In the town of Amod, within the Bharuch district of Gujarat, lived a renowned scholar named Dinanath Bhatt. A master of Sanskrit, he spent his days composing intricate hymns and reciting them with devotion before Shreeji Maharaj. However, a shadow eventually fell over his faith. Nirvikalpanand Swami —an unfortunate soul who had been expelled from the Satsang—whispered seeds of doubt into the scholar’s mind, questioning the divinity of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan.
Misled by these whispers, Dinanath Bhatt grew indifferent. He distanced himself from the satsang and, in doing so, unwittingly surrendered the divine protection that had long shielded his home.
The encroaching Darkness
With the scholar’s spiritual guard lowered, an evil spirit found a golden opportunity to strike. For a time, the spirit was kept at the threshold; despite his doubts, Dinanath continued to wave the holy Aarti and recite his accustomed hymns. This lingering fragment of devotion acted as a barricade, preventing the entity from possessing Dinanath himself.
However, the scholar’s daughter, Jamuna, was not so protected. Having mirrored her father’s indifference, she had cast away Shree Hari from her soul. Vulnerable and detached from the divine, she became the target. The evil spirit possessed her, turning her life into a waking nightmare. It terrorized the household—stealing articles, shredding her clothes, and defiling their food.
Dinanath Bhatt exhausted every scholarly resource and worldly ritual to exorcise the spirit, but his efforts were as futile as trying to paint a picture on the surface of water.
The Return to Grace
Broken by the torture of his daughter, Dinanath finally recognized the folly of his pride. He realized that in forsaking Shreeji Maharaj, he had forsaken his only true refuge. He hurried to Shreeji Maharaj’s holy feet at Akshar Fulwadi in Jetalpur, imploring with a heavy heart:
“O Merciful Master, I seek shelter once more. Through my own ill fortune, my daughter is possessed and ruined by a ghost. From this moment, she is yours. Command her to follow Your religious code, and she shall obey. Please cast Your merciful glance upon her and relieve this torture.”
Shreeji Maharaj looked upon him with a gentle, knowing smile. “You are a Brahmin,” He remarked softly, “regarded as a god among men. How could your daughter be possessed by such an entity?”
Dinanath bowed low, his voice trembling with humility. “O Helper of the helpless! Even devtas and Brahmins become powerless the moment they discard Your protection. Today, I return to that shelter. Please, ignore my wrongdoings.”
The Miracle
Moved by the scholar’s sincere repentance, Shreeji Maharaj provided a simple yet profound remedy. He instructed Dinanath Bhatt to seek out another humble devotee, Mayaram Bhatt of Manavadar. “Relate the entire situation to him,” Maharaj commanded. “Thereafter, invoke My name and give your daughter the water used by Mayaram during his meal. By this grace, the ghost shall flee.”
In that very moment, before the eyes of the gathered sabha, the divine command took hold. The evil spirit, unable to withstand the mere mention of Shreeji Maharaj’s grace, let out a piercing, deafening wail and vanished from Jamuna’s body forever. As peace returned to his daughter, a deeper realization dawned upon Dinanath Bhatt: if such miraculous power resided in the simple water of a devotee of Shreeji Maharaj, then the glory of Shreeji Maharaj Himself was truly infinite and beyond all measure.
Filled with a joy that transcended his scholarly learning, Dinanath Bhatt broke into a praise that remains a testament to divine grace:
Bhav-sambhav-bhiti-bhedanam, Sukh-sampatkarunã-niketanam;
Vrata-dãn-tapah kriyã-falam, Sahajãnand-gurum bhaje sadã. 1
I forever worship Guru Sahajanand, who shatters the fear of the cycle of birth and death, who is the source of all happiness, prosperity, and compassion, and who is the ultimate reward for all vows, charities, and austerities.
