||001|| I (SAHAJANAND SWAMI), meditate in My heart upon Lord Shri Krishna on Whose left stands Radha, in Whose bosom resides Laxmiji and Who plays (with His Bhaktas) in Vrindavan.

||002|| I, SAHAJANAND SWAMI, write this SHIKSHAPATRI - Gospel of Life Divine - from Vadtal to all My followers, residing in various regions.

||003|| Ayodhyaprasad and Raghuvir (who have been installed by Me as Acharyas at Ahmedabad and Vadtal respectively) the sons of My brothers: Rampratapji and Ichharamji, born of Shri Dharmadev,

||004|| All naishthik Brahmacharis, Mukundanand and others and all householders, Mayaram Bhatt and others, all who have become My followers,

||005|| All females, married (including virgins also) and widows and all Sadhus, Muktanand and others, all who have become My followers.

||006|| All mentioned above, shall accept My blessings divine, blessings which protect their Dharmas,which carry with them the divine memory of ShrimanNarayan and which are endorsed by the Shastras.

||007|| All the above shall ponder deeply in their mind upon My object in writing this SHIKSHAPATRI - which is to ensure ultimate good for all living beings.

||008|| All those who follow the rules of good conduct as prescribed by the Shastras (such as Shrimad Bhagwat etc.) do indeed attain happiness both in this world and the world beyond.

||009|| And all those who disregard them and behave according to their own whims are indeed evil-minded and shall verily meet with great miseries in this life and in the life beyond.

||010|| Therefore, you all, My followers, shall always follow the precepts of this SHIKSHAPATRI with care and caution, and with love and sincerity.

(1) General Dharmas - 11-122:

||011|| My followers shall never kill any living being under any circumstances, knowingly, not even small insects like lice, bed-bugs, etc..

||012|| (My followers) shall never kill goats and/or other living beings even for sacrifices performed for the propitiation of deities and Pitris (ancestors), for non-violence is declared (by the Shastras) as the highest Dharma of all the Dharmas.

||013|| None shall ever kill a human being for obtaining a woman, wealth or even empire by any means.

||014|| None shall ever commit suicide even in a place of pilgrimage or through anger or on account of some untoward action, by taking poison or by hanging or by jumping into a well or from a hill-top or by any other means.

||015|| None shall under any circumstances eat meat, even if it be an offering of a sacrifice or shall ever drink liquor or wine even if it be from offering to a deity.

||016|| When some untoward action is committed either by one self or by others, none shall even through anger or excitement cut off or mutilate one's limbs or limbs of other persons by means of any kind of a weapon.

||017|| None shall ever commit theft, even for the sake of performing an act of Dharma. Even articles such as firewood, flowers, etc. owned by others shall never be taken without their permission.

||018|| All My followers, males and females, shall never commit adultery and gamble nor cultivate such other bad habits, nor shall they eat or drink intoxicants like hemp, opium, etc..

||019|| None shall eat food prepared by a person, taking (cooked) food from whose hands is prohibited in the Shastras or drink water from the vessels, of such a person, even as a Prasad (eatables offered to a deity) of Shri Krishna, in any place, except at Jagannathpuri ( where prasad of Shri Jagannathji may be taken).

||020|| None shall level false accusations against anyone, even for the sake of achieving some self-interest or shall utter indecent words or abuses to others.

||021|| None shall ever speak or hear ill of deities, places of pilgrimage, Brahmins, chaste women, Sadhus and the Vedas.

||022|| None shall ever accept prasad of a deity to whom offerings of meat and/or liquor-wine or offerings mixed with meat and/or liquor-wine are offered and/or before whom goats and/or other living beings are sacrificed.

||023|| When (My followers) on their way, come across temples of Shiva and other deities, they shall bow down to them and have their Darshan respectfully.

||024|| None shall ever give up Dharma of one's own Varna (class) and Ashram nor shall practise Dharma of persons of other Varnas and Ashrams, nor shall follow pseudo Dharma (which is against Vedas) or Dharma propagated by hypocrites in the name of religion.

||025|| None shall ever hear sermons or religious discourses or philosophical talks from a person whose words are likely to lead one astray from the path of devotion to Lord Shri Krishna and/or from the path of one's own Dharma.

||026|| None shall betray anyone by telling ever truth which is likely to cause fatal misery to oneself or to others and shall avoid company of ungrateful persons or shall ever accept illegal gratification or bribe from anybody.

