Shantilal

Birth

Pramukh Swami Maharaj was born on 7 December 1921 (Magshar sud 8, Samvat 1978) in the small village of Chansad, in Vadodara district. His childhood name was Shantilal. Motibhai Patel, his father, was a farmer, and his mother’s name was Diwaliba. They were pious and staunch disciples of Shastriji Maharaj. The divine glow in Shantilal’s eyes and his innocent looks made him the cynosure of all eyes. Mahant Haridas of the Hanuman Madhi Mandir, on the outskirts of Chansad, had noticed the worth of this little, illustrious star. The Mahant used to narrate stories from the Ramayan, Mahabharat and the Shrimad Bhagwat to Shantilal and other village boys. He also talked about the divinity and serenity of the Himalayas. Subsequently, Shantilal developed a yearning to retreat to the Himalayas in future and spend the rest of his life praying to God. Shantilal went for darshan to the Swaminarayan mandir in Chansad daily. His association with Shastriji Maharaj and his sadhus, whenever they came to Chansad, strengthened his affiliation and love for satsang.

Renunciation And Diksha

When Shantilal was 17 years old he received a letter from Shastriji Maharaj instructing him to come and join him by becoming a sadhu. His parents happily complied with Shastriji Maharaj’s wish and presented their beloved son at his feet. On 22 November 1939, Shastriji Maharaj gave Shantilal the parshad diksha at Ambli-Vali Pol in Amdavad. On 10-1-1940, he was given the ochre robes and initiated into the bhagvati diksha in Gondal. Shastriji Maharaj named him Narayanswarupdas Swami. Within a short time his austerity, renunciation, tolerance, patience, purity and devotion to the guru blossomed and revealed his pure saintliness. Within ten years he earned Shastriji Maharaj’s divine grace. In 1950, Shastriji Maharaj, with great foresight, appointed Narayanswarupdas Swami as the President of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha. At that time no one had the faintest idea that one day the 28-year-old Narayanswarupdas Swami would be venerated throughout the world. In 1951 Shastriji Maharaj passed away and Yogiji Maharaj succeeded him. For the next twenty years Pramukh Swami served under the instructions and blessings of guru Yogiji Maharaj. In 1971 Yogiji Maharaj passed away and Pramukh Swami Maharaj succeeded him to continue his mission.