Important Quotations

Motibhai’s Divine Experience

37. The Confluence of Ganga and Sagar

From Sarangpur, Swamishri went to Rajkot at the invitation of Krishnaji Ada. It was because of the heartfelt wish of Jina Bhagat, a devotee from the group of Krishnacharandas Swami, that Adashri had invited Swamishri to Rajkot. Krishnacharandas Swami was a disciple of the revered Madhavcharandas Swami, who himself was a blessed disciple of Gunatitanand Swami. The sadhus in that group were full of saintly virtues. Among them, Jina Bhagat stood out distinctly. He had heard much from Krishnaji Ada and others about Swamishri’s glory and work. A deep longing had awakened in him to behold such a divine saint.

Swamishri arrived in Rajkot, and thus Jina Bhagat’s intense desire for darshan was fulfilled. At the very first darshan, he felt immense attraction toward Swamishri. His heart became attached to Swamishri’s form. Through those darshans, he experienced profound contentment.

From Rajkot, Swamishri returned to Sarangpur. The devotees there prayed to him to build a mandir. Compassionate Swamishri listened to their prayer. He purchased the rooms of Pithakhachar as they were being sold. On hearing this, Bhimjibhai Kothari was shocked and thought, “By buying these rooms, is a mandir somehow going to become smaller?” Yet he remained quiet.

Swamishri then began traveling through the villages around Sarangpur and throughout Jhalavad, speaking about Akshar-Purushottam. When Shri Zaverbhai, the Diwan of Limbdi, learned that Swami had bought the rooms, he said, “Swami! If you build a mandir in Sarangpur, I will have land granted through Thakor Saheb.” Swamishri replied, “We do not have money. Moreover, the work in Bochasan is still incomplete. Even so, if you can get us land, we will build a small mandir.”

The Diwan knew well that Swamishri’s work could not be done with too little land. So he said, “Swami! Ask for more land, and I will get it granted.” Swamishri asked for twenty-four acres of land, which the Diwan obtained from the Limbdi Darbar, while the remaining land was acquired from Shermiya of Dholka.

The land was acquired, but building a mandir was by no means easy. There was no money, not enough manpower, and opposition on every side — “These are rebels; do not feed them. If they come to the mandir, drive them out. These sadhus have rebelled against the Acharya and the mandir, so do not support them.” The opponents went from village to village spreading such fierce propaganda. They misled innocent and simple people. Out of fear, some would not come near Swamishri. Even so, there were many brave devotees who, despite all opposition, stood firmly by Swamishri.

Important Quotations

“Swami! If you build a mandir in Sarangpur, I will have land granted through Thakor Saheb.”

“We do not have money. Moreover, the work in Bochasan is still incomplete. Even so, if you can get us land, we will build a small mandir.”

“Swami! Ask for more land, and I will get it granted.”

The Episode of Jina Bhagat and the Sadhu Group

Swamishri’s sadhus were also powerful in spirit. No matter how much hardship came, they did not become disturbed. They always remained cheerful and joyful. Because of a lack of utensils, they would cook khichdi in kerosene tins and eat from them. At times, even sour buttermilk was unavailable. They had to walk five or six gau to receive alms. There was no money in the treasury, and on top of that, the opponents would say things meant to crush their enthusiasm. Yet they did not waver. The opponents would say, “What mandir are they going to build? At best, there will be little shrines here.” Even after hearing all this, these sadhus remained joyful.

They had to labor day and night in service of the mandir, to the point of breaking their bodies. Sometimes, they did not even get enough to eat. Yet, because of their steadfast faith in Akshar-Purushottam and their immense love for Swamishri, these sadhus always remained full of enthusiasm.

After this, the austere and renounced sadhu Swami Jnanjivandas, from the group of Swami Krishnacharandasji of Junagadh, along with other sadhus of his group, set out from Junagadh for Bochasan on the inspiration of Shri Krishnaji Ada. As he left, Swami Jnanjivandasji brought from the mandir treasury the murti of Harikrishna Maharaj, worshiped by Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami and deeply beloved to him. Leaving Junagadh, they went to Rajkot and stayed with Ada. Adashri invited Shastriji Maharaj to Rajkot. Swamishri arrived there. On having Swamishri’s darshan, these sadhus experienced immense peace. Thereafter, all the sadhus went with him to Sarangpur.

