Published in the Asian Voice
Some Gujarat based Sadhus have taken it upon themselves to target the Swaminarayan movement without realising the serious implications it has on the vast and diverse Sanatan Dharma. Their main gripe is that the Swaminarayan Sampradaya does not respect Hindu deities. They have obviously never entered a Swaminarayan Mandir. The first deity present in a BAPS Mandir is Ganesh Bhagvan. You first take his Darshan and proceed and right at the end before you leave the mandir you take Darshan of Hanumanji. However since these Sadhus and other misguided individuals have taken it upon themselves to police Sanatan Dharma they will also have to start their battle with a huge section of Hindus who do not meet their criteria of perfect Dharma. First they will have to confront the Ramakrishna Mission of Swami Vivekanand and his Guru Ramkrishna Paramhans. Swami Vivekanand who is considered as a great philosopher and ambassador of Hinduism believed in the Advaita doctrine which basically denies the existence of any God at all. The ultimate reality for the Advaita doctrine is Brahman. The Mandukya Upanishad explains that the word Aum was used for the first time to explain Brāhman as the only and the ultimate reality, a concept that became the basis subsequently for the emergence of Advaita Vedanta or the philosophy of monism. Brāhman is seen as the only and the ultimate formless reality. Brahman is formless and yet it is the birthplace of all forms in visible reality. The individual Soul or Atma is capable of achieving the highest goal of liberation on its own. This is in stark contrast to the Dvaita doctrine which believes in an almighty God. So by the standards of a few Sadhus the whole of Advaita movement is an insult to Sanatan Dharma. Will they now start demanding to them that they better change? Let us now look at the Arya Samaj and its founder Dayanand Saraswati. Dayanand Saraswati completely rejected deity worship. He wanted Hindus to go back to the Vedas and abandon the worship of any Gods. Just like Sahajanand Swami he challenged the negative practices that had taken hold of Sanatan Dharma. He challenged superstition and all the negative practices of the time. Will the Sadhus now warn the millions of Arya Samaj followers to stop denying that there are Hindu Gods and Goddesses? Let’s look closer at home. There are Vaishnava Sampradayas in Gujarat who completely deny Lord Shiva and Hindu Goddesses. Will they now direct their fire towards them? And there is the whole of South India where different Saivaite lineages which are Advaita believing in formless Brahaman as the ultimate reality. Will the Gujarat Sadhus warn Hindus of South India to change?
Sanatan Dharma is a huge, diverse, universal pathway to self realisation and a road map to getting out of cycles of births and deaths. It is accompanied by a way of life based on Sanskars, Ahimsa, Karma and Reincarnation. This is further enhansed with a rich culture with festivals that inspire and Gurus like Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Mahantswami. The BAPS Swaminarayan movement has brought about a revival of Sanatan Dharma on an a unprecedented scale. Its dedicated followers are at the forefront to bring relief to the people at the time of any calamities.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel one of the greatest leaders of India said the following about the Swaminarayan movement:
‘The fragrance of high morality was spread all over Gujarat by the effect of the pious and virtuous conduct of Shree Sahajanad Swami(Lord Swaminarayan) and His saints. The sect has played a great deal in changing over the thousands of ordinary,illiterate,brutal hearts into highly moral led and cultures ones’
Let no one divide us . We are on a journey to bring Sanatan Dharma to the world.
Nitin Mehta
October 2023
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