The Akshar Purushottam sanstha that was formed in 1907 by Brahmswaroop Shastrjii Maharaj. The organisation was formed to propagate the method of God realisation as per Shreeji Maharaj’s philosophy of the individual becoming brahmroop and to join with parbrahm (God).
The philosophy of Akshar Purushottam is not new; it is as old as Hinduism itself. In fact it transcends even Hinduism as we understand it to be. This philosophy is the worshipping of God-realised saints along with God, such as Radha Krshna and Sita Ram. We also see it in Christianity with the worship of Jesus and God.
There is, however, one fundamental difference between the current day Akshar Purushottam faith, and the other similar faiths. The supreme God, Shreeji Maharaj had Himself manifested on the earth to re-establish religion, but also he had promised that for the redemption of devotees, He would forever remain manifest through His God-like saints. That is to say, we are now able to have direct contact with God and His saint in a physical form, where as in the other faiths, for example Radha Krshna, both are non-manifest in the physical sense.
It can be questioned as to why God has felt it necessary to remain forever manifest, when previously he had returned to His abode and became non-manifest again. The reasons are two-fold:
- Although God can redeem us from His abode, He manifests on this earth to fulfil the wishes of His devotees to have darshan of His manifest form (Vach. Kariyani 5).
- Maharaj’s mission is to give us the ultimate redemption known as Atyantik Kalyan. That is, to enable all of us to become God-like ourselves, so that God dwells in us constantly and to become the abode of God and to attain the ultimate abode known as Akshardham. In addition, this redemption is to be achieved not after death but here and now whilst we are alive, so that God can continue His mission to redeem everyone.
Although many have reached a very high spiritual level and have become worthy of being worshipped themselves, somewhere and somehow there is often some fault left; be it some deep rooted but hidden desire, or intrinsic nature such as anger or ego. There are few saints whom by their own endeavours have totally obliterated their egos such that they act only for the wish of God. It is only possible to reach such complete purification (as per G I 27) when God is present in every one of our indriyo (senses) and our antahkaran (our emotive mind, mind intelligence and ego). This can only be achieved through association with the manifest God.
Param Pujya Pappaji once explained the difference between an ordinary saint, and the supreme saint (i.e. a Gunatit saint): The pure water from a mountain spring, although pure enough to drink cannot be used for medical purposes such as injections. That water has to be distilled water; it is only the Gunatit saint who is as pure as distilled water.
In order to achieve this great feat, it was absolutely necessary for the original propagator of this spiritual movement to be peerless. God can only be known through God (Swami ni Vato). Therefore, Shreeji Maharaj brought along with Him the Mul Akshar Brahm, Gunatitanand Swami. It was Gunatitanand Swami, by the wish of Shreeji Maharaj whom initiated the line of God realised saints that are of a spiritual status similar to God himself (Vach. G I 27) so that God Himself remains manifest (Vach. G II 48). They not only give the darshan of the supreme God, but are able to purify devotees such that God can manifest through them to continue His mission.
This is the quintessence of the akshar purushottom philosophy and movement. If we understand this, and take advantage of what we have attained by way of the Gunatit saint as per Vachanamrut G II 2, then this is the ultimate fulfilment in our quest for God.
Sahajanand Swami Maharaj ni Jai.
Author: S Gandhi