1
Who fought for freedom of our Akshar Purushottam upasana?
Shastriji Maharaj
His childhood name was _____
Dungar Bhagat
When Shastriji Maharaj left Vartal, how many devotees and sadhus went with him?
Shastriji Maharaj, accompanied by five sadhus and fiy devotees, walked out of the Hanuman gate.
What is Shashtriji Maharaj's sadhu name?
Yagnapurushdas
Who is our gateway to Moksha?
Akshar
What is his Birthday?
Vasant Panchmi, Samvat 1921
January 31, 1865
Finish the prasang: Dungar Bhagatʼs father left him asleep at home and went to his farm. Soon, Dungar Bhagat awoke and went to find him at the farm.
Once, Dungar Bhagatʼs father, Dhoribhai, le Dungar Bhagat asleep at home and went to his farm. Soon, Dungar Bhagat awoke. He looked around. It was midnight. He did not see his father. He assumed that his father would be at the farm. Deciding to go there, Dungar Bhagat grabbed a stick and set off alone in the darkness, chanting the Swaminarayan mantra as he walked. It was said that ghosts haunted the road to the farm at night. That was why Dhoribhai was so surprised when he saw little Dungar Bhakta come to the farm alone on such a dark night. Dhoribhai asked, “Didnʼt you feel scared coming here all by yourself?” Dungar Bhakta innocently replied, “Havenʼt you told me that Shriji Maharaj accompanies and protects he who chants the Swaminarayan mantra? Well, that is exactly what I did. I have brought Maharaj with me. If a ghost had come along the way, I would have hit it with this stick and driven it off.”1
Finish the prasang: Poisoned khichadi
Once, enemies tried to put poison in Shastriji Maharajʼs khichadi. They had called Shastriji Maharaj to eat it with the other sadhus, but when Shastriji Maharaj got the khichadi, he smelt the poison and only took a little as prasad.
At what age did he build his first mandir?
42
Where was he born?
Mahelav
How many mandir did Shastriji Maharaj build?
He built five mandirs.
What does BAPS stand for and why?
Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).
The first akshar purshotam mandir was built in Bochasan!
Who was Shashtriji Maharaj's Guru?
Bhagatji Maharaj and Vignananand Swami
What was his parent's names?
father=Dhoribhai
mother= Hetba
Where is the cremation site for Shastriji Maharaj?
Sarangpur
Who did Shastriji Maharaj appoint as president of BAPS?
Shastriji Maharaj grew older, he fell ill quite often.
Shastriji Maharaj exclaimed to Yogiji Maharaj, “Now, Maharaj will come to take me. So, I leave this Narayandas (Pramukh Swami) in your care. I leave all of these mandirs in your care. Look after them.”
The next day, Shastriji Maharaj remembered Yogiji Maharaj and remarked, “O, Jogi is indeed Jogi. He is Gunatit. There is no sadhu like him in infinite universes. He has been following my wishes for the last forty years. He intuitively understands my inner wishes.”5 Shastriji Maharaj was referring to Yogiji Maharaj being the guru aer him.
What are the locations of the mandirs he built?
Bochasan, Sarangpur, Atladra, Gondal, Gadhada
What age did he get diksha?
18
Who told Shastriji Maharaj about Akshar Purshotam upasna?
Bhagatji Maharaj
Shastriji Maharajʼs guru, Bhagatji Maharaj, told him that Gunatitanand Swami is Akshar, or Maharajʼs choicest bhakta. Shastriji Maharaj thought, “If that is true, then Gunatitanand Swami should be worshipped with Maharaj, just like Radhaji and Krishna Bhagwan and Sitaji and Ram Bhagwan!”
Shastriji Maharaj came down on Earth to spread the Akshar Purushottam upasana. He is anandi siddha. He knew the truth of our upasana from the very beginning. However, in a worldly perspective, he was told about Akshar and Purushottam after he became a sadhu.
what can we do for Shastriji Maharaj to truly appreciate his outstanding efforts?
We can proudly live by our upasana and what Maharaj and Mahant Swami Maharaj ask us to do (agna, seva, bhakti, smruti, ahnik, studying hard, respecting everyone, etc.). If anyone asks us about our beliefs, we can confidently explain to them who we are and also proudly wear our tilak-chandlo (for balaks) or chandlo (for balikas).