Swarupanand

Beli Ram, Sri Swami Swarupanand ji Maharaj (1884 - 9 April 1936) was an Indian guru of the Advait Mat lineage. He was also known as "Second Master", "Param Sant Ji" and as Sri Nangli Sahib.[1]

Born in Kohat, India, the young Beli Ram was initiated into the sanyasas in the early 1900s in Teri by Advaitanand Ji, who named him Swarupanand Ji. During Advaitanand's life, Swarupanand created an order of sannyasins (or renunciates) in northern India and founded several centers with the purpose of disseminating his master's teachings.[2]

In 1935 he moved from Punjab to Delhi. He died a year later on 9 April 1936 in the village of Nagli, near Meerut.[3] At the time of his death Swarupanand had ten thousand followers and more than three hundred ashrams in northern India. One of his discples was Hans Ji Maharaj, who went on to establish the Divine Light Mission.[4] There were reported indications made by Swarupanand about Hans Ji Maharaj being his successor that were later contested by a group of mahatmas that did not appreciate the fact that Hans ji was married, making him a "householder", a status that in their views as renunciates was not acceptable.[5] According to another account, Swarupanand was succeeded by Shri Swami Vairag Anand Ji Maharaj, also known as the "third master".[6]

Swarupanand is sometimes confused with Anand Swarup of the Radha Soami lineage.

“ A faqir has no particular religion: he is common to all. Wherever I go there will be no dearth of devotees, as I belong to all, and all belong to me.[7] ”

References

  1. ^ Pur, Anand, Paramhansa Advait Mat: A life sketch of the Illustrious Master of the Mat (1975), p.145-6, Shri Anandpur Trust
  2. ^ Sri Swami Sar Shabdanand Ji, Shri Swarup Darshan (1998), pp.17-59. New Delhi: Sar Shabd Mission.
  3. ^ Vaudeville, Charlotte. Sant Mat: Studies in a Devotional Tradition in India in Schomer, K. and McLeod, W. ISBN 0-9612208-0-5
  4. ^ Melton, J. Gordon, Bauman, Martin. Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices (2002), p.427, ISBN 1576072231
  5. ^ Geaves, Ron. From Totapuri to Maharaji: Reflections on a Lineage (Parampara), (2002) Paper presented at the 27th Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions, Oxford. March 2002.
  6. ^ Pur, Anand, Paramhansa Advait Mat: A life sketch of the Illustrious Master of the Mat (1975), Shri Anandpur Trust (originally published in Hindi, date unknown)
  7. ^ Shri Swarup Darshan Ibid. pp.23-4