Bhagatji Maharaj (Gujarati: ભગતજી મહારાજ) (20 March 1829 – 7 November 1897), born as Pragji Darji,was the second spiritual successor of Swaminarayan in the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a Hindu denomination.Through his spiritual discourses he was instrumental in propagating the knowledge that Swaminarayan was Purushottam, the Supreme Being, and that his own guru, Gunatitanand Swami, was Akshar, the divine abode of God.] His spiritual realization and elevated spiritual practice as a low-caste householder set new precedents and acted as a bulwark against the idea that spiritual elevation was confined to upper castes. He passed on the knowledge of the Akshar-Purshottam Upasana to his closest disciple, Shastriji Maharaj, who later founded BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in 1907.His extraordinary spiritual service and unflinching devotion towards Gunatitanand Swami elevated him to an exalted status among devotees of the Swaminarayan sect both past and present.
Born as Pragji Bhakta in Mahuva, Bhagatji Maharaj was the second spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. As a young child, he encouraged his friends to engage in devotion to God and was a role model for others in the village, both young and old. Pragji Bhakta spent much of his time at the Swaminarayan mandir in Mahuva, where he met Gopalanand Swami, a senior paramhansa of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. After this initial meeting, Pragji Bhakta became interested in furthering his understanding of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and His philosophy. He developed a close relationship with Gopalanand Swami, who before passing away told Pragji Bhakta to go to Junagadh and stay with his guru, Gunatitanand Swami.
Under the Guidance of Gopalanand Swami
When Pragji was ten years of age, Acharya Raghuvirji Maharaj and Sadguru Gopalanand Swami visited the nearby village of Pithvadi. Due to his devotional nature, the young Pragji was chosen to perform the welcoming pujan rites of the two eminent spiritual leaders. This initial contact with Gopalanand Swami whetted Pragji’s appetite for Satsang and he made a dedicated effort to remain in the company of Gopalanand Swami in Vadtal as often as possible. As Pragji’s devotion and love for Gopalanand Swami increased, he expressed a wish to be initiated into the sadhu fold. However, Gopalanand Swami instructed him to remain a householder explaining, “If you attain spiritual knowledge from the sadhus, then even while leading the life of a householder you will not be able to forget God and His holy Sadhu.”
As a disciple of Gunatitanand Swami
Soon after the death of Gopalanand Swami, Pragji was taken by Siddhanand Swami to see Gunatitanand Swami in Junagadh. Listening to Gunatitanand Swami’s discourses and experiencing his saintliness eased the pain Pragji had felt at the death of Gopalanand Swami.[14] As Pragji’s affection for Gunatitanand Swami increased, he began spending increasing amounts of time in Junagadh, up to 8 months every year.[15] In addition to his dedication to obtaining spiritual knowledge from his new guru, Pragji implicitly obeyed Gunatitanand Swami’s every command, living with great humility and devotion. At Gunatitanand Swami’s behest, he would often undertake strenuous physical tasks that were shunned by others, explaining that “he had dedicated his life in the service of Swami.
As a disciple of Gunatitanand Swami
Soon after the death of Gopalanand Swami, Pragji was taken by Siddhanand Swami to see Gunatitanand Swami in Junagadh. Listening to Gunatitanand Swami’s discourses and experiencing his saintliness eased the pain Pragji had felt at the death of Gopalanand Swami.[14] As Pragji’s affection for Gunatitanand Swami increased, he began spending increasing amounts of time in Junagadh, up to 8 months every year.[15] In addition to his dedication to obtaining spiritual knowledge from his new guru, Pragji implicitly obeyed Gunatitanand Swami’s every command, living with great humility and devotion. At Gunatitanand Swami’s behest, he would often undertake strenuous physical tasks that were shunned by others, explaining that “he had dedicated his life in the service of Swami.
Through other similar experiences, Gunatitanand Swami slowly revealed to Pragji that he was the manifest form of God’s divine abode (Mul Akshar). In addition, he granted Pragji ultimate spiritual realization due to Pragji’s “selfless, sincere service, love and devotion.” Pragji’s close association with Gunatitanand Swami and his nuanced understanding of the Akshar-Purshottam upasana, led him to begin to speak of Gunatitanand Swami’s glory to the Swaminarayan followers
Later life
In 1873, Bhagatji Maharaj first met his eventual successor Shastri Yagnapurushdas in Surat. During an assembly, Bhagatji Maharaj delivered a discourse while simultaneously stitching a decorative cloth-piece for the mandir elephant. Yagnapurushdas, already surprised upon seeing this feat, was further impressed when Bhagatji Maharaj spontaneously addressed his incredulity and unspoken question with the phrase, “One who is wise has innumerable eyes.” Realizing Bhagatji Maharaj’s spiritual greatness from this incident, Shastri Yagnapurushdas accepted Bhagatji Maharaj as his guru.
Death
As Bhagatji Maharaj advanced in age, he appointed Shastri Yagnapurushdas, later known as Shastriji Maharaj, as his spiritual successor. In November 1898, Bhagatji Maharaj developed a serious illness and stopped consuming food. On the day of annakut, he went to the local mandir and gave a discourse in front of the thousands who had come for his final darshan. Bhagatji Maharaj died on 7 November 1898.
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