Premsakhi Premanand Swami

Premanand Swami was born into a Sathodara Nagar Brahmin family in a village near Nadiad (some sources say that he was born in the village of Dora, near Bharuch) around 1784 ce (Samvat 1840). His mother was very beautiful, but his father was treated as a lunatic by the community. Following his birth, people started slandering the mother. They alleged, “This child is illegitimate, so the mother should either disown him or kill him. We are not going to accept him in our family.” This caused great pain to the mother.

Bowing to social pressure, however, one early morning the mother pressed the child against her chest, went out of the village and left the child in the hole of a tree. After some time a basket-weaver passing by suddenly saw the child lying in the hole of the tree. His joy knew no bounds on seeing the child. He thought, “I have no child of my own; here is God’s gift.” He carefully carried the child home and said to his wife, “Look here. God has sent this child to us. Let us rejoice.’’ With these words, he handed over the child to his wife.

Some years later this basket-weaver visited Jetpur with his son. At that time, Ramanand Swami was handing over the reins of the Sampradaya to his spiritual successor, Sahajanand Swami. A grand festival was being celebrated to mark the spiritual coronation of Sahajanand Swami. Thousands of devotees had come to Jetpur from different parts of the country. The basket-weaver felt that he was fortunate to have this opportunity of witnessing a Hindu festival.

On the day of the coronation, Sahajanand Swami mounted a horse and was honoured in a colourful procession through the streets of the town. The basket-weaver also turned up to watch the holy procession. His son, too, watched while holding the hand of his foster father. All of a sudden, the boy freed himself and made his way through the jostling crowds up to the horse of Sahajanand Swami. He held the stirrup of the horse and started walking alongside it. Sahajanand Swami noticed the boy walking by the side of his horse holding the stirrup. The boy walked in this manner throughout the town until the procession came to a halt at Unnad Khachar’s darbar.

At Unnad Khachar’s darbar was the ashram of Ramanand Swami. The procession concluded here. After dismounting his horse, Sahajanand Swami immediately went inside the ashram. The boy was so tired that he soon fell asleep on the steps of the ashram. After some time Maharaj remembered the boy, came out to look for him and found him sleeping on the steps. Maharaj stroked the boy’s head. When the boy awoke, he offered him food and water. Meanwhile, his father accompanied by some relatives came there looking for the lost child. He was very happy to see his son. He said to Maharaj, “This is my son and I am taking him home.” Maharaj gave his consent, but the boy refused to budge from the spot. The father tried his best to persuade him. He even threatened to beat him, but the boy refused to accompany the father home. At last the father gave in and went away thinking, “After all, he was not my son in the first place.”

Shriji Maharaj then asked the boy, “What have you decided?” The boy replied, “I want to stay with you.” The omniscient Maharaj knew about his past samskars and so he instructed him, “You go to Ujjain. There is a school of music on the opposite bank of the River Kshipra. You go there and learn music. After attaining this knowledge, return to this region and meet me.”

In accordance with this command of Shriji Maharaj, the boy set out for Ujjain and arrived at the music school. The principal of the school enquired about the purpose of his visit. The boy expressed his desire to stay there. He was initially employed as a helper. With great enthusiasm, the boy started serving at the institution. The music teacher was pleased with the boy and offered him lessons in music. Due to certain innate powers and the blessings of Shriji Maharaj, the youngster attained mastery in both vocal and instrumental music within a few years. One day, he suddenly remembered Maharaj. He left Ujjain in search of Maharaj, and soon arrived in Gadhada.

Maharaj recognized him and lovingly embraced him. He kept the boy for some time with him and then gave him diksha around 1814 CE (Samvat 1870). He was named ‘Nijbodhanand’. He also learned a little Sanskrit, as per the wish of Maharaj.

Once, Shriji Maharaj called him in his presence and asked him to compose kirtans. Although he hadn’t studied the pingal branch of music, he started composing kirtans as per the wish of Maharaj. He minutely observed all parts of Maharaj’s body. The first kirtan he composed was a beautiful one describing the murti of Maharaj. Maharaj was extremely pleased on hearing it. However, the name ‘Nijbodhanand’ appearing towards the end of the kirtan did not rhyme properly. Maharaj suggested, “Just as the words ‘Brahma’, ‘Mukta’, ‘Nishkula’ rhyme properly, the word ‘Prema’ will also rhyme. So, from today, your name is ‘Premanand’.” Once, in one of the kirtans he referred to Chandrasakhi, one of the gopis of Shri Krishna. Maharaj was greatly impressed by his premlakshana bhakti – intense affection and devotion – and thus addressed him as ‘Premsakhi’. Maharaj directed him to write kirtans using both these names.

