18 April 2005 (V.S. 2061, Chaitra sud 9) Monday, Amdavad; Shri Hari Jayanti
At 5.20 pm Swamishri left Gadhada and arrived at Amdavad mandir at 8.00 pm. After darshan of Thakorji, Swamishri came to the 224th birthday celebration festival of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
23 April 2005 (V.S. 2061, Chaitra sud 14) Saturday, Amdavad
In the evening assembly BAPS youths performed a drama, ‘Bharat nu Sohamanu Swapna’, which portrayed icons of self-confidence, self-realisation, austerity and others from India’s glorious past. Finally Swamishri blessed the assembly, “Today people do not like religious talks. The atmosphere is such that one forgets about the importance of character and culture. Because of TV and websites the lessons of self-discipline are fading. When there is no discrimination between right and wrong one becomes inclined towards bad things. When one listens to bad things and eats non-veg then how can one do satsang? Yogiji Maharaj willed for a better, character-based society. Through his desire the activities are going on. His work was to redeem all and make them happier. He was pure and in control of his ten senses and speech…”
24 April 2005 (V.S. 2061, Chaitra sud 15) Sunday, Amdavad
Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha rituals of pujan and arti of Akshar Purushottam Maharaj, Guru Parampara, Hanumanji and Ganapati for the BAPS hari mandir in Mahijada. Thereafter Swamishri blessed the devotees.
Swamishri performs the pratishtha rituals of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandirs (hari mandirs) for the suburbs of Maninagar and Vadaj in Amdavad
27 April 2005 (V.S. 2061, Chaitra vad 3) Wednesday, Amdavad
After his morning puja Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha rituals of murtis of Akshar Purushottam Maharaj, Ghanshyam Maharaj, Guru Parampara, Radha-Krishna Dev, Sita-Ram, Shiv-Parvati, Hanumanji and Ganapati for the hari mandirs in the Amdavad suburbs of Maninagar and Nava Vadaj. Swamishri also performed the foundation- stone laying rituals of three new hari mandirs to be built in the suburbs of Nirnaynagar, Nikol and Chandlodia.
At 11.00 am Swamishri honoured the renowned Sanskrit pundit of Gujarat Shri K. Ka. Shastri who had completed 100 years with a garland and shawl.
28 April 2005 (V.S. 2061, Chaitra vad 4 & 5) Thursday, Amdavad
In the evening satsang assembly a renowned management consultant, Shri B.N. Dastur, said, “I have taken management training from many people in India and abroad. But I consider my guru to be Bhagwan Shri Krishna. He has wonderfully talked about management in the Bhagvad Gita. He says Adhishthãnam… devam chaivatra panchamam. To successfully perform action he has prescribed five elements: (1) Environment: Every person who desires to do some work requires a proper atmosphere and means. (2) Doer: The doer does the action. The BAPS organisation is running successfully through the help of 700 sadhus and thousands of people. This shows that there is a doer who is pouring his soul for the mission. (3) Karan: Means resources. To acquire money as a resource is not difficult, but human resource is difficult to get. That is the most important. The best application of human resources that I have ever seen is in this Sanstha. (4) Cheshta: Means process. You have money, but how to use it; this process is difficult. This Sanstha uses every penny in the best possible way. (5) Nasib: Means fate, but this is very subsidiary.
“This is my favourite shlok. Till now, in my 70 years of life I have had lots of experiences, but I have not met a manager who has realised this shlok. I came here one year ago and got the opportunity of seeing the Sanstha’s activities and implementation of work. Then I realised that in the 70 years of my life the person who has realised the management shlok from the Gita is Pramukh Swami Maharaj. I am over 70 years old. There is nothing more to achieve in living up to 100 years, but whatever I have left to live I am ready to offer them in the service of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.”
