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September 2008, Vol. 31 No. 9

FIRST WORDCONTENTS1. Swaminarayan History

Shri Hari Appoints Sadgurus ...............4Maharaj withdraws his threat to leave...

2. DiscoursesTrue Intelligence ..................................7Who is truly wise?...

3. Great Indian PersonalitiesAshoka................................................10Hero of India...

4. On LifeIt’s a Short Life – Use it Well .............13Priorities in life...

5. Bhajan HistorySahajãnand Sukhkãri ReSaluni Chhabi .....................................15Victory over Khaiyo Khatri...

6. VicharanPramukh Swami Maharaj’s Vicharan ....17

7. Inspiring IncidentsLiving With Swamishri ............................18

8. BAPS NewsSummer Shibirs,North America & UK...........................19EECP ...................................................22

Change and uncertainty are an inevitablepart of life. Today, the impact of both these fac-tors are often overwhelming and dramaticbecause of their quantum and suddenness.Spencer Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese high-lights the need to cope with change and to pro-duce it if you are to remain at the cutting edge.

A motivation speaker often began hisworkshops with an exercise. After everyone satdown and got comfortable he would tell themto get up and find another seat. The hall wouldecho with groans and warped expressions.Mostly the participants would get up with theirbelongings to move to another seat. Then thespeaker would tell them to stop and sit wherethey were. When he asked why they wereannoyed some said they were comfortable andthey did not want to move, some replied thatthey could see better from where they wereand others candidly expressed that they didn’tlike anyone telling them where to sit.

Finally the speaker revealed the purpose ofthe exercise, “If making a little change such asmoving to a different seat in the same roomcauses you discomfort, how would a big changemake you feel?” Everyone got the point.

Success or failure, joy or misery, comfort orpain, good health or illness are the dualities oflife. Life is not always a bed of roses.

Change and uncertainties are inevitable.How well we receive them is the essence of a lifewell lived. Many devotees have absorbed theimpact of change and uncertainty through theirfaith and devotion to God and guru. Satsang istheir source of strength and stability. ◆

4 Swaminarayan Bliss ◆ September 2008

The next day, Maharaj assembled thesenior sadhus and devotees for asolemn meeting. The sadhus had

resolved not to allow Maharaj to leave the Sat-sang fellowship. In this vein BrahmanandSwami asked, “Maharaj, since you have firmlydecided to leave Satsang we would like to knowhow we should behave to please you and makeyou stay in Satsang?”

Shri Hari explained, “How can I stay whentwo junior sadhus believe Muktanand Swami tobe like them? Such brazen disrespect is damag-ing to Satsang. I am pleased when all maintainrespect for senior sadhus. I am very muchrelieved by such honourable behaviour.”

“Maharaj, we will respect whoever youappoint as senior sadhus. We will abide by yourwishes,” Nityanand Swami prayed.

Shri Hari smiled and added, “You are all sin-cere aspirants. Having inspired you on the path

of moksha I do not wish to leave you astray. ButI feel there is a need for a system in Satsang.Without this the sadhus and devotees wouldlapse. So, today I have thought of appointingfour senior sadhus as sadgurus. Everyone shouldobey their words and regard them with esteem.All devotees should pay due respects to them,offer gifts and when they come to your villagesyou should go to receive them.”

The sadhus and devotees were happy to hearShri Hari’s words. Nityanand Swami requested,“Maharaj, announce the names of the sadgurusyou wish to appoint.” Shriji Maharaj got off hisseat and took Muktanand Swami’s hand andmade him sit on his place. Muktanand Swamifelt uneasy and tried to get up. But Shri Haristopped him, “It is my command, thereforeplease remain seated. You are my guru, so thereis nothing wrong in sitting on my seat.”

Nityanand Swami reassured Swami, “Do

Shriji Maharaj had called his sadhus and

devotees from distant places to celebrate

the annakut festival in Adraj.

After the celebration Maharaj firmly

declared that he wished to leave the

Satsang fellowship...

SWAMINARAYAN HISTORY: TRANSLATION: SADHU VIVEKJIVANDAS

Shri HariAppoints Sadgurus

whatever pleases Maharaj. Today we have tosave the Satsang fellowship from a crisis.” Muk-tanand Swami hesitatingly remained seated.Shri Hari then offered puja and performed hisarti. All the while Muktanand Swami lookeddown, feeling unworthy of the honours show-ered upon him. Maharaj spoke to him, “There isno need to feel shy and embarrassed. I am God,and you have been revealing my glory to all.You have spread my name and fame, and incul-cated an abiding faith and conviction in thou-sands. You have done austerities, eaten dry foodballs, worn jute cloth and passed all the trials Ihad introduced. You have humbly offered bhaktito me and spread it among others. This is yourgreatness. Therefore, I am pleased when peopleoffer their respects to you and obey yourwords.”

“But Maharaj, you are God incarnate. I amyour humble servant. I do not want such rever-ence,” Muktanand Swami spoke his mind andheart.

Shri Hari replied, “Because you humbly offerdevotion to me that is why your greatness hasspread.” Shri Hari continued to praiseMuktanand Swami. Then Maharaj calledNityanand Swami, Brahmanand Swami andParamchaitanyanand Swami. “I want to appointyou too as sadgurus and offer puja and arti.” Thethree senior sadhus complied unhesitatinglybecause they wished to dissolve his sadness. Afterperforming pujan and arti Maharaj said, “Today, Ihave appointed four sadgurus. Everyone mustabide by their wishes. A true sadguru makes allabide by moral laws, have spiritual faith, inspiresbhakti and explains the true meaning of the shas-tras from his enlightened experience. To followtheir words is the same as abiding by my words.”

In the assembly Nirvikalpanand Swami andHaryanand Swami looked down with shame.Shri Hari continued his discourse, “One mustrecognize bad company in Satsang. Not all sad-

hus are the same. It is important to exercise dis-crimination in such matters. Associate with atrue sadhu and keep away from charlatans.”

Finally, Shri Hari called the four sadgurusand said, “I have some wooden bowls for hav-ing meals in and gourds for drinking water. Iwish that you distribute them to the sadhus. Iwill have more made for the rest. All sadhusshould eat from these bowls after adding waterto their food. Food should be eaten to sustainthe body and not for the purpose of satisfyingone’s taste. Today I want to introduce thisunique discipline for our sadhus.” The sadhusagreed and expressed their wish to please him.Thereafter Shriji Maharaj told all to travel tothe villages and spread satsang. Shri Hariarranged for an oxen cart for MuktanandSwami to travel in and appointed Ravaji par-shad to protect him.

Everyone left happily when Maharaj revokedhis decision to leave the Satsang fellowship.

