Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Pramukh Swami Maharaj (born Shantilal Patel; ordained Narayanswarupdas Swami; 7 December 1921 – 13 August 2016) was the guru and Pramukh, or president, of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a major branch of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Hindu denomination.

BAPS regards him as the fifth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan, following Gunatitanand Swami, Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, and Yogiji Maharaj.

He was believed by his followers to be in constant communion with Swaminarayan, and ontologically, the manifestation of Akshar, the eternal abode of Swaminarayan.

Shantilal was born in the village of Chansad, Gujarat, on 7 December 1921.

His parents, Motibhai and Diwaliben Patel, were disciples of Shastriji Maharaj and followers of the Akshar Purushottam faith.

Motibhai and Diwaliben were both involved in the Swaminarayan fellowship; Diwaliben's family's association with the Swaminarayan fellowship extended to the time of Bhagatji Maharaj.

Shastriji Maharaj had blessed young Shantilal at birth, and had told his father, "This child is ours; when the time is ripe, please give him to us. He will lead thousands to the devotion of God. Through him, thousands will attain liberation."

Shantilal's mother described him as a calm and soft-spoken, yet energetic and Active Child.

His childhood friends recall that Shantilal developed a reputation in the town and in school as an honest, reliable, mature, and kindhearted boy.

Even as a child, he possessed an uncommon empathy that led others to seek out and trust his opinions and judgments in matters large and small.

Shantilal was raised in a simple home environment, as his family was of modest means.

Although he excelled in his studies, in the seventeen years he spent at home before becoming a swami, Shantilal only had the opportunity to attend school for six years.

As he grew older, Shantilal helped his household by doing chores on the family farm.

Shantilal was strongly inclined towards spirituality from a young age.

Upon completing his schoolwork, he would often rush off to the village's Hanuman temple, where he and a childhood friend would listen to the discourses of a Hindu "holy man" named Haridas.

Shantilal's daily “darshan”, or worship, at the Swaminarayan temple in Chansad, and his association with Shastriji Maharaj and his disciple swamis whenever they came to the village, further reflected Shantilal's affinity for spirituality.

Shantilal took his meals only after having darshan at the Swaminarayan temple.

He used to meet other swamis who passed through the village from the holy places of pilgrimage in North India.

Swaminarayan swamis, such as Ghanshyam Swami and Balmukund Swami, frequently visited Chansad and other nearby villages; Shantilal regularly engaged in serving them during those visits.

As a teenager, Shantilal's bond with Shastriji Maharaj deepened, and his devoutness and intellect impressed many in the fellowship.

Those close to Shantilal felt it was only a matter of time until he would embark upon a monastic life by joining the order of Swaminarayan swamis under Shastriji Maharaj.

On 7 November 1939, when Shantilal was seventeen years old, he received a letter from his guru, Shastriji Maharaj, asking him to join the swamis.

His parents gave their permission and blessings, and Shantilal left home that day to join Shastriji Maharaj and his swamis.

Shastriji Maharaj gave Shantilal primary initiation, parshad diksha, at Ambli-Vadi Pol in Ahmedabad on 22 November 1939, and renamed him Shanti Bhagat.

One of Shastriji Maharaj's first requests to the newly initiated Shanti Bhagat was for him to study Sanskrit; Shanti Bhagat complied with this wish, and excelled in his studies.

He received initiation as a Hindu Swami in 1940 from Shastriji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS, who later appointed him as President of BAPS in 1950.

Soon thereafter, on 10 January 1940 at the Akshar Deri in Gondal, Shanti Bhagat was given the bhagvati diksha, initiated as a swami, and named Narayanswarupdas Swami (meaning "the form of Narayan").

Upon giving him this name, Shastriji Maharaj elaborated, "His face carries the brilliance of God, so I name him Narayanswarupdas (the servant of the form of God)."

Yogiji Maharaj also gave Narayanswarupdasji his blessings, observing, "He will surely become great."

Renouncing worldly pleasures, Shantilal adopted vows of celibacy (nishkam), non-covetousness (nirlobh), non-taste (nisswad), non-attachment (nissneh) and humility (nirman) and committed himself to lifelong dedication and service to God and humanity.

Shantilal was a lacto-vegetarian.

As a young swami, Narayanswarupdas Swami studied Sanskrit and the Hindu scriptures at Bhadaran and Khambhat, earning the title “Shastri” upon mastering both scripture and philosophy.

In addition to his studies, Shastri Narayanswarupdas routinely engaged in a multitude of activities, including cleaning the temple compounds, cooking for swamis and devotees, and many other duties.

Shastri Narayanswarupdas also played a significant role throughout the construction of the Atladra mandir in the early 1940s.

During the construction, he sustained chemical burns and blisters on his body after mixing the lime to be used in construction, yet he persisted unflinchingly in performing his service despite the injuries.

Serving concurrently as Shastriji Maharaj's personal secretary, Shastri Narayanswarupdas also gained a comprehensive understanding of BAPS’ broader affairs and activities.

Yogiji Maharaj declared Pramukh Swami Maharaj to be his spiritual successor and guru of BAPS, a role he commenced in 1971.

As president of BAPS, he had overseen the growth of BAPS from an organization centered in Gujarat, India, to one spread around the world, maintaining many Hindu mandirs and centers outside of India.

He built more than 1,100 Hindu temples, including the Swaminarayan Akshardham temples in New Delhi and Gandhinagar, Gujarat. He had also spearheaded the efforts of BAPS Charities, which is the charitable service organization affiliated with BAPS.

He was succeeded as the guru and president of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha by Mahant Swami Maharaj.