Soami Bagh

Biography of Soamiji Maharaj

Param Purush Puran Dhani Soamiji Maharaj, incarnation of Radhasoami Dayal, descended on earth to emancipate human beings from sufferings,in his Mercy and Grace, on the night of the eighth day of the dark half of Bhadon, in the Hindu year 1875 vikram samvat corresponding to night between 24-25 August 1818 A.D at panni gali,Agra, in the seth clan of khatris. he was given the name, Shiv Dayal Singh Seth.

His father dilwali singh was a disciple of Sant tulsi saheb of Hathras who had told the parents of Soamiji Maharaj that a highly spritiual soul has been born to them.Tulsi saheb, during a visit to their house, had advised “treat your son with high reverence as He is a great soul”.

Soamiji Maharaj, even at a tender age,when all children want to play, used to unravel the deep secrets of celestial world, which even the persons, who were masters in Shastras and Vedas could not do .he used to perform yoga of Shabd & Spirit.

Soamiji Maharaj was married to Radhaji , daughter of Ijjat Rai from Faridabad, Haryana. Radhaji was a virtuous lady & believed in service to mankind. She was a devoted lady & untiring & selfless worker. She was a lady saint in her own right.

Soamiji maharaj had a towering pleasant personality and had a mystic glow on his face. His personality attracted visitors like a magnet and his simple explanations of complex religious issues directly hit the right chords in the minds of listeners. His lucid and simple heart touching explanations to the complex problems attracted huge congregations. His voice was firm and sweet and his preaching attracted the masses.

Soamiji maharaj, in January 1861, promulgated the Radhasoami faith on Basant Panchmi Day, on the special request of his beloved disciple, Rai Bahadur Saligram (Second Sant sat Guru of Radhasoami Faith).

The disciples increased ever since and Soamiji Maharaj had to move the Satsang to the outskirts of Agra, at Soami Bagh, as panni gali was to small to accommodate the worshipers.

There were many Sadhus, Satsangis and Satsangins, who did selfless sewa, Satsang Sumiran, Dhyan and Bhajan, with love and affection, under the guidance of soamiji maharaj. His favourite disciples had been Rai Bahadur Salig Ram, Lala pratap singh and scores of other santsangis and satsangins like Shibboji, Bukki ji, Bishnoji etc.

Soamiji Maharaj wrote two holy books, which from the basic tenets of the Radhasoami faith. One is ‘Sar Bachan (Poetry)’ printed in two volumes, and the second is ‘ Sar Bachan (Prose)’ in part 1 and 2, a collection of various Bachans He gave in Satsang and during walking and talking sessions which various Satsangis wrote down and printed.

Soamiji Maharaj departed for Nij Dham on June 15, 1878, (Asad Badi Padwa Vikram Samvat 1935) at Panni Gali, Agra.

On November 1, 1894 (Kartik Sudi 4 Vikram Samvat 1951), Param Mata Radhaji Maharaj left for nij dham and her last remains viz Holy Ashes were also Kept in Holy Samadh by Second Sant Sat Guru Huzur Maharaj.

Thus Holy Samadh stores the invaluable treasure of the universe, for the devotees of Radhasoami faith. Holy Samadh is thus the most revered place in cosmos.

Radhasoami faith and its Tenets

1. As per Radhasoami Faith, the deliverance of sprit from the bondages of mind and matter, the body & senses, and its gradual ascension and eventual entrance into the first or highest division, is perfect salvation.
2. The elevation of surat to its original abode is possible with Surat Shabd Yoga, which Merciful Radhasoami Dayal explained in detail, showing the route, various stopovers on the way, and detailed description of various places on the way, the deities of these stop-overs and the accompanying sound etc.
3. Having descended from the highest or first region, the surat (spirit) has in its present state become encased in material coverings and in a manner, intermingled with matter and is in third region subject to the forces resulting from such admixture.it has thereby lost its powers of discrimination and intelligence and has become subject to carnal desires & passions. As long as it remains in the second & third divisions where mind & matter exist it cannot be free from future births in the lower or higher regions. It is only in the first or highest division where mind & matter do not exit that there is no re birth. There is everlasting conscious state of Love & bliss.

