G3/4 Bhagatji Maharaj: How did Bhagatji Maharaj make his Guru raji?

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Bhagatji Maharaj

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How did Bhagatji Maharaj make his Guru raji?

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Let's learn more about Bhagatji Maharaj first!

Gunatitanand Swami Maharaj

But first.... Time to play 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'

WHAT DOES BHAGTJI MAHARAJ'S LIFE TEACH US?

Despite remaining a householder like us Bhagatji Maharaj imbibed the virtues of sadhuta (saintliness) and attained the heights of spirituality! Bhagatji Maharaj's life shows us the 3 key steps on how to progress in satsang and make our guru raji! In todays sabha we will learn what they are.

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DOB: 20th March 1829Birthplace: Mahuva Childhood Name: Pragji Bhakta Mothers Name: Malubai Fathers Name: Govindbhai Bhagatji Maharaj was the second spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He was the disciple of Gunatitanand Swami and the guru of Shastriji Maharaj. He remained as a householder (which is why he wears white).

Bhagatji Maharaj: Fact File

Let's now learn these 3 steps and follow in his footsteps!

WHAT DOES BHAGTJI MAHARAJ'S LIFE TEACH US?

Despite remaining a householder like us Bhagatji Maharaj imbibed the virtues of sadhuta (saintliness) and attained the heights of spirituality! Bhagatji Maharaj's life shows us the 3 key steps on how to progress in satsang and make our guru raji!

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DOB: 20th March 1829Birthplace: Mahuva Childhood Name: Pragji Bhakta Mothers Name: Malubai Fathers Name: Govindbhai Bhagatji Maharaj was the second spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He was the disciple of Gunatitanand Swami and the guru of Shastriji Maharaj. He remained as a householder (which is why he wears white).

Bhagatji Maharaj: Fact File

Ready to Start??Lets go!

STEP 3

STEP 2

STEP 1

Gunatitanand Swami Maharaj

Bhagatji Maharaj

How did Bhagatji Maharaj make his Guru raji?

STEP 3

STEP 2

STEP 1

Gunatitanand Swami Maharaj

Bhagatji Maharaj

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Make the first step...

STEP 1

UNDERSTANDING THE GREATNESS OF OUR GURU!

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MAHIMA

STEP 3

STEP 2

Gunatitanand Swami Maharaj

Bhagatji Maharaj

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Watch Prasang 1

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Watch - Our Gurus Mahima!

1. MAHIMA

Make the second step...

DESIRE AND DETERMINATION TO LEARN AND PROGRESS!

DESIRE

STEP 2

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STEP 3

Gunatitanand Swami Maharaj

Bhagatji Maharaj

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What do these people have in common?

Inspirational Balaks!

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1. MAHIMA

Sankirtan - Māgo Māgo Bhagatji Āj!

2. Desire

How did Bhagatji Maharaj make his Guru raji?

STEP 3 - ???

Gunatitanand Swami Maharaj

Bhagatji Maharaj

Join us next weekend to learn about the third and final step!

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1. MAHIMA

2. DESIRE

How did Bhagatji Maharaj make his Guru raji?

STEP 3

Gunatitanand Swami Maharaj

Bhagatji Maharaj

Make the third step...

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1. MAHIMA

2. DESIRE

FOLLOWING AND OBEYING THE WISHES OF OUR GURU!

AGNAPALAN

STEP 3

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VERBAL AGNA

PHYSICAL & MENTAL AGNA

3. Agnapalan

Gunatitanand Swami Maharaj

Watering the Mango Trees

Bhagatji Maharaj

"Call Mount Girnar!"

Moving the dead dog!

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Spreading Mahima!

Make the step to RAJIPO

Crushing The Lime Mixture!

1. MAHIMA

2. DESIRE

PLEASING OUR GURU!

RAJIPO

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Rajipo

3. Agnapalan

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Darshan of Shriji Maharaj!

Becoming One With Gunatit!

Pragat Through Pragji!

How Can We Make Bapa Raji? Where There Is A Will... There is a Way.

1. MAHIMA

2. DESIRE

Rajipo

3. Agnapalan

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Thank You For Joining!

1. MAHIMA

2. DESIRE

Questions

1. Who did Bapa say resides within him and works through him?
2. Why did Bapa say Maharaj and Swami work through him?
3. What does Bapa mean by 'pure vessel'?
4. What did Bapa say we need to develop in order to believe this?
5. What sort of powers did Bapa say Bhagwan and the Sant possess?
6. What therefore is Bapa's true form? Who is he really?
7. How do you feel having heard that? Do you feel you have now seen God?

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How Can We Make Bapa Raji? What One Thing Have You Learnt From Bhagatji Maharaj's Life Which You Will Try To Imbibe?

