Pre-Eminence
of Swamishri:
Swamishri
then went to Nadiad. A devotee, Dolatrambhai of Nadiad, invited
Swamishri to his place for dinner. Dolatrambhai knew Swamishri
since the time when the latter was at Vadtal, and held him in
high esteem. He was an erudite scholar of Sanskrit and Gujarati.
He was also a member of the Vadtal Temple Committee.
He was aware that Swamishri had left Vadtal with the object of
expounding the upasana of Akshar-Purushottam, but he did not know
what Akshar-Purushottam meant. However, he was confident that
whatever Swamishri was doing must be in accordance with the scriptures.
He wanted to understand this doctrine from Swamishri, and the
latter too wished to explain it to him. Dolatrambhai was glad
to meet Swamishri after a lapse of about ten years. He asked :
"Swamiji, do you wish to come to terms with Vadtal?"
"Yes, provided they acknowledge the twenty-first Vachanamrit
of Gadhada Middle Section," replied Swamishri.
Dolatrambbai then asked: "What is it in that Vachanamrit
that you insist they should admit ?"
Swamishri then explained in great detail the supreme eminence
of Bhagwan (the Lord) and Bhakta (His favoured devotee) quoting
from the Vachanamritam and giving appropriate illustrations, and
propounded that one could be said to have grasped the doctrine
of kalyan (salvation) only upon realisation of pratyaksha (visible)
Lord and pratyaksha (visible) saint.
Dolatrambhai was enthralled by the effective explanation given
by Swamishri. He was now thoroughly convinced about Gunatitanand
Swami being the incarnation of eternal Akshar, the worship of
Purushottam, together with Akshar and both these swarupas (forms),
being pragat (manifest) through Shastri Yagnapurushdas. He spontaneously
remarked: "Swamiji, you have accomplished the great task
of revealing the nature of true upasana for which Shriji Maharaj
Himself might have had to reincarnate here. Your eminence is indeed
immeasurable. You have today installed the idols of Maharaj and
Swami, but in the future your eminence will so shine out that
your disciples will install your golden idol." Those present
realised the greatness of Swamishri on hearing these words.
Once Swamishri went to Baroda to have a look at the idols. The
local devotees then took him to Kamatibaag after much persuasion,
and took his photograph for the first time, much against his will.
Swamishri strictly ordered them not to publish the photograph
and warned them: "If you publish it, I shall tear it up and
throw it away."
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