Dungar Bhakta

Click on the wheel to spin!

Click here to listen to 'Dungar Bhagat Jeva Thaiye'

Back

Let's learn more!

ALONE IN THE JUNGLE

Watch the video

Question time

Next

Back

Click on the wheel to spin again!

Back

Let's learn more!

AIMING HIGH

Watch the video

Read the prasang

Question time

Next

Click on the wheel to spin again!

Back

Back

Let's learn more!

LOVE FOR GOD

Watch the video

Read the prasang

Question time

Next

Click on the wheel to spin again!

Back

Back

Let's learn more!

FIRM IN OBEYING NIYAMS

Watch the video

Read the prasang

Question time

Next

Click on the wheel to spin again!

Back

Back

Let's learn more!

Reciting the Mahabharat to the Whole Village - Truly Dungar Bhakta

Watch the video

Read the prasang

Question time

Next

Back

Dungar

Bhakta

1. “If I am to study, I will be a student of the first rank”. What does this quote tell us about Dungar Bhakta?
2. What stops us from being the best or giving our 100% at school? And how can we remove these things?
3. What can we learn from Dungar Bhakta?
4. Dungar Bhakta also said: “if I am to become a sadhu, I will be a sadhu of the first rank.” To be a sadhu does not just mean wearing orange robes, but it means to acquire ‘sadhuta’ meaning saintliness. This is achieved by doing satsang through which we can acquire the true virtues of a sadhu – like honesty, purity, tolerance, humility etc. What can we learn from this statement?

Questions

1. Would you walk all alone in a dark, dense forest full of spiders, snakes, wild animals and haunted ghosts?
2. What did Dungar Bhakta do as he walked through the dense forest?
3. Who did Dungar Bhakta say he had brought with him to the forest?
4. What does this tell us about Dungar Bhakta?
5. When do you get scared?
6. What can we learn from this prasang?

Questions

1. If I said to you right now: “So sorry but I really need to leave… erm could you finish presenting the rest of the sabha?” and I gave you no notes or anything. Would you be able to lead the sabha?
2. Dungar Bhakta completed the recital in front of all the villagers without having any preparation. What does this tell us about him?

Questions

Aiming High

In 1874 (Samvat 1930), Dungar Bhakta began studying in the village school. His teachers name was Gangaram Mehta. His sharp memory and powerful intellect helped him learn all his lessons immediately and excel in schoolwork. As a result, Gangaram became extremely fond of Dungar and began to pay more and more attention to him. Even from that age, Dungar had resolved that, “If I am to study, I will be a student of the first rank, and if I am to become a sadhu, I will be a sadhu of the first rank.” With such a high aim, Dungar was able to learn a lot in a short time. In addition to his studies at school, Dungar began to study the Bhagvat and the shastras of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya from the sadhus who would come to Mahelav’s Swaminarayan mandir. When there were no sadhus in the mandir, Dungar, at the age of nine, would give spiritual discourses. His discourses left listeners spellbound. Because of his many virtues, the people of Mahelav adored Dungar.

1. What do we do during playtime at school? What games do we play?
2. From this prasang we saw that Dungar Bhakta would build little mandirs from sand and offer bhakti to God during his playtime. What does this teach us about Dungar Bhakta?
3. What can we learn from this prasang?

Questions

Love for God

Dungar was quite different from other children. While other children played all sorts of games, Dungar would build little mandirs from sand. Dungar would install a tiny murti of God in his small earthen mandir. He would offer snacks to the murti, imagining that he had prepared a great annakut for God. Then, he would perform arti of the small murti. Seeing little Dungar engaged in such devotion, people believed that one day Dungar would become a great sadhu.

Reciting the Mahabharat to the Whole Village - Truly Dungar Bhakta

Once, a Maanbhatt from the village of Vaso came to Mahelav. Like travelling minstrels, Maanbhatts would travel around the villages singing stories from the shastras while playing the maan, a traditional metal pot used as a percussion instrument. Just by listening to a few days of this Maanbhatt’s recital of the Mahabharat, Dungar picked up the style in which the verses were sung. The entire recital of the Mahabharat would take several weeks. Suddenly, half-way through the recital, the Maanbhatt fell ill and died. The people of the village mourned his sudden death. However, out of respect for the Mahabharat scripture, everyone desired that the recital be completed. Many of the villagers were well aware of Dungar’s devotion and powerful memory. Surely, Dungar would recall the remaining verses, since he had heard recitals of the Mahabharat several times before. Together, they urged him to finish reciting the remaining verses. Dungar sat on the platform of the village square. Everyone gathered to listen. He began to sing the remaining verses exactly as the Maanbhatt had done. He delighted the residents of Mahelav by finishing the remainder of the recital. Everyone now referred to Dungar as ‘Bhagat’, a sincere devotee of God. Their affection for him grew. Whenever sadhus came to the village, they would seat Dungar at the front of the assembly and then speak. When there were no sadhus in the mandir, Dungar would retell their teachings from memory.

1. When our mum or dad tells us we can’t eat our favourite biscuit or chocolate because its ekadashi how do we feel?
2. If you were at your best friends birthday party on Ekadashi day and everyone was eating pizza and cake, and you were the only one who couldn’t, how would you feel? Would you feel tempted to eat the pizza? Would you feel left out?
3. What can we learn from Dungar Bhakta?

Questions

Firm in Obeying Niyams

At the age of six, Dungar went to a family wedding in the village of Karamsad. While everyone else was enjoying the occasion, Dungar slipped out into the village and went to the local mandir. There, he began to offer devotional service and give spiritual discourses. Soon it was time for lunch. Everyone wondered where Dungar could be. They searched everywhere for him. Finally, they found him at the mandir. However, Dungar refused to have lunch, explaining that since it was Ekadashi he was observing a fast. Everyone was astonished. How could a six- year-old boy choose to fast when such a sumptuous meal was being served? There were four hundred people at the wedding. Everyone pressured Dungar to eat. Undaunted, Dungar declared, “I have heard from the shastras that to eat food made from grains on Ekadashi is as sinful as eating meat. So, I will not eat.” Everyone was touched by Dungar’s firm vow to obey the shastras. They stopped pressuring him and ordered sweets, prepared without grains, from the nearby town of Anand. As the story of Dungar’s firm vow spread throughout the village, everyone came to have darshan of this pious child.