At the very first darshan in Rajkot, there was immense attraction The resolve to build a mandir in Sarangpur moved forward Twenty-four acres of land were obtained Despite opposition from all sides, faith remained firm The sadhus remained joyful even in hardship Jnanjivandas and the other sadhus went with Swamishri to Sarangpur

38. The Greatness of Swamishri

Later, Swamishri went to Nadiad. The devotee Dolatrambhai of Nadiad invited Swamishri to his home for a meal. Dolatrambhai had known Swamishri from the time when Swamishri was in Vartal. He held immense respect for Swamishri. He was a renowned scholar of Gujarati and Sanskrit literature and was also a member of the Vartal committee.

He knew that Swamishri had left Vartal to propagate the pure upasana of Akshar-Purushottam, but he had never truly understood what Akshar-Purushottam was. Even so, he had the faith that “Whatever Swamishri does must surely be according to the shastras.” He wished to understand this principle of Swamishri, and Swamishri too wished that Dolatrambhai should understand it.

They met after ten years, and this brought him joy. He asked, “Swami! Do you have any thought of reuniting with Vartal?” Swamishri replied: “Yes, if they accept Vachanamrut Gadhada Madhya Prakaran 21.”

Dolatrambhai asked, “What is there in that Vachanamrut that you so strongly insist should be accepted?” Hearing this, Swamishri explained many points about the glory of the devotee and of God, based on numerous Vachanamruts and illustrative examples. He made it clear that only when one attains conviction in the manifest God and the manifest Sant can it be said that the matter of liberation has truly come into one’s hands.

By Swamishri’s precise explanatory power, Dolatrambhai was deeply shaken inwardly. The truth became firmly impressed upon his heart that “Gunatitanand Swami is Mul Akshar, and the upasana of Purushottam together with Akshar, and both these forms, are manifest through Shastri Yagnapurushdas.”

He exclaimed: “Swami! The work for which Shriji Maharaj Himself would have to incarnate again and return to this world — that very work of pure upasana has been done by you. Your greatness is immeasurable. Today you have consecrated the murtis of Maharaj and Swami, but in the future your disciples will consecrate your golden murti. Your greatness will rise to such an extent.”

Important Quotations

“Whatever Swamishri does must surely be according to the shastras.”

“Yes, if they accept Vachanamrut Gadhada Madhya Prakaran 21.”

“Only when one attains conviction in the manifest God and the manifest Sant can it be said that the matter of liberation has truly come into one’s hands.”

“Your greatness is immeasurable.”

“In the future, your disciples will consecrate your golden murti.”

The Episode of Dolatrambhai

Dolatrambhai was a learned man and held immense respect for Swamishri. He inwardly desired to understand the Akshar-Purushottam doctrine. At the proper moment, Swamishri explained to him, with support from the Vachanamrut and examples, the glory of the devotee and God.

From those talks, a firm conviction arose in Dolatrambhai’s heart that Gunatitanand Swami is Mul Akshar and that the upasana of Purushottam together with Akshar is manifest through Shastri Yagnapurushdas. He accepted Swamishri’s greatness and even foretold his future glory.

On one occasion, Swamishri went to Vadodara to see the murtis. The devotees there strongly insisted on taking him to Kamatibaug, and despite Swamishri’s reluctance, they took his first photograph there. Swamishri gave a strict command that the photo should not be released, saying, “If you release it, I will tear it up and throw it away.”

Dolatrambhai was learned and full of reverence He wanted to understand the Akshar-Purushottam doctrine There was insistence on Vachanamrut Gadhada Madhya 21 Conviction in the manifest God and the manifest Sant was explained Conviction arose that Gunatitanand Swami is Mul Akshar “Your greatness is immeasurable” — this was accepted The first photograph was taken in Vadodara A strict command was given not to release the photo

39. “I Shaved My Head for Gunatitanand”

Many obstacles were created to stop the work of the Sarangpur mandir, yet the mandir work continued. Those who had said, “At best, there will be small shrines,” and “These people will get tired and run away,” were left staring in disbelief.

