Shlok 3

Ayodhyaprasad and Raghuvir who have been installed by Me as Acharya at Ahmedabad and Vadtal respectively, sons of my brothers, Rampratapji and Ichharamji, born of Shri Dharmadev.

In the next four Shlokas, Lord Swaminarayan accords his blessings upon the two Acharyas and also upon four categories of people. These are, (i) Naishtik Brahmcharis - Brahmins who take a Naishtik Vrata of celibacy, (ii) Grihastas - householders, (iii) Sarva Stree - all women (married, unmarried and widowed) and (iv) Sadhus - ascetics or saints who have renounced worldly life.

Lord Swaminarayan, by mentioning these classes of people, is highlighting who this Shikshapatri is for - the classes who are to follow the Shikshapatri. These four Shlokas partition society and in doing so, Lord Swaminarayan is then able to write specific Dharmas for these classes of people in the second half of the Shikshapatri.

Also, he provides a name of a person for each class. Such person is mentioned as they have excelled so greatly in that particular class and so are considered as the ideal devotee in that class. Thus the Lord has praised such exemplarity. It is our duty to study the example set by these great persons and try to replicate these examples ourselves.

Lord Swaminarayan first bestows his blessings upon the two Adi Acharyas (first Acharyas) of the Sampradai.  Lord Swaminarayan towards the end of his stay upon this Earth decided to establish two Acharyas - for the Northern and Southern regions of India. These Heads or Acharyas were later decided to be his nephews who would be adopted as his own. Thus the Sampradai was left in their hands only and successive Acharyas from the ‘Dharma Kula’  - ancestry of Dharmadev.

Only these Acharyas are to be considered and revered as Heads of the Swaminarayan Sampradai, as per Lord Swaminarayan’s explicit wish which is documented in the ‘Desh Vibhag Lekh’ - authorised by the Lord.

Only those who pledge allegiance to an Acharya are true members of the Sampradai and so the Lord in this Shloka propounds association with the Acharyas and thus glorifies the Acharya heritage in this fellowship.