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Diciples:
A Christian author, M.C. Parekh has observed,
'Few teachers of religion in the history of the world have been able to
inspire in their own lifetime in their followers such loyalty and faithfulness
as Swami Sahajanand.'1
Ruthless looters surrendered to Him.
Warring tribes renounced their predatory living for a God-centred life.
Low caste members excelled brahmins in character.
Women disciples equalled the gopis, Shri Krishna's female bhaktas, in
their devotional fervour (premlakshana bhakti).
Renunciates, spiritual stalwarts themselves, bowed at His feet; many accepting
His Guruship.
Joban Pagi of Vadtal, a notorious bandit had once terrorised Gujarat.
Maharaj transformed him into an ardent and ideal disciple. Someone once
taunted Joban, "Has Swaminarayan really converted a donkey into a cow?"
Only a month earlier, such a slight would have incited Joban to behead
the man without the slightest remorse. Joban calmly affirmed that God
had graced him. People regarded this phenomenal transformation as miraculous.
The Vagharis, a low caste community, lived mostly by stealing. Sagram,
a Vaghari of Limli, became a disciple. In 1813, a horrendous famine devastated
Kathiawad. Its grisly effects compelled men to sell even their wives and
children to buy grain. Captain James Carnac, Resident at the Gaekwad's
court, witnessed a gruesome sight during the famine: a marauding dog,
driven by hunger, dragged a living child - on the verge of death from
starvation - away, from his helpless mother.2 Such harsh conditions,
compelled Sagram and his wife to migrate south, to Surat, in search of
food.
On the way, Sagram's foot struck a lost silver anklet. Thinking that his
wife, following some way behind, would be tempted to pocket it, and so
violate Lord Swaminarayan's command of not taking anything that belonged
to another without the owner's permission, Sagram covered it with earth.
Later, his wife questioned him about the incident. On revealing his thoughts,
she replied that he had, 'merely covered dust with dust!' To her, other
people's possessions were like dust.
Non-Hindus also joined the sect and offered devotion to the Lord. Dosatai,
a Muslim of Ahmedabad, adopted the Swaminarayan Faith. When his relatives
opposed and tried to win him back to Islam, threatening to bury him alive,
he remained unmoved. Hauling him to the outskirts of the city they buried
him. When they returned home, they discovered him sitting in a room chanting
the Swaminarayan mantra! After this episode, nobody bothered him.
But another disciple was not so fortunate. In Jagamedi, a village near
Jamnagar, an atheist father threatened his young son - who even today
remains nameless in the Satsang annals - with death, if he did not forsake
devotion to Lord Swaminarayan. His faith resolute, the boy refused. The
cruel father then hanged his son. Unlike Dosatai or the child bhakta Prahlad
of the Bhagvatam, the Lord did not physically rescue the boy. Yet his
faith sustained him to the end, confident of his ultimate sanctuary in
Akshardham.
At a time when society looked upon women as inferior to men, women could
not choose to observe brahmacharya, to offer lifelong devotion to God.
But just such a group of women disciples arose, offering singular devotion
to Lord Swaminarayan. Jaya and Lalita, sisters of Dada Khachar - the Kathi
chief of Gadhada, Jamkuba - the queen of Udaipur - who forsook her husband
and kingdom in Rajasthan, Rajbai and several others, all lived at Dada's
court.
Rajbai's devotion peaked to such purity and excellence that after her
death, the corpse and wooden logs on the cremation pyre would not kindle.
When Rajbai's perplexed relatives informed the elderly sadhus, Gopalanand
Swami, a Paramhansa endowed with awesome spiritual powers, instructed
them to inform Agni, the God of Fire, that since the Sati's (Rajbai) soul
had departed, he would not be violating Rajbai's brahmacharya in touching
the dead body. When the relatives repeated this message in front of the
pyre, the wood lighted instantly!
