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Vasant Panchmi Parva - Day 1
INSTALLING THE AKSHAR-PURUSHOTTAM MURTIS IN VADHWAN
The Acharya Maharaj of the Ahmedabad division passed away. The heir to the position of Acharya was to be Kunjvihariprasadji. However, the sadhus and devotees of Ahmedabad instead instated the three-year-old Vasudevprasadji as the new heir. Several sadhus and devotees did not approve. Nirmaldas, Tyagvallabhdas, and several senior sadhus and devotees sided with Kunjvihariprasadji. They separated from the Ahmedabad division and settled in the village of Vadhwan. There, they established their own following and decided to build their own mandir. However, they lacked sufficient resources and manpower. They knew that they would be unable to resist the opposition. Only with the help of a powerful sadhu could they build such a mandir. But who would help them? They searched throughout the Sampraday. Finally, their eyes fell on Shastri Yagnapurushdasji.
Nirmaldas met Swamishri in the village of Limbdi. He requested Swamishri to help them build a mandir in Vadhwan. Swamishri thought to himself, “Their cause is indeed true. Nirmaldasji is also a firm believer of the Akshar-Purushottam philosophy. We should surely assist them.” Swamishri set his terms before Nirmaldas. He would help them only if they agreed to consecrate the murtis of Akshar-Purushottam. Nirmaldas agreed to Swamishri’s conditions.
When Vadhvan mandir was ready, Shastriji Maharaj instructed all the disciples devoted to the worship of Akshar-Purushottam to go on the occasion of the murti pratishtha. Originally, Acharya Kunjvihariprasadji and other sadhus promised Shastriji Maharaj that they would install the murtis of Akshar Purushottam in the central shrine of the mandir. However, knowing there might be opposition to this, Shastriji Maharaj told all the devotees: "If there is any opposition, install the murtis in the first shrine instead, and let us know by telegram.”
Since sadhus in Amdavad conducted considerable hostile propaganda, some of the devotees began to press Acharya Kunjvihariprasadji not to install the images of Akshar-Purushottam. On the other hand, the disciples devoted to the Akshar-Purushottam Upasana reminded him of the condition put by Shastriji Maharaj, and how Shastriji Maharaj stood by him and helped him in spite of vehement opposition. Finally, as a compromise between the two sides, it was decided to install the murtis of Akshar and Purushottam in the first shrine; the installation took place accordingly on Vasant Panchmi in VS 1961 (1905 CE). Hence, the victory of the true upasana of Akshar-Purushottam was struck in Vadhwan for the first time in the Swaminarayan sampraday and that too, on the birthday of Shastriji Maharaj, the pravartak of Akshar-Purushottam Darshan!
Akshar-Purushottam Maharajni Jai!
Discussion points:
- What qualities of Shastriji Maharaj's leadership are evident in his approach to supporting the construction of the Vadhwan mandir, and how did these qualities contribute to the success of the Akshar-Purushottam philosophy?
- How did Shastriji Maharaj's conditional support and strategic planning help manage the opposition and ensure the installation of the Akshar-Purushottam murtis?
- What is the symbolic importance of the Vadhwan mandir murti pratishtha occurring on Vasant Panchmi, which is also Shastriji Maharaj’s birthday?