Essays Archives


Over the phone to Dr. Dipakbhai's son in New Jersey. "Bapa, what are you doing?"
He replies, "Bhajan of course! What else do we have to do?" (21st June 1995, Bombay)
After the evening assembly Swamishri travels by lift to his room. Some children have run up four flights of stairs and are waiting at the door. Seeing their eagerness, love is rippling out from him in warm, caressing waves. Bringing the youngsters near, he says, "See!... They all came running up to do bhajan!" [Bombay]
He is early for dinner today. It's only 7:45. Narayancharan Swami asks him, "What shall we do now?"
He answers, "Bhajan! What else?"
[13th June 1995, Bombay]
A rare five minutes are left over after meeting the devotees. Asking for some letters from Dharmacharan Swami, he says, "Here then, let's do some bhajan for five minutes!" [Sankari]
On the phone - bhajan. With children - bhajan. Meeting devotees - bhajan. Writing letters - bhajan.
Because Swamishri's very lifeline is God all his actions are performed immersed in bhajan. He regards each and every activity related to God as pure devotion to Him. All day and every day becomes nothing less than a loving homage to God.
Naturally, whatever is uppermost in the heart effortlessly springs to mind. Yogiji Maharaj used to narrate a lucid parable : "Once there was a sheth (businessman). He was off to strike a handsome bargain. Speculations had wafted his way that the price of cotton was about to rise. On his way, he stopped over at another sheth's house for a quick drink of water. So engrossed was he in getting the deal through that, instead of saying, 'May I have some water to drink please?', he said, 'May I have some cotton to drink?' The other sheth gathered what was playing in his shrewd friend's mind. He kept him busy at home, while he rushed to market to buy all the cotton he could?"
Swamishri's passion and earning for bhajan is even greater than the sheth's craving for cotton-because his eating, drinking, walking, talking, breathing, all resonate with bhajan. Lord Swaminarayan shared the same temperament as Swamishri. "...and for us, the only bliss we know is that of bhajan. While doing bhajan, all other activities move to the sidelines our only insistence is of bhajan and satsang." (Vachnamritam Vadtal:16)
Since Swamishri is in perfect and constant concord with God, all his actions are trans formed into bhajan.
Swamishri was asked, "What is your hobby?" He replied, "Bhajan!"
Swamishri wrote in his passport under the title of 'occupation', "To do and inspire others to do bhajan."
Swamishri was asked by someone, "Is there an addiction worth keeping?" He answered, "Only of bhajan!"
Swamishri was questioned, "What do you do during your daily walk?" He said, "Bhajan of Lord Swaminarayan."
Swamshri breathes to the beat of bhajan. His blood pulsates with bhajan. His heart throbs with bhajan. For Swamishri, the solution to every problem is bhajan.
When every day is inaugurated and saturated with bhajan, the tempo and tune of Swamishri's entire life has, is, and always will be bhajan, bhajan and bhajan!

Sadhu Yogvivekdas