Shri Hari left Adaraj and arrived to a warmwelcome at Kolvada. The local devotees carriedout a procession to honour him. NanabhaiVipra, a leading devotee, was pivotal in thegrowth of satsang in the village. Then the devo-tees invited Maharaj to sanctify their homes.They brought laddus and sukhdis for Maharaj,his sadhus and devotees. Shri Hari gave twoladdus to each sadhu and parshad. Then he toldthe sadhus to sing bhajans.

A few hours later Shri Hari departed fromKolvada with sadhus singing bhajans along theway. Maharaj was riding on Manki. He made hertrot in reval style, and gave unique darshan of hisdivine murti. Gunatitanand Swami was walkingalong absorbed in Maharaj’s darshan. His pacewas in tandem with Manki. Shri Hari was pleasedwith Swami’s faith and ardour. Then Maharajdecided to amuse himself. He gently pressed hisstirrup into Manki’s belly and the mare increasedits pace. Gunatitanand Swami became a little per-

September 2008 ◆ Swaminarayan Bliss 5


plexed, thinking that if he started running hewould be without a companion sadhu, which wasa rule, and if he simply walked then he would beleft behind and miss Maharaj’s darshan. So hebeckoned a sadhu from the group and told him,“If you run along with me then I will give you myshare of two laddus.” The sadhu agreed. Swamigave him his two laddus and they both startedrunning along. Swami was savouring Maharaj’sdarshan and the companion sadhu was relishingthe laddus. Gunatitanand Swami then accelerat-ed and overtook Manki. Now to have Maharaj’sdarshan he started running backwards. Shri Harismiled on seeing his eagerness for darshan. ShriHari felt that Swami is his abode, Akshardhampersonified, but none as yet know his true formand glory. Despite Swami’s unbroken rapportwith him, his thirst to have Maharaj’s darshanwas extraordinary. Swami is very modest, howev-er, those who are discerning will realize his great-ness and calibre. Soon, Shri Hari relaxed his gripon the reins. Manki slowed down and stopped.Shriji Maharaj alighted from his mare andembraced Gunatitanand Swami. The sadhus anddevotees witnessed Shri Hari’s love for Swami.Everyone felt that Maharaj was pleased upon himbecause of his profound faith and devotiontowards him. However, no one was able to realizeSwami’s transcendental greatness. Shri Hari feltit better to keep Swami’s greatness under wrapsfor the time being.

Maharaj came to Unava. The devotees hadprepared a meal of biranj and puri. After lunchthe devotees donated dhotiyas. Maharaj travelledto Mansa via Nardipur and Khoraj villages.Gangadas Suthar, a carpenter, told Maharaj thathe would make as many wooden bowls for hissadhus and bring them wherever he wished. ShriHari was pleased with his bhakti and blessed him.From there Maharaj went to the villages of Gerita,Pamol, Bamanva, Vadnagar and Visnagar. Whenthe devotees of the village came to know of his

arrival they carried out a procession in honour ofhim. Maharaj came to Baldev’s house. His moth-er, Udaykunvarba, was very happy and excited atMaharaj’s darshan. Shri Hari asked Baldev, “Howis your maternal uncle?”

“Maharaj, since the day he met you his life haschanged drastically. He is now a very good devotee.”

Shri Hari was pleased and told Baldev, “Itwill be better if we stay at the village resthouse. Everyone can come for darshan and wecan have the assemblies there.”

Baldev and Motiram made the arrange-ments at the rest house. Udaykunvarba pre-pared a meal for Maharaj. Shri Hari first servedmeals to the sadhus and parshads. In theevening the village head Laldas Subo, Baldev’smaternal uncle, came for Maharaj’s darshan.Maharaj was pleased to see him. Shri Hari toldhim, “You are a subo (head administrator), sodon’t treat our devotees with contempt. Uptilnow you had misbehaved and persecuted them.Whoever is disrespectful and hostile to a devo-tee has faced misery and pain.”

On hearing Maharaj, Laldas replied,“Maharaj, formerly I had been very hostile toyour devotees, but now I have given up mynature. I ask you to forgive me for all my sins,illumine my intellect and bless me so that I canunderstand your glory.”

Shri Hari was pleased with his sincereprayer. He said, “Laldas, you are an aspirant.God will forgive you for all the wrongs youhave done out of ego and power of kingship. Iask you now to give up your pride and seek for-giveness of this assembly. You have troubledand punished many devotees in this assembly.My forgiveness lies in their forgiving you.” Lal-das got up and asked for forgiveness from allthose present in the assembly. Shri Hari waspleased and blessed Laldas. ◆

(To be contd.)

Translation from Bhagwan Swaminarayan by H.T. Dave

The renowned poet, Pritamdas, pointsout that people come to satsang, listento discourses and praise them. But,

when they leave some go to the bar andmovies, and indulge in gambling and addictionsand praise all that, too. In this way, the benefitsof satsang are lost. Outside satsang, you maynot do much else, but do not indulge in kusang.Kusang robs you of whatever good you haveand it generates apathy towards satsang.Instead of drinking the nectar of satsang, youend up drinking the poison of kusang. Kusangaffects the mind in a negative way and evenwhat is good appears bad. Then one wonderswhy nothing happens (despite of doing sat-sang), but this is the result of indulging inkusang.

Ravan was such a kusangi. He was learned,but became of his lust for Sita, his intelligencedid not remain. He was clever enough to rulethe kingdom, yet the shastras say that he didnot have true wisdom.

However, Hanumanji has been described astruly wise: ‘Buddhimatam varishtha’ – the wisestof the wise. He was a monkey, and are theycounted as intelligent? No. While Ravan hadstudied the Vedas, was adept at ruling his king-dom and learned in many other matters. So, inthe Ramayan, why has Hanumanji beendescribed as the wisest of the wise? Because herecognized Bhagwan Ram and served him.Thus, God was pleased.

There are many intelligent people in thisworld, but unless God and his ideal Sadhu arerecognized that intelligence is not of use. Shas-triji Maharaj said that the simple-minded NathBhakta was wise, while the competent Diwanjiof Vadodara was unwise. The Diwan servedthree states: Scindhia, Holkar and Gaekwad. Hewas efficient and effective. None of the public


TrueIntelligence

DISCOURSES: TRANSLATION: SADHU AMRUTVIJAYDAS

Pramukh Swami Maharajaddresses a satsang gathering in

Nairobi, Kenya, on 30 October 1998


had any difficulties. Theygot all the facilities theyneeded. He was that capa-ble. But when SayajiraoGaekwad invited Maharajto Vadodara, the Diwandeveloped a prejudicetowards Maharaj, thinkingthat he was an imposter.He thought that Maharajwas not a Brahmin, butonly calls himself one; thatthe yagnas Maharaj per-formed were not proper; and that he keepssword-carrying Kathi Darbars with him. He feltthat the Gaekwad does not understand, andthat Maharaj will usurp his kingdom. With thesemisconceptions, the Diwan planned to imprisonMaharaj. But Sayajirao Gaekwad had faith thatMaharaj was God, and that with BhagwanSwaminarayan’s visit to his city and palace bothhe and his citizens would attain liberation.