Once, on the occasion of Ashadh sud 11 (Devpodhi Ekadashi), Shriji Maharaj was giving special vows to be observed during the auspicious four months of Chaturmas. At that time, Premanand Swami got up and pledged, “O Maharaj! I pledge that I will daily compose eight pads or poems in praise of your murti.” Maharaj became very happy to hear him undertake such a difficult vow.

Premanand Swami has described Shriji Maharaj as the manifest or pragat form of Purushottam in his devotional songs. He has sung them with such a melodious voice and with so much passion that every word appears charged with devotion and love. He has described every pore of Shriji Maharaj’s body in great detail in language that is an inexhaustible spring of pure love. He has described the same thing again and again in various kirtans, but his genius lay in giving them a touch of freshness. Every new kirtan reveals his ever-increasing love for Maharaj. Even while describing the human actions of Maharaj, his understanding of Maharaj’s divinity becomes one with Maharaj’s human actions. It is as if his heart was flowing out in his kirtans. Such was his ever-increasing love.

Once, a devotee of Mataji came to Shriji Maharaj and sang a ballad praising the goddess. Maharaj drew the attention of the sadhus to the sincerity and devotion of that devotee. Premanand Swami got up and instantly composed a kirtan while focusing on the murti of Maharaj. He sang:

“Vandu Sahajãnand rasrup, anupam sãrne re lol, Jene bhajtã chhute fand, kare bhav pãr ne re lol...”

Maharaj himself started swaying to the beats and tunes of this bhajan. The whole assembly was completely spellbound. When these eight pads were over, Maharaj could not hide his joy. He said to Swami, “You have sung very beautiful kirtans. Hearing these kirtans, I thought that this sadhu has so much focus on the murti of God, that I should get up and offer prostrations to him. If one meditates on God in the way described in these pads, one is forever liberated from the clutches of kal, karma and maya.”

Just as Premanand Swami was overflowing with affectionate devotion towards Shriji Maharaj, Maharaj also always bestowed upon him his choicest blessings. He, too, liked to listen to him singing devotional songs.

Once, late on a winter’s night, Premanand Swami took his sarangi and started singing. The notes of the sarangi and his sarangi-like voice filled the air. The sweet words of the bhajan in praise of Maharaj reached the Akshar Ordi. The devotional song stirred Maharaj, who, despite the biting cold, went to where Premanand Swami was singing and quietly stood behind him, listening to him singing kirtans with utmost concentration. Premanand Swami, who had become so engrossed in the divine murti of Maharaj continued to sing one bhajan after another. The chilly winter night passed. At dawn when he put aside his sarangi and stopped singing, he heard the soothing, affectionate voice of Maharaj. Premanand Swami turned around and fell at the feet of Maharaj, asking, “O Merciful Maharaj! How is it that you are here?”

“I have spent the whole night standing here listening to your melodious kirtans. Still I feel like listening to more.”

Premanand Swami was deeply moved to hear Maharaj paying such compliments to him.

Shriji Maharaj greatly appreciated Premanand Swami’s devotion and poetry. He used to bestow divine bliss upon him in many ways. Once, Maharaj, accompanied by many sadhus, went to Kutch. There, Maharaj put his hand around Premanand Swami and asked him to do likewise as they walked through the bazaar of Bhuj singing kirtans. Premanand Swami sang one line and Maharaj sang the next. Thus, through such divine lila Maharaj bestowed upon him many such unique memories.

Once, the Nawab of Junagadh heard the soothing music of Premanand Swami at the Swaminarayan Mandir in Junagadh. He felt, “Such singing from the depth of the soul is not possible anywhere in the world.” Some time later, some musicians from Gwalior came to sing the dhrupad rag before the nawab. Disinterested, he told them, ‘‘After listening to Premanand, a sadhu of Swaminarayan, I no longer listen to anyone else’s music. His singing is matchless in this world.”

