Brahmanand Swami

Birth Place : Village : Khann

District. : Dungarpur , Rajasthan State.

Father : Gadhavi Shambhudan Gadhavi

Mother : Lalubaa Devi

Date of Birth : Vasant Panchami, the 5th day of the bright half of Maha, V.S. 1828.

Caste : Charaan Gadhvi

Early Life

At the foot hills of great mountain Mt Abu, there is one small village named Khaan, in Dungarpur district of Rajasthan state. Gadhavi Shambhudanji and mother Lalubadevi gave birth to one of our Sampraday's great saints Brahmandand Swami. Once Ramanand Swami had graced this village during his religious tour and had thaal at the house of Shambudanji and started giving satsang discourses to the couple.. During this enlightening Satsang Mother Lalbadevi slipped into sleep due to her advance stage of pregnancy. All of a sudden a voice emerged from within Lalbadevi and prayed to Ramanand Swami, 'Oh Ramanand Swami ! Tell us about glory and greatness of Lord Purushottam.'

Everybody heard this deep and mysterious voice and were surprised to hear it come from within Laluba Devi. Swami, realised that the existence of a Mukta of Akshardham was in womb of Lalubadevi, and addressed him,

'Oh Great soul! You are to sing the glory and greatness of Purushottam Narayan on this earth.'

Then Swami addressed Shambhudanji about the birth of a great soul in his family and praised his fortune. Swami then left for his next destination. After some time, on the fifth day of the bright half of Maha in V.S. 1828, Lalubadevi gave birth to a baby boy. Divine brilliance and bliss were emitted from the new born. They named him Ladudan.

Ladudanji started studying at the age of seven by Pandit Shiv Shankar Upadhyaya.

Adulthood

Once Ladudanji attended a marriage ceremony of the king of Sirohi. He was young in his age but due to his brilliance, his schooling was completed well before time. There in the royal court he sang a few poems in Gujarati language praising king and his virtues. Rana of Sirohi pleased at the poetic genius of the child and asked Shambhudanji to allow him to be taught Pingal (sceince of constructing poetry) to the child at the cost of the state. Ladudanji earned fame and wealth by visitng stately courts of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur etc. The States and kings were greatly impressed by his poetic genius. He earned many prizes, gifts and honours at young age.

His parents decided to send their son to Bhuj for further studies as Bhuj was recognised for its Pingal education. The parents were worried how to send him as he was too young to go alone. Ladudanji later went to Bhuj with a Brahmin. He became a scholar in Pingal Shastra,The King of Bhuj was so impressed with Ladudanji that he requested him to stay in Bhuj as Raj Kavi. But he refused. On his way back home he stopped at Dhamadka.

In Dhamadka he met Raydhanji , Karnibaa, stayed in Dhamadka for some days. In Dhamadka he met Vijay Kushal Bhattacharya, they both felt affection for each other , and asked Ladudanji if you stay here i will teach you music and its instruments. Ladudanji also learnt Sanskrit scriptures from him too. Ladudanji became a scholar in Sanskrit, poetry and scriptures. In Dhamadka, he bathed daily in river the Saranganga. There on the river bank, he met a hermit who told him that he was a released soul and will meet his God under the shade of a Khijda tree. Soon Ladudanji was a well known poet in the royal courts of Dhangadra, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar.

Meeting with Bhagwan Swaminarayan and initiation

The Maharaja of Bhavnagar, Vajesinh once invited Ladudanji to his palace. There he sang poems and song in praise of the Maharaja, the Maharaja was very pleased and told one of his ministers to reward Ladudanji with gold ornaments so many that he gets covered in gold. An artisan (Nagdan Soni) came to take measurements of Ladudanji body to make ornaments for him. The artisan was a devotee of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. As he was taking measurements Ladudanji saw tilak and chandlo on artisan face and asked what was that tilak and chandlo. Nagdan Soni said this is tilak and chandlo of Lord Swaminarayan , He is the lord Purushottam himself. He went to Vajesinh and asked how swaminarayan is fooling people about him being god in his kingdom, Vajesinh suggested that Ladudanji go to Gadhada and meet with the Lord almighty himself. Ladudanji , Nagdan Soni and Ladudan Mama (Uncle) decided to go to Gadhada to test Lord Swaminarayan. Ladudanji agreed but he went with certain conditions in mind, the fulfillment of which would convince him that Bhagwan Swaminarayan is the supreme Godhead. One of his mental conditions was that Bhagwan Swaminarayan be reading a scripture (Bhagwat Purana In Specific ) in an assembly kept in a black cloth (generally scriptures are placed on a red cloth), one other condition was that Bhagwan Swaminarayan be wearing a garland of roses in summer and also give it to me. (it was scorching heat and roses were not found in that part of Gujarat), other condition being that Bhagwan Swaminarayan call him by his name even though they had not met previously etc. and last show 16 chins on his feet and show it without me asking him.

