Bhagwan
Shree Swaminarayan established five (5) Vows Panch Vartaman
for people in Ghruhashram i.e. house-holders and five
(5) Vows for people in Tyagashram (Swamis/Saints).
as
The
basic five Vows of house-holders
The
followers were increased in a large number. Only
devotion and worship is not enough for salvation.
The virtuous moral and devotional human life is
absolutely necessary. So He (Lord Swaminarayan)
preached the five basic Vows compulsory for all.
NOT to drink wine, liquor or any intoxicating
drug of any sort in any form in any case, NOT
even as a medicine.
NOT to eat meat in any form in any case.
NOT even as the offerings of evil deities or
sacrifice or as a medicine to save one's own
life.
To abstain from adultery. NOT to look at a
lady passionately. NOT to keep close contact
with ladies except the nearest relatives.
NOT to steal even a smallest thing. Even
the worthless flowers should NOT be taken for
offerings to deities without the permission
of the owner.
NOT to take food and drinks from improper
persons and by improper sources.
Whosoever
wants to become the follower of Lord Swaminarayan has
to take an oath in presence of a great Saint keeping
water in his right hand to abstain from these five.
If anybody transgresses any of these five is not called
a follower of Swaminarayan. He is excommunicated. These
are the five basic Vows for house-holders. These are
known as Panch Vartman.
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The
five Vows of Saints (Sadhus)
Saints
of Swaminarayan have to observe strictly their
special five vows listed below as well as the
five basic vows listed above. They are given them
at the time of their initiation as Saints. They
are initiated by either Vadtal or Ahmedabad gadi's
Acharya.
Lustless: Desireless:- He has to observe Naishthik
Brahmacharya i.e. eight-fold celibacy strictly.
He has to observe a fast if he has seen a face
of a lady. Not to expect any remuneration even
of his good deeds or must not have any desire
of anything.
Greedless:- He should not be attached at all
to the worldly objects. He should keep clothes
and things only permitted to him. He should
not accept, touch or possess even any sort of
currency of his own.
Tasteless:- He should not be allured or tempted
at all to any taste. Not to eat anything which
is not offered to God, that also mixed togather
with water.
Prideless:- He should not have any sort of
pride of renouncement, penance, knowledge, efficiency
religious austerity, devotion, etc. If anybody
beats him, abuses him or insults him, he should
endure patiently, not to be angry at all, should
forgive, not to oppose, not to keep any grudge
or any ill feelings for him, but to wish good
for him and to pity for his ignorance.
Affectionless:- He should not have any affection
at all towards his body, his relatives, his
disciples or anything except Almighty God Supreme.
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There
are 11 Niyams that each Satsangi of Shree Swaminarayan
df aaSampraday has to follow
Hinsa na karvi (Be non-violentby any means)
Parstri no sang na karvo (Do not have any
kind of relationship with other woman other
than your wife)
Mansh na khavu (Do not eat meat, i.e. including
seafood, poultry products, eggs)
Daru na pivo (Do not drink products that contain
alcohol, i.e. wine, beer, medicine that contains
alcohol)
Vidhva stri no sparsh na karvo (Never touch
widow woman whom you do not know)
Atmaghat na karvo (Never commit a suicide
in any circumstances)
Chori na karvi (Do not steal things that
belong to others)
Koi ne kalank na devu (Never blame others
for something that you may not know about)
Devo ni ninda na karvi (Never bad mouth about
God, Goddesses, or any religion)
Jenu na khaptu hoy tenu na khavu (Never eat
someone's food who does not follow these eleven
rules established by Lord Shree Swaminarayan
in Shikshapatri)
Bhagwan thi vimukh hoy tena thaki katha na
sabhalavi (Never listen holy stories from a
person who does not believe in the existence
of God, i.e. a person who is an atheist)
Questions and Answers based
on "Shikshapatri" Sloks
What should a devotee ask to Bhagwan
Hey Maharaj! Hey Swami! Hey Krupasindhu! Hey Sharnagat
Pratipalak! Ohh Lord! please save me from Kusangi
(bad people). There are 4 types of bad people: (I)
Kundapanthi - People who won't let you follow the
Niyams of Satsangi, (II) Shakti Panthi - People who
would force you to eat meat and to drink beer, wine,
etc., (III) Shushka Panthi - People who would not
let you perform Bhakti, etc., (IV) Nastik - People
who do not believe in existence of God
Hey Maharaj! Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh, Ahankar, Irshya,
Dehabhiman aa je antahsatru thanki maari raksha karjo.
Hey Maharaj! Nitya tamara bhakt no samagam dejyo.
(Please give me an opportunity to meet your satsangi
everyday)
Reference: "Vachanamrut",
Gadhada Pratham - 48
Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan
also told his devotee to do one extra Dandvat Pranam everyday
after the Puja and prey Him "Hey Bhagwan! mara thi
jan ta ajanta mun, vachan ane dehe kari ne aapna bhakt
no dhroh thayo hoy to mane maaf karjo." This way
Bhagwan will forgive you in case if you hurt a Bhagwan's
Bhakt with or without any purpose. ("Vachanamrut",
Gadhada Madhya - 40)
