Akshar Purushottam Upasana is an interpretation by Shastriji Maharaj of the philosophy set forth by Swaminarayan which led to the creation of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) in 1907. It could also be referred to as Brahman Parabrahman Upasana or Bhakta Bhagwan Upasana. According to this interpretation, Gunatitanand Swami is the successor of Swaminarayan as opposed to the Acharyas (heads of the Swaminarayan Sampraday). Shastri Yagnapurushdas created BAPS as a result of this difference in belief.
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Bhagwan Swaminarayan's philosophy defined five eternal entities, namely Jiva, Ishwar, Maya, Brahman and Parabrahman. Followers of Akshar Purushottam Upasana believe that Brahman and Parabrahman are the highest two of these entities.[1] Whilst other schools of Hindu philosophy hold Brahman and Parabrahman to be one and the same, Bhagwan Swaminarayan's philosophy holds them to be two separate entities. Throughout his discourses in the Vachanamrut, the primary scripture of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, Bhagwan Swaminarayan referred to Brahman as Akshar, Aksharbrahman, or Akshardham. Similarly, he referred to Parabrahman as Purushottam, Paramatma, or Bhagwan.
He taught that Akshar had two forms,[2] a formless all-pervading heavenly abode and a physical form that served the Lord wherever he went.[3] Furthermore, he preached that to offer pure worship to God, one needed to become Brahmarup, or gain qualities like Brahman, and then offer worship to Purushottam.[4] For this reason, the essence of Akshar Purushottam Upasana can be described as follows: "to become Aksharup and then offer worship to Purushottam."
To achieve this status, aspirants were instructed to associate with and serve Brahman[5] - often referred to as the Sant, Satpurush, or Sadhu[6] - who incarnated with God. They were also instructed to offer worship to him, in the same manner as the worship offered to God [7][8] as, according to His words, "When one has darshan of such a Sant, one should realise 'I have had the darshan of God himself.'"
The interpretation of the terms Sant, Satpurush, and Sadhu being synonymous with 'Brahman' is based upon the words of Bhagwan Swaminarayan in Vachanamrut discourses like Gadhada II-59 where it is said that, "God's Sant is greater than even Bhava, Brahma, and other deities." Applying Bhagwan Swaminarayan's philosophy regarding the five eternal entities, followers of Akshar Purushottam Upasana conclude that the only entity Bhagwan Swaminarayan could be discussing is Brahman, since Parabrahman is God Himself, and "Bhava, Brahma, and other deities" are classed as Ishwar.
Followers of BAPS regard the term saint in this context to be to be singular, however followers of the Swaminarayan Sampraday believe that Bhagwan Swaminarayan is referring to the association of all saints who have reached the elevated status of Brahm, as Bhagwan Swaminarayan does not specify any one specific saint in the scripture Vachanamrut. Also they state that it would be almost impossible for all devotees around the world to associate with just one saint, and it would make the role of all other saints redundant.On the contrary BAPS followers claim that they feel in union with Pramukh Swami Maharaj the current spiritual leader of BAPS. BAPS has over 860 Saints, 9000 centers, 400 Mandirs, 2 Akshardham complexes etc. Multimedia has shown that BAPS has remained aloof from scandals and frauds.
Followers of BAPS and Akshar Purushottam Upasana hold Gunatitanand Swami, a saint and paramhansa of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, to be the personified form of Brahman as discussed above. They cite several references, incidents, and evidence, as seen below.
In the context of Akshar Purushottam Upasana, every spiritual Guru in Bhagwan Swaminarayan's succession is believed the incarnation of Aksharbrahman in whom the Lord resides fully and eternally. As every Guru is the same Aksharbrahman entity, the devotees feel no spiritual change, except the physical change of another successor. It is clear that the Guru is not God, but is God's ideal devotee in whom God resides eternally.
According to this philosophy, Gunatitanand Swami was the first successor to Swaminarayan. He was succeeded by Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the current spiritual leader of BAPS.
Followers of the Swaminarayan Sampraday do not accept this successorship as they believe that it is not the one established by Bhagwan Swaminarayan (they believe that the successors he decided on was the Acharya's of the Ahmedabad Gadi and Vadtal Gadi through the Desh Vibhag Lekh). BAPS states on the same Desh Vibhag Lekh that the Acharyas were meant to take care of the monetary incomes of the Mandirs belonging to both Gadis.