||027|| None shall ever associate with a thief, a sinner, an addict, a hypocrite, a debauchee and a swindler.

||028|| None shall also associate with persons, who under the pretext of Bhakti (devotion) and Jnan (knowledge) indulge in committing sins, themselves being after women, wealth and various attachments such as sexual gratification, objects of worldly pleasures, delicious dishes, etc..

||029|| None shall ever hear or believe in the Shastras which cleverly refute (the name, glory, form and existence of) Lord Shri Krishna and His incarnations.

||030|| None shall ever drink water and/or milk (or other liquids) unfiltered nor shall use water containing many insects, for purposes of bath, etc..

||031|| None shall ever take medicines which are mixed with meat and/or liquor-wine or with both; take medicines given by a physician whose antecedents are not known.

||032|| One shall never urinate or defecate or even spit in places, prohibited for such use, by people and by the Shastras (e.g. places, like dilapidated temples, banks of rivers or ponds, roads, sown fields, trees and their shadows, gardens, etc.).

||033|| None shall enter in or go out through a door, not meant for the purpose or camp in a private place without the permission of its proprietor.

||034|| Male followers shall not hear religious or philosophical discourses from females nor shall they enter into argument with them or with a king or with his men (government officers).

||035|| None shall insult one’s Guru, a very great person, a person highly placed in society, a learned man or a man with arms.

||036|| One shall never act under sudden impulse in haste; but an act pertaining to Dharma shall be done all at once. One shall impart knowledge, acquired by oneself, to others and shall always associate with saintly persons.

||037|| None shall go with empty hands (without an offering) for Darshan of a Guru or of a deity or of a king or shall ever commit breach of trust or shall indulge in self-praise.

||038|| My followers shall never wear clothes so transparent and fine as would expose their limbs, for such clothes are considered indecent (bad).

||039|| None shall ever practise Bhakti of Lord Shri Krishna devoid of Dharma or shall ever give up His Bhakti, for fear of criticism from ignorant people.

||040|| When they go to the temples of Lord Shri Krishna for Darshan either daily or on days of festivals, male followers shall not touch females and vice-versa (but when they come out of the temple premises, they may behave with each other according to their relations and social customs).

||041|| My disciples, who are twice-born (i.e. who belong to the classes: Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya ) and who have been initiated as such (i.e. as disciples) by their Acharya, shall wear in their neck, double lined necklace prepared from small Tulsi beads and shall put on their forehead (and on the chest and two arms also) a vertical mark (Tilak).

||042|| This vertical mark (Tilak) shall be made either with Gopichandan or with sandal paste with saffron, etc. received as prasad after the Puja of Lord Shri Krishna.

||043|| And in the middle of this mark shall put on a round mark, either with Gopichandan or with Kum Kum (red powder) received as prasad of Shri Radha and/or Laxmiji.

||044|| Persons, who are classed as higher Shudras (Sat-Shudras) and who are Bhaktas of Lord Shri Krishna and who do follow their Dharmas properly, shall wear necklace in their neck and put on marks on their forehead, etc. in the same way as the twice-born disciples do.

||045|| All other Bhaktas (who are classed below Sat-Shudras) shall wear in their neck a doublelined necklace prepared from sandal wood or other such wood and shall put on their forehead round mark only but shall not put on a vertical mark.

||046|| Brahmins and other followres who are required on account of their family tradition, to put on horizontal mark on their forehead and to wear in their neck a necklace of Rudraksh beads shall not give up wearing them, even after becoming My followers.

||047|| All shall realize that there is fundamental unity between Lord Narayan and Mahesh, for as Brahman they have been described as one in the Vedas.

||048|| My followers shall not adopt rules of exigency prescribed in Shastras as ordinary routine ones when the exigency is light.

||049|| My Followers shall get up daily before sunrise, offer prayers to Lord Shri Krishna and then shall go to answer call of nature.

||050|| Thereafter sitting in one place, shall cleanse teeth, then shall take bath with filtered and clean water and then shall wear one washed cloth and put on another such cloth as apron.

||051|| Thereafter, facing either north or east, shall sit on a pure and comfortable seat, placed on purified ground and untouched by any other article (and then sip pure water three times).

||052|| Thereafter, all male followers, shall put on their forehead and on chest and on two arms also a round mark in the middle of a vertical one (as explained before) and all married women shall put on their forehead the round mark only with red powder.

||053|| The female followers who are widows shall not put on their forehead either the round mark or the vertical one. Thereafter, all male and female followers shall worship Lord Shri Krishna mentally.

