Purna-Purushottam Lord Shree Swaminarayan
In the Vikram year 1837, Chaitra Sud 9th, (based on the Vikram Lunar calendar), 2nd April 1781 A.D., Lord Swaminarayan manifested in Chhapaiya, a town in the holy land of Northern India, to dispel evil and superstitious practices, to preach non-violence and universal brotherhood, methods of self realisation and ultimately to purify the lost souls and reveal to them His supreme abode Akshardham.
Forecasts of Lord Swaminarayan's Arrival
The ancient Hindu scripture, the Brahmand-Puran, has forecasted:
दत्तात्रेयः कृतयुगे त्रेतायां रघुनन्दनः |
द्वापरे वासुदेवः स्यात् कलौ स्वामि वृषात्मजः ||
Dattatreyah Krutayuge, Tretaayaam Raghunandanah,
Dwapare Vaasudevah syaat, Kalau Swami Vrushaatmajah.
“In the age of Sat-yug, Lord Dattatreya will manifest. In Treta-yug, Lord Raghunandan alias Ramchandraji will manifest. The Vasudev, alias Lord Shree Krishna will manifest in Dwapar-yug, and in the age of Kali-yug, the son of Dharmadev, Lord Shree Swaminarayan will manifest.”
In the Holy Scripture, the Padma-Puran, it is said:
पाखण्डबहुले लोके स्वामिनाम्ना हरिः स्वयम् |
पापपङ्कनिमग्नं तज्जगदुद्धारयिष्यति ||
Paakhanda-bahule loke Swami-naamnaa Harihi swayam,
paap-pank-nimagnam taj-jagad-uddhaarayishyati.
“When dishonesty has spread throughout society and the world has become immersed in a mire of sin, Lord Shree Swaminarayan will manifest in order to liberate all.”
The Vishnu-Dharmottar scripture states:
महाधर्मात्यये पुण्ये नाम्ना पापविनाशके |
हरिप्रसादविप्रस्य स्वामिनाम्ना हरिः स्वयम् ||
Mahaa-dharmaatyaye punye naamnaa paap-vinaashake,
Hariprasaad-viprasya Swami-naamnaa Harihi swayam.
“When the principles of the elite religion are being destroyed, Lord Swaminarayan will manifest at the home of the Brahmin Hariprasad. By the mere utterance of His name, sinners will be purified.”
In the Vishvaksen-Sanhita scripture, it is said:
भूम्यां कृतावतारो वै सर्वानेताञ्जनानहम् |
प्रापयिष्यामि वैकुण्ठं सहजानन्दनामतः ||
Bhoomyaam krutaavataaro vai sarvaan-etaan-janaan-aham,
Prapayishyami Vaikuntham Sahajanand-namatah
“I will assume the name Sahajanand and will manifest upon this earth. I will ensure that souls attain My divine abode.”
In the eleventh chapter of the Shreemad Bhagwat, it is written:
कृतादिषु प्रजा राजन् कलाविच्छन्ति सम्भवम् |
कलौ खलु भविष्यन्ति नारायणपरायणा: ||
Krutaadishu prajaa raajan Kalaa-vichchhanti sambhavam,
Kalau khalu bhavishyanti Naaraayan-paraayanaaha.
“I will assume the name Sahajanand and will manifest upon this earth. I will ensure that souls attain My divine abode.”
In the same scripture, it states:
किरातहुणान्ध्रपुलिन्दपुष्कसा आभिरकन्क यवना खसादयः |
येदन्ये च पापा युदुपाश्रयाश्रया: शुद्ध्यन्ति तस्मै प्रभविष्णवे नमः ||
Kiraat-Hoon-Aandhra-Pulinda-Pushkasaa Aabhir-Kanka-Yavanaa-Khasa-adayah, Ye-nye cha paapaa yad-upaashraya-ashrayaha shuddhyanti tasmai prabhavishnave namah.
“Both people of the low classes, such as Kirat, Hun, Andhra, Pulinda, Pushkas or Barewasi, Abhir or Ahir, Kank or Kathi, Muslim, Khoja, Koli, Tamboli etc. and people who are of the higher classes by birth, but who have performed vile deeds, will renounce their evil ways, purify themselves and become ardent devotees through their association with the ascetic and gruhasth disciples of Purna-Purushottam Lord Shree Swaminarayan who will manifest in the future. Therefore, it is needless to say that the higher caste Brahmins will also become purified. I bow down to this incarnator of all incarnations Lord Shree Swaminarayan, who will manifest in the future.”
Fulfilling the forecasts of these scriptures, Purna-Purushottam Lord Shree Swaminarayan manifested to:
- Eradicate irreligion and establish the true religion (Bhagwat-dharma).
- Abolish the practise of animal sacrificial ceremonies and instead, to advocate the ideology of no violence under any circumstances (ahimsa).
