The first person to ever chant the Shree Swaminarayan Mahamantra was Vipra Shitaldas, who was from the village Jharnaparna in North India. This Shitaldas is none other than the powerful paramhans Sadguru Shree Vyapkanand Swami.
A descendant of the lineage of Ekalshringi Rishi and possessing a spark of spirituality, this mumukshu felt a burning thirst in his soul to meet Bhagwan. Leaving his home and donning the garb of a renunciant (vairagi), he traveled on a pilgrimage toward Dwarka to catch a glimpse of the divine. There, he received news that made the exhaustion of his thousands of kilometers of travel vanish: “Ramanand Swami, residing in Fareni, is Bhagwan incarnate.” It was as if nectar had been poured into his ears. Strength returned to his feet, and he hurried to Fareni, only to face a devastating shock. Despite his haste, he arrived fourteen days too late, as Ramanand Swami had already departed from this world.
After reaching Fareni, as Shitaldas considered turning back with a disappointed heart after meeting the young Sahajanand Swami, it was Sahajanand Swami who gave him hope of seeing Ramanand Swami. At that moment, “Suni boliya sundar shyam, rato Swaminarayan naam.” Upon chanting the name, Shitaldas fell into a trance (samadhi). He had a vision of Ramanand Swami in the seva of Shreeji Maharaj. Shitaldas told Ramanand Swami that he had considered Ramanand Swami to be Bhagwan. Ramanand Swami corrected him, saying, “No, Bhagwan is sitting before me.”
Shitaldas returned from the trance and recounted his experience. Everyone doubted him, and asked Maharaj to prove it by showing them Akshardham. To settle the growing doubt, Maharaj commanded the entire sabha to repeat the Swaminarayan name. Instantly, everyone fell into a collective trance. All present witnessed Akshardham and recognized Maharaj as Parabrahm Purushottam Narayan, the Supreme God. Shortly after, Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan gave Shitaldas diksha and named him ‘Vyapkanand’. Shitaldas was the first soul to ever be given diksha by Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan.
“Pachhi sadhu te Shitaldase, lidhi diksha Mahaprabhu pase; Naam Vyapkanand varishth, thaya param samadhinisht.”
He rapidly attained yogic perfections (siddhis) and became a powerful sadhu. The root of this power was the immense pride he held for the manifest Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan, whom he had found after great effort.
It was this Vyapkanand Swami who brought the mare of Darbar Hamir Khachar of Botad back to life. In another instance, a Muslim Emperor fined Veniram of Lucknow ten million rupees and decreed that if he could not pay, he must convert to Islam. As Veniram prepared to take his own life, he encountered Vyapkanand Swami. Swami explained the glory of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan and made him a devotee. Maharaj Himself then appeared to settle the fine. This capable sadhu even traveled to the realm of Bhuma Purush to announce the arrival of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan in this universe. Furthermore, Swami once brought the deceased son of a Brahmin—at whose house he had gone to dine—back to life by whispering the “Swaminarayan” Mahamantra into the boy’s ear.