Jaya and Lalita's devotion is equally laudable. Once, the Lord was leaving
Gadhada to celebrate Ramnavmi in Vadtal. The sisters dearly wished that
He celebrate the festival in Gadhada. Therefore they planned to prevent
Him from leaving.
When He mounted His mare, Manki, she would not budge. Surprised at her
odd behaviour, Maharaj spoke to her softly. Still, she stayed put. The
two sisters and others watched from a distance. Maharaj then deduced that
the two sisters were holding the chit - consciousness of Manki. He dismounted
and approached them. He explained that He had forgotten to obtain the
two's permission and that now, they should grant it happily. Thousands
would be arriving in Vadtal; it would be unfair to them for Him to celebrate
the festival here for the benefit of a few. Not wishing to displease Him,
they granted permission, rescinding their devotional 'spell' on Manki.
She then obeyed Maharaj. Premanand Swami composed an evocative kirtan
portraying this episode, extolling the sisters' fervent devotion.
Several women disciples such as Meenbai of Kariyana, Karnibai of Adhoi,
Laduma of Piplana and Raima of Kundal were graced with niravarana sight.
This mystical vision pierces the barrier of distance and solid matter.
By meditating they could tele-witnessed live the Lord's daily activities
since His birth in Chhapaiya. They had also witnessed His seven year forest
sojourns. By this mystical ability their proximity and devotion to Him
increased.
Male disciples, farmers such as Parvatbhai and merchants such as Gordhanbhai,
through spiritual endeavour attained the highest consciousness possible
by a Jiva, wherein they experienced an unbroken vision of God. This is
known as Jivan-Mukti - release from the bondage of Maya, with a realisation
of God during one's physical life on earth, rather than after death. Therefore
society also referred to Lord Swaminarayan as Jivan Mukta - one who redeems
souls during life itself.
At the other, higher end of the social spectrum, of those in temporal
powers then, Maharajah Sayajirao II, of Baroda,3 Maharajah
Dewaji of Gondal State4 and Kushal Kunverba the queen mother
of Dharampur State5 became disciples and invited Lord Swaminarayan
to their courts with great pomp. Others, who revered Him as a divine personage
also welcomed Him to their courts, including: Hamid Khan, the Nawab of
Junagadh States and Maharajah Wajesinh of Bhavnagar.
Letter to Eighteen Disciples
An integral aspect of bhakti involves obeying the commands of the Lord
implicitly.
The unquestioning obedience Lord Swaminarayan won from His followers
was phenomenal.
He once wrote a common letter to eighteen married devotees in Kathiawad.
All of them ranked eminently in society; Kathi chiefs, landlords and
businessmen. He commanded that, the moment they read the letter they
leave for Jetalpur to be initiated as Paramhansas by Bhai Ramdas Swami,
and then proceed to Benares to study the scriptures. Wherever they happened
to be, whether in the fields or in their shops, when they received the
letter they were to leave without informing their families.
And thus it happened. As the letter circulated to the eighteen, they
walked away from family, friends, wealth and property. On their way
to Jetalpur they passed the village of Kadu. Here they met Kalyanbhai,
a young devotee, who had just completed his marriage ceremony. He enquired
about the latest commands from the Lord. They showed him the letter.
After reading it, he joyfully informed them that he would also accompany
them since his name was mentioned. Surprised, the devotees re-read the
letter. His name was clearly not on the list. But he pointed out the
word, 'etcetera', at the end. This meant that he qualified as well!
His mother and the bride's relatives tried to dissuade him, but to Kalyanbhai,
the Lord's command superseded everything. Without any qualms he calmly
walked away.
In Jetalpur, Bhai Ramdas Swami initiated the devotees and told them
to go to Kutch to receive Maharaj's blessings. As they reached the outskirts
of Bhuj Maharaj rode out to welcome them. At a distance He dismounted
and prostrated to the group. On seeing this, the devotees rushed to
curtail Him.
