Thursday 21 September 2023 | Bhadarva Sud 6, Samvat 2079
Thu 21 Sep 2023
"Many may be called a Guru, but the one and only true Guru is Sahajanand (Lord SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa). Only those who have resorted unto Him, will attain immense happiness and eternal bliss."
"Guru Guru to sahoo kahe pan Guru ek Sahajanand
Pragat maryaa ne haathaj jaalo teno che aanand"
(Shree Nirgunanandji Brahamchari Maharaj)
"Many may be called a Guru, but the one and only true Guru is Sahajanand (Lord SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa). Only those who have resorted unto Him, will attain immense happiness and eternal bliss."
Ashad sud poonam is the auspicious Gurupoonam, one of the 3 main annual festivals of the Swaminarayan sampradaya. On this day, devotees gather and pay homage to Gurudev SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa.
Jeevanpran Swamibapa explains the precise meaning of the Sanskrit word guru.
Gu means andhkaar (darkness).
Ru means prakash (light).
Thus, he who enlightens the ignorant, i.e. shines light to those in darkness, is called a Guru. It is only Lord SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa that can enlighten us ignorant souls to the supreme bliss of eternal happiness, the endless peace of the supreme Lord. Thus our supreme Guru can only be Lord SwaminarayanBapa Swamibapa. Jeevanpran Swamibapa says, "Guru veenaa gnaan nahi." Without a Guru, knowledge cannot be attained. Lord Swaminarayan showed the importance of a Guru in ones life by taking Shree Ramanand Swami as His Guru.
Acharya Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swamiji Maharaj is the current spiritual leader of Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan. He is the heir to Acharya Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj, and sixth in the lineage of ascetic Acharyas, which descends directly from Lord Shree Swaminarayan.