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Pragat Through Pragji!

Once, Gunatitanand Swami said to Amaidas Kothari, Bechar Bhagat Kothari and others “Kothari, I have retired and handed over all the keys to Pragji Bhakta.” Amaidas was shocked to hear this. He suspected that perhaps Swami had handed over the mandir keys to Pragji. Gunatitanand Swami instantly read his mind and said, “Amaidas, do not worry. The keys of the mandir are here with me, but I have handed over the key to Akshardham to Pragji.” When in Junagadh Gunatitanand Swami Maharaj once said, “I have spent forty years, four months and four days in this place. Now I shall move around in Satsang, visiting the devotees and shall stay at Mahuva.” Thus he indirectly referred to the fact that he was manifest in the Satsang through Pragji Bhakta.

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Watering The Mango Trees

Once, on his way to Sankhdavadar, Gunatitanand Swami stopped at Maliya village. He stopped to take rest in a mango field of mandir. He saw the mango trees and said “without water, these trees will all die.” The people walking with Gunatitanand Swami shouted in agreement, saying, “These trees are very dry! Someone should water them.” As soon as Pragji Bhakta heard Gunatitanand Swami’s remark, he collected two pots & started fetching water from the nearby river to water the trees. There were over three hundred mango trees, and Pragji Bhakta gave each tree four pots of water. Can anyone work out how many buckets of water that is? 1200 buckets full of water. Because he only had 2 pots, he had to water each tree twice, so it took him 600 trips back and forth from the river to water all the mango trees. By the end, he was drenched to the skin with water and sweat. Then he went to Gunatitanand Swami with water dripping from his clothes. Gunatitanand Swami was extremely pleased with Pragji Bhakta’s seva and bhakti, displayed by his agna palan.

Watering The Mango Trees

How did Bhagatji Maharaj physically obey agna in this prasang? How did Bhagatji Maharaj mentally obey agna in this prasang? What Can We Learn From This Prasang?

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Crushing The Lime Mixture!

How did Bhagatji Maharaj physically obey agna in this prasang? How did Bhagatji Maharaj mentally obey agna in this prasang?

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Crushing The Lime Mixture!

Gunatitanand Swami had undertaken the task of constructing a haveli on the mandir premises in Junagadh. Following Swami’s wish, Pragji undertook the difficult work of washing the sand and pouring it into the foundation. He completed the task all alone. Then came the most difficult job of preparing the lime mortar. Lime mortar is an extremely hot, dangerous, and irritable substance. Everyone was afraid that it would cause blisters on their hands and feet and make them blind. Nobody came forward to undertake this work. As it was Swami’s wish Pragji Bhakta volunteered. He willingly accepted the work and started lifting the large sacks of lime on his back. He mixed water and lime in a pit and pounded it into mortar with his bare feet. If anyone warned him, “Pragji, you will become blind on account of the heat from the lime,” he would simply reply, “I want to please Swami. I have dedicated my life in the service of Swami.” Although Pragji Bhakta worked day and night, Gunatitanand Swami once told him, “You are working hard physically, but without austerities your senses will not be tamed.” So, on Swami’s instructions, he began to fast for two days at a time and eat only once on the third day. He would also only sleep for only one hour each night! He served during the day and in his spare moments he sat near Swami and listened to his spiritual discourses.

Darshan of Shriji Maharaj!

Upon seeing the Pragji Bhakta’ s mahima, desire, and commitment to following agna, Gunatitanand Swami became extremely pleased upon him. Pragji Bhakta had selflessly served his guru, through mind and body, with deep devotion and love for three-and-a-half years. Now Gunatitanand Swami wanted him to experience the divinity of God. He asked Pragji Bhakta to sit in meditation in a secluded place. On the tenth evening of his meditation, Pragji Bhakta saw an intense light in which he had the darshan of the graceful divine murti of Shriji Maharaj. Shriji Maharaj graced him and said, “I am under the loving command of Swami and you have won Swami’s heart. Therefore, I am now at your command, too.” Pragji Bhakta’s joy knew no bounds. His heart danced with joy! Once, some Darbars asked Gunatitanand Swami, “Swami, instead of giving all your spiritual powers to some Brahmin, sadhu or scholar, why have you given it to this tailor?” Gunatitanand Swami smiled and replied, “I was reluctant to give it to him. But he overpowered me by his selfless, sincere service, love and devotion. In fact, I could not help giving it to him.”

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How did Bhagatji Maharaj physically obey agna in this prasang? How did Bhagatji Maharaj mentally obey agna in this prasang? In what situations may we have to understand Bapa's anuvrutti (innermost wishes)?