Maharaj hugged them for their unflinching devotion. He then glanced
questioningly at Kalyanbhai. The devotees informed Him of his unique
sacrifice. Pleased with the whole group, He kept them with Him for a
few days and then commanded them to return home to resume a normal life.
Kalyanbhai declined. He had firmly resolved to remain a renunciate.
Maharaj gladly accepted his decision, naming him Adbhutanand Swami.
The Kathis
The peninsula of Kathiawad derives its name from the Kathis, a tribe
renowned for its pugnacity, chivalry, fighting prowess and fine horse
breeding. A fiercely proud clan, it had long been a source of discord
in the land.
Apart from the overall political chaos that reigned in the region, Kathiawad
also owed its destitution to the Kathis. Famed for their ruthlessness,
the Kathis held life cheaply; frequently feuding with each other, plundering,
pillaging crops and stealing cattle from villages inimical to them.
A British officer, Captain Grant, kidnapped by a Kathi outlaw, observed
their ways:
'The young Kattees used to boast how many men they had killed, and one
day I heard the old fellows questioning them rather particularly whether
or not they were sure they had killed their victims. 'Yes,' they said;
they had seen their spears through them, and were certain they were
dead. 'Ah,' remarked an old Kattee, 'a human being is worse to kill
than any other animal; never be sure they are dead till you see the
body on one side of the road, and the head on the other'.6
Of the three clans of Kathis, namely: Khachar, Khuman and Wala, Lord
Swaminarayan spent a major part of His life with the first; the chiefs
and citizens of Gadhada, Sarangpur, Kariyani and Loya.
Lord Swaminarayan, Himself an accomplished horseman, rode and raced
with them. He dressed like them, became one of them. He allowed them
to accompany Him, serving as guards during His preaching tours,7
for travelling alone in the countryside invariably posed dangers from
thugs,8 looters and wild animals. With love and laughter
He transformed their hearts. The Satsang soon envied their spirited
devotion.
A typical transformation can be observed of a young Kathi chief named
Sura Khachar of Loya. Thieves once stole two of his oxen. The next morning,
when he arrived late in the scriptural discourse, Lord Swaminarayan
questioned him. He informed Him of the theft and his reason for being
delayed. In retribution, he had scoured the whole village, house by
house, pilfering four oxen from others!
The same young chief later imbibed Satsang ideals and moulded a virtuous
character. On one occasion, the chief of Jasdan invited him to a party.
Afterwards, the chief out of spite for Swaminarayan followers and to
mar Sura's brahamcharya, sent a prostitute to his room. On opening the
door, Sura realised the woman's intentions. Drawing his sword, he threatened
to behead her if she entered. He then rode away to Gadhada. As he entered
Dada's court, Maharaj addressed the assembly, 'Here comes Our perfect
brahmachari.' This was the highest tribute a devotee could receive,
especially coming from the Lord Himself.
Reaching an exalted status in the Satsang, many Kathis excelled in devotion,
and are glorified in the Satsang literature.
When Lord Swaminarayan first arrived in Gadhada, in 1805, Dada Khachar
was only four years old. On the death of his father, king Abhel Khachar,
Lord Swaminarayan assumed a role as Dada's father. He lovingly taught
the young prince horsemanship, weaponry, diplomacy and the technicalities
of managing his state. The singular reason for the Lord's loving grace
on him centred on his unalloyed devotion at such a young age. His inseparable
association with the Lord excelled to such height that whenever He left
Gadhada to visit other parts of Gujarat, Dada and his sisters, unable
to bear the separation, would either resort to self-abnegation in the
form of fasts until His return or would have to accompany Him to escape
grief.
Lord Swaminarayan's words contained formidable spiritual prowess; able
to eradicate the militant nature of people. Once in Samarkha, a village
near Anand, He instructed the chivalrous Kathis and Rajputs to imbibe
humility; to forgive those who maligned them and never to lift their
swords. He said that by cultivating forgiveness and forbearance they
would attain a greater victory - over the baser instincts. Just then,
a few devotees arrived from Anand. They requested Him to grace their
homes. Aware of the outcome, He replied that dissenters in town would
foment trouble. When the devotees beseeched Him, He relented.