According to Maharaj Saheb, the third Sant Sat    Guru of Radhasoami Faith the object of religion is as follows:

“When the spirit gains admission into purely spritiual regions of Supreme Creator, then it becomes immortal, freed from pain and opposition of every description, and remains absorbed in everlasting rapture of the supreme bliss, of the majestic vision of the supreme Creator”

Religion of faith leads a true seeker back to the higher spiritual regions traversing the way by performing prescribed method of practicing Surat Shabd Yoga, under guidance of Sant Sat Guru or an adept or a Satsangi who has already travelled some distance, but has yet to reach the final destination. Religion seeks Truth and nothing but the truth. All paths lead to higher spiritual regions. All sub division of grand creation are images of each other, but each has got different power, period of existence, different power, period of existence, different name and deity. True Religion helps you to distinguish them and select the correct one.

Truth is God and God is Truth. Truth or ‘Sat’ is essence of all religions.

Radhasoami faith alone can provide solace to a wandering spirit. This is a pure spiritual faith, and those who want to have salvation of spirit or “Surat”, can atain it if they do practice under a true guide or adept and obey his orders entirely. It prescribes the “Surat Shabd Yoga” viz union of spirit with sound. Sound is like a reservoir and the creator of total creation, While “Surat” or spirit is a drop of this reservoir viz. part of it. Thus “Surat” has natural affinity for sound. The Surat descended on earth with the sound and will reach its destination in celestial world when it rises above, in celestial skies with sound. Only impediment is that it is in a state of inertia, due to proximity and bondages of kal and his companion maya. The saint or Sant Sat Guru has a unique position in the faith and without Guru, salvation cannot be achieved and he is called incarnation of supreme father. It requires a devotee to do the worship the Sant sat guru of the time and develop true love for his Lotus feet. This is a faith based on love and devotion, and will break the shackles of materialistic bondages which tie you to the world and restrict your spirit of surat to awaken, arise and start its travel to worlds your real home. Only a true guide can give you the true name, which when recited with love, can open the gates of the inner mind. Once your spirit is awakened, you will go towards the destination viz. point of orgin i.e. to Nij Dham, accompanied with the sound. Your spirit will feel only ecstatic Bliss, When it reaches destination.

Things which differentiate Radhasoami faith from the rest are that it does not forbid family life nor ask anyone to leave his job or business and become a recluse. Restraint and avoidance of excessive indulgence in worldly comforts and sensory pleasures is the divine directive, so as to concentrate on awakening of his “Surat”.

According to Radhasoami faith, the supreme being is formless, unfathonable, endless, nameless, omnipresent, all powerful, merciful, all knowledgeable, full of bliss and peace, mercy, grace, etc. when he manifests, He is known as Sat Purush Radhasoami. Soamiji Maharaj was supreme Being incarnate. Living Sant Sat Gurus in the ‘Radhasoami’. The Basic ingredient required is to surrender to the Sat Guru By Body, Mind and soul, with Love and bliss. Sat Guru is the source of infinite Spirituality.

Supreme father is a vast ocean of pure spirit. He is perfect, Sufficient & complete in himself and was immersed in himself. He is an ocean of love and a vast reservoir of love and bliss. Love was the essence of his nature and everything He and reflected was Love & Love alone. He does not use force or cajole to fall in line with him.

Love is sublime and has its origin in the highest spiritual regions. Without true love, no form of devotion gives the desired results. Love, and alone, is the ingredient which changes the very fabric of devotion into true Bhakti, which when worn by Surat, enables it to become dearer to the beloved Shabd or Sound.

The Supreme Father is an ocean; love is a natural phenomenon and there is a bond or link between the two as both are form one origin. Love is limitless and knows no boundaries. Love does not take any restrictions and cannot be bound by any bondages or conditions of the world.

Love is always ready to sacrifice anything for sake of the beloved. No sacrifice is bigger for seeking admission before the beloved Supreme Father.

All the riches of the world are worthless before one glimpse of the beloved Lord. True love crosses all hurdles to meet the beloved. Every wave of love rising in the Lover’s heart, brings tidings of goodness and boundless joy and every thought which is springing up in the heart is a harbinger of noble deeds.

Only self-love brings egotism and pride, and sows the seeds of hatred & jealousy, while tru love brings humility & humbelness and makes the surat viz. spirit dearer to supreme father.