He believed Shriji Maharaj was God mani-fest. But the Diwan saw Maharaj as an ordinaryman, in fact, as a robber. The Diwan was intelli-gent, yet he could not recognize the truth andso he did not benefit. His intelligence did notprove useful.

In contrast, Shriji Maharaj said that NathBhakta was an ordinary person. He was a devo-tee and earned a meagre living by selling veg-etables. Still, Maharaj praised him, since, likeHanumanji recognized Ram, he also recognizedGod, served him and offered bhakti. That iswhy he is described as wise. One who endeav-ours for the liberation of one’s atma is wise.

Everyone has the intelligence to do worldlywork. By education, people learn to do all typesof things. But what is the benefit of this humanbirth? Until this is understood, one’s intelligenceis of no use. By doing merely worldly work, onecontinues in the cycle of births and deaths. It

does not lead to liberation.But if one indulges inkusang, this is not real-ized. Only by avoidingkusang is this recognized.

The goal of life is toattain God and his idealSadhu; then by servingthem and offering bhaktione attains kalyan. How-ever, if one has a dislikefor them, then one maylive a good worldly life,

but kalyan is not attained. Having dislike for them is like cutting the

branch you are sitting on. Then what happens?One falls. But the branch you are sitting on(Bhagwan and Sadhu) is good. It brings you joy,peace and happiness. However, perceiving faultsin them and developing dislike for them leadsto one’s downfall. The main path of life is thepathway of moksha. Falling from that path islike closing and firmly locking the door fromwhich one can escape. Then how can one getout?

Bhagwan and his Sadhu are the doorway tomoksha. In Vachanamrut Gadhada I-54, Maharajasks how the doorway to moksha can beopened. He mentions the story of King Janakand the nine Yogeshwars described in the Bhag-vat. How is Bhagvat Dharma sustained and thedoorway to moksha opened? Bhagvat Dharma isperfecting the redemptive qualities of dharma,jnan, vairagya and bhakti in one’s life. This isachieved by developing atmabuddhi with theSadhu who has such virtues. And how is kalyanattained?

Just as one cares for and nourishes a plantor tree in one’s home by watering, and giving itfertilizer and other necessary things, similarlythe seeds of the redemptive virtues are withinall, but they must be nourished by the profound

Kusang robs you of whatever

good you have and it generates

apathy towards satsang.

Instead of drinking the nectar of

satsang, you end up drinking the

poison of kusang. Kusang affects

the mind in a negative way and

even what is good appears bad.

association of the idealSadhu. Then the doorwayof moksha is opened.

This world is perish-able. When one’s eyesclose (at death) nothingremains. We know thateveryone has left every-thing here and gone. Ourforefathers, great kingsand rulers – none haveremained. DevanandSwami writes in a bhajan,“Akkalvantã rãj karantã muã mahãrathi, Devã-nand kahe ãpne jãvo kahyu theththi…”Devanand Swami says that those who wereclever, intelligent and had much wealth andprosperity have all gone, leaving everythingbehind. Only that which is the Truth (eternal)accompanies one (after death). Worldly thingsare perishable, so how can they come? Theworld is believed to be the source of happinessso everyone chases after worldly joy. But it islike a mirage of water on the road; as oneapproaches it, it goes further away. Swami hasgiven the example of the Brahmin: There was aBrahmin. It was summer time. In the morning,he bathed, packed his snacks and set off. Hewalked many kilometres in the heat and soonbecame tired and thirsty. He saw water upahead and being a Brahmin, he rejoiced in thethought that he would bathe, freshen up andthen eat the snacks. This cheered him up. Butas he proceeded the water receded. Then, hemet a shepherd coming from the opposite direc-tion. He saw the Brahmin in a joyous mood andenquired why he was so happy. The Brahminreplied, “I’ve walked 20 kilometres and have 20left. I see the water ahead and so will bathe,freshen up and eat. I’ll relax for a while andthen continue.” But the shepherd told him, “Donot get so excited. I’ve just come from there and

there is no water there.Look at my shoes. They aredry. What you see is just amirage.” So, the Brahmindropped all his plans, real-izing that his vision wasfalse. Similarly, we chasehopefully after worldlypleasures, but the more wetry, the farther they go.And when one attains thecompany of a true Sadhu,he explains that there is no

happiness in worldly pleasures. He removesthoughts of the world from our minds. That theonly permanent bliss is that of God. YogijiMaharaj used to say that only God and hisSadhu are the Truth. Moksha means removal ofmoha – attachment to the world. By developingaffection for a true Sadhu, the Sadhu will con-nect one to God. This is the work of a trueSadhu.

However, if one listens to all these spiritualtalks, but then associates with kusang, then sat-sang is washed away. Satsang is not at fault, weare. By associating with those who speak ill ofGod and his Sadhu, one’s virtues of dharma,jnan, vairagya and bhakti are eroded. Also,when one criticizes others and spreads gossip,peace is not experienced.

So, never speak ill of God and his idealSadhu. Maharaj has warned everyone to recog-nize and avoid all forms of kusang since theydiminish one’s resolve for ekantik dharma. Infact, one should serve the ekantik Sadhu who isperfect in dharma, jnan, vairagya and bhakti,and so strengthen one’s own ekantik dharma.

Just as one remains clear of snakes, oneshould avoid kusang. Then one’s satsang will bestrengthened.

◆


The goal of life is to attain God

and his ideal Sadhu; then by

serving them and offering bhakti

one attains kalyan. However,

if one has a dislike for them,

then one may live a good worldly

life, but kalyan is not attained.

History is replete with rulers whowere designated the epithet “theGreat”. A few that come to mind

are: Alfred, Patrick, Constantine, Napoleon andAlexander. Their greatness generally stemmedfrom either their military might or administra-tive skills. However, how many of these havetruly left their greatness in their own landstoday? In The Outline of History, the eminentBritish author H.G. Wells observed, “In the his-tory of the world there have been thousands ofkings and emperors who called themselves‘their highnesses,’ ‘their majesties’, and ‘theirexalted majesties’ and so on. They shone for abrief moment, and as quickly disappeared. ButAshoka shines and shines brightly like a brightstar, even unto this day.” This may perhaps beattributed to the temporal and spiritual well-being that he wrought not only among his peo-ple, but which he propagated in foreign landsas far as Greece and Egypt in the west, SriLanka in the south and lands up to China in theeast.

