The Purpose Of His Avatar

Swaminarayan Bhagwan incarnated on earth, along with His dham

and some of His muktas, to establish ekantik dharma, and grant kalyan
to those who became His bhaktas. He incarnated at Dharma-Dev’s
house in Chhapaiya in Kaushal-Desh, to save Bhakti-Mata and
Dharma-Dev from harassment by demons. He also incarnated to take
mumukshu bhaktas to Akshardham, by imparting knowledge of His
svarup, dharma, vairagya, and bhakti.

While on earth, He established ekantik dharma, which had been

destroyed many years ago, and He destroyed adharma. He initiated
over 2000 sadhus, of which 500 were initiated as paramhans. Also, He
built mandirs, and installed murtis, which will always remain on earth.
In this way, Bhagwan forever resides on this earth through His sadhus
and His murtis. Swaminarayan Bhagwan also wrote and narrated
shastras, authenticated ancient shastras, and instructed His sadhus to
write shastras.
The Swaminarayan Sampraday is a Bhakti Sampraday founded by
Bhagwan Swaminarayan on 31 December 1801 CE. It belongs to the
Vaishnav tradition and represents the purest form of the Hindu
religion. It focuses its faith on salvation through total devotion -
bhakti - to the Supreme God developed through dharma, jnan and
vairagya
(righteousness, knowledge and detachment).

Swaminarayan Bhagwan is the supreme God, who graciously visited

this Earth about 230 years ago (1781 CE – 1830 CE). Earth was
overwhelmed by evil and discrimination. Consequently, the spiritual
nourishment of haribhakto had seized. To restore proper conduct,
devotion, and spirituality, Swaminarayan Bhagwan came to this Earth.
Most importantly though, He incarnated for the benefit and sheer joy
of His haribhakto. He is divine and has definite shape(sakar). He is
almighty, invincible, omnipotent, omniscient, ever-present, and the
cause of everything.

Where we are staying on this earth is our mother. When the burden
of sins increases on the earth, she turns very unhappy. The saints and
Rishis cannot tolerate her condition of unhappiness.

Once many Rishies and Saints including Marichi, Harit, Gautam, Bhrigu
and Bhardwaj, came to Badrikashram to have the Darshan of Shri Lord
NarNarayan. They took bath in the Ganga and they bowed down to
Shri NarNarayan.

Lord Narayan asked them, “Oh, Rishis, What is the news of the earth?”
“Lord, the burden of sin has greatly increased on the earth. Immoral
behaviour has increased. Falseness is prevailing everywhere in the
name of religion. Innocent people have no leaders to lead and look
after them,” was the reply of the Rishies.

During this discussion, Dharmdev and Bhakti Mata arrived. They were
informed of the earth’s difficulty by Lord NarNarayan. Everyone was
still in hearing about the earth’s difficulty. Meanwhile Rishi Durvasa
arrived, but nobody noticed him. Durvasa was an angry man. He felt
insulted when no one welcomed him.

Therefore, he became angry and cursed them all: “You have

disregarded (forgotten) me in the worry for the earth. Hence, go and
live there on the earth as men, and suffer a lot from the hands of evil
spirits.” Lord NarNarayan and the other saints came to their senses;
they prayed to Durvasa muni, “O great saint, have mercy on us.” “My
curse will not fail,” said Durvasa, “but on account of my curse, the
burden of sin on the earth will decrease by your hands. Lord Narayan
will be born as the son of Dharma-Bhakti, and it will benefit the
universe. You will be free form the curse after that.”

Lord Narayan chuckled gently and said, “the curse is the result of my
wish. The curse of a saint is not a curse, but it is a boon in disguise. I
will decrease the burden of sin on the earth; I myself will be born as
the son of Dharam and Bhakti for the establishment of true religion.
So you all will be born as men.” On hearing this, everyone was pleased.
Thus the curse of Durvasa turned into a boon.

There is a village near Ayodhya named Chapaiya. There lived

Dharmdev with his wife Bhakti. Dharmdev was a man of great
knowledge and was also a saint. Lord Narayan, according to his
promise, was born on the earth. Lord Narayan was born in their house
as a child on Monday on the ninth day of the month of Chaitra {Chaitra
Sud Navami} in the VIKRAM era (beginning with 56 B.C.) 1887. It was
the moment of the greatest joy for the happiness of the earth.

Gods and goddesses rushed to the earth to have the darshan of Lord
Narayan in the form of a man, and began to shower flowers shouting,
“Victory to thee, Victory to thee,” beating drums. Dharmdev’s
courtyard, in front of his house, was full of the citizens. Dharmdev
presented to the Brahmans, gold and cows. The Brahmins recited
Vedic mantras. Joy was everywhere.
The newly born child presented a darshan of his divine form to his
parents. Dharmdev and Bhaktimata saw, in their child, the most
beautiful form of child Krishna (Bal Krishna). They prayed Bal Krishna
with great devotion.

Bal Krishna said to Dharmdev, “you yourself are DharmPrajapati and

Bhaktimata, your wife, is MurtiDevi. I have taken birth as your son to
decrease the burden of sin on the earth.” Saying this, the Lord began
to play like a child. Dharmdev and Bhaktimata began to fondle the
child with great love. Chaitra Sud Navami [the ninth day of the month
of Chaitra] means RamaNavami. One of the names of Shriji Maharaj is
‘Hari.’ So Rama Navami is also called HariNavami.

When we read the Leela's today, some people might feel that had they
been born during the times when Shriji was there, they would have
remained engrossed in the service of Shriji, they would have
renounced the worldly pleasures for the sake of Shriji's service, they
would have been so humble that they would have listened Shriji's
teachings by hiding in the heaps of the shoes of his devotees. But I am
helpless.
I am born in 21 and 22nd century! It is because of the favour of Shriji
that I have today received the SATSANG of Shriji's saints, followers and
temples. It has happened so because of Shriji's wish. Shriji's wish
means Shriji's favour. Whatever exists or happens in the world, it is
because of Shriji's favour. By placing me amist the cherished goal by
his favour. So I, touching Shriji's feet with gratitude, remember him
with love. And I declare my firm conviction that Shriji will protect me
always and everywhere by giving me power, devotion and
intelligence.