||054|| Thereafter, all shall have Darshan of and shall bow respectfully to the image (printed on paper or cloth or painted) of Lord Shri Krishna with Radha, then shall repeat His mantra (eight-syllabled one) according to their ability and then shall attend to their wordly affairs or jobs.

||055|| My Bhaktas, who like Ambarish, have dedicated their lives completely to Lord Shri Krishna, shall also similarly go through all procedure of worship of Lord Shri Krishna, (as explained before) upto mental worship.

||056|| These Bhaktas, shall worship the icon of Lord Shri Krishna, made either of stone or metal or Shalagram with offerings like flowers, sandal paste, fruits, etc., according to time, place and their means and then shall repeat His eight-syllabled mantra.

||057|| Thereafter, they shall chant according to their ability, the Stotra (verses in Sanskrit) in praise of Lord Shri Krishna and those who do not know Sanskrit, shall sing His name and Kirtana.

||058|| Then they shall offer food to Him and then shall partake it as His Prasad. They shall thus always remain with love in service of Lord Shri Krishna.

||059|| Shastras proclaim these Bhaktas as Nirguna (i.e. completely free from mundane qualities like: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) since Lord Shri Krishna (Hari) is Nirguna. Because of their intimate relation with Him, all their actions also become Nirguna.

||060|| These Bhaktas shall never drink even water nor shall eat leaves, fruits, roots etc., without first offering them to Lord Shri Krishna.

||061|| All Bhaktas, who are incapacitated by old age or by some great adverse circumstances and who are, therefore, unable to perform worship (puja) of Lord Shri Krishna themselves, shall give over the icon to some other Bhakta for worship, etc. and then shall offer Puja according to their abilities.

||062|| All shall worship with singular devotion only that form of Lord Shri Krishna which is installed by the Acharya (who is a descendant of the family of Shri Dharmadev) and which is given to them for the purpose by him. All other forms of Lord Shri Krishna shall but be bowed to and respected.

||063|| All My followers shall daily go to the temple of Lord Shri Krishna, in the evening and there shall sing loudly the Name and Kirtanas of Lord Shri Krishna.

||064|| And shall read and/or listen to with deep reverence, the narratives of His glories and shall celebrate all festivals, with His Kirtanas to the accompaniment of musical instruments.

||065|| All My followers shall invariably act daily as laid down before, they shall study the Shastras either in Sanskrit or in the regional language according to their abilities.

||066|| One shall always employ, after proper consideration, a person for work, befitting his aptitude andability but shall not act otherwise.

||067|| One shall always provide one’s servants with food, clothing, etc., according to one’s means and according to their worth (merit).

||068|| One shall always speak to a person just befitting one’s person and position and just in accordance with the time and place; but shall not act otherwise.

||069|| All My followers who are prudent shall receive their Guru, a king, a very old person, a person whohas renounced the world, a learned man or an ascetic, respectfully, by rising from their seats, going forward, by offering them proper seat and with polite words.

||070|| In the presence of Guru, deity and/or in an assembly none shall sit with one leg raised and placed on another and/or with knees raised and tied with a piece of cloth.

||071|| None shall ever enter into arguments with his Acharya. All shall treat him with respect by offering him gifts of food – grains, money, clothes, etc. according to their means.

||072|| My followers, on hearing about his arrival shall immediately go forward to receive him and when he departs, shall also go upto the outskirts of their village to give him a worthy send off.

||073|| None shall ever perform an act, which is likely to yield great advantages but which is devoid of or is against Dharma; for Dharma alone is capable of fulfilling the four Purusharthas (aims of life i.e. Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha).

||074|| Actions of past great men which are not in conformity with Dharma shall never be accepted and followed as precedent; but those actions which conform with Dharma only, shall be adopted (and followed).

||075|| None shall ever divulge secrets of other persons anywhere and to anyone. Everybody shall be treated as he deserves. This rule shall not be violated in the name of equality.

||076|| All My followers shall practise as additional rules, which are explained below during the period of four months (of monsoon i.e. from the 11th day of the bright half of Ashadh to the 11th day of the bright half of Kartik). Those who are weak and feeble, however, shall practise them only for the month of Shrawan.

||077|| 1. Listening to and, 2. reading narratives of glories of Lord Vishnu, 3. singing His Name and Kirtanas, 4. performing His worship (Maha puja) with elaborate rites, 5. repeating His Mantras (Names), 6. chanting His hymns (Stotras), 7. going round His image/icon and 8. lying down prostrate before Him.