Born in 304 BCE, in Pataliputra (modern dayPatna, Bihar), Ashoka was the grandson ofEmperor Chandragupta Maurya, and son ofBindusara and mother Subhadrangi. ‘Ashoka’means ‘he who has no sorrow’. From prince-hood Ashoka’s character and statesmanshipearned him the respect of his father, Bindusara,the ministers and the people. When still young,Bindusara appointed him as Governor of Avan-ti. When the citizens of Takshashila revolted,Bindusara sent Ashoka to establish order. WhenAshoka arrived, instead of confronting him, thecitizens welcomed him. They pleaded that theywere not against the king or the royal familybut only against his wicked ministers. Theythen asked for forgiveness! Ashoka punishedthose responsible. By soothing words of love,he established peace, without a single weaponbeing raised.

During King Ashoka’s reign,

the Mauryan empire reached its glorious

acme. His exemplary life and message of

dharma and piety gladly induced rulers in

the contemporary world to allow his

emissaries to preach dharma and

compassion for all living creatures,

in their kingdoms.

Ashoka

THE GREAT INDIAN PERSONALITIES: SADHU MUKUNDCHARANDAS


When Bindusara was on his deathbed, hiscouncil of ministers summoned Ashoka fromUjjain. They considered him fit as heir ratherthan Sushima, the eldest prince, who hadbecame insolent. On Ashoka’s arrival, Bindusaracrowned him King, in 273 BCE. Ashoka ablyruled the vast Magadha empire amassed by hisgrandfather. Eight years later he added Kalinga(modern Orissa), which had hitherto remainedindependent, to his empire. During the battlethe Kalinga army fought valiantly. DespiteAshoka’s victory, the fire of guilt seared hisheart. On seeing the huge number of dead sol-diers, elephants, horses and the wounded howl-ing in pain, he cried out sorrowfully, “Whathave I done?” In his Rock Edicts, he recorded,“One and a half lakh were taken prisoners. Onelakh were killed in battle. Many more died as aresult of the war.”

He returned to Pataliputra in pain ratherthan joy of victory. Day and night the ghastlyscenes of the battlefield haunted him. He thenvowed that this, his first war, would be his last.He then turned to dharma, especially of ahimsaand compassion. He set the Kalinga prisonersfree, returning them their land. He stoppedhunting and the killing of animals in the royalkitchen. We glean his piety and recourse torighteousness and peace from his Rock Edicts.

Rock Edicts

In the first of his 14 Rock Edicts at Girnar inJunagadh, he says, “In the kitchen of Devãnãm-priya Priyadarshi Raja (beloved-of-the-devas andamiable in countenance), thousands of animalswere killed every day. But after writing thisDhamma (dharma) edict, only two peacocksand a deer are killed. And in time, not eventhese three will be killed.” He then became avegetarian. He set up centres of medical treat-ment for humans and animals throughout hisempire and in distant kingdoms, including that

of the Greek King Antiochos. Wherever herbswere not available he imported them. Along theroads he had wells dug and trees planted forthe benefits of man and animals (RE 4). Insteadof indulging in tours of pleasure (vihara-yatras),as kings usually did, he found solace in dharma-yatras, in which he visited ascetics and holyplaces, offering donations and listening to dis-courses on dharma. He appointed ministersknown as Dhamma Mahamatras to go oninspection tours in all places every five years forthe specific purpose of imparting instruction indharma. He advocated respect for parents, gen-erosity to friends, relatives, Brahmins, ascetics,not killing living creatures, moderation inspending and saving (RE 3). The DhammaMahamatras were to promote dharma amongall religions and all strata of society, includingthe poor, aged and prisoners for “their welfareand happiness – so that they may be free fromharassment” (RE 5).

He ordered his ministers to report to himabout the citizens’ welfare at any time,“whether I am eating, in the bed chamber, inthe chariot, in the palanquin, in the park orwherever…, so that I might attend to theseaffairs wherever I am.... Truly, I consider thewelfare of all to be my duty… and whateverefforts I make is to repay the debt I owe to allbeings to assure their happiness in this life andattain heaven in the next. This Dhamma edicthas been written to last long and that my sons,grandsons and great-grandsons might act inconformity with it for the welfare of the world”(RE 6).

He also discouraged the trivial, ‘lucky’ ritesthat women were then fond of performing duringmarriage and childbirth. To Ashoka these ritesbore little fruit in this world, whereas those of theDhamma bore great fruit (punya) even in the nextworld. To Ashoka the ritual of Dhamma boregreat fruit. This involved, “proper behaviour


Ashoka’s chakrarepresenting the wheel of

Dharma, placed in the centre ofIndia’s National Flag

Rock Edicts sculpted in Prakrit inGirnar, Junagadh & elsewhere

The Lion capital on the Ashokpillar at Sarnath

towards servants and employees, respect forteachers, restraint towards living beings, andgenerosity towards ascetics and Brahmins… theritual of Dhamma is timeless,” begetting greatmerit both here and in the next world (RE 9).

Even as a political ruler, Ashoka advocatedrespect for all religions and stated a universaltruth worthy of emulation by all today, and whichreflects his innate wisdom, “Do not praise one’sown religion or condemn the religion of otherswithout good cause. And if there is cause for crit-icism, it should be done in a mild way. But it isbetter to honour other religions for this reason.By so doing one’s own religion benefits as do oth-ers… One should listen to and respect the doc-trines of others. Devanam Raja Priyadarshidesires that all should be well-learned in the gooddoctrines of other religions” (RE 12).

Ashoka’s emphasis on dharma was so deeplyingrained that he considered, “conquest byDhamma to be the best conquest.”

To promote dharma he even sent emissariesto Greek rulers 600 yojanas (4800 km) away,“where the Greek King Antiochos rules, beyondthere where the four kings named Ptolemy,Antigonos, Magas and Alexander rule” (RE 18).He even wished contentment rather than con-quest in his lineage, “I have had this Dhammaedict written so that my sons and great-grand-

sons may not consider making new conquests,or that if military conquests are made, that theybe done with forbearance and light punishment,or better still, that they consider making con-quest by Dhamma only, for that bears fruit inthis world and the next” (RE 13). He evenenvisaged what the people of neighbouringcountries, who would normally live tense livesof fear, should think about him, “My only inten-tion is that they live without fear of me, thatthey may trust me and that I may give themhappiness, not sorrow” (Kalinga RE 2).

Ashoka reigned for about forty years. After hisdeath in 236 BCE, the Maurya empire lasted onlyfifty more years. To preserve his piety and legacyfor posterity he had wisely sculpted in magnifi-cent stone pillars and boulders in Prakrit (ver-nacular), throughout Bharat. The famous AshokaPillar of sandstone with four sculpted lions andthe Dharmachakra (wheel of religious duty) wasoriginally erected around 250 BCE at Sarnath.This symbol was adopted as the National Emblemof India after Independence. The wheel known asthe ‘Ashoka Chakra’ was placed in the centre ofthe National Flag of India. These two symbols ofonly one king as National emblems chosen overtwo millennia later, entitles him the epithet “TheGreat” in a manner unique and unequalled in thehistory of the world’s nations. ◆


Vikram: Hey Ashish, how’re you? I’m goingto the mandir, want to join me?