- Destroy evildoers and protect sants.
- Liberate souls from the web of superstition, black-magic, witchcraft etc.
- Establish loving devotion (prem-lakshana-bhakti) unto the Lord.
- Rescue all those who seek salvation from their internal enemies such as lust, anger etc. and to ensure that they attain eternal salvation (aatyantik moksh).
- Fulfil the devotional desires and wishes of His loving devotees and grant them His divine parental compassion.
- Protect and rejuvenate dharma (religious decree) and bhakti (devotion), which were being persecuted by irreligious and evil entities
- Establish and disseminate, His eminence as the sarvavatari (incarnator of all incarnations), His supreme knowledge and His true upasana.
- Enlighten the previous incarnations and their devotees with His supreme upasana and then dispatch them to His Akshardham.
- Establish the long-forgotten principles of the ekantik religion by destroying evil and thereby protect the upholders of truth and virtue.
- Explain the true knowledge and upasana to His devotees, i.e. the souls who seek salvation, and then send them to His divine abode; and encourage other souls to follow the path to salvation.
Lord Shree Swaminarayan's Manifestation upon the Earth
“The Lord is never born, although He may show that He is going through the process of human birth. He never ages and never dies. Such a powerful Lord manifested at the home of Murti (Bhakti) and Dharmadev. He shows His body and actions to be just like those of all others. Those who understand His deeds to be divine, and understand that He never ages and is immortal, will be released from the cycle of birth and death.”
– Lord Shree Swaminarayan, Vachanamrut Ahmedabad 4
On one occasion, Lord Shree Swaminarayan was seated amongst a vast assembly of sants and devotees. He asked them all a question. “God incarnates on the earth for the salvation of souls. Is He unable to bestow salvation whilst remaining in His abode, without incarnating on this earth? God is able to confer salvation in whichever manner He wills. In that case, what is the purpose for God to assume a human form? If God can only bestow salvation after incarnating, but is otherwise unable to confer beatitude, this constitutes a deficiency in God. The fact is that God is able to grant salvation to souls, with or without incarnating on the earth. So what is the purpose for God to incarnate? That is the question.”
“When the Lord appears on the earth in a human form, He possesses the same infinite spiritual powers that He has when He is in Akshardham. Only a foolish soul will think of Him to be a human, just like themselves. They believe that the Lord is born, then becomes a child, reaches adolescence, becomes old and eventually dies. However, these human features do not apply to the Lord. The murti of the Lord is divine. All His actions are also divine.”
– Lord Shree Swaminarayan, Vachanamrut Panchala 7
All the senior and eminent sants answered the question in accordance to their understanding. However, Shreejimaharaj’s remained unanswered because none of the answers were satisfactory. All the munis joined their hands and prayed, “Oh Maharaj! The answer to that question can only be attained from You.” So Shreejimaharaj said, “The only purpose for God to assume an incarnation is that He surrenders Himself to the devotion of the devotees who have an intense love for Him. The Lord incarnates Himself and assumes a form in accordance to the devotee’s spiritual desires in order to grant them His divine bliss. He then fulfils the spiritual desires of His devotees. As the devotees are corporeal and have human bodies, God also shows Himself in this manner in the world and assumes a human body. He showers affection upon His devotees. He conceals His greatness and takes the form of the devotee’s son, companion, friend, or relative. Due to this relationship, devotees experience a close intimacy with God. A barrier between God and the devotee does not remain and God is able to grant His infinite bliss to the devotee according to their spiritual desires. Therefore, the purpose for God to assume an incarnation is to fulfil the spiritual desires of His loving devotees. Along with this, He bestows salvation to innumerable souls and establishes the religion (the decree of moral, righteous conduct). – Vachanamrut Kariyani 5
Manifestation of Lord Shree Swaminarayan
In the Vikram year 1837, Chaitra Sud 9th, (based on the Vikram Lunar calendar), 2nd April 1781 A.D., Lord Swaminarayan manifested in Chhapaiya, a town in the holy land of Northern India, to dispel evil and superstitious practices, to preach non-violence and universal brotherhood, methods of self realisation and ultimately to purify the lost souls and reveal to them His supreme abode Akshardham.
At the time of His manifestation the whole country was full of rivalries and dissension’s of the petty kingdoms which ruled the land. Moral principles and values were non-existent. Impiety and evil prevailed all over the country and blind belief gained force. Mutual distrust and disbelief broke down the vigour and vitality of the people. Fraud and superstition had gained hold over the masses. Impostors in the garb of priests and monks began to exploit the religious sentiments of the people in order to gain wealth and prosperity for themselves. It was in this climate of anti-social and irreligious attitudes, that Lord Swaminarayan enduring many discomforts and self-suffering established the Swaminarayan faith expounding the universal love of all creatures.