Preface

From 1781 to 1830 CE, Bhagwan Swaminarayan inspired a moral and spiritual revival 10 thousands of spiritual seekers from all walks of life in India. His universal message captivated their hearts and by treading the path he had defined, they experienced the divine bliss of God.

To continue his noble task, Bhagwan Swaminarayan established a tradition of God- realized Sadhus. His first successor was Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami and with his guidance, countless devotees also attained the highest spiritual bliss.

Despite their differing backgrounds, these devotees of Bhagwan Swaminarayan led lives of dedicated devotion, faith and service to God with a true understanding of his divine form and glory. It were these qualities that enabled them to overcome all the difficulties they faced. Their virtuous and courageous lives have left permanent 'footprints' on the landscape of Satsang history. These 'footprints' are a guide and benchmark to the ideals all devotees must attain. And by following their 'footprints' one will certainly experience the same divine bliss of God.

Footprints, Part 1, inspired by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, is the first of three parts. This English version by Sadhu Amrutvijaydas is a translation from the original Gujarati publication, Bhaktacharitam, Part 1.

This book contains the short biographies of 26 sadhu and householder devotees from the time of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami. Each chapter is depicted by excellent colour drawings by Vasudeo Kamath and Sanjay Mishra.

The elevating stories of noble and brave devotees will inspire all to follow in their 'footprints' .

Contents