On 16 July 2019, the Guru Purnima celebration was held in Bochasan in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj. On this day, countless Hindus offer obeisances to their gurus. Veda Vyas is revered today as the adi guru for his seminal contribution of the shastras he wrote and compiled.
The Guru Purnima celebration was held at the Swaminarayan Baug near the BAPS mandir, Bochasan. The assembly commenced at 8.30 a.m. with dhun and prayers. The colourful stage backdrop included the murtis of Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj and Guru Parampara. The assembly was themed on Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s teachings from the Vachanamrut about the virtues of the Gunatit Sant. Speeches by swamis and sadguru swamis on the virtues of Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Mahant Swami Maharaj were interlaced with brief thematic dances by children and youths. The programme was as follows:
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Bhaktisagar Swami: The glory and significance of Guru Purnima.
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Adarshjivan Swami: Gunatitanand Swami, the ideal guru.
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Atmaswarup Swami: Bhagatji Maharaj’s equanimity.
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Anandswarup Swami: Shastriji Maharaj’s divine virtues.
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Viveksagar Swami: Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s tolerance and self-control.
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Tyagvallabh Swami: How to serve and associate with the guru.
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Pushpanjali ritual to offer respects to Mahant Swami Maharaj.
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Satsang publications in Gujarati by Swaminarayan Aksharpith were inaugurated by Swamishri and a sadguru swami:
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Bhakti in the Vachanamrut: Bhaktisagar Swami.
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The relation of Bhakta-Bhagwan in the Vachanamrut: Shrutiprakash Swami.
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The personality of the paramhansas from the Vachanamrut: Madhurvadan Swami.
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Uniqueness of the Vachanamrut: Jnananand Swami.
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Vachanamrut for Youths: Jnannayan Swami.
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Video publication of Mahant Swami Maharaj’s inspiring incidents on baps.org website.
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Biography on Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Part 2: Adarshjivan Swami.
Kothari Bhaktipriya Swami talked about the equanimity of Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Mahant Swami Maharaj.
Finally, Mahant Swami Maharaj blessed the mammoth assembly, “We believe in offering devotion to the manifest form of God. Do not think less of the bhakti you offer, because you have the association of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Swami Bapa [Pramukh Swami Maharaj] did so much for us. He spent every second of his life serving others. He wrote a letter to a devotee from a railway platform, spoke on the phone to countless and did many other things. Now it is for us to do something for him.
“We must also understand how fortunate we are by virtue of our association with Maharaj. If we don’t, then the loss is ours. The attainment [prapti] we have is worth billions of rupees and the worldly things we have, like a home, etc., is worth two paisas. Thus, we must feel spiritually joyful and strong and understand our association with Maharaj.”
Finally, Swamishri and the sadguru swamis performed arti.
More then 50,000 devotees from India and abroad offered their respects to guruhari Mahant Swami Maharaj and dispersed with servings of prasad in a packed dish.
lunar eclipse sabha
From 1.30 a.m. to 4.30 a.m., Swamishri attended the all-night vigil sabha during the lunar eclipse (grahan), praying, doing bhajan and listening to discourses by the sadguru swamis. Youths of the BAPS Chhatralayas also performed wonderful skits with moral and spiritual messages. A kirtan-antakshari between swamis charged the assembly with devotion and joy.
Finally, in his blessings, Swamishri stressed, “We have heard talks tonight which were good, humorous and informative, but if we take abhav-avgun of others then whatever we have heard would go in vain. Always see and imbibe the virtues of all.”
In all, over 500 swamis and 28,000 devotees attended the grahan assembly.