The next day, He rode to Anand, accompanied by sadhus, the Kathis, Joban
Pagi - the ex-dacoit, and other devotees. The heads of the local Vallabhi
mandir saw them. Out of spite they incited the townsfolk to insult them.
Within minutes a furore erupted. They hurled a barrage of stones, mud,
cow dung and obscenities. The sadhus gladly, while continuing to sing
kirtans, bore the abuse. But the Kathi chiefs and Joban Pagi - warriors
by blood seethed with anger; unable to bear the objects hurled on Maharaj,
their Lord. Reflexly, they reached for their weapons. Maharaj reminded
them not to retaliate. They obeyed instantly, albeit bitterly. He then
calmly led them out of town.
After cleansing themselves, they returned to Vadtal. Here He revealed,
'The fact that we forgave was in itself our victory. Therefore we are
all now sitting here so peacefully. Fighting would have created further
enmity. The townsfolk will later realise, repent, invite us and many
will become good disciples.'9 Within weeks His prophecy proved
true.
Lord Swaminarayan's influence on unruly Kathis outside the Satsang,
was equally remarkable.
Between 1820 and 1829, the state of Bhavnagar, to which the Gadhada
district belonged, had intermittently witnessed plundering raids by
Khuman Kathis. They had developed a grievance with Wajesinh, the king.
To avenge his unfair policies, they turned into Baharwuttias - literally,
'out on the road' - a form of outlawry.10
Under Jogidas Khuman, a formidable Baharwuttio famed for his chivalry,
the Khumans periodically pillaged villages belonging to Wajesinh, razing
them and pilfering the cattle. Then they escaped into the nearby Gir
forest, thus evading pursuit by Wajesinh's troops.
In 1824, instigated by the British, another group of Kathis captured
Jogidas, handing him over to Captain Barnewell, then Political Agent
in Rajkot. After he failed to devise a practicable agreement conducive
to both the Khumans and Wajesinh, he had no choice but to release Jogidas,
who resumed his outlaw activities.11
By 1829, his unremitting forays had all but exasperated Wajesinh, who
was now desperate for a truce. At this critical period, Wajesinh came
to know that Jogidas had recently visited Gadhada, in mourning Jiva
Khachar's (Dada's uncle) demise, and had also met Lord Swaminarayan.
Wajesinh took heart. He summoned twenty-eight-year-old Dada Khachar
and requested him to mediate on his behalf, to convince Jogidas for
a permanent peace settlement. Lord Swaminarayan blessed Dada Khachar,
assuring him success on such a precarious mission. Dada Khachar then
sought out Jogidas and negotiated successfully. D.A. Blane, then Political
Agent in Rajkot, ratified the truce and sent it to the Bombay Presidency,
which approved it.12
Where even the British had failed in 1824, Jogidas' surprising co-operation
and compliance to Dada Khachar's terms on this occasion, clearly reflected
Lord Swaminarayan's calming influence on the outlaws, in addition to
the young chief's diplomacy. Reports of such transformations and the
remarkably edifying effects of Lord Swaminarayan all over Gujarat without
use of weapons, had been intermittently reaching the British officials
at the Bombay Presidency.13 Therefore, on his visit to Gujarat
and Kutch in 1830, then Governor, Sir John Malcolm eagerly wished to
meet Lord Swaminarayan. Through Williamson and Blane, his agents,14
he had two letters sent to Gadhada, inviting Lord Swaminarayan to a
meeting in Rajkot. But a reply informed him of Lord Swaminarayan's grave
illness, extreme weakness and inability to travel. Sir Malcolm then
had a third letter written. Before it reached Gadhada, Lord Swaminarayan
out of grace for the Governor's heartfelt requests, and aware of the
impending third letter, forsook His illness. He left Gadhada with a
retinue of senior Paramhansas and Kathi chiefs. On the way to Rajkot,
He received the third letter.
