Bhagwan Swaminarayn Guru

SHRI RAMANAND SWAMI  THE GURU OF LORD SWAMINARAYAN    (vadtal swaminarayan mandir)       Ramanand Swami was born of Ajay Sharma (father) and Sumati (mother) in Ayodhya in Vikram Samvat 1795 in a Brahmin family. His child-hood name was Shri Rama Sharma. Ramanand Swami was considered to be the incarnation of Uddhavaji and he resembled Uddhavaji in knowledge and all other meritorious qualities. As he was inclined to asceticism from childhood, he decided not to enter worldly life. He invariably worshipped the idol of Lord Shri Krishna every day. Leaving home-life and visiting pilgrim spots he arrived in Talaja village in Saurashtra and studied Vedic and Indian Philosophical scriptures under scholar Kashiram and became the chief disciple of Atmanand Swami, the great ascetic at Gopnath. His contact with the Guru (Preceptor) led him to the Darshan of divine light of Brahman, considered as the ultimate reality in the universe. But Ramanandji always cherished a strong desire to have the Darshan of Lord Krishna with a form (shape).

His Guru Atmanandji believed in the principle of non-dualism. So he left that place and arrived at Sri Rang Kshetra in the south. There he accepted Bhagawati Diksha (prescribed procedure to initiate a person into particular discipline of religion) in meditating state at the hands of Shri Ramanujacharya and after attaining the Darshan of Lord Krishna he went to Prayag, where he happened to meet Dharmadev, the father of Lord Swaminarayan. Ramanand Swami first offered Mantra Diksha (to initiate into Holy Fellowship) to Dharmadev and then touring through religious places arrived in to Saurashtra region and set up a hermitage in Loj village. About fifty sadhus became his disciples; the chief among them was Muktanandji. When leaving worldly life Lord Swaminarayan known as Neelkanth Varni arrived at Loj, He came in contact with Muktanandji.       Neelkanth Varni cherished a desire to meet Ramanand Swami. The meeting between Ramanand Swami and Neelkanth Varni took place in Piplana village. As Ramanand Swami asked Him about His caste and family; from this it was discovered that His father too, was his disciple. Ramanand Swami offered Diksha to Neelkanth Varni and initiated Him and gave Him two names Sahajanand Swami and Narayan Muni. On the 11th day of the bright half of Kartik month in Vikram Samvat 1858 Ramanand Swami assigned religious responsibility by consecrating Shri Sahajanand Swami on the High Seat of the Holy Fellowship. On that occasion Shri Sahajanand Swami asked for two boons from Ramanand Swami. 1.If any of your devotee suffers the pain of one scorpion-bite, let the pain come to Me in crores of bites (stings). 2.If any of your devotee is fated to hold a begging bowl, let it come to Me and let not any of your devotees should feel the want of food and clothing. Even to day these boons are magical and mysterious blessings, which bring blissful happy life to the devotees of Lord Swaminarayan. He left his material body on this earth in Faneni village on the 13th day of the bright half of Margashirsha month of Vikram Samvat 1858 and left for heavenly imperishable abode.