||078|| These eight rules are considered best by Me. My followers shall adopt anyone of them as an additional rule (Dharma) with devotion.

||079|| All shall observe devoutly and with proper festivities, the Vratas of all Ekadashi days of every month as well as of the birth day of Shri Krishna and that of Shiva i.e. Shivaratri.

||080|| All shall scrupulously avoid sleeping by daytime on such days, for such an act destroys merits of the fast just as carnal intercourse does on such days.

||081|| Shri Vitthalnathji, the son of Shri Vallabhacharya, the ruler (the religious head) of all the Vaishnavas, has given decisions regarding all Vratas and festivals.

||082|| All shall observe them accordingly. The mode of worship of Lord Shri Krishna, as explained by him shall only be followed.

||083|| All followers shall undertake pilgrimage to places like Dwarika and others, observing all rituals properly, and shall always be kind to the poor according to their means.

||084|| My followers shall regard the five deities named here, with reverence – Vishnu, Shiva, Ganapati, Parvati and the Sun.

||085|| In times of troubles caused by evil spirits like ghosts etc. none shall invoke inferior deities but shall recite Narayan Kavach or recite the Mantra of Hanuman.

||086|| Whenever an eclipse of the Sun or that of the Moon takes place, all followers shall immediatelygive up all work and after purifying themselves (by means of both, etc.) shall chant the Mantra of Lord Shri Krishna.

||087|| And when it is over, all shall take bath, together with all clothes worn at that time, and thereafter, those who are householders shall give alms according to their means and others shall perform worship of Lord Shri Krishna.

||088|| All My followers belonging to the four Varnas – classes (i.e. who are Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras) shall observe days of impurity (days of Sutaka) consequent upon birth or death, as the case may be, according to their social relations and as prescribed for them by the Shastras.

||089|| The followers, who are Brahmins, shall acquire the qualities of tranquility, self-restraint, forebearance and contentment; the Kshatriyas shall acquire the qualities of valour, fortitude etc.

||090|| The Vaishyas shall go in for agriculture, trade, banking, etc; and the Shudras shall take to service of the above three Varnas (classes).

||091|| The followers, who are twice-born, shall perform as occasion arises, all Samskaras with (beginning from conception) daily ceremonial offerings to deities and the Shraddhas (obsequies) of the pitris (ancestors) as prescribed in their respective Gruhya Sutra according to their means.

||092|| Whenever an untoward action or sin is committed, knowingly or unknowingly, all concerned shall make amends (as shown in the Shastras and by saintly persons) for it as best as they can.

||093|| The Vedas, the Vyas Sutras, the Puran, named Shrimad Bhagwat, Shri Vishnusahastranam;

||094|| Shri Bhagwad Gita and Vidur Niti – all these (three) from the Mahabharat, Shri Vasudev Mahatmya, contained in Vishnukhand of Skand Puran;

||095|| The Yajnavalkya Smruti from among the Dharma Shastras – these eight are My favourite Shastras.

||096|| All My followers who desire to secure their welfare shall hear them and those who are twice-born shall study them, teach them to others and shall publicly recite and read them.

||097|| Of these eght Shastras, the Yajnavalkya Smruti with the Mitakshara commentary thereon shall be followed while taking decision on matters relating to the code of conduct of life, social and legal matters and expiation.

||098|| And for realizing glory and greatness of Lord Shri Krishna, the tenth and the fifth canto of Shrimad Bhagwat shall be pre-eminently understood.

||099|| The tenth and the fifth canto of Shrimad Bhagwat and the Yajnavalkya Smruti shall be treated as My favourite Bhakti Shastra, Yoga Shastra and Dharma Shastra respectively.

||100|| And the commentaries on Vyas-Sutras and Bhagwad Gita by Shri Ramanujacharya shall be treated as My favourite Shastras on philosophy.

||101|| Those portions of these Shastras which explain the merits of knowledge of the form of Lord Shri Krishna, of Dharma, of Bhakti and of Vairagya in highest terms, only;…

||102|| shall be treated as taking precedence over all other portions. The sum and substance of all theseShastras is Bhakti of Lord Shri Krishna, with Dharma.

||103|| Dharma means the path of good conduct as enjoined by the Smrutis and the Shrutis. Bhakti of Lord Shri Krishna means profound love for Him accompanied by knowledge of His glorious greatness.

