J: Shastriji Maharaj (1865 – 1951)

• Shastriji Maharaj was the third spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
• A profound scholar of Sanskrit and the Hindu scriptures, he was a magnetic orator responsible for bringing to the fore the worship and theology of Akshar and Purushottam.
• The central and fundamental theology of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya is the worship of Akshar and Purushottam – Bhagwan Swaminarayan along with His ideal devotee, Gunatitanand Swami. This supports the traditional Hindu doctrine of the worship of God with His ideal devotee, as in Krishna with Radha, Rama with Sita, and Shiva with Parvati.
• Dynamic and resolute, he overcame insurmountable odds to build five large mandirs, consecrating within them the images of Gunatitanand Swami (Akshar) and Bhagwan Swaminarayan (Purushottam).
• In 1907, he formally established Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).