The historic meeting took place at the Political Agent's bungalow, on
26th February 1830. Sir Malcolm sent out a military band to welcome
Lord Swaminarayan to the bungalow.15
After a conversation lasting an hour, Sir John Malcolm asked for blessings
and a written form of His teachings. Lord Swaminarayan presented him
with the Shikshapatri which today remains well preserved in the Indian
Institute Library of the Bodlean Library in Oxford, England.16
In 1849, nineteen years after Lord Swaminarayan's demise, Henry George
Briggs visited Vadtal, one of the mandirs built by Him. About the disciples,
Briggs observed:
'Sahajanand was loved beyond belief by his discples - comprising men
of talent, of station and of wealth, the poor, the ignorant, the rude
- and who would have sacrificed life itself for their preceptor.'17
1 Parekh, Manilal C. Sri Swami Narayan.
Rajkot: Sri Bhagwat Dharma Mission House,
1937, p.132
Dave, op.cit.,Vol.III.,Transformation of Joban Pagi,pp.73,74.
2 Parekh, Hiralal T. Arvachin Gujaratnu Rekhadarshan. Khand 1.
(1801-1857). Amdavad:
Somalal Mangaldas, 1935, Famine of 1813, Capt. Carnac's observation,
pp. 87, 88.
Commissariat. M.S. History of Gujarat. The Maratha Period. Amdavad:
Gujarat Vidya
Sabha, 1980, Famine of 1813-Capt. Carnac's observation, p. 994.
3 Dave, op.cit.,Vol.V., Maharajah Sayajirao II welcomes Lord
Swaminarayan, pp.177-182.
4 Harililamrutam.op.cit.,Maharajah Dewaji of Gondal State welcomes
Lord
Swaminarayan,1/6.
5 Anon. History & Administration of Dharampur State. From
1262 to 1937. Dharampur:
D.V. Saraiya, 'visit of the great founder of the Swaminarayan sect,'
p.28.
Harililamrutam. op.cit.,Letter to eighteen disciples, 6/21.
6 Jacob, Sir George Le Grand.Western India.Before and during
the Mutinies. London:
Henry S. King & Co.,1872, rpt. Edition:New Delhi:Mayur Publications,1985,p.110.
7 Shastri, op.cit.,Kathi chiefs' devotion as guards,p.466.
8 Anon.History & Practices of the Thugs.London: W.H. Allen
& Co.,1837.
9 Harililamrutam. op.cit., insult in Anand,7/70.
10 Rajyagor, S.B. History of Gujarat.New Delhi:S.Chand &
Co. Ltd.,1982,Wajesinh &
Khuman Kathis, p.403.
11 Wilberforce Bell, op.cit., Wajesinh & Khuman Kathis, pp.
205-207.
12 Dave, op.cit.,Vol.V.,Rift between Wajesinh & Khuman Kathis,Dada
Khachar's diplomacy
with Jogidas Khuman,pp.362, 363.
13 Parekh, Hiralal T. op.cit.,Reports of Lord Swaminarayan's
edifying effects in Kathiawad
reaching the British, p. 90.
14 Parekh, M.C.Shri Swami Narayan.Bombay:Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,3rd.
ed.,1980, letters
written by Blane (& Williamson, secretary) to Lord Swaminarayan,
pp. 254-256.
15 Dave, op.cit.,Vol. V. Letter sent by Sir John Malcolm,p.455,meeting
with, pp.475-478.
16 Williams, Raymond B. Presentation of Shikshapatri to Sir John
Malcolm, in New
Dimensions in Vedanta Philosophy Vol. I., Amdavad: B.A.P.S. 1981, Ch.
43, p.114.
17 Briggs, Henry George. Cities of Gujarashtra. Bombay: The Times
Press, 1849, p.242.
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