||104|| Vairagya means absence of love for objects other than Lord Shri Krishna, and knowledge means clear comprehension of the nature and form of Jiva, Maya and Isha.

||105|| Jiva is one who is installed in the heart, is atomic and subtle, is all-consciousness (as far as body is concerned), is the knower, is pervanding all over the body by means of his power of knowledge and bears characterization such as indivisibility, invulnerability, eternity, and so on.

||106|| Maya is one which constitutes the three qualities: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas – is ignorance – incarnate, is power of Lord Shri Krishna and is the cause prima for body-consciousness and personal attachment for the body physical and everything else related to it, on the part of Jiva.

||107|| Just as Jiva is installed in the heart, so does Isha abides in the heart of Jiva as the Inner controller, is absolutely independent and is (Judge Supreme) the bestower of the fruits of all actions of all Jivas.

||108|| That Isha is Lord Shri Krishna, is Supreme Brahman, is Bhagwan, is Purushottam, is choice-deity and is the source of all incarnations.

||109|| When Lord Shri Krishna is with Radha, He is known as RadhaKrishna, when He is with Rukmini, Ramma i.e. Laxmiji, He is known as Laxmi-Narayan.

||110|| When He is with Arjun, He is known as Nar-Narayan and when He is with Balbhadra and others, He is named and known accordingly.

||111|| These Bhaktas, Radha and others, sometimes stay by His side, and sometimes on account of love par-excellence stay in His Body divine. Then He is described as alone.

||112|| Therefore, none shall draw lines of differentiation among His various forms, be it with four arms (eight arms, thousand arms) and so forth, for He always has two arms and assumes all these formsaccording to His will.

||113|| All persons on the earth, therefore, shall with fervent devotion worship Him alone. All shall know that in this world there is nothing more conducive to the realisation of salvation than His Bhakti.

||114|| Bhakti of Lord Shri Krishna and association with the saintly persons – these two are the highestachievements for persons endowed with merits like learning etc.. Without these two qualities even the mostlearned shall decay and be degraded.

||115|| Lord Shri Krishna, His incarnations and His forms, only shall form the objects for meditation. One shall never meditate upon Jivasmen as well as deities, though however great Bhaktas and knowers of Brahman they may be.

||116|| One shall first consider oneself as distinctly different from the three bodies: gross (Sthool), subtle (Sukshma) and causal (Karan), then shall identify oneself with Brahman and then with that form sublimeshall always worship Lord Shri Krishna.

||117|| All shall hear with respect, daily or at least once a year the tenth canto of Shrimad Bhagwat. Those who are learned shall read it daily or once a year.

||118|| And shall perform Purashcharya (reading and hearing sacred Shastras with due rites and ceremonies) of the tenth canto of Shrimad Bhagwat and of Shri Vishnusahasranam and such other books, in holy places, according to their means, for the performance of such Purashcharya always brings in desired results.

||119|| In times of disasters, caused by forces of nature or by human beings or by diseases, all shall behave in a way so as to protect themselves and others but shall not act otherwise.

||120|| Aachar (conduct), Vyavahar (social behaviour) and Prayaschit (expiation) in life shall always be adopted according to place, time, age, monetary condition, varna (class) and ability.

||121|| Know you all, qualified monotheism, Vishishtadwait is the doctrine of philosophy, I favour, Golok is the abode divine, dear to Me, and in that abode with Body divine, to be in service divine of Lord Shri Krishna, is the final beautitude according to Me.

||122|| So far are described general Dharmas for all the followers, males and females, Tyagis and householders. All alike shall act accordingly. I now proceed to describe hereunder their special Dharmas separately.

Special Dharmas 123-202

(A) Special Dharmas of the Acharyas 123-132:

||123|| Ayodhyaprasad and Raghuvir, the sons of My elder and younger brother respectively (and who have been installed be Me as Acharya) shall never preach to females except those who are their nearest relatives.

||124|| They shall never touch nor speak with them. They shall not be cruel to any living being nor shall they accept deposits from anyone.

||125|| They shall never stand as surety for any person in social dealings and in times of distress, shall (if need be) maintain themselves on alms but shall never incur debt.

||126|| They shall not sell food-grains received by them from their followers but old food-grains may be exchanged with new ones, for such an exchange is not considered as sale.

||127|| They shall perform worship (puja) of Shri Ganapati and Hanuman, on the 4th day of the bright half of the month of Bhadrapad and on the 14th day of the dark half of the month of Ashwin respectively.

