spiritual freedom.
Swaminarayan's Teachings
Swaminarayan taught his followers to live a good life by combining devotion to God with dharma (righteous conduct). He used Hindu texts and rituals to build his organization. This group later grew into a worldwide movement, especially strong among Gujarati people. He was very strict about keeping men and women separate in temples. Swaminarayan was against eating meat, animal sacrifices, and using magic rituals. Many of his followers took special promises before becoming his students.
He taught that four things are needed for ultimate salvation: dharma (right conduct), bhakti (devotion), gnana (knowledge), and vairagya (detachment from worldly things). Swaminarayan believed that God always has a divine form and is not formless.
Relations with Others
Swaminarayan worked to have good relationships with people of other religions. He met with important leaders from different faiths. His followers included people from Muslim and Parsi backgrounds. Some Khoja Muslims even served as his personal helpers. Many Muslims in Kathiawad wore special necklaces given by Swaminarayan.
He also met with Reginald Heber, a Christian leader in India. Bishop Heber wrote that about 200 of Swaminarayan's followers, riding horses and carrying weapons, came with him as bodyguards. Bishop Heber himself had about 100 guards. Both leaders gained respect for each other after their meeting.
Swaminarayan had a good relationship with the British Government. The first temple he built in Ahmedabad was on land given by the government. When it opened, the British officers honored it with a 101-gun salute. In 1830, Swaminarayan met with Sir John Malcolm, the Governor of Bombay. Malcolm said that Swaminarayan had helped bring peace to a difficult region. During this meeting, Swaminarayan gave Malcolm a copy of the Shikshapatri. This copy is now kept at the Bodleian Library at University of Oxford.
Temples and Spiritual Teachers
Swaminarayan ordered the building of several Hindu temples. He personally built six large temples. In these temples, he placed statues of different gods and goddesses like Radha Krishna Dev and Laxminarayan Dev. The images in these temples show how important Krishna was to him. Swaminarayan's students wrote devotional poems that are still sung today during festivals. He also encouraged followers to fast and show devotion. He organized festivals like Holi and Janmashtami with traditional folk dances.
The first temple Swaminarayan built was in Ahmedabad in 1822. The land for it was given by the British Government. After followers in Bhuj asked for a temple, Swaminarayan asked his student Vaishnavananand to build one there. It was started in 1822 and finished in just one year. Other temples followed in Vadtal (1824), Dholera (1826), Junagadh (1828), and Gadhada (1828). By the time he passed away, Swaminarayan had also planned temples in Muli, Dholka, and Jetalpur.
From the very beginning, spiritual teachers called ascetics played a big role in the Swaminarayan group. They helped the movement grow and encouraged people to live good, religious lives. It is said that Swaminarayan initiated 500 ascetics as paramhansas in one night. A Paramhansa is a respected title for Hindu spiritual teachers who have reached a high level of enlightenment. These Paramhansas were the highest rank of sannyasi (renouncer) in the group. Some famous Paramhansas included Muktanand Swami and Gopalanand Swami.
Ahmedabad and Vadtal Gadi
Before he passed away, Swaminarayan decided to set up a line of leaders called acharyas to continue his work. He created two main centers of leadership, called gadis. One was in Ahmedabad (Nar Narayan Dev Gadi) and the other in Vadtal (Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi). This happened on 21 November 1825. Swaminarayan appointed an acharya to each of these centers. Their job was to share his message and keep his group, the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, strong.
These acharyas came from his own family. He formally adopted sons from his brothers and made them acharyas. Ayodhyaprasad, the son of Swaminarayan's older brother Rampratap, became the acharya of the Ahmedabad Gadi. Raghuvira, the son of his younger brother Ichcharam, became the acharya of the Vadtal Gadi. Swaminarayan decided that this leadership should be passed down through the family. He wrote down these rules for dividing his followers into two areas in a document called Desh Vibhaag Lekh. Swaminarayan told all his followers and saints to obey both acharyas and Gopalanand Swami, who was seen as a very important spiritual leader for the group.
The current acharya of the Ahmedabad Gadi is Koshalendraprasad Pande. The acharya of the Vadtal Gadi is Ajendraprasad Pande.
Death of Swaminarayan
In 1830, Swaminarayan gathered his followers and told them he would soon leave his body. He passed away on 1 June 1830. His followers believe that at the time of his death, Swaminarayan left Earth for Akshardham, which is his divine home. He was cremated according to Hindu traditions in Gadhada.
Social Views of Swaminarayan
Helping Women
Swaminarayan strongly believed that everyone, including women, had a right to education. This was a very new idea at the time, and some people in society did not like it. Wealthy people usually educated their girls at home with private teachers. Swaminarayan's male followers made sure their female family members received education. Because of this, more women became able to read and write. They could even give talks on spiritual topics. Many people in the Swaminarayan group see him as a pioneer for women's education in India.
For widows, Swaminarayan said that those who could not live a life of purity should remarry. For those who could, he set strict rules. These rules included them being guided by male family members. This might seem old-fashioned, but it gave them a respected and safe place in society at that time.
Caste System and the Poor
After becoming a leader, Swaminarayan worked to help poor people. He gave out food and drinking water. He started several social service projects and opened places where poor people could get help. Swaminarayan organized food and water relief during times of drought.
