Shastriji Maharaj gave Shantilal primary initiation, parshad diksha, at Ambli-Vadi Pol in Ahmedabad on 22 November 1939, and renamed him Shanti Bhagat. His parents gave their permission and blessings, and Shantilal left home that day to join Shastriji Maharaj and his swamis. On 7 November 1939, when Shantilal was seventeen years old, he received a letter from his guru, Shastriji Maharaj, asking him to join the swamis.
Those close to Shantilal felt it was only a matter of time until he would embark upon a monastic life by joining the order of Swaminarayan swamis under Shastriji Maharaj. : 7Īs a teenager, Shantilal's bond with Shastriji Maharaj deepened, and his devoutness and intellect impressed many in the fellowship. : 10 Swaminarayan swamis, such as Ghanshyam Swami and Balmukund Swami, frequently visited Chansad and other nearby villages Shantilal regularly engaged in serving them during those visits. He used to meet other swamis who passed through the village from the holy places of pilgrimage in North India. Shantilal took his meals only after having darshan at the Swaminarayan temple. Shantilal's daily “darshan”, or worship, at the Swaminarayan temple in Chansad, and his association with Shastriji Maharaj and his disciple swamis whenever they came to the village, further reflected Shantilal's affinity for spirituality. Upon completing his schoolwork, he would often rush off to the village's Hanuman temple, where he and a childhood friend would listen to the discourses of a Hindu "holy man" named Haridas. Shantilal was strongly inclined towards spirituality from a young age. Pramukh Swami Maharaj (left) with his Guru Shastriji Maharaj (right) shortly after entering monastic life at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Sarangpur (1939). As he grew older, Shantilal helped his household by doing chores on the family farm. Although he excelled in his studies, in the seventeen years he spent at home before becoming a swami, Shantilal only had the opportunity to attend school for six years. Shantilal was raised in a simple home environment, as his family was of modest means. : 10 Even as a child, he possessed an uncommon empathy that led others to seek out and trust his opinions and judgments in matters large and small. : 9 His childhood friends recall that Shantilal developed a reputation in the town and in school as an honest, reliable, mature, and kindhearted boy. Shantilal's mother described him as a calm and soft-spoken, yet energetic and active child. Through him, thousands will attain liberation." : 11 He will lead thousands to the devotion of God. : 2 Shastriji Maharaj had blessed young Shantilal at birth, and had told his father, "This child is ours when the time is ripe, please give him to us. Motibhai and Diwaliben were both involved in the Swaminarayan fellowship Diwaliben's family's association with the Swaminarayan fellowship extended to the time of Bhagatji Maharaj. His parents, Motibhai and Diwaliben Patel, were disciples of Shastriji Maharaj and followers of the Akshar Purushottam faith. Shantilal was born in the village of Chansad, Gujarat, on 7 December 1921. Sketch of Shantilal Patel (Pramukh Swami Maharaj) as a child. He was succeeded as the guru and President of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha by Mahant Swami Maharaj. He had also spearheaded the efforts of BAPS Charities, which is the charitable service organization affiliated with BAPS. He built more than 1,100 Hindu temples, including the Swaminarayan Akshardham temples in New Delhi and Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Yogiji Maharaj declared Pramukh Swami Maharaj to be his spiritual successor and guru of BAPS, a role he commenced in 1971.Īs president of BAPS, he had overseen the growth of BAPS from an organization centered in Gujarat, India, to one spread around the world, maintaining many Hindu mandirs and centers outside of India. He received initiation as a Hindu Swami in 1940 from Shastriji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS, who later appointed him as President of BAPS in 1950. He was believed by his followers to be in constant communion with Swaminarayan, and ontologically, the manifestation of Akshar, the eternal abode of Swaminarayan. BAPS regards him as the fifth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan, following Gunatitanand Swami, Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, and Yogiji Maharaj. Pramukh Swami Maharaj (born Shantilal Patel ordained Narayanswarupdas Swami 7 December 1921 – 13 August 2016) was the guru and Pramukh, or president, of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a major branch of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Hindu denomination.
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