Thereafter Swamishri blessed the assembly, “Shri Dasturji has spoken briefly, but very well. He has written many books on management and spoken on it, too. Everyone has to manage. You have to manage your wife, children and others. People manage to get self-praise. In fact a person should live such a life that everyone naturally likes him. If you have character, morality, full faith and trust in God then people will naturally love and respect you. But if your life is not good then no matter what you do no one will truly love you. Because you are great in worldly ways people have to tell you that you are good, but there is no respect and love from the heart. The great sadhus and devotees have given us love, so we revere and love them. We accept their preachings because they have lived in such a way that it is an inspiration for us. Shriji Maharaj told his sadhus that your life will speak. He gave them five vows, and by following them people will be inspired with faith in God and adhere to satsang. The better one’s life, the easier the work becomes. Through bad external influences man spoils his life.
“There is peace with the devotees of God. But people believe there is peace in money and power. Through them one gets comfort and physical happiness, but not God’s happiness. Tulsidas says that through God and His realised Sadhu one gets peace and happiness in all one’s work. Today there is conflict for money and power. When one walks with arrogance one becomes a target for others. By remaining humble one feels inferior, but in our shastras the stories of humble people show they became great.
“Yogiji Maharaj was a servant to all. He folded his hands to all. Other sadhus and devotees have remained humble and sung the virtues of others, and therefore everyone loves them. No one remembers those who became great because of money and power. We remember humble people life Narsinh, Mira, Ambrish, national leaders and Ravishankar Maharaj. It has been said that when a tree bears fruits its branches bend low. Similarly, such sadhus and devotees meet everyone with humility and politeness. If anyone beats them still they praise them. We have people of such calibre like Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj, therefore we have got the benefit of becoming a servant of servants. May we adopt this virtue and please Maharaj.”
Swamishri succinctly emphasised the virtues of character, humility and faith in God as the principles of management.
29 April 2005 (V.S. 2061, Chaitra vad 6) Friday, Amdavad
During Swamishri’s morning puja, the stage was embellished with five kalashes that would crown the shikhars of Akshardham in New Delhi. During Swamishri’s puja, Dr. Swami, Ishwarcharan Swami, Viveksagar Swami and other sadhus performed the mahapuja rituals for the kalashes. Thereafter Swamishri placed Shri Harikrishna Maharaj on and worshipped the main kalash, standing at 8’4” with a circumference of 6’. Swamishri performed pujan, showered flower petals and rice grains and finally performed arti of all the kalashes. Swamishri also performed the pujan rituals of the giant 23’9” long flagpost weighing 450 kg.
Swamishri was extremely pleased by the quality of the kalashes and blessed the sadhus and devotees involved in making them.
30 April 2005 (V.S. 2061, Chaitra vad 7) Saturday, Amdavad
In the morning Swamishri visited the newly built BAPS Swaminarayan mandir in the suburb of Nava Vadaj. After performing pujan and arti Swamishri blessed the assembly.
In the evening assembly Swamishri arrived to see the 2 hr 15 min. drama, ‘Chalo Chale Ham Akshardham’. The drama showed how an atheist was transformed by his visit to Akshardham in New Delhi through its social, moral and spiritual impact on humanity.
1 May 2005 (V.S. 2061 Chaitra vad 8) Sunday, Amdavad
In the evening assembly a wonderful drama presentation by BAPS children conveyed the message of successful study and character. Finally Swamishri blessed the assembly.
2 May 2005 (V.S. 2061, Chaitra vad 9) Monday, Amdavad
At 10:30 am Swamishri departed for the suburb of Maninagar. Here, at the newly constructed BAPS Swaminarayan mandir Swamishri consecrated the charanarvind (footprints) of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Thereafter he performed the pujan and arti rituals of the murtis. In his blessings to the assembly Swamishri said, “Shriji Maharaj and sadhus have been to Maninagar so this place is a holy place. Due to the efforts of sadhus the Satsang has grown here so we were inspired to create a mandir here for the benefit of society…”
6 May 2005 (V.S. 2061, Chaitra vad 13) Friday, Amdavad
At 10.15 am Swamishri departed from Amdavad mandir and arrived at the newly inaugurated BAPS Swaminarayan mandir in the suburb of Odhav. Here Swamishri performed pujan and arti rituals of the murtis and blessed the assembly.