Ashish: No, I promised my friends I’d gobowling with them today. You go ahead, I’ll seeyou at the mandir next week.

Vikram: Haven’t seen you at the mandirfor, like, three weeks now. What’s up? Too busywith studies? Or busy hanging out with friends?

Ashish: Um, yeah, just spending some timewith friends. It’s a short life, you know.

Vikram: Yeah, I know it’s a short life – andthat’s why we should be at the mandir moreoften.

Ashish: Well, I do usually attend the week-ly sabha. But I also have to keep in touch withfriends from school, I can’t keep telling themthat I’m always too busy to go out with them.

Vikram: Sure, keep in touch with them butdon’t sacrifice your mandir time for socializing.

Ashish: Look, don’t hassle me about this.Even at the mandir welearn that we shouldspend time with fami-ly – so, I considermy friends a partof my family.

Vikram: There’s a differencebetween family and

friends. But I don’tthink you’ll understand

that, yet. But you can havegood friends at the mandir too– I’m sure you have friends inthe kishore mandal.

Ashish: Of course I do, I neversaid I don’t want to go to

the mandir. But I have tospend some time with my friends fromschool.

Vikram: Yes, you do, but you also needto give more time to the mandir. Look at itthis way. You said it’s a short life, right?

Ashish: Yup. That’s why you shouldmake the most of it.

Vikram: True, you should make themost of it – but then you have to have a goalfor it, an objective which you aim to achieve.

Ashish: Well, that’s easy, my aim is to behappy and successful.

Vikram: That’s a good start, my friend,and I think I can help you in trying to reallynarrow down that objective into actionablegoals. Why don’t you get into the car andwe’ll continue this talk on the way to themandir?

Ashish: Well, I really wanted to go withmy friends, but I’ll come with you this time.

Vikram: Great, here, get in. Now, tocontinue our talk.

Ashish: You said I can narrow down theobjective of being happy and successful.How?

Vikram: Let me ask you a couple of real-ly simple questions. Do you go to school?

Ashish: That’s simple, all right. Ofcourse I go to school.

Vikram: Why do you go to school?Ashish: To study, man, what else! To get


ON LIFE: RITESH GADHIA


ready for a job or a business. To get the knowl-edge to be successful. Need more reasons?

Vikram: Ha ha, no, those are good enough.Now, you go to school to prepare for whatcomes after it – a job or a business. Right? Soyou attend classes, even those you don’t reallylike.

Ashish: Yeah. And I study hard, worktowards getting good grades.

Vikram: But that’s not all – you also spendsome time with friends, going to the cafetaria,enjoying sports, etc.

Ashish: Of course. That’s relaxing. It takesmy mind off studies for a short while and helpsme focus on the studies later.

Vikram: Agreed. The key words are ‘for ashort while’. So you should be careful that youdon’t end up spending too much time awayfrom studies and in the cafetaria socializing –otherwise you are moving away from being suc-cessful in future.

Ashish: Do you take me for an immaturekid? I know that!

Vikram: Of course you know that, I’m sorry.I was just thinking of other teenagers, youknow, who might not be as mature and intelli-gent as you are.

Ashish: Okay. But what does all this haveto do with going to the mandir?

Vikram: A lot. School teaches you the skillsfor later life. Life teaches you and gives you achance to move ahead towards moksha, towardsliberation.

Ashish: So life is a school to teach youabout moksha?

Vikram: Not just teach you, it’s a process totake you nearer to God, nearer to moksha. Andjust like we need to spend most of our time inschool on studies, shouldn’t we be spendingmost of our life in working towards moksha?

Ashish: Do you mean I should stay in medi-tation all day throughout life, not study, not

play, not... Vikram: No, hold on, don’t overreact. What

I’m saying is that we should always keep inmind why we’re here – like you know Gunati-tanand Swami has said, “Nirantar paccha vadine jovu...”

Ashish: Yes, I know – we should alwayskeep reviewing why we’re here and what we’veachieved out of that.

Vikram: Correct! If I was your teacher I’dhave given you full marks for rememberingthat.

Ashish: Then I wish you taught biology – Inever seem to get above a ‘C’ in that.

Vikram: So just like you spend most ofyour time in school on studies, we do need tokeep most of our lives focused on movingtowards moksha. And Maharaj has given us thetwo wings to fly towards that goal – agna andupasana.

Ashish: To follow Maharaj’s and Swami’swish, and to understand their true form andoffer worship to them.

Vikram: Correct. An ‘A’ grade again. Ashish: But how do I do that? I want to

study and become an investment banker – ormaybe a hedge fund manager; I heard they earnmillions. Is that part of God’s wish?

Vikram: It could be part of his wish, foryou. What job you do, so long as its ethical,doesn’t matter much. What matters is that youkeep in touch with the mandir, sadhus anddevotees, devote time and effort to satsang, andthat you follow all the agnas of Maharaj andSwami.

Ashish: Hey, that I can do. And still be arich, um, private equity manager.

Vikram: Yes, you can be any of those – butthen decide which one, because none of those isan easy job. And you will always have very littletime to learn – pray to Maharaj for success andto help you be close to satsang. ◆


In Samvat 1808 (1864 CE), Shriji Maharajwent to Mandvi. Sundarjibhai and Hirjib-hai of Bhuj had gone there beforehand to

make the arrangements for Maharaj. Theyapproached Khaiyo Khatri, a learned Vedantscholar and a rich businessman, for help inarranging facilities for Maharaj, and the accom-panying sadhus and devotees.

Kahiyo replied, “You believe Swaminarayanto be God, but I will expose him. Let him come.I will arrange for him and the group to the bestof my ability. But before that he will have toconvince us all that he is God.”

Sundarjibhai was disappointed by KhaiyoKhatri’s reply, yet he tried again, “At least givesome temporary help.” But Khaiyo wasadamant, “First tell your God to hold an assem-bly. I will come and ask questions. Only if I amsatisfied by his answers will I make the arrange-ments.”

Sundarji then made arrangements forMaharaj to stay in a guesthouse for pilgrims.

On Maharaj’s arrival Sundarji told him aboutKhaiyo’s challenge. Maharaj laughed and said,“Arrange an assembly and invite Khaiyo.” Thenhe turned to Brahmanand Swami and asked,“Swami, would you like to eat laddus or dust?”Brahmanand Swami pondered for a while andthen said, “We eat dust every day! So if youfeed us laddus it will be good.”

So Maharaj said, “If you want to eat laddus,you will have to do as I say.”

Brahmanand Swami thought to himself thathe always did what Maharaj asked. So whatwas Maharaj trying to say? He was confused,yet he went along, “Yes Maharaj! I will do whatyou say.”

