BACKGROUND OF SHIKSHAPATRI - THE GOSPEL
For about 70 days He listened from Prayagjit, a great scholar, the tenth and fifth chapters of Shrimad Bhagawat – the first one containing the divine life of Bhagwan Shree Krishna and the other one dealing with Yoga techniques. He would listen privately and then would expound the same at religious congregations. Shree Hari had great fascination for these two chapters which are included among Sat-Shastras-scriptures authorized and favoured by Him.
In V.S. 1882, on Vasant Panchami, the festival of Spring was celebrated with great zeal and zest among the followers. Later on in the evening when He was left alone, He decided to write the divine codes of conduct for all His followers. He said to Himself: ‘Through these codes (1) People may know what true religion is, (2) People may follow true religion, (3) People may realize the ultimate goal of spiritual liberation, through true devotion, (4) People may follow My words of wisdom and know My true aim clearly, (5) People may dispel all their doubts about true religion, (6) People may achieve bliss here and hereinafter, (7) People may get My support, succour and guidance even when I am not physically present among them, and (8) My words of wisdom in terms of these codes of conduct may be identified with Myself.
With such divine motives, He asked Shukanand Swami to bring pen, ink-stand and papers. He then started composing His message in the metre known as Anushtup Chhanda which can be sung in 32 Indian Classical melodies (Raga). This immortal and universal codes were the essence of all holy scriptures like butter churned out of curds; like the cosmos within an atom!
Before commencing to write, He place the wooden board on His right thigh, held the paper with His left hand and holding the pen in His right hand He started writing Shikshapatri – His divine immortal message. (He started composing the verses on the 11th day of the dark half of the Hindu month of Kartik in V.S. 1882 and completed the same on Vasant Panchami – the festival day of Spring – on the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Magha.)
Shikshapatri is the most authoritative Gospel of the original, supreme Dispensation of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan.
The great saints – Swami Nityanand, Swami Muktanand, Swami Brahmanand, Swami Premanand and Swami Nishkulanand – the contemporary followers of Shree Hari have unequivocally declared in their compositions that SHREE HARI HIMSELF COMPOSED SHIKSHAPATRI. It was neither dictated to nor edited by others.
But how can we blame the mirror if the blind cannot see objects therein?
Again, as stated by Shree Hari Himself in Satsangi Jivan, He asked Shatanand Muni to incorporate His Shikshapatri in the former’s saga of Satsangi Jivan. Thus Shikshapatri was composed long before the commencement of composing Satsangi Jivan.
Why has Shree Hari named His divine immortal message as Shikshapatri?
The word ‘Shiksha’ has many meanings but taking into consideration the content of this book the word means Gospel. The word ‘Patri’ means writing. (Ref: Apte’s Sanskrit Dictionary) So, Shikshapatri means Gospel written by God Supreme – Shree Sahajanand Swami Himself. Being a DIVINE MESSAGE, unlike in other holy books the verbs are mostly in the potential tense and not in the form of orders or commands.
Shikshapatri is the shortest Gospel in the world (only 212 couplets!), very easy to understand and equally easy to follow. The followers are advised to respect all faiths, all religious places and all religious objects. It is free from bigotry and fanaticism. It presents a universal, eternal code of conduct for gaining true happiness in life and to get permanent spiritual redemption after death in Akshardham – The Divine Residence of God. It is divided into universal code of ethics for all to follow and then it shows duties of householders, saints, women, religious heads (Acharyas) etc.
If any person follows these basic, universal codes of conduct written in Shikshapatri, he will achieve maximum happiness, health and long life, together with prosperity in this world and will remain permanently with God, after his death.
So, dear reader, read, study and recite Shikshapatri daily and be assured of achieving all that is worth achieving in this life.
In this Shikshapatri HE has referred bhagwan Krishna as GOD and told his followers to believe in HIM( shree krishna )..... Why so? Isn’t it confusing?
ReplyDeleteA very detailed insight into the background and importance of Shikshapatri...I really did not know that it was written from Kartik 11 to Vasant Panchami. I thought it was written in one day - Vasant Panchami.
ReplyDeleteAn Answer to Comment on August 26, 2009 4:00 AM
ReplyDeleteBhagawan Swaminarayan has written in Shikshapatri that I have thus described above in short, general and special Dharmas of all My followers. For further details, they shall refer to other Shastras of My Holy fellowship. Verse – 203
Now Bhagawan Swaminarayan has said in His Vachanamrit Gadhada Middle – 13 …
“My inclinations to the senses revert to the space in the heart where I see great light. Only divine light pervades My heart as the clouds do in the sky in the monsoon. In that divine light I see the form of God. That form of God which is extremely bright. Though that form is dark blue like the sky it does not appear so because of extreme light but it appears extremely white.
“That form has two arms and two legs and it is of supreme captivating beauty. That form does not have four arms, eight arms or a thousand arms. That form is extremely handsome and it is like a human figure of a young man. At times that form appears in standing position and at times in sitting position. At times that form appears moving. On all the sides of that form, groups of Muktas (liberated souls in Service Divine of Supreme) are sitting. They are all spiritually liberated. All of them have fixed their gaze at the form of God.
“That unified divine light is called Atma, Brahman, Akshardham. The form of God in that light is called the essence of Atma, Para-Brahman or Purushottam. That very Supreme God manifests from age to age for the liberation of Jivas, at His will in the form of Rama, Krishna etc, God on this earth appears like a human being but in reality He is not like any other human being. He is the Lord of Akshardham.
“And know for certain that This (i.e. My Self) is the same that appears in divine light and if you cannot believe that, know it for certain at least that this Maharaj (Lord Swaminarayan) before you does see the Moorti, the form of God in Akshardham, the divine light. Even if you realize this, you will have love for Me and that will bring supreme bliss to you. Keep this subject (fresh in your mind) day after day and do not forget it through negligence. Keep it fresh tomorrow as it is fresh today and keep it fresh day after day till you breathe your last. And whatever subjects you narrate about God now, keep this theme at the centre. This is my command and this subject is so vital and dynamic that it should be reviewed daily. And this subject has to be narrated even by the divine body after the death of this earthly body. And the subject which I have narrated before you is the fundamental philosophy of all scriptures and is firmly based on My experience. I have narrated to you what I have personally seen, and if I have narrated it to you without direct perception I swear by all the supreme saints.”
Thus Shreeji Maharaj, in order to enlighten His devotees indirectly laid before them the fact that He was Purushottam (God Supreme). After listening to this, all the saints and devotees firmly believed that the form of God as stated to be in divine light is Shreeji Maharaj Himself as direct proof who was before their very eyes.
So it is clear from this statement of Bhagawan Swaminarayan that there is no any confusion.
If the form of God in that light is called the essence of Atma, Para-Brahman or Purushottam then what is called as "Akshar" ?
ReplyDelete