As he entered, he saw Lord Shri Hari clad in white cloth and gracing a majestic seat. With great compassion and mercy, Shriji Maharaj was addressing Sabha. Tears rolled from the eyes of Ladudan as he glanced at Shriji Maharaj. He was overwhelmed with great surge of emotion. Shriji Maharaj called ladudanji with his name and welcomed him to the sabha. He started reminding him that he was the one brahmin who took him to bhuj, Maharaj welcomed him with the garland of flowers he was wearing , and saw that there was a bhagwat katha going on and the bhagwat was placed in a black cloth. Shriji maharaj then told ladudan i am feeling tickling on my feet can you scratch it for me , and when ladudan touched his feet he saw the 16 chin in Lord feet. Immediately he offered Dandavat pranam and words :

'Aaj ni Ghadi re, Dhanya, Aaj Ni Ghadi'

rolled out from his mouth in form of a devotional song praising divine attributes of Shriji Maharaj. Shriji Maharaj rose from his seat, rushed forward and embraced him with great love.

Ladudanji decided to stay in gadpur . Ladudanji lived a royal and majestic lifestyle. He always adorned jewelry befitting kings. Bhagwan Swaminarayan wanted to change Ladudanji attitude towards materialistic goods and for the great poet that he was once Shreeji Maharaj sent him to convince Laduba and Jivuba to renounce austerity and get married, with his colorful poetry. He thought that the task was easy and so he went to Jivuba and Laduba, and started telling them the beauty of the human body and pleasures of the material world. From behind a cloth curtain the sisters listened him talk and when he was done, they told him Ladudanji, if you are done we would like to talk. A soul get all kinds of bodies from being an animal to plant or bugs or birds, but this human form of body is precious, should be used to attain salvation and not be wasted on decorating it as the beauty lasts for a short time in life. These words among others transformed Ladudanji, he went back, bowed to Shreeji Maharaj, thanked him of freeing him of his ignorance and asked him to initiate him in his ranks of Sadhus. Shreeji Maharaj gave him diksha in VS 1860 in Gerita town, near Sidhpur.and named him "Shrirangdas". because he got his rang from 'Shree' Lakshmiji (Laduba), His parents when learnt about ladudan becaming saint came and tried to convince but Shrirangdas said you are late I just married to the Lord himself. One day early in the morning Shrirangdas was composing and singing kirtans for Shreeji Maharaj. Shreeji Maharaj heard this and sat in front of him and gladly listened to the kirtan and told that Shrirangdas was enjoying the bliss of Brahman and called him Brahmanand from then on he was called Brahmanand Swami.

Swami as Bhagwan friend

Brahmanand Swami was a saint that could make Lord Swaminarayan laugh even if He was in a bad mood. Brahmanand Swami had a very good sense of humor and used to amuse Shreeji Maharaj with his wit whenever the opportunity was there. His devotion and love for Shreeji Maharaj was that of a true friend. He is widely known as the Sakha (friend) of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. His friendship was not merely for the sake of it. His friendship with Maharaj had put Bhagwan qualities in him. For him, Shriji Maharaj was like an accomplice as well as his God. If Shriji Maharaj was lost in some thoughts, if he was serious, worried or displeased due to one reason or another, Brahmanand Swami came forward delighted Shriji Maharaj. One such incident was that he by mere touch made a horse free of sensual desires. Like Muktanand Swami, Brahmanand Swami was an excellent poet. His skills and brilliance in temple building is evident in temples like Muli, Vadtal and Junagadh.

Swami's Work & End Life

Brahmanand Swami was an excellent poet and has composed many kirtans for Bhagwan Swaminarayan compiled in a book called Brahmanand Kavya. Shreeji Maharaj has also said that if one daily recites 100 of Brahmanand Swami kirtans ardently, He would give darshan to such a devotee. Brahmanand Swami was also involved in the construction of the great Temples of our Sampraday. Using this charm, he got agreement for the land and construction of the first temple in Ahmedabad. Maharaj later asked him to build a small temple in Vadtal, but instead he decided to build it three times larger to please Maharaj. He also built temple in Junagadh and then in Muli. He has also written scriptures in Hindi and Gujarati.

Some time passed and in 1886 Lord Swaminarayan was ready to return to his divine abode of Akshardham. Lord Swaminarayan realised that He would not be able to leave this world if Brahmanand Swami was present. Then, Lord Swaminarayan received a letter from Gunatitananda Swami at Junagadh which requested Lord Swaminarayan to send Brahmanand Swami to solve a few problems in the construction of a mandir. Lord Swaminarayan instructed Brahmanand Swami to go and sort it out. While working on the mandir Brahmanand Swami saw Baguji Bhagat coming. Brahmanand Swami heard the news that Lord Swaminarayan has left this world, he immediately went to Gadhada where the Agni Sanskar was taking place of Lord Swaminarayan. Gopalanand Swami consoling Brahmanand Swami stated that Lord Swaminarayan would be ever present with his astral body as He is Omnipresent. Brahmanand Swami went straight to Gadhada mandir in front of Gopinathji Maharaj. Lord Swaminarayan appeared in front of Brahmanand Swami and garlanded him. Brahmanand Swami realised that Lord Swaminarayan will always reside in the Murtis of Himself.

Brahmanand Swami left this world on 10 bright half of Jyesta in 1888( Jeth Sud 10). He lived for 60 years, 5 months and 5 days, exactly 2 years of when lord swaminarayan left for askhardham.