As the day of murti-pratishtha drew near, everyone began wondering, “How can this now be stopped?” Thinking, “If we somehow mislead the Thakor Saheb of Limbdi, then perhaps the work will be stopped through him,” the sadhus of the old mandir told him, “Thakor Saheb! This Shastri intends to install the murtis of his gurus Jaga and Pragji.”

Thakor Saheb accepted this claim. He came to the new mandir to have Swamishri’s darshan. Swamishri honored him. Then he asked, “In the old mandir, Gopalanand Swami’s miraculous staff is said to drive away ghosts. Do you have any such miraculous object here?”

Hearing this, the city chief merchant Himmatlalbhai of Botad said: “Bapu! This Swami is capable of creating a new staff altogether. His glory is spreading throughout the satsang.” Then Thakor Saheb said: “I too have experienced the glory of Swamishri.”

After that, when Thakor Saheb asked how the murtis would be installed, Swamishri — without being pressured in the least by this powerful ruler who had helped obtain the land of Sarangpur and had assisted in many ways on many occasions — fearlessly told him: “The hardships we have endured have been only for our Ishtadev Mahaprabhu Sahajanand Swami and Gunatitanand Swami, and this shaved head too is for them alone.”

“Therefore, in the central sanctum only the murtis of Gunatitanand Swami and Shriji Maharaj will be installed. The murtis of Radha-Krishna will be installed in the first chamber.” Hearing such fearless, authoritative, and clear words from Swamishri, Bapu gave up his insistence and said to Swamishri, “Do whatever seems proper to you. Do not feel bound by what we have said.” Swamishri was pleased to see his sincerity. This strategy of the opponents also failed.

Important Quotations

“Bapu! This Swami is capable of creating a new staff altogether.”

“I too have experienced the glory of Swamishri.”

“The hardships we have endured have been only for our Ishtadev Mahaprabhu Sahajanand Swami and Gunatitanand Swami, and this shaved head too is for them alone.”

“In the central sanctum only the murtis of Gunatitanand Swami and Shriji Maharaj will be installed.”

The Episode of Thakor Saheb

The opponents tried to stop the mandir work by misleading Thakor Saheb. But after meeting Swamishri, he experienced Swamishri’s glory and fearlessness.

When asked about the murti-pratishtha, Swamishri fearlessly declared that in the central sanctum only the murtis of Gunatitanand Swami and Shriji Maharaj would be installed. Hearing this clarity, Thakor Saheb dropped his insistence and gave Swamishri complete freedom.

The work of the Sarangpur mandir continued despite opposition An attempt was made to stop the murti-pratishtha Thakor Saheb was misled with false information Swamishri was accepted as glorious and powerful “I shaved my head for Gunatitanand” — a fearless declaration was made In the central sanctum, the murtis of Gunatitanand Swami and Shriji Maharaj would be installed This attempt of the opponents also failed

40. Murti-Pratishtha in the Sarangpur Mandir

The mandir work was going on in full force. All the sadhus and devotees were serving tirelessly, without caring for their bodies.

Once, the revered Balmukund Swami of Junagadh was going to Narayankund for a bath. When he came in front of the mandir, he called Kothari Shankar Bhagat and, pleased by the service of all the sadhus engaged there, said: “The service of Maharaj and Swami that even five hundred paramhansas did not receive has been received by you. This strength is not yours; it is the liberated souls of Akshar who dwell within you and do the work. Therefore, your fortune is great.”

Hearing this, everyone was filled with enthusiasm and began serving with double zeal. Before long, the mandir was completed. The auspicious time for murti-pratishtha was fixed for Vaishakh Sud 6, Samvat 1972.

