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HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj's Vicharan

1 to 15 July, 2002
Mumbai - Surat - Sankari
   
  • Mumbai (2 pages)
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    (Mumbai)
     
    Swamishri's Itinerary
    		  
         Highlights:
    July 2002  

    		1 to 14:
    15:

    Mumbai
    Mumbai, Surat (Dumas), Sankari
    • 1 July 2002 (V.S. 2058, Jeth sud 7) Monday, Mumbai.
      Volunteers' Day
      During the evening assembly, a drama "Offering Everything" was performed by the volunteers. The drama showed the services of volunteers in the face of insult, adverse weather and hunger.
      Finally Swamishri, in his blessings, highlighted the sacrifice and service of the volunteers.
       
    • 6 July 2002 (V.S. 2058, Jeth vad 11) Saturday, Mumbai.
      Children's Day
      In the evening assembly, children recited Swamini Vatos, narrated stories, sang kirtans and performed monoacting. Finally, Swamishri addressed the assembly, "The children have performed well. They are like saplings. If they are cared for they will grow into giant trees and bear abundant fruits. Children are our wealth. We endeavor immensely to acquire mundane wealth and assets. We even take care in looking after it and utilising it in the best of ways. And, we are never careless in this matter. So too, children are our wealth."
       
    • 12 July 2002 (V.S. 2058, Ashadh sud 2) Friday, Mumbai.
      Rath Yatra Festival
      In the evening assembly, Pujya Balmukund Swami and Pujya Viveksagar Swami explained the significance of the Rath Yatra festival. When Swamishri arrived, he was welcomed by children with a festive dance. Then Swamishri performed the arti of Thakorji and thereafter, with a remote control panel, guided the chariot with Thakorji. The singing of the bhajan, "Kunvar rangile Kan bethe rath..." and the darshan of Rath Yatra charged the assembly with devotion and joy.
      The festival was capped with Swamishri's blessings, "The Rath Yatra festival in Jagannathpuri is attended by hundreds of thousands of devout people. It is because of religious feelings in people that such festivals are celebrated with excitement and joy… By celebrating festivals one's devotion for God is enhanced, faith in Him is consolidated and morals are strengthened."
        
    • 13 July 2002 (V.S. 2058, Ashadh sud 3) Saturday, Mumbai.
      Kishore Day
      • During Swamishri's puja, kishores sang bhajans with the accompaniment of instruments.
      • The evening program presentations included a traditional, colorful dance, singing of kirtans and an interesting discussion about the divine, redemptory attributes of Swamishri. The kishores then sang a bhajan "Chhana, chhana, chhana tame kya sudhi chhana rehesho." Then they asked Swamishri to reveal his true form to them. In his blessings Swamishri began, "I am a sadhu of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the servant of Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj and my name is Narayanswarupdas..."
         
    • 15 July 2002 (V.S. 2058, Ashadh sud 6) Monday, Surat (Dumas), Sankari.
      Volunteer Training Camp
      At 7.45 p.m. Swamishri lit the inaugural lamp for the 7-day Volunteer Training Camp (Divya Sannidhi Parva) in Sankari. To accommodate the volunteers, the camp was divided into two 3½-day slots. A total of 827 central and local coordinators, male and female, and from the bal, kishore and youth wings availed of the divine presence of Swamishri and senior sadhus. The camp was also attended by 178 sadhus actively involved in the Satsang activities. The theme of the camp was 'To Worship God Unitedly'.
      Living With Swamishri :

    Stemming Moral Deterioration

    • 2 July 2002 (VS 2058, Jeth vad 7) Tuesday, Mumbai

      Swamishri asked a young teenager called Kapil Dave, "How are you?"
       
      Kapil replied, "I'm fine."
       
      Then a sadhu said with humor, "He wakes up at 12 noon."
       
      Swamishri advised, "You should not get up at 12 noon, but wake up in time, take your bath in time, play according to a scheduled time and perform bhajan, bhakti and listen to discourses too."
      Someone added, "Though he loves to eat outside (restaurant, etc.), he has taken a pledge not to do so."
       
      Kapil clarified, "The pledge is for four months."
       
      Swamishri said, "How can you pledge for four months only! You should not eat outside for life. It is the command of Yogiji Maharaj that one should not eat outside. Besides, you are a Brahmin's son and a satsangi. So, you should not eat from outside. From today stop eating outside."
       
      Swamishri's instruction reflects his desire to stop the deterioration in a budding teenager's life - be it through irregular timings or laxity in niyams.