Then Maharaj turned to Sundarjibhai and

said, “Sundarjibhai, tellKhaiyo that the assemblywill be held tomorrow.Decide on the venue. We want to take out agrand procession through the city and inviteeveryone to the assembly. Let even Khaiyo’s sup-porters come. Especially, tell his mother to comeas well.”

Sundarjibhai was pleased and began thepreparations.

The next day, Maharaj called BrahmanandSwami, Adbhutanand Swami, PrasadanandSwami and other sadhus. He began to applysandalwood paste to Brahmanand Swami’s fore-head. Brahmanand Swami asked, “Maharaj,what are you doing?”

Maharaj replied, “I’m preparing to feed youladdus. Didn’t I tell you yesterday that if youwant to eat laddus you will have to do as I say.”

Brahmanand Swami became silent. Maharajfinished applying sandalwood paste and thenplaced garlands of flowers around his neck.Maharaj raised Brahmanand Swami to stand upand called for his horse. Maharaj instructed him,“Swami! Sit on the horse. Today we are takingSwaminarayan in a procession through the city.”

Brahmanand Swami was confused,“Maharaj! The procession should be for you. I’ma mere sadhu.”

“But today you will be Swaminarayan! Youdo want to eat laddus, don’t you?” Maharajsmiled.

“Maharaj, it is better to eat dust than eatladdus this way.”

“Don’t worry, Swami! For today, you occupythe throne of God and I will be your servant.Today, Khaiyo will be defeated,” Maharajexplained.

SahajãnandSukhkãri Re Saluni Chhabi…

BHAJAN HISTORY: TRANSLATION: SADHU AMRUTVIJAYDAS


Brahmanand Swami smiled and realized thathe had no choice but to do what Maharajordered. So, seated on a decorated horse, Brah-manand Swami led the procession. Everyone intown thought that he was Swaminarayan!

When they arrived at the assembly venue,Maharaj told him, “Now you sit on the raisedseat. Today you will have to play the role fully.”

Then Maharaj told him, “When Khaiyo asksyou the questions, point to me and tell him thatthis young sadhu of mine will answer them. If hecannot answer, only then will I give the answer.”

Now, Brahmanand Swami realized Maharaj’splan.

When Khaiyo Khatri arrived, he saw Brah-manand Swami on the raised, decorated seatand asked, “Are you Swaminarayan?” Brah-manand Swami smiled and said, “Yes.” Khaiyocontinued, “I have studied Vedant philosophy.So I will ask you some questions.”

Brahmanand Swami, playing the role ofMaharaj, replied, “By all means, do ask.” Thenhe pointed to Maharaj seated on the floor andsaid. “This young sadhu of mine will answeryour questions. But if you are not satisfied withhis answers, then I will answer.”

Khaiyo looked at Maharaj and was drawn tohis luminous form. He thought that if the disci-ple is so radiant, then how much more radiantmust his guru be.”

Khaiyo asked 108 questions and Maharajgave convincing replies to all of them. Khaiyowas overawed. He experienced divine vibrationsin Maharaj’s answers. He asked his followers,“Who is Sahajanand?” From a distance, Khaiyo’smother told him. “The one on the floor is thereal God. The one on the raised seat is a fake!”

Maharaj looked at Brahmanand Swami andinstructed, “Now, you solve his dilemma andreveal the truth.”

So Brahmanand Swami got up and began tosing.

During the bhajan, Brahmanand Swamipointed four times to Maharaj to indicate to all

that he was the manifest form of God describedin the scriptures.

Khaiyo was convinced and fell at Maharaj’sfeet, accepting defeat. He realized that Maharajwas God and became his disciple. He also invit-ed Maharaj, the sadhus and devotees to eat athis house. Thus, Brahmanand Swami got theladdus Shriji Maharaj had promised him.

The words of the bhajan BrahmanandSwami sung are as follows:

Sahajãnand sukhkãri re, saluni chhabi…Vedãnti arupi ke’chhe nyãy anumãne le chhe,

Te ã vahãlo santomã re chhe re…1Nigam kahe anumãne munivarne nãve dhyãn,

Vhãlo te ã bhine vãne re…2Sarva kartã sarvãdhãro sarva mãhi sarvathi nyãro,

Pragatrup te ã pyãro re…3Jagjivan antarjãmi nãm sarvno chhe nãmi,

Te ã Brahmãnandno swãmi re…4

MeaningIn this bhajan, the word ‘ã’ (this) is used in

each couplet and each time Brahmanand Swamiwould point to Maharaj to show that he is themanifest form of God described in the scriptures.

The beautiful murti of Sahajanand is thesource of happiness…

He who the Vedant scriptures describe asformless and the Nyaya scriptures accept byinference, that God is seated here among thesadhus. It is this Sahajanand (1).

He who even the Vedas cannot fully describeand of whom even the sages cannot get darshanin their meditation, that God is seated here inthe form of Sahajanand (2).

He who is the all-doer, the support of all,present in all and yet is separate from all, thatmanifest form of God is happily seated here inthe form of Sahajanand (3).

He who dwells in all jivas, is the Lord of allthings and the universe, that God, Sahajanand,is the master of Brahmanand (4).

◆

4 July 2008, Sarangpur; Rath YatraPrior to his morning puja Swamishri performed

the murti-pratishtha rituals of the abhishek murti ofNilkanth Varni for Bhavnagar mandir. The prelimi-nary Vedic rituals were performed in which 200devotees from Bhavnagar participated. Swamishriperformed pujan, arti, mantra-pushpanjali,abhishek and finally offered prayers that NilkanthVarni fulfils the wishes of all. Swamishri thenblessed the devotees, “Blessings to all. It was yourwish that Varni be consecrated in Bhavnagar.Today is an auspicious day. Varni will fulfil yourwishes and make you all happy.”

Then Swamishri performed his morning puja.The stage backdrop had giant-sized cutouts ofhorses pulling chariots. Swamishri also blessedthe assembly, “Today is the Rath YatraCelebration. One should give the reins of one’shorses (i.e. senses) to God so that they do not goastray. This is the purport of this festival. It is cel-ebrated on a grand scale in Jagannath Puri. Godis also paraded in Ahmedabad. He gives darshanto countless to make all happy.”

