Vasudevanand Brahmachari, who strongly abided by the commands of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan, lived a life of intense austerity, renunciation, and selfless devotion, liberating countless souls. A person of short stature, he hailed from the village of Malpur near Modasa in the Sabarkantha district. He was born into a Trivedi Mewada Brahmin family in Samvat 1855, and his pre-monastic name was Jivatram Sharma. Possessing a keen interest in studies after his sacred thread ceremony (yagnopavit), he began studying Sanskrit in the village of Nandol (near Dahegam) under Laxmiram Shastri, a devotee of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan.
While teaching the scriptures, Laxmiram Shastri would explain the divine form of Shreeji Maharaj to Jivatram. Consequently, Jivatram developed a deep love for Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan. In Samvat 1867, when Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan visited Jetalpur, Jivatram felt an intense longing for His darshan and accompanied Laxmiram to see Him.
His love for Maharaj was awakened, and the divine sight of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan became enshrined in Jivatram’s heart. After staying for three or four days, he told Laxmiram Shastri, “Tell them at home not to worry about me,” and he pleaded with Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan, “Lord! Please grant me diksha into sainthood!.” Recognizing Jivatram’s intense spiritual seeking, curiosity, detachment, and wisdom, Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan initiated him as a sadhu in Jetalpur, giving him the auspicious name Vasudevanand.
Vasudevanand Varni was trained by Nityanand Swami. Being graceful and delicate in appearance, Varni was well-liked by everyone. He was a great sadhu who strictly observed the vow of lifelong celibacy (naishthik brahmacharya); therefore, Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan used to call him Sanat Kumar. Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan praised his lust-free conduct, and in the village of Loya, He personally performed his worship (puja) and sipped the water sanctified by his feet (charanodak).
Vasudevanand Varni was perfect in both beauty and virtue. When he delivered spiritual discourses, even great scholars and kings would be mesmerized and seek refuge in Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan. Influenced by his eloquent style and saintly life, Harishankar Shukla, a Brahmin from Prantij, accepted the niyams and became a follower.
On Vaishakh Vad 2 in Samvat 1884, after the murti Pratishtha in Junagadh, Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan appointed Vasudevanand Varni as the first priest (pujari) at the request of Gunatitanand Swami. In the field of literature within the fellowship, Vasudevanandji composed the Sanskrit scripture Satsangi Bhushan, which is filled with the divine episodes and characteristics of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan. In this beautifully written and profoundly meaningful text, he wove together the supreme divinity and the all-encompassing nature of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan.
He performed the writing of this scripture while residing in places such as Kapadvanj, Shiyani, Ahmedabad, Vahelal, and Pethapur. Vasudevanand Varni traveled through Halar, Jhalawad, and Machhukantho, inspiring people to satsangis. Vasudevanand Varni returned to Akshardhan on Kartak Vad 10 in Samvat 1920 in Ahmedabad. His memorial shrine (chhatri) stands at Narayan Ghat on the banks of the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad.
After he departed for the divine abode, a commentary on the Satsangi Bhushan scripture was written by Shastri Krupashankar of Halvad, under the command of Acharya Shree Keshavprasadji Maharaj. Whenever Krupashankar Shastri could not understand the meaning of a verse, Vasudevanandji Varni would appear in his dreams to clarify the meaning of the shlokas.
We offer hundreds of salutations at the feet of Vasudevanand Varni, a preeminent scholar and a beloved sadhu of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan, who enabled many to attain supreme bliss.