Prasang 35
“This is our tilak!”
During the festival of Fuldol, Bhagwān Swaminarayan, along with his assembly of swamis, arrived in Panchālā. One day, in a sabhā, Shriji Maharaj distributed small yellow clay pieces—resembling sandalwood—to all the swamis and instructed them to use them for applying tilak.
The next morning, Shriji Maharaj observed that none of the swamis had tilak on their foreheads. Curious, he asked the reason, to which the swamis responded, “With what should we make tilak?” Shriji Maharaj reminded them about the pieces of clay he had given them the previous day. Upon hearing this, the swamis were taken aback, as they had considered those pieces to be Shriji Maharaj’s prasād and had consumed them instead.
Understanding the situation, Shriji Maharaj once again provided them with new pieces of clay. The next morning, the swamis came to the sabhā wearing various oddly shaped and uneven tilaks, displaying an amusing variety of designs. Seeing this, Shriji Maharaj laughed heartily.
To demonstrate the correct tilak and to reveal his choicest devotee, Shriji Maharaj personally applied tilak and a red chāndlo (vermillion mark) to Gunatitanand Swami’s forehead. Addressing all the swamis, he declared: “Look! This is our tilak!” Further clarifying, Shriji Maharaj stated, “Just as there is no other Bhagwān like me, there is no other Sadhu like him.” Through this declaration, Shriji Maharaj revealed his supreme Purushottam form while establishing Gunatitanand Swami’s unique identity as Akshar.
On numerous occasions, Shriji Maharaj introduced Gunatitanand Swami as Akshar to swamis and devotees. In Dabhān, on Posh Sud Punam of Samvat 1886 (1830 AD), Shriji Maharaj initiated Mulji Sharma, giving him the name Gunatitanand Swami. On this occasion, Shriji Maharaj proclaimed, “Today, I feel immense joy in giving initiation to Mulji Sharmā, who was born in Bhādrā and is the manifest form of my eternal Aksharbrahma Dhām. This Aksharbrahma Dhām is beyond both the upper and lower realms, and within it, I eternally reside with my infinite liberated souls.” This historic moment is also captured in the Harililākalpataru scripture 7/17/49-50.
Through various divine incidents, Shriji Maharaj consistently affirmed the supreme glory of his greatest devotee, Gunatitanand Swami, the Mul Akshar manifestation, ensuring the uninterrupted flow of liberation (moksha) for all seekers.