Understanding Bapa's Inner Wishes

Gunatitanand Swami did not tell Bhagatji Maharaj to remove the dead dog. So why did Bhagatji Maharaj move it?Bhagatji Maharaj knew that Gunatitanand Swami wanted the construction work to continue. However the dead dog was an obstruction and unless someone moved it the work would not continue. Therefore, he removed the dog himself so that the work could continue and Gunatitanand Swami would be pleased.

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Removing The Dead Dog

Pragji went and saw the dead dog lying on the stones. He thought that he should remove the dead dog himself only then would the work continue. He changed his clothes and removed the dead dog. Then he took a bath and returned to the mandir. The work restarted once again. Gunatitanand Swami was greatly pleased. Some people made faces, while others criticized Pragji for acting as a scavenger. On hearing this, Swami observed, “Every living being is, in a sense, a scavenger. What wrong has been committed by Pragji in helping the work restart by removing the dog? After all, he has acted according to my wishes.”

1. Prasang

If we saw a dead mouse in the shoe racks what would we do? Would we scream? Would we complain? Would we ask someone to take it away?

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Removing The Dead Dog

What would you do in this situation?a) Take a break thinking: "Thank God, we can all rest and take a break whilst someone else moves the dog."b) Quickly find someone or something which can remove the dogc) Move the dog yourself

During the construction of the haveli in Junagadh, stones had to be moved from one area to another. All of a sudden there had been a pause in the work and the stones were no longer being moved. Swami asked Pragji, “Why has the supply of stones from outside stopped?” Pragji went to see what was happening and saw a dead dog lying on the slabs of stone were outside the mandir. Everybody thought that a scavenger (someone who removes dead animals) would come and remove the dead dog.

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Call Mount Girnar

How did Bhagatji Maharaj physically obey agna in this prasang? How did Bhagatji Maharaj mentally obey agna in this prasang? Why do we sometimes hesitate to follow Bapa's agna even if he has told us? What can we learn from this prasang?

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Call Mount Girnar

Call Mount Girnar

Pragji rushed to call Girnar. Some people laughed, and others criticized for not using logic. We would probably laugh too – a mountain is not going to come to sabha just because you called it! Everyone thought Pragji was being silly. They remarked, “Do you really expect Girnar to come. You should use caution in carrying out commands.”

Pragji Bhakta replied, “Except for those commands which are against the beliefs of religion, it is the duty of a haribhakto to carry out all the commands of his guru without any hesitation. I will go to Girnar and call him. Whether he wants to come or not is up to him.” In that way, Pragji Bhakta followed Swami’s agna without thinking too much! He knew that Swami would be raji, and so he did not hesitate for even a second! Similarly we too should follow our gurus agna without any hesitation!

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1. Prasang

Call Mount Girnar

Mount Girnar is a mountain in Junagadh, Gujarat

What would we do if we were Bhagatji Maharaj? What would we think?

One day, Gunatitanand Swami called Pragji Bhakta with an unexpected command, “Pragji, go and call Mount Girnar. The poor fellow has been performing austerities for ages. I want to redeem him.”

If i asked you to go outside and ask the trees to come inside and join our sabha... What would you think? Would you do it?

Watering The Mango Trees

How did Bhagatji Maharaj verbally obey agna in this prasang? What Can We Learn From This Prasang?

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"Gunatit, please wake up!"

Over time, through his sheer desire, hard work and steadfastness in following agna, Bhagatji Maharaj had become completely immersed in his guru. Once, Gunatitanand Swami asked Balmukunddasji to call Pragji Bhakta, who was fast asleep. Balmukunddasji called him thrice, “Wake up, Pragji Bhakta. Gunatitanand Swami is calling you.” But Pragji did not wake up. So, he returned to Gunatitanand Swami and said, “Pragji Bhakta is fast asleep. I called him by his name but he did not wake up. Gunatitanand Swami smiled and told him to go back and say, “Gunatit, please wake up.” Balmukunddasji again went to Pragji Bhakta and called out, “Gunatit, please wake up.” Immediately Pragji Bhakta woke up and came to Gunatitanand Swami. Gunatitanand Swami said, “Pragji is dead. He has become Gunatit.” Thus, he explained the greatness of Pragji Bhakta to all.

Becoming One With Gunatit, His Guru

What happened in this prasang? Did Pragji Bhakta respond to his own name? How did Balmukunddas Swami wake Pragji up? What name did he use? Why did Pragji Bhakta not respond to his own name? Why did Pragji Bhakta only wake up when Balmukunddas Swami said: “Gunatit, please wake up.”? How is it possible to forget your own name? What can we learn about Bhagatji Maharaj from this prasang?

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In the game how did we all wake one another up? Why did we only wake up when our own name was called and not when someone else’s name was called?

Time to play SLEEPING LIONS with a twist! Can you remember the order of the names?