Shastriji Maharaj (31 January 1865 – 10 May 1951), born Dungar Patel[1]: 3 and ordained Shastri Yagnapurushdas, was a swami of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya and founder of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).[2]: 22 Several branches accept him as the third spiritual successor of Swaminarayan in the lineage of Aksharbrahma Gurus through whom Swaminarayan manifests, which began with Gunatitanand Swami.[3]: 61–62 [4][5]: 329–330 Born in a family of farmers in central Gujarat, India, he became a swami within the Vadtal diocese of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya at the age of 17 where he was given the name Yagnapurushdas Swami.[1]: 35 The prefix Shastri was later added in recognition of his eminent scholarship in Sanskrit and the Hindu scriptures.[1]: 40 [2]: 22 He established BAPS after a doctrinal split from the Vadtal diocese of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya.[6]: 54
Shastriji Maharaj is credited with establishing BAPS on 5 June 1907 CE in Bochasan, Gujarat[6] to propagate the Akshar-Purushottam Upasana (worship of Akshar (guru) and Purushottam (Swaminarayan)), which according to him had been revealed by Swaminarayan and was passed on to him from his own guru, Bhagatji Maharaj. As staunch proponent of this mode of worship, he consecrated the sacred images of Swaminarayan (as a manifestation of Purushottam) and Gunatitanand Swami (as a manifestation of Akshar) in the central shrines of major mandirs in the towns of Bochasan, Sarangpur, Atladara (now an area of Vadodara), Gondal, and Gadhada in Gujarat, India.[7]: 365
In the early 1950s, having successfully laid the foundations of BAPS, he appointed Pramukh Swami Maharaj as its administrative head to serve under Yogiji Maharaj, whom he appointed as his spiritual successor.[6]: 60
^ abcAmrutvijaydas, Sadhu (2006). Shastriji Maharaj Life and Work. Amdavad: Swaminarayan Aksharpith. ISBN 978-81-7526-305-5.
^ abParamtattvadas, Sadhu (17 August 2017). An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu theology. Cambridge, United Kingdom. ISBN 9781107158672. OCLC 964861190.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Williams, Raymond Brady (2018). An introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism (3rd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-42114-0. OCLC 1038043717. Gunatitanand Swami established a line of spiritual authorities [...] The theory is that Swaminarayan is always manifest in the perfect disciples who have continued a line of succession from Gunatitanand."
^Raymond Williams (2017), Williams on South Asian Religions and Immigration: Collected Works: "A further development of the doctrine came with the teaching that akshar continually manifests on earth in the form of the perfect devotee. This implies a succession of persons who are the earthly manifestations of this divine principle. Gunatitanand Swami was the first in this spiritual lineage."
^Musana, Paddy (2016). "Swaminarayan Hinduism in Uganda and the Kampala temple". In Williams, Raymond Williams; Trivedi, Yogi (eds.). Swaminarayan Hinduism: tradition, adaptation and identity (1st ed.). New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-908657-3. OCLC 948338914.
^ abcWilliams, Raymond (2001). An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-65422-7.
^Kim, Hanna (December 2009). "Public Engagement and Personal Desires: BAPS Swaminarayan Temples and their Contribution to the Discourses on Religion". International Journal of Hindu Studies. 13 (3). Springer: 357–390. doi:10.1007/s11407-010-9081-4. S2CID 4980801.
ShastrijiMaharaj (31 January 1865 – 10 May 1951), born Dungar Patel: 3 and ordained Shastri Yagnapurushdas, was a swami of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya...
Swaminarayan, following Gunatitanand Swami, Bhagatji Maharaj, ShastrijiMaharaj, and Yogiji Maharaj. He was believed by his followers to be in constant...
to the metaphysics of BAPS, Yogiji Maharaj is considered to be the next iteration of Akshar after ShastrijiMaharaj in the guru parampara, an unbroken...
Swaminarayan Sampradaya. It was formed in 1905 by Yagnapurushdas (ShastrijiMaharaj) following his conviction that Swaminarayan remained present on earth...
first formal center was established in Bochasan in 1907 by its guru ShastrijiMaharaj. As per the Census of 2011, The village of Bochasan has a population...
philosophy of the Akshar Purushottam Upasana to his closest disciple, ShastrijiMaharaj, who later founded BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in 1907 after leaving...
with Gunatitanand Swami as his ideal devotee. It was formalized by ShastrijiMaharaj from the teachings of Swaminarayan when he created the Bochasanwasi...
Akshar-Purushottam Darshan include Bhagatji Maharaj, ShastrijiMaharaj, Yogiji Maharaj, and Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who in order were successors to Gunatitanand...
ShastrijiMaharaj's propagation of this teaching,: 54 and after numerous attempts on his life had failed, eventually forced him to leave. Shastriji Maharaj...
ShastrijiMaharaj appointed Yogiji Maharaj as the mahant of the temple. On 10 January 1940, Shastri Narayanswarupdas (later Pramukh Swami Maharaj) was...
now-widespread Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Public Schools and Universities. In 1948, ShastrijiMaharaj Shree Dharamjivan das Swami followed suit and initiated first Swaminarayan...
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at ShastrijiMaharaj's birthplace 9 December 1966.: 18 In 1940, Yogiji Maharaj came down with a severe case of dysentery in Rajkot. When Shastriji Maharaj...
Dharmajivandasji Swami (18 June 1901 – 5 February 1988), commonly known as ShastrijiMaharaj, was a Hindu saint, social worker and founder of the Shree Swaminarayan...
Swaminarayan Sanstha), a major sect in the Swaminarayan Sampradaya by ShastrijiMaharaj 1908: The Khalifatul Masih was established in the Ahmadiyya Muslim...
propagated by the 19th-century Hindu leader, Swaminarayan and later by ShastrijiMaharaj. The commentary discusses the basis of the five "eternal entities"...
Swaminarayan Religion, by Raymond Brady Williams Cambridge University Press ShastrijiMaharaj, by Kishore Mahipatram Dave, Kiśora Mahipatarāma Dave Bochasanvasi...
– Henri Desgrange, French cyclist and journalist (d. 1940) 1865 – ShastrijiMaharaj, Indian spiritual leader, founded BAPS (d. 1951) 1868 – Theodore William...
activities.: 160 Shastri Narayanswarupdas (also known as Pramukh Swami Maharaj), further contributed to the founding vision and highlighted the importance...
Parampara) include Bhagatji Maharaj, ShastrijiMaharaj, Yogiji Maharaj, Pramukh Swami Maharaj and current Guru Mahant Swami Maharaj The mandir has a full-time...
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