Some people believe Swaminarayan worked to end the caste system, allowing everyone to join the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. However, he did not support eating food prepared by people from the lowest castes. A British officer in Gujarat, Mr. Williamson, told Bishop Heber that Swaminarayan had "destroyed the yoke of caste." Swaminarayan told his spiritual teachers to collect donations from all parts of society. He also chose people from lower social groups to be his personal helpers. People from lower castes were drawn to his movement because it improved their social standing. Swaminarayan would eat with people from the Rajput and Khati castes, but not with those considered lower. He allowed people from lower castes to visit places of worship. However, Dalits, who were outside the caste system, were formally not allowed in Swaminarayan temples.
Reginald Heber, the Bishop of Calcutta, noticed that Swaminarayan's followers came from all castes, and even included Muslims. He wrote that "they all pray to one God with no difference of castes. They live as if they were brothers." Swaminarayan taught that the soul is not male or female, and it does not belong to any specific caste. He worked to show that moksha (salvation) could be achieved by everyone.
Against Animal Sacrifices
Swaminarayan was against sacrificing animals. To stop this practice, he held several large yajnas (fire ceremonies) with priests from Varanasi. Swaminarayan successfully brought back ahimsa (non-violence) through these large ceremonies. He also taught his followers to be vegetarian and not eat meat. He wrote these rules in the Shikshapatri.
Holy Books
Swaminarayan promoted general Hindu texts. He highly respected the Bhagavata Purana. However, there are also many important books written by Swaminarayan or his followers that are considered holy scriptures within the Swaminarayan group. The most important ones are the Shikshapatri and the Vachanamrut. Other key works include the Satsangi Jeevan, which is Swaminarayan's official life story.
The Shikshapatri
Swaminarayan wrote the Shikshapatri on 11 February 1826. The original text was in Sanskrit, but it was translated into Gujarati by Nityanand Swami under Swaminarayan's guidance. This book is highly respected in the group. It is a small book with 212 Sanskrit verses. It explains the basic rules that Swaminarayan believed his followers should live by to have a disciplined and moral life. The oldest copy of this text is kept at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. It is one of the very few copies given by Swaminarayan himself.
In different parts of the Shikshapatri, Swaminarayan describes Shri Krishna as the greatest being. For example, in verses 1 and 108, it mentions that Swaminarayan prayed to Shri Krishna.
Shikshapatri verse 1: Translation: With all My heart, I meditate on Shri Krishna, who resides in the divine abode Vrindavan; with Radha on his left and Shree residing within his heart.
Shikshapatri verse 108 also says that Shri Krishna is the greatest being: Translation: The Lord, Shri Krishna is the greatest entity. I admire Him the most. He is the cause of all incarnations and is thus truly worthy to be worshiped.
The Vachanamrut
The Vachanamrut (meaning "immortal words") is a sacred Hindu text. It contains 273 religious talks given by Swaminarayan between 1819 and 1829 CE. It is considered the main spiritual book in the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. Four of his senior students wrote down these talks, and Swaminarayan himself checked and approved the book. Since followers believe Swaminarayan is God, the Vachanamrut is seen as a direct message from God. It is thought to be the clearest explanation of the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and other important Hindu scriptures. Followers read this book regularly, and talks about it are given daily in Swaminarayan temples around the world.
The Satsangi Jeevan
The Satsangi Jeevan is the authorized life story of Swaminarayan. This book tells about Swaminarayan's life and his teachings. It was written by Shatanand Swami and finished in 1829. Swaminarayan decided to live permanently in Gadhada because Dada Khachar and his sisters asked him to. Swaminarayan told Shatanand Swami to write a book about his life and activities.
To help Shatanand Swami write about his childhood, Swaminarayan gave him a special power called Sanjay Drishti. This power allowed Shatanand Swami to see Swaminarayan's entire past from his childhood.
Once Shatanand Swami finished writing the book, Swaminarayan checked and approved it. He was very happy to read the book. Swaminarayan then asked his students to give talks based on the Satsangi Jeevan.
Swaminarayan's Legacy
Different Groups
After Swaminarayan's death, some disagreements happened about who should lead the group. This led to the creation of different branches. One of these is the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). Its founder left the Vadtal Gadi in 1905. Another is the Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan, whose founder left the Ahmedabad Gadi in the 1940s.
Followers of BAPS believe that Gunatitanand Swami was Swaminarayan's spiritual successor. They say that Swaminarayan often told his followers that Gunatitanand Swami was a form of Aksharbrahm. BAPS followers believe that the acharyas were given the job of managing the group, while Gunatitanand Swami was given the spiritual leadership by Swaminarayan. The current spiritual leader of BAPS is Mahant Swami Maharaj.
Followers of the Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan believe that Gopalanand Swami was Swaminarayan's successor. The current leader of this group is Purushottampriyadasji Maharaj.
Growth of the Movement
When Swaminarayan passed away, he had about 1.8 million followers. By 2001, Swaminarayan centers were on four continents. The number of followers was recorded to be five million, mostly in Gujarat, India. In 2007, the newspaper Indian Express estimated that there were over 20 million (2 crore) members of the Swaminarayan group worldwide.
Mahatma Gandhi's Thoughts
Mahatma Gandhi once said about Swaminarayan's work: "the work accomplished by Swaminarayan in Gujarat could not and would never have been achieved by the law." However, in a letter to his nephew, Gandhi felt that Swaminarayan's ideas did not perfectly match his own understanding of Vaishnavism. He thought that the love taught by Swaminarayan was more about feelings than deep spiritual connection.
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See also
In Spanish: Swaminarayan para niños
- Akshar-Purushottam Darshan