Swamishri and Nirgun Swami beautifully arranged all the preparations for the festival. It was expected that thousands of devotees would come. Therefore, Swamishri ordered that sheero be prepared from four hundred maunds of semolina. After preparing sheero continuously for five days, the cooks became exhausted and refused to continue. Only two hundred and fifty maunds of sheero had been prepared. Even then, Swamishri said: “By God’s grace it will be enough. Nothing will fall short. So do not worry.”

On the day of the pratishtha, Swamishri had Harililamrut recited and spoke of how Shriji Maharaj had promised Jivakhachar that a mandir would be built. After the yagna, the consecration was performed by Swamishri’s auspicious hands, and the glass placed before the murtis shattered.

After the arti, the dining rows were arranged. Thinking, “If it runs out, the rebels will be disgraced,” many people rushed into the dining area, filled baskets with sheero, and emptied nearly half the tank. It had not yet been served in the dining rows, and no one knew where so much of the sheero had disappeared.

Everyone ran to Swamishri and said: “How will this be enough?” Swamishri had the orchard cleared and enclosed it with bamboo fencing. He seated all the devotees there for dining and instructed that only those devotees to whom he himself had given a mark of kanku on the bamboo should be allowed to carry baskets of sheero for serving.

With such firm arrangements made, the tank of sheero was covered. There the murti of Thakorji was installed and a sacred invocation was performed. From morning until midnight, the sheero kept being served. Nearly three lakh devotees ate. The entire village ate, yet the sheero did not finish. For eight days the whole village was fed, and still the sheero did not run out; it remained just as fragrant. In the end, it was sent to the cow shelters of the nearby villages. In this way, Swamishri revealed his glory, and all who saw it rejoiced.

Seeing Swamishri’s glory, people from everywhere began inviting him to their villages, requesting his padharamanis, and benefiting from his satsang. At the insistence of the devotees of Mojidad, Swamishri went to Mojidad.

The loving devotees of Mojidad had prepared a welcoming procession for Swamishri, but Swamishri told them, “A ceremonial reception does not befit a sadhu.” Saying this, he turned to a devotee there, Guru Ganesh Bhagat, and asked, “Tell me, Ganesh Bhagat, should a sadhu have such a procession?”

Ganesh Bhagat himself had been thinking exactly this. Realizing his inner thought and speaking accordingly, Swamishri astonished him. Ganesh Bhagat became convinced: “This is no ordinary sadhu. He is a supremely great soul, extraordinarily blessed by Shriji Maharaj.”

Important Quotations

“The service of Maharaj and Swami that even five hundred paramhansas did not receive has been received by you.”

“This strength is not yours; it is the liberated souls of Akshar who dwell within you and do the work.”

“By God’s grace it will be enough. Nothing will fall short. So do not worry.”

“A ceremonial reception does not befit a sadhu.”

“This is no ordinary sadhu. He is a supremely great soul, extraordinarily blessed by Shriji Maharaj.”

The Episode of Sheero and Glory

Only two hundred and fifty maunds of sheero had been prepared, yet Swamishri said with unwavering faith that there would be no shortage at all. Then, after making firm arrangements, he allowed only those devotees who had received the kanku mark to serve the sheero.

Nearly three lakh devotees ate, the whole village ate, and for eight days people were fed, yet the sheero did not finish. Thus everyone experienced Swamishri’s glory and was filled with joy.

In Mojidad, there was a resolve to take out a reception procession for Swamishri, but Swamishri stopped it by saying, “A ceremonial reception does not befit a sadhu.” When he spoke after knowing Ganesh Bhagat’s inner thought, Ganesh Bhagat understood Swamishri’s greatness.

The work of the Sarangpur mandir moved ahead in full force Sadguru Balmukund Swami said the serving sadhus were greatly fortunate The muhurta for murti-pratishtha was fixed on Vaishakh Sud 6 There were only two hundred and fifty maunds of sheero, yet it did not run out Nearly three lakh devotees ate The sheero lasted for eight days Everyone witnessed Swamishri’s glory In Mojidad, he showed humility by saying, “A ceremonial reception does not befit a sadhu” Ganesh Bhagat understood Swamishri’s greatness