Comparing Svāminārāyaṇa-siddhānta-sudhā with Tulsidas Ramayan.

Recently BAPS bava, Bhadreshdas, written Svāminārāyaṇa-siddhānta-sudhā; BAPS followers consider Bhadreshdas’ work greater than Shankracharya’s work. In this article, we will compare Svāminārāyaṇa-siddhānta-sudhā with Goswami Tulsidas’ RamCharitManas Ramayan and some of the work by earlier swaminarayan sadhus.Goswami Tulsidas’ Ramayan is one of the greatest work for Hindu literature as well as for world literature. Goswami Tulsidas’ Ramayan is divided in 7 kands; Bal Kand, Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kishkindha Kand, Sunder Kand, Lanka Kand and Uttar Kand. All 7 kands are full with Maryada Purshottam Bhagwan Shri Ram’s deeds, but Sunder kand is beautifully written by Tulsidas, where Tulsidas describes glory of Ram and Hanuman.

Sunderkand starts with following lines, listening to first 3 chopai instantly quiet your mind and gives chills.

शान्तं शाश्वतमप्रमेयमनघं निर्वाणशान्तिप्रदं
                                 ब्रह्माशम्भुफणीन्द्रसेव्यमनिशं वेदान्तवेद्यं विभुम् ।
रामाख्यं जगदीश्वरं सुरगुरुं मायामनुष्यं हरिं
                                      वन्देऽहं करुणाकरं रघुवरं भूपालचूड़ामणिम्।।1।। 

भावार्थः-शान्त, सनातन, अप्रमेय (प्रमाणों से परे), निष्पाप, मोक्षरूप परमशान्ति देने वाले, ब्रह्मा, शम्भु और शेषजी से निरंतर सेवित, वेदान्त के द्वारा जानने योग्य, सर्वव्यापक, देवताओं में सबसे बड़े, माया से मनुष्य रूप में दिखने वाले, समस्त पापों को हरने वाले, करुणा की खान, रघुकुल में श्रेष्ठ तथा राजाओं के शिरोमणि राम कहलाने वाले जगदीश्वर की मैं वंदना करता हूँ॥1॥

Meaning: I adore the Lord of the universe bearing the name of Rama, the chief of Raghu’s line and the crest-jewel of kings, the mine of compassion, the dispeller of all sins, appearing in human form through his Maya(deluding potency), the greatest of all gods, knowable through Vedanta, constantly worshipped by Brahma(the Creator), Sambhu (Lord Shiv) and Sesa (the serpent-god), the bestower of supreme peace in the form of final beatitude, placid, eternal, beyond the ordinary means of cognition, sinless and all-pervading.

नान्या स्पृहा रघुपते हृदयेऽस्मदीये
                            सत्यं वदामि च भवानखिलान्तरात्मा।
भक्तिं प्रयच्छ रघुपुङ्गव निर्भरां मे
                                  कामादिदोषरहितं कुरु मानसं च।।2।।

भावार्थः-हे रघुनाथजी! मैं सत्य कहता हूँ और फिर आप सबके अंतरात्मा ही हैं (सब जानते ही हैं) कि मेरे हृदय में दूसरी कोई इच्छा नहीं है। हे रघुकुलश्रेष्ठ! मुझे अपनी निर्भरा (पूर्ण) भक्ति दीजिए और मेरे मन को काम आदि दोषों से रहित कीजिए॥2॥

Meaning: There is no other craving in my heart, O Lord of the Raghus: I speak the truth and You are the Spriti indwelling the hearts of all. Grant me intense devotion to your feer, O crest-jewel of Raghus, and free my mind from faults like concupiscene etc.

अतुलितबलधामं हेमशैलाभदेहं
                               दनुजवनकृशानुं ज्ञानिनामग्रगण्यम्।
सकलगुणनिधानं वानराणामधीशं
                              रघुपतिप्रियभक्तं वातजातं नमामि।।3।।

भावार्थः-अतुल बल के धाम, सोने के पर्वत (सुमेरु) के समान कान्तियुक्त शरीर वाले, दैत्य रूपी वन (को ध्वंस करने) के लिए अग्नि रूप, ज्ञानियों में अग्रगण्य, संपूर्ण गुणों के निधान, वानरों के स्वामी, श्री रघुनाथजी के प्रिय भक्त पवनपुत्र श्री हनुमान्‌जी को मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ॥3॥

Meaning: I bow to the son of the wind-god, the beloved devotee of Shri Ram, the chief of the monkeys, the repository of all virtues, the foremost among the wise, a fire to consume the forest of demon race, possessing a body shining as a mountain of gold and a home of immeasurable strength.

Tulsidas work shows great attention to detail; while describing characteristics of Shri Ram, Tulsidas writing miraculously makes reader/listener forgets everything and allows consciousness of person to focus on only Shri Ram. No where in Svāminārāyaṇa-siddhānta-sudhā include passages

Some of the BAPS followers consider Svāminārāyaṇa-siddhānta-sudhā greater than Sankracharya work, which is just foolishness. Swaminarayan sampraday’s paramhans Mukatanand Swami and Gunanitanad Swami works include documentaries on Bhagwad Geeta. By calling Svāminārāyaṇa-siddhānta-sudhā greatest, BAPS is insulting their own guru who set up BAPS sampraday.

Bava Bhadreshdas writes in Svāminārāyaṇa-siddhānta-sudhā that book is a combination of Bhagwad Geeta, Ramayan, Vedas and Upasana. Question to ask yourself, if Bhadreshdas had to included Geeta and Ramayan in the book, then why not read Geeta and Ramayan?