Mahant Swami Maharaj

Mahant Swami Maharaj
Mahant Swami Maharaj, ordained Sadhu Keshavjivandas
Religion	Hinduism
Personal
Born	Vinu Patel (1933-09-13)13 September 1933 Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, British India
Guru	Yogiji Maharaj, Pramukh Swami Maharaj
Honors	Mahant

Mahant Swami Maharaj (born Vinu Patel, 13 September 1933;^[1] ordained Sadhu Keshavjivandas) is the present guru and president of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, an international Hindu socio-spiritual organization. BAPS regards him as the sixth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan, following Gunatitanand Swami, Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj, and Pramukh Swami Maharaj.^[2][3][4] He is believed by his followers to be in constant communion with Swaminarayan, and ontologically, the manifestation of Akshar, the perfect devotee of God.^[2]

Mahant Swami Maharaj received initiation as a Hindu swami from Yogiji Maharaj in 1961.^[5][6] Mahant Swami Maharaj was revealed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj as his future spiritual and administrative successor in 2012,^[7] roles he commenced upon Pramukh Swami Maharaj's death in 2016.^[3][8]

Early life

Childhood and Education

Vinu Patel was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India on 13 September 1933. His parents, Manibhai Naranbhai Patel and Dahiben Patel^[1][9] were both followers of Shastriji Maharaj and the Akshar Purushottam Upasana. Shastriji Maharaj visited the newborn a few days post-birth and named the child Keshav, although his family referred to him by his nickname, Vinu.

Vinu Patel completed his primary and secondary education at an English-medium school within the local township, and then completed his 12th grade at the Christ Church Boys Senior Secondary School. He then attended the College of Agriculture in his father’s native town of Anand, Gujarat, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture.^[3][5]

Early Inspiration for Monastic Order

During his college years (1951-1952), Vinu Patel first met Yogiji Maharaj, the spiritual successor of Shastriji Maharaj. Impressed by Yogiji Maharaj’s life and teachings, Vinu traveled with Yogiji Maharaj during his summer vacations, and was inspired to enter the monastic life over the next few years.^[1][5]

Early Years as a Sadhu

At age 24, on 2 February 1957, he received novitiate initiation, parshad diksha,^[1] and was renamed Vinu Bhagat. During this initial training phase, he accompanied Yogiji Maharaj on his travels, looking after Yogiji Maharaj’s daily correspondence with devotees. At age 28, on 11 May 1961, Vinu Bhagat was given bhagwati diksha,^[1] initiated as a swami, in Gadhada and named Sadhu Keshavjivandas. He was one of 51 youths receiving initiation into the monastic order that day.^[7] This group of 51 was initially placed in Mumbai to study Sanskrit, with Swami Keshavjivandas appointed as their group head or Mahant at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Dadar, Mumbai. Thus, he became known throughout BAPS as Mahant Swami.^[1][5]

Service Under Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Mahant Swami Maharaj initially met Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 1951 and traveled extensively with him. After Yogiji Maharaj’s death in 1971, Mahant Swami Maharaj served under Pramukh Swami Maharaj in many of the sanstha’s festivals, youth activities, and ongoing temple activities^[10] along with the Akshardham projects worldwide.^{[5][11][3][12][13]}

Significance in BAPS

Appointment as President

Pramukh Swami Maharaj had known that Mahant Swami would be his successor when the latter received initiation in 1957.^[14] On 20 July 2012, in the presence of senior sadhus in Ahmedabad, Pramukh Swami Maharaj formally declared that Mahant Swami Maharaj would be his spiritual successor upon his own passing and wrote a letter in his own handwriting to this effect. On 13 August 2016, Mahant Swami Maharaj became the sixth spiritual successor in Swaminarayan's lineage of Gunatit gurus.^[8]

On July 22, 2017, he was presented with a Key to the City of Toronto by Mayor John Tory at the 10th anniversary celebration of the opening of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, located in Etobicoke.^[15]

On July 1, 2017 , he was presented with a Key to the City of Lilburn by Mayor Johnny Crist at the 10th anniversary celebrations of the opening of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayn Mandir, located in Lilburn. Mayor Johnny also declared July 1, 2017 as "The Mahant Swami Maharaj Day" in the City of Lilburn and commended its citizens to its observence.

References

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