||128|| They are installed as Acharyas (Ayodhyaprasadji at Ahmedabad and Raghuvirji at Vadtal) for guiding and directing all the followers in their respective Dharmas. They, therefore, shall initiate into discipleship all male aspirants.

||129|| They shall see that all followers act in conformity with their respective Dharmas and shall employ them in a way just befitting their merits, shall treat (all) saintly persons with respect and shall study the Satshastras with reverence.

||130|| They shall perform with proper rites and ceremonies, the worship of Shri Laxmi Narayan and other icons of Lord Shri Krishna, installed by Me in big temples.

||131|| They shall courteously give food-grains and alms to a person who has come to seek food to the temple of Lord Shri Krishna, according to their means.

||132|| They shall establish an institution with a learned Brahmin as a teacher, and through it shall propagate Sadvidya (right knowledge) on earth for the promotion of such learning in this world is indeed a highly meritorious act.

(B) Special Dharmas of the Wives of Acharyas 133-134:

||133|| The wives of these Acharyas with the concurrence of their husbands shall initiate and give Mantra of Lord Shri Krishna to females only but never to any male.

||134|| They shall never touch nor speak with, nor show their faces to any males who are not their nearest relatives.

(C) Special Dharmas of the Householders 135-156:

||135|| My male followers who are householders shall not touch widows who are not their nearest relatives.

||136|| They shall never stay alone in a lonely place even with their young mother, sister or daughter, except in emergencies and shall never give away in alms their wives to anybody.

||137|| They shall never keep close relation with a woman who has any kind of relation with a king.

||138|| Whenever a guest comes to their house, they shall treat him courteously with food etc. according to their means, and shall perform all rites and ceremonies pertaining to the deities and pitris (ancestors) according to their means.

||139|| All My followers during their life-time shall serve their parents, Guru and an ailing person, according to their ability.

||140|| They shall follow a vocation just befitting their Varna and Ashram. Those who follow agriculture for maintenance shall not castrate their bulls.

||141|| They shall make provision for food-grains and money, according to their requirements and according to the time and their capacity and those who own cattle shall also store up sufficient fodder according to their means.

||142|| Cows and other cattle shall be maintained only if they can take their care properly with fodder, water, etc. but not otherwise.

||143|| They shall never enter into any transaction regarding land and/or money even with their sons and friends, without putting it in writing with proper attestation.

||144|| They shall make transactions regarding money to be paid in connection with marriage of themselves or of others, in writing with proper attestation; but shall never do it orally.

||145|| Expenses shall always be in proportion to the income but shall never exceed it. All shall clearly understand that those who spend more than what they earn shall verily land themselves in great miseries.

||146|| Recollecting their income and expenses incurred during routine and/or special transactions, they themselves shall write clearly, an account thereof daily.

||147|| They shall offer to Lord Shri Krishna one tenth part of food-grains and/or money, derived as income from their vocation, but those who are financially weak shall offer one twentieth part instead.

||148|| They shall perform ceremonial observance of all Vratas, such as Ekadashi and others according to their means as laid down in the Shastras, for such observance yields desired results.

||149|| They themselves or through someone else shall perform or get performed with love the worship (puja) of Shri Mahadev with leaves of Bilva tree (Angel marmaloss) in the month of Shrawan.

||150|| They shall never borrow money from their Acharyas or from the temple of Lord Shri Krishna and shall never bring utensils, ornaments, garments and such other articles, for use on social occasions from them.

||151|| Whenever they go for Darshan (paying homage to) of Lord Shri Krishna, their Guru or Sadhu, they shall not partake en route or at their places food etc. belonging to others, for partaking such food deprives them of religious merit. Therefore, (on such occasion) they shall partake their own food.

||152|| They shall pay in full whatever remuneration either in cash or in food-grains or both as promised to persons employed for the work, but shall never give less. They shall never conceal an act of repayment of debt, family lineage, matrimony of their daughters etc. and shall never deal with wicked persons.

||153|| When loss of prestige or estate or life is threatened in a place where they reside either due to very bad times like famines or by enemies or by a king.

||154|| My followers, who are wise and discreet shall immediately leave that place, even if it be their native place or a place received as gift (giras) and shall migrate to a place where such calamities do not exist (or are not likely to arise) and live there in peace and happiness.

||155|| Those who are rich, shall perform nonviolent sacrifices like Vishnu-yag, and shall feed Brahmins and Sadhus in places of pilgrimage and on auspicious days like twelfth day of each half of a month and such other days.

||156|| They shall also celebrate big festivals in temples of Lord Shri Krishna and shall give various kinds of alms to deserving Brahmins.