Radhasoami Faith is not for rituals and rejects any symbolic devotion, and does not believe in ritualism and rationalism or customs or myths . The only mention about Hindu deities is that these are all in the second grand Division and are thus in spheres of lower spirituality, and therefore cannot be the abode of the supreme being. Only what is true has been revealed by Soamiji Maharaj.

In summary, the four pillars of Radhasoami Faith are follows :-          

1. Sant Satguru.
2. Sat Nam or True Name.
3. Satsang (External Satsang) and Surat Shabd Yoga (Internal Satsang).
4. Sat Anurag or True Love and devotion in Holy feet of Sant Satguru.

Sant Satguru is ther corner stone of Sant Mat. Without the presence of Sant Satguru the devotee can not ascend his spirit in the ethereal sky. The sewa of Sant Satguru washes away your Egoism, Greed, Endearment, Anger and Sensual Desires and makes you clean and pious for receiving the Holy Name.

Short Note on Holy Samadh

Holy samadh, under construction at Soami bagh, Agra by disciples of Radhasoami Faith, is being built with love, affection and devotion, to the memory of Param Purush Puran Dhani Soamiji Maharaj, the august Founder of Faith.

After the departure of Soamiji Maharaj, the Second Sant Sat Guru, Hujur Maharaj, built a red stone structure at the place where Soamiji Maharaj used to deliver sermons and performs satsang at times. Although the structure was sufficient to accommodate all devotees at that time, The third Sant Sat Guru, Maharaj Saheb was of the view that it is very small and cannot accommodate Satsangis of Radhasoami Faith, as The Faith is expanding and he proposed demolition of the structure and rebuilt a grand marble structure, which can accommodate all the Satsangis.

As such, the work of design was given to an Italian architect M/s. Firzoni & Co. based at Kanpur. Basic parameters of satsang hall and 15’ Verandah on all sides etc were given by Maharaj Saheb. Old red Stone Structure was demolished and rubble was utilized in Holy Samadh only. The structure was placed on 52 wells, ranging from 4’to 10’10’’ dia wells. Lala Totaram Ji, holy Samadh Engineer Proposed changes and the structure was planned on a raised platform of 220’X220’, which was approved by BabuJi Maharaj, fourth Sant Sat Guru of the Faith. A scaled model of Holy Samadh was prepared and kept for use of future engineers. Main Satsang Hall is at GF level, and the walls are covered with marble engravings of Shabds and Bachans from Radhasoami Faith, covered the gold. The canopy at the center stores the Holy ashes of Soamiji Maharaj and Radhaji Maharaj. The false ceiling is of carved teak wood and coloumns are in gold leaf work.

The first floor is having eye catching, mesmerizing and artistic carving in column capitals, up-to a depth of 14”, of trees , flowers and creepers. To make the hall circular, 4 corner & 4 central arches are installed at second floor and the circular ring beam is having 10’carved natural sceneries engraved at 75’ height. On the top of it is a Balcony at 85’ giving a mystic view. The walls of 9465 MT of double dome are having rows of flowers and a lotus flower is at the center of the inner dome. A 31’4” high copper kalsh, weighing 6.0 MT with SS pipe, covered With 24 carat Gold leaves, Gives an unforgettable view. Outer Dome is having a net design , which leaves an enchanting impression on viewer. Holy Samadh work is 95 % complete except some minor Works in the front and Keshwas & canal all around. There are four minerates at corners intermingled with main structure till second floor & above that the octagonal minarets stand all alone till a height of 141’.Jharokha in front of is under construction. Total height of outer dome is 161’& including kalash it is 193’4’’.

Marble used in Holy Samadh are of different colors – White, Pink, Green, Yellow and other variegated colours of distinct shades procured from different parts of india, chiefly Makrana (jodhpur), Ambaji, Vadodra, Jaislamer, Gwalior & Nowshera (Pakistan).

Semi precious stones for inlay work are procured from the beds of various rivers such as Narbada and Quarries in Gujarat and South India. The stones used are Sapphire, Emerland, Cornelian, turquoise, Lapis, Red Coral, Onyx, Lajward, Khatoo, Yaqut., Rattak etc.