After Thakorji’s darshan Swamishri sat in agolf cart that had been decorated into a chariot.After Thakorji’s pujan the chariot was steeredtowards the Yagnapurush Smruti Mandir amidst

tunes played by the local bandand bhajans sung by sadhus. On

arriving at the Smruti Mandir seniorsadhus performed arti of Thakorji and

Swamishri also performed arti of Thakorjiand the murti of Shastriji Maharaj. While doingpradakshina of the Smruti Mandir all the sadhusplayed kartals. The procession returned to themandir and circumambulated it three times withthe same feeling of bhakti. Devotees werepleased with the darshan of the Rath Yatra cele-bration.7 July 2008, Sarangpur

In the mandir sanctum the wooden murti ofGhanshyam Maharaj was reformed by expertcraftsmen. Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha rituals of the murti.18 July 2008, Friday, Bochasan; Guru Punam

Guru Purnima celebration was celebrated inBochasan in the presence of Swamishri and thou-sands of devotees. Senior sadhus praised thesaintliness of Swamishri. The mammoth assem-bly climaxed with Swamishri’s blessings. (Detailsin August issue of Swaminarayan Bliss, p.16.)21 to 23 July 2008, Bochasan; Divya San-nidhi Parva

In all 750 leading volunteers gathered for a2½ day volunteers’ satsang camp. (Details inAugust issue of Swaminarayan Bliss, p.21.)25 to 27 July 2008, Bochasan; Childrens’Volunteer Sannidhi Parva

In all 800 leading children’s activity volun-teers attended the 2½ day satsang camp. (Detailsin August issue of Swaminarayan Bliss, p.22.) ◆


1 to 31 July 2008, Sarangpur, Bochasan

Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s


Living WithSWAMISHRI

DEGREES OF MISERY AND HAPPINESS

2 July 2008, Sarangpur

A gutsy devotee asked, “Bapa, give me mis-ery.”

Swamishri replied, “There is no need to askfor pain and unhappiness. However, one shouldask for happiness to the extent that one canworship God properly. It is fine to have miseryto the degree that one never forgets God.”

BHAJAN AND PRAYER


A devotee was making efforts to acquireland for a mandir. The proprietors of the landwere living abroad. Out of them two or threewere heavy drinkers. They had refused to sellthe land. The devotee informed Swamishri,“They are not ready to understand at all!”

Swamishri encouraged him, “But keep try-ing.”

The devotee quipped, “It seems that I’ll haveto sit down with them to drink. Only then willthey understand and agree.”

Swamishri dissolved his proposal instantly,“No. There is no need to do that at all!”

“Then you do something,” the devoteeinstantly appealed to Swamishri with the desireto reform them.

Swamishri blessed, “Do bhajan and pray toGod. By his grace they will agree to give theland.”

EMOTIONAL RELIEF


A teenager broke down crying in repentancebefore Swamishri. He spoke choked with emo-tion, “Two or three years ago I had gone fordarshan to one of our mandirs. There someonestole my slippers. Since then I started hating themandir and pledged not to go at all. But I don’tknow how I restarted going to the mandir.” Theteenager broke down again. Then he added, “Icannot fix my mind on studies. I cannot concen-trate.”

Swamishri blessed and reassured him, “It isgood that you have started going to the mandir.You’ll be able to pacify your mind. Shake offyour depression. Go to the mandir regularly andpray to Maharaj.”

The teenager left feeling relieved.

“I HAVE GOD.”


A disciple was returning from Dubai to Indiathe next day. He rang up to ask whetherSwamishri wanted anything. Swamishri replied,“I don’t want anything.” The attendant sadhutold Swamishri, “You are a sadhu. You wantGod.” Swamishri responded, “That I have.Where is the need to ask? I have God!” ◆

- Gujarati text by Sadhu Priyadarshandas

INSPIRING INCIDENTS: TRANSLATION: SADHU VIVEKJIVANDAS

SATSHASTRAS – KNOW THE TRUTH

28 July to 2 August 2008, USA & Canada

Over 1800 kishores and kishoris attended the2008 Summer Shibirs, themed Satshastras –Know the Truth, held regionally across NorthAmerica. The attendees learned about the basicfoundations of the Vedas, Mahabharat,Ramayan, Vachnamrut, Swamini Vato, and theeight scriptures specified by Bhagwan Swami-narayan in the Shikshapatri.

The attendees learned not only about thetruths and values contained in the scripturesbut also how the morals of the scriptures applydirectly to their lives.

With the aid of workshops, presentations, andgroup discussions, the message and significanceof the different scriptures was highlighted. Thequestion sessions helped to answer many press-ing questions the youth have about their faith inan open and supportive environment. The partic-ipants were provided study time, during whichthey reviewed their notes and participated inactivities to recall key facts and concepts fromtheir classroom presentations.

All attendees left with a greater understand-ing of our shastras, a deeper appreciation ofour principles and an eagerness to learn morethrough daily reading.

SAMJAN

4 August 2008, USA & Canada

Hundreds of yuvaks and yuvatis throughoutNorth America attended the Yuvak-YuvatiShibirs to gain a deeper understanding of Sat-sang. The shibirs were held in Dallas, Houston,Toronto, Catskills, NY, Chicago, Atlanta, SanJose and Los Angeles on the theme “Samjan: Athome, at work, in Satsang.”

The shibirs featured discourses on the vari-ous forms of samjan (understanding) requiredat home, at work and in Satsang for spiritualprogress: understanding upasana, understand-ing our guru and understanding each other.

Specific activities ranged from a ghar sabhapanel which stressed its importance in helpingto increase unity within the family, communica-tion between each other, and progress in sat-sang as a family.


Summer ShibirsNorth America & UK

‘Satshastras’, Kishore-Kishori Shibir, USA Group photo of kishores, Kishore-Kishori Shibir,London

B A P S N E W SBAPS NEWS


The attendees felt that by taking part in theshibir their knowledge of satsang principles haddeepened and their faith in God had been con-solidated.

SHASTRAS: WALK THE TALK

18 August 2008, USA & Canada

This summer, Indian children across theNorth America gained a greater appreciationfor ancient Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas,Upanishads, Bhagwad Gita, Ramayan, andMahabharat. Regional camps organized byBAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha focusing on thetheme “Shastras – Walk the Talk,” helped chil-dren ascertain the central messages of eachscripture and determine how they could beapplied to their lives. The summer camps heldin each region drew a total of over 2000 partic-ipants.

The balaks and balikas were taught thecomplex and esoteric concepts and messages ofthe scriptures in a simplified way. They wereguided on how to integrate these values andmorals into their lives.

These mesages were presented throughinspiring video presentations, entertainingskits, thought-provoking discussions, and chal-lenging games and activities. The sessions reit-erated the message of how the scriptures arean indispensible guide through life’s daily chal-lenges.

Each night ended with an entertaining pro-gramme which recapped the day’s messages.Various team building activities were also heldwhich helped the attendees understand theimportance of teamwork and unity. The atten-dees also had the opportunity to enjoy perform-ing “samuh-puja” with fellow shibir partici-pants.

On the last day, attendees learned how Pra-mukh Swami Maharaj is a living shastrabecause of his pure lifestyle, which is devoid ofworldly attachments. He embodies the valuesand morals of the scriptures and inspires otherstoward that spiritual path.

