Akhandanand Varni was born as Shivram Bhatt from the village “Shiyani” in the Limbdi district. His father’s name was Ratnasharma, who was a profound scholar of the Vedas and Shastras. Shivram Bhatt studied the Vedas and Shastras under the guidance of his own father.
He served as the royal priest (purohit) for the royal family of the Limbdi state and received a handsome annual grant (varshasan) from the state. He also conducted spiritual discourses (parayans) on the Shrimad Bhagwat Purana.
When the Swaminarayan Sampraday began to spread, its devotees referred to the leader as Parabrahm. Meanwhile, detractors called Him a practitioner of black magic (jantar-mantar) or a hypocrite. However, through the association of sadhus, Shivram Bhatt developed an appreciation for the Satsang. During this period, King Harisinhji of Limbdi also heard accounts of the extraordinary divine majesty of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan. Because some detractors told him conflicting stories, the King sent Shivram Bhatt to Gadhpur to verify the truth with Maharaj.
He asked Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan eighteen (18) principal questions, ranging from His caste, lineage, and birth to matters of worship and spiritual liberation (mukti). Maharaj provided satisfying answers to all his questions and granted him a state of samadhi, confirming His identity as the supreme God, the Lord of even Akshar. Shivram Bhatt then explained the glory of Maharaj to King Harisinhji and made him a devotee as well.
Since Shivram Bhatt was the royal priest for King Harisinhji, he conducted prayers and parayans for him. After becoming a follower of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan, he went to the royal court at the King’s request to perform a Bhagwat Parayan. When the King and Queen both arrived to perform the ceremonial worship of the scripture (pustak-puja) and the orator (Vyas-puja), Bhattji humbly stated, “Your Majesty, please perform the worship alone. I cannot have contact with women; this is my vow since becoming a devotee of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan.” When the King insisted on performing the worship as a couple, Bhattji firmly refused and stated that if they wished to worship together, they should have another Brahmin perform the ceremony.
Having said this, Shivram Bhatt descended from the speaker’s seat (Vyas-pith) and walked away. Such was the strength of his worship and religious steadfastness toward Maharaj. Although he lived in the material world, his heart did not remain attached to it. He deliberately renounced worldly life and remained in the service of the feet of Maharaj. Consequently, he earned a place as a servant of Maharaj’s feet in the Sarvamangal Stotra, the 1008 names of Maharaj. In time, he received diksha from the hands of Maharaj and became a Sadhu. Bearing the name Akhandanand Varni, he experienced the continuous bliss of Maharaj’s divine form.
Being a scholar, Akhandanand Varni rendered significant service to the literature of the fellowship. He composed numerous texts and kirtans filled with the divine lilas of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan. The Mahapuja performed in the Sampraday today was composed by Akhandanand Varni and is documented in the text “Shree Hari Charitra”. This Mahapuja was first introduced in Vadtal by Akhandanand Brahmachari and the great yogi Gopalanand Swami, and was later performed on a daily basis in Jetpur and Junagadh.
When Maharaj established the Acharya Parampara in Vadtal, He instructed Sadguru Shree Akhandanand Varni to stay with Acharya Shree Raghuvirji Maharaj for his entire life. The “Shree Hari Charitra” contains words of praise for Akhandanand Varni:
“Mahatma Shree Akhandanand Varni was a mine of virtuous qualities. He was considered the best among wise men of noble intellect. He was naturally calm, patient, and soft-natured. He possessed singular devotion to the Lord of Akshar: Purushottam. He was clever in explaining things to the common people for their welfare, and he was greatly adorned by his detachment (vairagya). He had a deep love for listening to the divine lilas of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan. In this world, he was the pinnacle of sadhuta. Superior in virtues, he fully understood the true glory of Maharaj, who is beyond Akshar Purush. This understanding was granted to him by the grace of Maharaj.”