A short while later, these musicians travelled to Gadhada to see Shriji Maharaj. It was noon when they arrived at Dada Khachar’s darbar. The assembly was about to disperse. The musicians expressed their earnest desire to hear the music of Premanand Swami. Maharaj duly obliged and asked Premanand Swami to sing. Shriji Maharaj instructed him, “Sing the bhairavi rag.” The musicians were amused to hear the request to sing at noon a rag which is traditionally sung at dawn. But the moment Premanand Swami began to sing the surrounding mood changed and everyone experienced the atmosphere of dawn. The melodious notes of the bhairavi rag flowing through his voice turned the noon into a cool refreshing dawn. The musicians became oblivious of everything on hearing the music of Premanand Swami.

Once, after attending the arti, Shriji Maharaj entered the room of Vasudev-Narayan. Here, Laduba and Jivuba asked, “Maharaj, you say you are the master of Akshardham. So, how should we understand your form?” At that time Maharaj explained to them his form as Purna Purushottam – the supreme God. Premanand Swami was listening from a distance and composed four verses describing the beauty of Maharaj’s murti and his glory as the supreme Godhead.

Ãj mãre orde re, ãvyã Avinãshi Alabel... and Bolyã Shri Hari re, sãmbhalo narnãri harijan...

Maharaj was very pleased to hear these verses.

Shriji Maharaj regularly sent his thal as prasad to Premanand Swami. Naturally, after Shriji Maharaj’s departure to his divine abode of Akshardham, this stopped. Premanand Swami could not bear this separation from Maharaj and did not take food or water for about five days. He had lost interest in everything. Then he tried to cook, but he was unable to. At that time, he remembered Maharaj. So, he took his sarod and started singing:

“Sajni Shriji mujne sambhãriyã re, Haiye harakh ati ubhrãy; Nene ãsuni dhãrã vahe re, Virahe mandu vyãkul thãy, Sajni...”

(I think of my friend, Shriji, and my heart begins to overflow with joy; tears flow from my eyes as my mind is pining to meet him. The separation is too much…)

On hearing this verse, Dada Khachar ran to Premanand Swami. He, too, could not stand the agony expressed in the kirtan. He requested Premanand Swami, “Swami, stop! Please don’t sing such kirtans.” Then he learned that Swami had not eaten for the last five days. Maharaj had instructed Laduba and Jivuba, “Send Thakorji’s thal to Premanand Swami daily.” However, for some unknown reason, this had not happened. Dada Khachar immediately arranged for the thal to be sent.

Separation from Maharaj was too much for Premsakhi Premanand. Every day, after the mangala arti at dawn, he would sing bhajans before the murti of Gopinathji Maharaj in Gadhada. He would continue singing to please Maharaj until the rajbhog arti just before noon. Gopinathji Maharaj would appear daily from the murti and give his garland to Premanand Swami.

Pleased with his poetry, Shriji Maharaj always respected him on par with great poets such as Muktanand Swami, Brahmanand Swami and Nishkulanand Swami. Premanand Swami composed bhajans describing the form and glory of Maharaj to be sung as prabhatiya, godi, arti, prarthana, and cheshta.

Shriji Maharaj always looked upon music as an invigorating element in the Bhakti tradition. Whenever religious assemblies were held or when Maharaj visited royal courts, Premanand Swami, Muktanand Swami, Devanand Swami, Brahmanand Swami and others would charge the atmosphere with their spiritual singing. They sang their own compositions to the accompaniment of musical instruments such as dukkad, sarod and sarangi. They used to cast such a spell that even great music maestros were wonderstruck on hearing them.

In the kirtans of Premanand Swami composed after the departure of Shriji Maharaj to his abode, one finds the pangs of separation expressed in a most moving language. On 21 November 1854 (Magshar sud 1, Samvat 1911), his separation from Maharaj ended and passed away to Akshardham to remain forever in the presence of Shriji Maharaj.

Outstanding works by Premsakhi Premanand Swami include: Dhyan Manjari, Narayan Charitra, Tulsi Vivah, Gopi Virah and Shriharicharitra. Besides these works, he composed over 14,000 bhajans in Gujarati, Hindi and Vraj. His Dhrupad verses are matchless in Indian music.

The following four bhajans, composed by Premanand Swami, express the glory and commands of Shriji Maharaj:

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