(D) Special Dharmas of the Rulers 157-158:

||157|| The rulers who are My followers shall treat their subjects as their own children according to Dharma Shastras and shall establish a rule of Dharma on earth.

||158|| They shall throughly acquaint themselves with the ways of administration of their state viz.: characteristics of seven Angas, four Upayas and six Gunas, four Tirthas, persons who possess legal and administrative practical abilities, and of persons who deserve punishment and who do not deserve it.

(E) Special Dharmas of the Married women 159-162:

||159|| Female followers who are married shall serve their husbands like God, even if they be blind, sick, poor or impotent and shall not speak harsh words to them.

||160|| They shall not even unintentionally maintain any relations with persons who are young, handsome, and/or who may be wel-versed in learning, art etc..

||161|| All chaste women shall never expose their breast and thigh to another male and shall not keep their bodies uncovered by a garment. Also they shall not go to see vulgar shows nor shall they associate with immodest and immoral women.

||162|| When their husbands have gone out to another town or country they shall not wear fine clothes and ornaments, nor shall make merry and cut jokes with others, nor shall pay visit to houses of other persons.

(F) Special Dharmas of the Widows 163-172:

||163|| Female followers who are widows shall serve Shri Hari as their husband and shall always follow the advice of their father, son and such other relatives but shall never act independently.

||164|| They shall never touch males who are not their close relatives and (especially) when they are young shall never speak to young persons who are not their nearest relatives unless absolutely necessary.

||165|| If they happen to touch a suckling accidently no blemish attaches to them, just as touching an animal carries no blemish for them. In times of sheer necessity, if they touch or speak with an old man, no blemish attaches to them.

||166|| They shall not receive lessons of any kind from males who are not their nearest relatives and shall control their body and senses by frequent observances of various Vratas and fasts.

||167|| They shall not give any money even for religious and charitable purpose, if the money is just sufficient for their maintenance, but if it be in excess, then only they may give.

||168|| They shall take food once in a day only, shall sleep on the floor and shall never knowingly look at any living beings in coitus.

||169|| They shall not wear dress like that of married women, nor like that of a Sanyasini (female recluse), nor like that of a Viragini (a nun), nor shall they put on dress which is against the custom of the place and the practice of their family.

||170|| They shall never associate with nor even touch women who practise abortion, nor shall indulge in or hear amorous talks regarding males.

||171|| Young widows shall never stay alone in a lonely place even with their close relatives, who are also young, except in exigency.

||172|| They shall never play Holi nor shall ever put on ornaments and/or fine clothes interwoven with thread of gold or such other metals (materials).

(G) Common Special Dharmas of all the Females 173-174:

||173|| All female followers, married (including virgins also) and widows shall never bathe naked nor shall they ever conceal the fact of their menstruation.

||174|| And when they come into menses, they shall not touch any person or other clothes for three days but on the fourth day, after taking bath, they may do so. (All Acharyas and their wives shall also observe all the above Dharmas of householders – males and females, because they are householders.)

(H) Special Dharmas of the Brahmacharis 175-187:

||175|| All Naishthic Brahmacharis who are My followers shall never touch nor speak with nor even knowingly look at any female.

||176|| They shall never talk nor hear talks about them (women) nor shall go for bath etc. to places frequented by them.

||177|| They shall never touch nor even knowingly look at idols of females made from wood, stones etc. and pictures of females other than those of deities.

||178|| They shall never make a fascimile of females nor shall touch clothes worn by them and shall never knowingly look at any living being in coitus.

||179|| They shall not touch, nor look at, nor speak with a male in guise of a female and shall not deliver sermons or religious and philosophical discourses addressed directly or indirectly to females.

||180|| They shall disregard commands even of their Guru, if such commands are likely to lead to a breach of their vow of celibacy and shall always be patient, contented and humble minded (free from ego).

||181|| They shall instantly check a female who tries forcibly to come near them, either by advising her or by administering reproaches, but shall not allow her to come near.

||182|| But when the life of a female and/or their own is in danger, they shall protect her and/or themselves either by speaking to her or even by touching her.

||183|| They shall not massage their bodies with oil and shall not keep or carry arms and/or dress which is not proper for them and they shall control their sense of taste.

||184|| They shall not go for taking food to the place of a Brahmin, where food is served by a female but shall go to place of another Brahmin where service is done by a male.

||185|| They shall study the Vedas, the Shastras etc., and shall serve their Guru (faithfully) and shall always avoid association with effeminate males just like females.

||186|| They shall never drink water carried in leather bags/buckets nor shall eat onion, garlic etc..

||187|| They shall not take their meals without taking bath and without performing Sandhya and chanting Gayatri Mantra and worship (Puja) of Shri Vishnu and Vaishvadev sacrifice.