    Jewel of Bharat

    • 11 July 2002 (VS 2058, Ashadh sud 4) Tuesday, Mumbai

      The chief editor of The Times of India, Mumbai, Shri Balkrishnan, praised Swamishri's socio-spiritual achievements and said that he is a spiritual engineer. Swamishri replied, "I have done nothing. Whatever is achieved is through God's grace and through the efforts of these sadhus and devotees."
       
      Shri Balkrishnan responded, "But it is through your leadership that things are accomplished. I feel that Pramukh Swami should be given the Bharat Ratna award. Though you are the jewel of Bharat, there should be an official recognition by giving you the award."
       
      Swamishri, pointing to a murti of Akshar and Purushottam, happily replied, "Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Yogiji Maharaj have given me the award. I am happy and contented with that. There is no need of worldly awards."
       
      Despite all his grand achievements Swamishri has no desires for recognition because he is content with the blessings of God and his guru.

    Akshardham

    • 15 July 2002 (VS 2058, Ashadh sud 6) Monday, Sankari

      For the first time ever the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha has published a children's monthly - Swaminarayan Bal Prakash. An introduction to the publication was given in the volunteers' training camp. When it was announced that Swamishri would become its first subscriber, two volunteers took a copy of the monthly alongwith a subscription receipt book. After seeing the magazine, Swamishri then wrote his name in the receipt book - Shastri Narayanswarupdas. Then Swamishri paused as to what to write in the address column. He asked the volunteer, "What shall I write in the address section? Sankari?, Bochasan? Amdavad?"
       
      The volunteer said, "Write the address of the place you come from."
       
      Swamishri reponded immediately and wrote, "Akshardham."
       
      Then after writing the date, Swamishri came across the subscription charge column and said, "I am sadhu so I do not have any money."
       
      Swamishri's pure saintliness and divinity is revealed through his absolute renunciation and the fact that he is from Akshardham - God's abode.
      Gems From Swamishri :
    • God's power is supreme. We can attain that divine power only through the spiritual association of the God communion Sadhu and reading of scriptures.
    • We do not want to become millionaires and billionaires but the servants of God. And if you achieve this then you will become a billionaire of billionaires.
    • Just as we endeavor immensely to acquire mundane wealth, take proper care of it and use it in the best of ways, likewise, children are our wealth.
    • Children are like saplings. If they are cared for they will grow into giant trees and bear abundant fruits.
    • Children are our future. They will serve our country and society.
    • There is power in children. If it is awakened then it will be of immense advantage and benefit.
    • One's mundane work pleases God, but the greatest work is to attain salvation of one's soul.
    • Happiest are those who have become free from desires, mundane bonds and attained the realised state and God's abode.
    • There is no end in criticizing that he is like this and like that. So look at your ownself and for inspiration, at God and His holy Sadhu.
    • Consolidate the knowledge of God in oneself, then one will never get disturbed in Satsang and never utter discouraging words.
    • By celebrating festivals one's devotion for God is enhanced, faith in him is consolidated and morals are strengthened.
      Spiritual Endeavors :
    To please Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj children, youths and senior devotees perform austerities, pilgrimages or other devotional means. The spiritual endeavors performed by the devotees during Swamishri's visit to the local centers are congratulatory and worthy of recognition. It also reflects Swamishri's divinity for inspiring such spiritual efforts in children, teenagers and devotees.

    1 July 2002, Mumbai
    • Two youths, Yogeshbhai Chaudhari and Hitesh Gandhi performed prostrations from their home in Malad to Swaminarayan mandir, Dadar. They had started at 5.00 p.m. the previous day and arrived at the mandir at 12 noon today. Both youths had covered a distance of 30 km and it took them 19.5 hrs. Swamishri blessed both the youths.
    • Garvish Gandhi, age ten, performed prostrations for five hours from Goregaon to Jogeshwari.

    3 July 2002, Mumbai

    • Sixteen youths from Kandivali pilgrimaged on foot from Kandivali to Dadar covering a distance of 24 km. They started at 11.00 p.m. the previous night and reached the mandir at 6.00 a.m.

    13 July 2002, Mumbai

    • As part of Kishore Day, 15 kishores from Mulund and 20 kishores from Vikroli had walked in barefeet to the Swaminarayan mandir, Dadar.

    14 July 2002, Mumbai

    • Swamishri blessed 168 devotees who had pilgrimaged on foot over a distance of 15 km this morning from Andheri to Dadar mandir.

    © 2002, Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, Swaminarayan Aksharpith