27. Inspiring Opinions of Eminent Indian and Foreign Thinkers and Leaders of Mankind

1. "India is a land of many sects. But Swaminarayan has struck me as laudable, clean and appealing. I have great respect for this sect."

- Mahatma Gandhi

2. "Swami Sahajanand and the saints of the Swaminarayan sects have spread the fragrance of morality all over Gujarat through their pious and righteous lives. The contribution of this religion to the transformation of the untrained and unlettered people belonging to the backward classes, is very important. It has helped them emerge from their sub-human state and given them respectability and human dignity."

- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,Former Home Minister of India

3. "The teaching of Swami Shri Sahajanand have turned many aggressively violent communities of Gujarat and Kathiawad into docile and peace loving devotees of God. The Vachanamrutam, a collection of His sermons is very deep in its spiritual content and is worth contemplating upon, as a book exploring modes of Upasana,self-realisation."

- Acharya Shri Anandshankar Bapubhai Dhruv

4. "Amongst the great spiritual torch-bearers of Gujarat, the name of Swami Sahajanandji is the foremost."

- Kanaiyalal Munshi, eminent Gujarati litterateur

5. "Swami Shri Sahajanand was the last reformist of the medieval Hinduism."

- Justice, Mr. Mahadev Govind Ranade

6. "Of all the ideologies propounding the principle of non-violence, the one put forward by Shri Swaminarayan has appeared to be the loftiest to me. Its influence on my personal life has been so great, that I have dedicated my entire life to the cause of non-violence."

- Gulzarilal Nanda, Former Home Minister of India

7. "The Story of Swaminarayan's incarnatory activities which lasted for nearly thirty years and resulted into the establishment of a universal religion, is unique in the world history and unparalleled and revolutionary in the history of Gujarat."

- Shri Vijayrai Kalyanrai Vaidya, literary critic

8. "Swami Sahajanand arrived at the nick of time and launched a unique revolution in the life of the people. He transformed the entire society, from the highest to the lowliest, by instilling in them the virtues of truthfulness and righteous conduct. This can only be done by an extraordinary supreme person, like Swami Sahajanand. We remember Him as a great reformer, a founder of religion and a prophet of India's bright future."

- Manu Subedar, President, Sastu Sahityavardhak Karyalaya

9. "The teachings of Swaminarayan are like a clear stream of water, ever flowing and purifying; quenching the thirst of one and all. Man may belong to any caste or creed but he is always in search of light that will lead him nearer to truth. And a prophet or a God is the one who provides him this divine light."

- Shri Mehdi Navaz Jung, Former Governor of Gujarat

10. "When Gujarat, Kutch and Kathiawad were plunged into darkness, for nearly 30 years, Shri Sahajanand Swami strove hard and brought back the people on the path of righteousness. Using His spiritual power and organisational insight, He created a band of committed followers, accepted challenges and faced difficulties, to spread His divine message to people belonging to the upper-classes and lower-classes, to Hindus and non-Hindus alike and illumined their hearts. His spiritual endeavour reminds us of Lord Buddha. Amongst the eminent persons of His time, Sahajanand Swami was the greatest. He was the Supreme Being, worthy of being worshipped by his contemporaries as God the incarnate."

- Kishorlal Mashruwalla, eminent thinker

11. "How to describe the salient features of the religion propagated by Shreeji? It's a path of piety emphasising the purity of conduct, purity of rituals, purity of Upasana or worship, purity in our dealings, inner and outer purity i.e purity of body and mind, leading to perfection. By asking the householders to give up hemp, hashish and tobacco, Shreeji made their lives addiction free; by asking the saints to smash their coloured decorative goward-bowls, made them passion-free; by fixing separate entrances for men and women, Shreeji restored the sanctity of the temples; by asking His followers to strictly observe Panch Vartman -five moral codes, made them men of pure conduct; by offering them the gift of Shikshapatri, purified their behaviour; by reciting Vachanamrutas to them He purified their knowledge; by bestowing upon them Prembhakti (devotion combined with love).He made them pure at heart; by introducing festivals and celebrations in life He engendered enthusiasm among the people. He awakened the conscience of the people through magnificent temples, non-violent yajnas, pure mode of worship, celebrations of Vaishnavite festivals of Parna-Hindola, Vasant Panchmi, Janmashtami, Jalazilani and Ramnavami. Like a wandering ascetic, He moved from village to village inspiring zest for living. He rocked the masses on the swing of love and affection and boosted their moral and rejuvenated the Indian society. If history wants to know "what did Swaminarayan do?" we can answer in one sentence: "Shreeji Maharaj bathed Gujarat in the holy waters of the Saryu and immersed it in the joy divine." Thus Lord Shri Swaminarayan was the morning sun of the dawn of a new spiritual era."

- Kavi Nahnalal

Now let us see how some foreign dignitaries evaluate the incarnatory work ofShri Swaminarayan:

1. Self-experience of Mr. Henry George Burgess:

"Sahajanand Swami was a man of action, possessing redeeming spiritual powers. Thousands of people who had gone astray were brought back on the path of righteousness by Him, without getting any assistance from the authorities or the rich. He was an object of worship to the prince and the pauper, to the scholars and the illiterate alike. His humility purged the venom of hatred even from the hearts of His enemies."

2. Mr. Bowles observes:

"The ascetics who join this order are enjoined upon not to resist any kind of oppression but to bear it with calm without any feeling of hurt or ill-will towards the oppressor. This is a unique feature of this religion. His teachings have raised the standards of morality."

3. Collector Williams notes:

"In comparison to the norms of morality determined by other scriptures, the one preached by Sahajanand is much much higher. He asks His followers to have the highest level of absolute piety and purity. He has ordained His disciples not to glance at a woman passing by. He preaches the doctrine of one Supreme God. The villages and regions which were once considered to be the most dangerous, after accepting Sahajanand as their spiritual leader, have become most peaceful and the safest ones.

4. Prince Hopkins, Professor at London University narrates his own experience:

"Although Swaminarayan had immanent divine powers, and was Himself the incarnate God, He never tried to show off. While leading an austere life of an ascetic, He was always cheerful, playful and had a great sense of humour. He used to sing, play wrestle and even cut jokes. He is immortal, ever present and gives darshan (glimpse) of His luminous figure to many of His devotees, when they are about to leave this world."

This is how scholars and great men of India and abroad have given a historical account of Shri Swaminarayan and His religion. This should convince us that Shri Swaminarayan was indeed an incarnate God.