(I) Special Dharmas of the Sadhus 188-196:

||188|| All Sadhus like the Naishthik Brahmacharis shall avoid sight of, speaking etc. to women and effeminate males and shall master all inner enemies like lust, anger, greed etc..

||189|| They shall control all senses, specially the sense of taste and shall never receive or keep money (or valuable things) themselves or through others.

||190|| They shall not accept deposits from anyone, shall never lose patience and shall never allow a female to enter their premises.

||191|| Except in emergency, they shall never go out alone without a companion at night or at any other time.

||192|| They shall never put on or use costly clothes with gaudy colours and designs or valuable shawls even if they are willingly offerred to them by other.

||193|| They shall never go to a place of a householder except for the purpose of taking food or religious assembly and shall never while away their time but shall pass it in devotion of Shri Bhagwan.

||194|| To the place of a householder where food is served by a male and females are not likely to be visible;

||195|| To such a house only, My Sadhus shall go for taking food. If this be not possible, they shall beg uncooked food stuffs only and then prepare (cook) food for themselves and partake it after offering it to Lord Shri Krishna.

||196|| In remote past, Bharatji, the son of Rishabhdev lived and behaved on earth like a detached Brahmin. All My Paramahansas and Sadhus here shall also live and behave similarly.

(J) Special Common Dharmas of the Brahmacharis and the Sadhus 197-202:

||197|| All Brahmacharis and Sadhus shall carefully abstain from the use of betel leaves, opium, tobacco, etc..

||198|| They shall not take food prepared on the occasion of Samskaras like conception, or all rites of obsequies upto the eleventh and twelfth day after death.

||199|| Except in emergency like sickness they shall not sleep by day nor knowingly indulge in or hear gossips.

||200|| Except in emergency like sickness they shall not sleep on a cot and shall always be frank and straightforward with other Sadhus.

||201|| Whenever a wicked person abuses them or beats them, they shall never abuse him nor beat him, in return, but shall pardon him and always wish good of him.

||202|| They shall not act as an agent for others, nor shall they do back-biting, nor shall they be spies, nor shall they have attachment for their body, nor shall they entertain feelings for intimacy with their relatives.

(4) Conclusion 203-212:

||203|| I have thus described before in brief, general and special Dharmas of all My followers. For further details, they shall refer to other Shastras of My Holy Fellowship.

||204|| I have Myself extracted substance from all the Satshastras and then have written this SHIKSHAPATRI which fulfills all desires of all men.

||205|| Therefore, all My followers shall always lead their lives with care in conformity with these precepts of SHIKSHAPATRI but shall never act arbitrarily according to their whims.

||206|| All My male and female followers who act according to the precepts of this SHIKSHAPATRI shall indeed attain all the four Purusharthas.

||207|| All male and female followers of My Holy Fellowship shall consider all the males and females who live and behave against the precepts of this SHIKSHAPATRI as outcaste – apostates from My Holy Fellowship.

||208|| All My followers shall daily read this SHIKSHAPATRI. Those who are not able to read shall hear it daily with respects;

||209|| And when a reader of SHIKSHAPATRI is not readily available, they shall worship it daily. All followers shall honour My word as My Image, with deep reverence.

||210|| This SHIKSHAPATRI shall only be given to persons endowed with spiritul qualities but shall never be given to persons with wicked tendencies.

||211|| This SHIKSHAPATRI is written by Me on Vasant Panchami i.e. on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Maha of V.S. 1882 and is indeed all-auspicious.

||212|| May Lord Shri Krishna, Destroyer of all miseries of His followers, Protector of Bhakti withDharma and Bestower of all desired happiness to His Bhaktas, bestow on us all Bliss and Peace Divine.

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Published by: Kanji Bhagat

Shri Swaminarayan Bhagwan Kala Kendra Trust,Jnan Bag, Vadtal - 987 375