OBSERVANCE OF FIVE VOWS – A MUST FOR ALL

Lord Swaminarayan was very simple and straight forward in His directives. He said that whosoever wants to embrace His Sampraday, must, first take a vow to abstain from (i) drinking wine, liquor, or any intoxicating drug in any form (ii) eating flesh in any form under any case, (iii) an act of stealing, (iv) debauchery, and (v) partaking food and drinks from improper persons and sources. These five vows are known in the Sampraday as ‘Panch Vartman’. Observance of these five vows is a must for each and every follower of the Sampraday, may he be an Acharya or a Tyagi or a Gruhasth male or female. These vows, appear simple on paper, but in practice they cover almost all items which otherwise make human life unhappy. Anyone who is not even a follower of the Sampraday, observes these vows sincerely, he would be definitely happy in all respects.

By : Shri Rameshchandra L. Pandya

MEANING OF VISHISTHADVAIT (QUALIFIED MONOTHEISM)

In the Shikshapatri, Lord Swaminarayan has said, “I believe in Unique non-duality’ (“Matam Vishistha advait me”). What is the meaning of this word? To appreciate the meaning of the above question, one should look into the history of Indian Philosophy. All Sampradayas try to explain, of course, in their own way, the nature, the form and the relation which exist between Jivas, Jagat or Maya and Jagdishwar, God Supreme. Of these Sampradayas in Indian Philosophy, five Schools are considered as the foremost : 1 Kewaladvait Mat (Only non-duality), 2. Vishisthadvait Mat (Unique non-duality), 3. Dvaitadvait Mat (Duality in non-duality), 4. Shuddhadvait Mat (Pure non-duality), 5. Dvait Mat (Dualism), propagated respectively by Shri Shankaracharya, Shri Ramanujacharya, Shri Nimbarkacharya, Shri Vallabhacharya and Shri Madhavacharya. Except Shri Madhavacharya, the other four have all used the word advait (non-duality) to explain the nature, form and relations, existing between the above trio. But in order to distinguish their belief from the other, they have qualified it by prefixing different adjectives viz. Kewal, Vishistha, Dvait and Shudhha before the word Advait. In short, Advait, means non-duality. Shri Shankaracharya advocates that the advait existing between Jiva, Jagat and Jagdishwar is Kewal, i.e. absolute or complete.

Against this Shri Ramanujacharya contends that it is not Kewal but is qualified (Vishistha); while Shri Vallabhacharya asserts that it is neither Kewal nor Vishistha, but it is Suddha (pure); while Shri Nimbarkacharya maintains that it is Dvait (duality) and Advait (non-duality) both together. Against all these four, Shri Madhavacharya firmly says that there is no Advait of any kind between Jiva, Jagat and Jagdishwar, but there is duality (Dvait) forever. Lord Swaminarayan said that it is not proper to use this word Advait to explain the nature, form and relations between Jiva, Jagat and Jagdishwar. He said that Jivas, Ishvars, Maya, Brahm and Parbrahm, all these five are Anaditatvas i.e. objects to which no beginning can be ascribed. But God Supreme alone is Ek Meva Dwitiya i.e. one and one only without a second. All sentient beings (Satt and Chitt objects), including even the Aksharbrahm are all pervaded, sustained and controlled by God Supreme. The word Advait, therefore, should be used only to explain the nature, form and power of God Supreme. It should not be used to explain the relation between the above trio.

            Word Vishisthadvait is a technical term of philosophy used by three Dharmacharyas viz. Shri Ramanujacharya, Shri Kaullhaacharya and Shri Bagvacharya. Jivas (souls), which are by nature sentient and immortal reside in the body, which is non-sentient and mortal and perform various kinds of acts and enjoy fruits thereof. Jivas are, therefore, described a Shariri of the mundane body. Similarly, all sentient beings which include all Jivas, all Ishvars (divinities engaged in the work of creation etc. of the world), Maya, Akshar Brahm Purushas (i.e. Muktas) and Akshar Brahm as well as all non-sentient objects which include Maya also. (Maya is described in the Shastras both as sentient and non-sentient objects). All are described as body of the God Supreme, whereas God Supreme, who in respect of nature, form, quality power etc., is quite different and independent of all the sentient beings and non-sentient objects, is described as their Shariri. In other words, God Supreme is thus qualified (Vishisth) by two adjectives in the form of sentient beings and non-sentient objects. Thus qualified, God Supreme is only one without a second. This, in short, is the substance of the word Vishisthadvait Mat.

            As said above, three Dharmacharyas have preached Vishisthadvait Mat in order to distinguish one from the other. They are known in the history of Bhartiya Philosophy as Vaishnav, Shaiv Shakta and Shaiv Vishisthadvait Mat respectively. It will be seen from the above discussion that doctrine of Sharir Shariribhav between Jiva, Jagat and Jagdishwar is the essence of Vishisthadvait Mat.

