Dvisatabdi Prelude

His Divine Holiness Acharya Swamishree first announced that Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan would be celebrating the Sarvopari Shree Swaminarayan Mahamantra Dvisatabdi Mahotsav during the Swamibapa Jayanti celebrations in October 1999.

On that occasion, Acharya Swamishree elucidated on the importance of this event and said that for the next two years, until the Mahotsav is held in January 2002, each disciple of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan should perform specific devotional tasks to please the supreme Lord SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa.

  • His Divine Holiness Acharya Swamishree created the Shree Harignanamrut Amrut Bindhu (literally meaning, drop of nectar from the text, Shree Harignanamrut Kavya). This publication is a compilation of 25 devotional kirtans written by Jeevanpran Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa. Each kirtan was especially chosen by Acharya Swamishree Himself. The kirtans all describe the divine glorious murti of Lord Swaminarayan. Acharya Swamishree said that we should all memorise these 25 kirtans so that they can be recited during our daily meditation. To aid the memorising, the talented Sants of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan also created an audio version of the Harignanamrut Amrut Bindhu.

  • Each disciple should perform at least 1 mara daily, chanting the mantra "Om Shree SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa Bhagawate Namaha" with each bead of the rosary.
    1158 maras are equivalent to 1 anushthaan, i.e. 125000 mantras that have been recited.
    Acharya Swamishree said that we should visualise the beautiful divine lustrous murti of the Lord whilst reciting the mantra. As we go through every bead of the mara chanting this mantra, a different divine ang (body part) of the Lord should be recalled in our minds with each of the beads. In this way, His Divine Holiness Acharya Swamishree taught us all the method of meditation.

  • Mantra lekhan; the repeated writing of the supreme mahamantra SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa. His Divine Holiness Acharya Swamishree taught by example the importance of Mantra lekhan. For the past two years, Acharya Swamishree has occupied every free moment writing mantras. Even whilst travelling by car, coach, aeroplane, train and boat, Acharya Swamishree has written mantras during the journeys.

  • Repeated narration of the Shikshapatri.

  • Recital of the Jan Mangal Stotra.

  • Recital of the Shree Swaminarayan Stotra (Oordvam tathaa dyo, nahi yashya maanam….)

  • Recital of the Shree Rahasyarth Pradipika Tika Vachnamrut and other religious texts.