All left with a greater understanding of theshastras, a deeper appreciation of its principles,and an eagerness to gain more from dailylearning.

MY MANDIR, MY PEOPLE, MY HOME

27 July 2008, London

The National Kishore-Kishori Shibir, entitled‘My Mandir, My People, My Home’ was held inthe presence of Kothari (Bhaktipriya) Swami atBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London onSunday 27 July 2008.

The programme consisted of inspiringspeeches by sadhus and thought-provokinggroup discussions to develop pride for themandir, to bring awareness of the dangers ofmisuse of social networking tools, and to

Auditorium Session, Kishore-Kishori Shibir, USA Bal-Balika Summer Camp, USA


In the ‘My Mandir’ ses-sion the key concepts ofmandirs was provided onthe basis of the scrip-tures. A live stage discus-sion involving seniorkaryakars conveyed theimportant role that themandir has played inmoulding their lives.Also, the need to develope pride for the mandirthrough seva, and to participate in worship rit-uals to enhance personal devotion was high-lighted.

The second section, ‘My People’, addressedthe important issues of social networking web-sites where kishores and kishoris participated intheir respective groups to discuss the dangersarising from the misuse of social networkingwebsites.

‘My Home’, in the form of Swamishri, wasthe theme for the final session of the Shibir, inthe ways to earn Swamishri’s true, inner bless-ings were presented.

SAMJAN


The National Sanyukta Mandal Shibir basedon the theme “Samjan” was held in the pres-ence of Kothari Swami at BAPS Shri Swami-narayan Mandir, London, on Sunday 27 July2008.

The aim of the Shibir was to develop samjanor understanding in Satsang. This was achievedthrough inspiring speeches by sadhus and anenlightening question-answer session withKothari Swami.

Kothari Swami eluci-dated on the type ofunderstanding necessaryto progress in Satsang.Other sadhus narratedincidents of devoteesfrom the time of Bhag-wan Swaminarayan tothe present day, who,even under adverse cir-

cumstances, maintained their attachment toSatsang and the Satpurush. Due to samjan,they were able to pass through their times ofdifficulty.

SADHUTA


The National Yuvak-Yuvati Shibir took placeon Sunday 27 July 2008 in the presence ofKothari Swami with over 400 participants.

The theme was ‘Sadhuta’. To experience divinebliss in life sadhuta (saintliness) is essential.

What is our understanding of sadhuta?What is sadhuta? The benefits of practising sad-huta and other realated topics were explained.

A Q&A session was conducted with KothariSwami in which he described how to remainhumble despite praises and also what inspiredhim to observe his niyams when he was a youth.He also spoke at length on how to remainequipoised during the ups and downs of life.

Also, the five vartmans of nisswad, nirlobh,nishkam, nissneh and nirman were highlightedthrough practical demonstrations, discussionsand other presentations.

In conclusion, Kothari Swami talked abouthow even householders can achieve sadhuta. ◆

National Yuvak-Yuvati Shibir, London

More Details:USA: http://www.swaminarayan.org/news/usa/2008/08/yuvakyuvatishibir/index.htm

http://www.swaminarayan.org/news/usa/2008/08/yuvakyuvatishibir/index.htmhttp://www.swaminarayan.org/news/usa/2008/08/kishorekishorishibir/index.htm

UK: http://www.swaminarayan.org/news/uk/2008/07/ymshibir/index.htmhttp://www.swaminarayan.org/news/uk/2008/07/sanyuktashibir/index.htmhttp://www.swaminarayan.org/news/uk/2008/07/kishoreshibir/index.htm


What is Enhanced External Counterpulsa-

tion?

EECP is a nonsurgical, non-pharmaceutical,treatment to help patients with chest pain andheart failure. It helps to increase blood flow tothe heart muscles. The beneficial effect of treat-ment persists for many years. It has beenapproved by FDA in America and is a safe, out-patient treatment.

Why there is a need for another treatment?

Despite the advances in cardiology in treat-ing chest pain and heart failure the problemsstill persist. Drugs do not always provide reliefand invasive procedures have their own associ-ated risks. EECP can provide advantages similarto those of medication and symptom relief com-parable to that of invasive procedures.

What does EECP treatment involve?

In an EECP session, the patient lies on apadded table. Three large inflatable cuffs – similarto blood pressure cuffs – are strapped around thecalves, lower thighs and upper thighs. Thepatient’s heart is monitored on an ECG display,which, through the computer, regulates the infla-tion and deflation of the cuffs. During the part ofthe cardiac cycle when the heart is at rest (dias-tole), the cuffs are rapidly inflated, beginning withthe cuffs at the calves and working upwards. Justbefore systole (heart contraction), the cuffs aresimultaneously deflated. Each treatment session isfor one hour. The EECP treatment takes 35 days.

What is collateral circulation ?

Formation of network of tiny blood vessels,which make it possible for blood to detouraround blocked or narrow arteries, is called col-

lateral circulation. However, the development ofcollateral circulation is a gradual process andnot everyone has the same ability to developthese networks at the rate that will relieve angi-na. EECP treatment triggers and accelerates thiscollateral circulation and makes it permanent.

How do I personally know the treatment

has helped me ?

• Can walk greater distance without chestpain • Fewer or no attacks of angina • Anginaattacks less painful • Need for less anti-anginalmedication • Enables return to work and activi-ty • More energetic and confident.

Is EECP a replacement for Bypass or

Angioplasty ?

EECP is not considered a replacement forcoronary artery bypass surgery or balloonangioplasty. But, EECP may delay the need forthese invasive procedures. In many cases, reliefwill be sufficient to render them unnecessary.EECP is also used in patients who have alreadyundergone surgery or angioplasty, but not get-ting sufficient relief of their symptoms.

What should I do after EECP treatment ?

• Quit smoking • Follow heart friendly diet• Control obesity • Do Regular exercise. ◆

For furthers details contact:Pramukh Swami Health Care &

Research CentreAkshar Mahol,

Shri BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Shahibaug,Ahmedabad - 380 004, Gujarat, India.

Mobile: 9998999210, 9998999456, 9898550506Phone & Fax: (91-79) 2562 4901E-mail: [email protected]

EECP®

Enhanced External Counterpulsation

A new treatment for Heart patients

BAPS MEDICAL SERVICES

SUMMER SHIBIRS, JULY-AUGUST 2008, NORTH AMERICAThousands of balaks, balikas, kishores, kishoris, yuvaks, yuvatis and karyakars of all ages participated in the numerous regionalshibirs held throughout the USA and Canada. The shibirs provided valuable guidance on understanding shastras, other spiritualtopics and leadership skills. Above: Auditorium session. Below: Morning puja session.

September 2008 Annual Subscription Rs. 60 · 2008-09-20 · September 2008 Swaminarayan Bliss5. 6...

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