Swaminarayan

Swaminarayan refers to a Hindu spiritual leader and the founder of the Swaminarayan movement, whose followers regard him as a manifestation of the divine. Born Ghanshyam Bhatt in 1781 in Chhapaiya, in present-day Uttar Pradesh, he renounced the world as a child and spent years traveling as a wandering ascetic before establishing a devotional tradition in Gujarat and surrounding regions. He is commonly known by the name Sahajanand Swami and later as Swaminarayan by his followers.

The core teachings of Swaminarayan emphasize bhakti, ethical living, and service. Devotion to a personal form of God, along with adherence to a code of conduct, is central to practice. He promoted non-violence, truth, self-discipline, and social welfare, while encouraging temple worship, communal harmony, and the education and upliftment of his followers. His teachings also challenged certain social norms of the time, within the context of a widespread devotional movement. The theology developed further after his death, with his key disciple Gunatitanand Swami and others shaping doctrines that culminated in the belief in Swaminarayan as the Supreme God and in an ideal devotee as a living spiritual guide for aspirants.

Scriptures associated with the movement include the Vachanamrut, a collection of Swaminarayan’s sermons, and the Shikshapatri, a concise code of conduct for lay followers. The movement grew into a global tradition, organized in part around temple-based satsang and charitable activities. In the late 19th century, a division within the movement led to two major organizational lines, the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi and the Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi, with later developments giving rise to modern groups such as Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS).