Botad
Gadhada,
16 April 2006 (V.S. 2062, Chaitra vad 3) Sunday, Gadhada
During the Sunday Satsang assembly Swamishri blessed the devotees, “With the command of Yogiji Maharaj we are conducting the Sunday assembly in villages and cities. You have all arrived here in this great pilgrim place of Gadhpur. The fruit of the Sunday assembly is that we personally consolidate the knowledge of Akshar and Purushottam within ourselves. We saw the drama of Bhaga Sheth and Shivlal Sheth. Bhaga Sheth was socially and materialistically inclined. Shivlal Sheth, however, was spiritually associated with Gunatitanand Swami so he performed all his worldly duties with the understanding that it was all vainful. So he had peace despite performing his worldly duties. Otherwise, when one becomes absorbed in mundane activities it becomes difficult to come out of it, and subsequently one experiences misery.”
After his blessings, Swamishri offered prayers for the successful completion of the Narmada Dam Project and that the prevailing obstacles be resolved.
Kiri,
Mulji Bhakta and Lalji Suthar at Shivji's Shrine
For years Mulji Bhakta travelled 4.5 miles every night, from Bhadra to a shrine of Shivji by a stepwell in Kiri, and correspondingly, Lalji Suthar travelled 4.5 miles from Shekhpat to the same shrine. Here, Lalji Suthar listened all night to Mulji's talks about the glory of Shriji Maharaj. At the crack of dawn both of them would return to their villages to work in the fields. For years Mulji Bhakta and Lalji Suthar travelled to and stayed awake all night at the Shivji's shrine, paying no heed to sleep, exhaustion or tiredness. Such was their faith and inclination in listening to and narrating Shriji Maharaj's glory.
Dangra
22 April 2006 (V.S. 2062, Chaitra vad 9) Saturday, Rajkot
At 11.50 am Swamishri arrived at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Rajkot. For the next seven days, till 29 April, Viveksagar Swami elaborated upon a Vachanamrut in the evening assembly. Each day was celebrated on different themes, namely, Prapti Din, Pratiti Din, Prasannata Din, Prachar Din, Purusharth Din, Parivartan Din, Prabhav Din and Prarthana Din.
18 April 2006 (V.S. 2062, Chaitra vad 5) Tuesday, Bhadra
Swamishri arrived in Bhadra at 11.45 am. In the evening Swamishri went on an observation tour of the ongoing construction of the new mandir complex. Thereafter Swamishri went to the river Und. With the river flowing on both banks Swamishri desired to bathe Shri Harikrishna Maharaj. The attendant sadhu bathed Harikrishna Maharaj in the cool river water while other sadhus chanted the ‘Shanti Path’. Swamishri sprinkled the holy water of river Und on his head and then onto the sadhus and devotees. Then Swamishri prayed for the completion of the Narmada Dam Project, the waters of the Narmada river to reach all parts of Gujarat, the supreme celebration of the centenary festival of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha and the pratishtha celebrations of mandirs in Junagadh and Bhavnagar. Swamishri then told the sadhus to sing “Avya Hari Und ne tire85”, and responded to every verse.
Swamishri visited the banks of the holy river Und that was sanctified by Bhagwan Swaminarayan nearly 200 years ago. Shriji Maharaj had performed a divine lila on the banks of the river Und. Swamishri's Harikrishna Maharaj was bathed in the cool waters of the holy river and thereafter Swamishri applied the water on his head and blessed everyone by sprinkling it. Swamishri then performed dhun for the realisation of several wishes and instructed the sadhus to sing the kirtan 'Avya Hari Undne Tire...' that describes Maharaj's lila.
'Avya Hari Undne Tire'
The little rustic village of Bhadra was sanctified by the birth of Mulji Bhakta (Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami) in 1784 CE. In his childhood years Mulji performed many divine acts that convinced his parents, friends and the people of Bhadra about his divinity. Bhagwan Swaminarayan (Shriji Maharaj) visited Bhadra and blessed the devotees with his bliss and revealed the glory of Mulji Bhakta as his divine abode.
Once, Shriji Maharaj went to the banks of river Und on the outskirts of Bhadra. On seeing the river flowing profusely on both banks, Maharaj climbed on a banyan tree and dived into its cool waters. The devotees, Dosabhai, Vashram Suthar and others, also plunged themselves in the river with Maharaj. Shriji Maharaj then revealed, "This spot will become a popular pilgrim place. And this banyan tree and river have become holy through my association, and a ghat* will be built here in future."
Thereafter Maharaj told Lalji Suthar (Nishkulanand Swami) to construct a boat, because he wished to sail in the river. Lalji Suthar replied that it would not be possible to build a boat immediately even after getting the raw materials. Then, as an alternative, Maharaj asked him to bring a 'chalakho' (a large square-shaped Khadi cloth used by farmers to carry their harvest home). The surprised Lalji Suthar brought a 'chalakho', and on Maharaj's word Mulji Bhakta placed it on the river's surface. To everyone's amazement the 'chalakho' started floating on the surface like a raft. Then Maharaj sat on it first, followed by Lalji Suthar, Vashram Suthar and Mulji Bhakta. The fact that the 'chalakho' did not sink was a cause of great wonder to all the devotees. Then to everyone's surprise the 'chalakho' started sailing like a boat. Shriji Maharaj sailed for some time, blessing the devotees with his divine happiness before returning to the river bank.
A kirtan describing this memorable lila of Shriji Maharaj, 'Avya Hari Undne Tire...', was written by Kana Bhagat.
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Today there is a ghat on the banks of river Und, and Bhadra is a famous pilgrim place.
'The Spiritual Light has Declined'
Mulji Bhakta was 25-years old. Once, whilst he was labouring in his farm, Shriji Maharaj appeared to him in his divine form and inspired, "For what purpose have you come and what are you doing! The spiritual light (in the world) has declined. Now leave (home)." Immediately Mulji Bhakta proceeded towards Gadhada to meet Shriji Maharaj.
Ants Attain Moksha
One evening, Vashram Suthar (a devotee of Bhagwan Swaminarayan) went to his farm. On seeing thousands of ants issuing from an anthill, he thought as to how could the ants' souls be associated with the personified forms of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and his divine abode (Mulji Bhakta) to become blessed with moksha! As soon as Vashrambhai wished expressed his wish, he saw countless divine vimans (flying machines) descending with the parshads of Vaikunth. The ants were blessed with divine forms to ascend in the vimans to the abode of Vaikunth. Vashrambhai was over whelmed at this divine vision. On returning home, he narrated what had happened to Shriji Maharaj. Maharaj revealed that he had come from Akshardham with his divine abode (Mulji) to redeem countless souls. "Today you had wished for the moksha of the ants, but if you had done so for all the souls of this 'brahmand', then by my grace they would have been blessed with moksha."