            Lord Swaminarayan has no doubt accepted the Vishisthadvait Mat of Shri Ramanujacharya as his own; but at the same time He has introduced a novel and independent definition of Sharir. Shri Ramanujacharya has defined the word in his commentary of the Sutra “Na Tu Drastant Bhavat” of the Brahmsutras (2-1-9). In this translation of Shri Bhashya of Shri Ramanujacharya, Dr. George Thibau has translated it in the following words:-

            “Any substance, which a soul is capable of completely controlling and supporting for its own purposes and which stands to the soul entirely in subordinate relation, is the body of soul. In this sense all sentient and non-sentient beings together constitute the body of supreme person for they are completely controlled and supported by Him, for His own aims are entirely sub-ordinate to Him”.

            But this definition of Sharir is not proper. Even Dr. Thibau himself and other learned scholars like Dr. Radha Krishnan, Dr. Das Gupta have criticized this definition. It may be noted that Lord Supreme has no personal aims to gain by becoming Shariri of various sentient and non-sentient beings. Again Jivas, Ishvars and Brahm are all Anaditatvas. It, therefore, cannot be said that they own their existence to God Supreme. Lord Swaminarayan, therefore, has defined the words in a different way. He has said that God Supreme is the Shariri of all sentient and non-sentient bodies on account of their being, Adhin and Asamarth, whereas God Supreme alone is Vyapya, Sarva Vyapak, Sarvatantra Swatantra and Sarva Samarth. God Supreme is the only omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent person. There are some other points also in which He has differed from Shri Ramanujacharya. It is thus clear that Vishisthadvait Mat propounded by Lord Swaminarayan differs in some major aspects from the one preferred by Shri Ramanujacharya.

By : Shri Rameshchandra L. Pandya

UNIQUE MONOTHEISM

All Shastras and all Sampradayas of the world openly professed and preached Monotheism. But in practice, they behaved in such a way as will promote Polytheism. Every Shastra and every Sampraday advocate the theory of one God. But in the same breath they vehemently declare the God they worship as the only form of God and that other forms of God worshipped by others are either non-God  or are lower in status. As a result, there were as many Supreme gods as there were Sampradayas. Lord Swaminarayan said that god Supreme is only one without a second, but to please and protect His devotees He assumes different forms and different names. To some, He is known as Radhakrishna, to others, He is known as Laxmi Narayan. Lord Swaminarayan, therefore, said that wise persons should never draw a line of distinction between these various forms of Gods. Lord Swaminarayan said that God Supreme is the only architect of the cosmos. For the work of creation, maintenance and destruction of the world, He delegates His powers to various deities, like Bhrama, Vishnu, Shiv etc. respectively. One should, therefore, look upon these deities as delegates of God Supreme. It should be noted that the work of creation, maintenance and destruction is equally beneficial in the interest of promoting welfare of mankind. There should, therefore, be no quarrel for supremacy between these divinities. They are all delegate forms of God Supreme. Thus, the followers of Shree Swaminarayan Sampraday assert that there is no other God Supreme except Lord Swaminarayan. But at the same time, they never despise nor disregard other forms of God Supreme. They bow and worship them also with full respect.

By : Shri Rameshchandra L. Pandya

NOVEL DEFINITION OF BHAGWAT DHARMA

For attaining Moksha in life, Shastras have defined four golden means, viz. Dharma, Jnan, Vairagya and Bhakti. But various Sampradayas have taken only one of those four means i.e. either Dharma or Jnan or Vairagya or Bhakti as the only means for achieving the ultimate goal of Moksha. But they have gone a step further. They have boldly either ignored the other three means or have placed them at a very low level. A regular crusade seems to be going on among them as to which one out of the four means is the best. Lord Swaminarayan has said in clear terms that presence of all the four means is necessary. Because they are not only co-related but are co-nourishing also. Individually, Dharma, Jnan, Vairagya or Bhakti has one or the other defect which is removed only by the presence and help of other three means. A man by nature differs from another in respect of intelligence inclination and power. Naturally, therefore, one may be more inclined to any one out of these four means. But that does not mean that it would be safe sailing for him to disregard other three means in preference to one that he likes the most. Lord Swaminarayan, therefore introduced a novel definition of Bhagvad Dharma. Some Pandits define Bhagvad Dharma as Dharma professed by kings who were known as Bhagwats, while others define it as Dharma propounded in “Bhagwat Puran”, while others define it as Dharma followed by Bhagvat saints. Without disregarding any of these definitions. Lord Swaminarayan defined it in his own inimitable way as Dharma in which Dharma, Jnan, Vairagya and Bhakti all four are combined and woven together as one whole. First preference of a follower may be any one of the above four means but yet he must also adopt the other three means in his life. Thus, Bhagwat Dharma, in the Sampraday is a beautiful combination of all the four means. He also defined it as Ekantik Dharma.

By : Shri Rameshchandra L. Pandya