Maharaj issued many prakarans1 and made the sadhus behave according to the prakarans. A mumukshu should think on that and determine what needs to be grasped. From the prakaran related to meditation and singing dhun and kirtans, one should not tire from these. It is harsh to not do what one’s mind wants to do and wants to eat. And to retract anger and prostrate, not sit on a bullock cart, other such means of denouncing the panch-vishays, and to promote the virtues of dharma, gnān, etc. - one should scrutinize all of this. One should think about the prakaran related to recognizing the root cause of worldly thoughts and behave accordingly. Footnotes: 1. 1. Bhagwan Swaminarayan issued many austere commands for the paramhansas to observe over a span of years. These commands are well-known as ‘prakarans’ in the Sampraday. Maharaj issued 114 total prakarans and he himself observed some of them. These prakarans are listed below: (1) In Loj, [Maharaj] separated the male and female devotees during assemblies and told the paramhansas, “They should not speak to or have contact with women.” (2) [Maharaj] sat paramhansas in pairs facing each other for meditation and forbade sleeping or having other thoughts. (3) In Loj, [Maharaj] sat paramhansas in groups of five and barred them from looking or speaking. He woke up those who dozed off by throwing a ball at them or touching them with a staff. (4) Learn dhāranā, the sixth step of yoga. (5) Learn ashtāng yoga. Expand all prakarans... (6) Maharaj granted samādhi to people, animals, and birds. (7) Maharaj gave shiro-puri as alms but ate spicy peppers and mindhiyāval himself and served rotlās to sadhus. (8) Each group of sadhus must keep and serve Thakorji’s murti. (9) Maharaj initiated paramhansas. (10) Beg for food and then mix the food into flavorless balls to eat. (11) Do not give oneself what the mind asks for. (12) Spend the night in the forest where no one can be heard. (13) Sit in water during the winter according to one’s capacity. (14) If the body itches, refrain from scratching. (15) Do not eat foods with the six types of tastes: sour, salty, spicy, bland, sweet, bitter, and oily. (16) Even if a snake or scorpion climbs one’s body, remain seated. (17) Wear a veil by covering one’s head with a cloth and be led by someone else. (18) Do not blink. (19) Walk barefoot. (20) Do not sit on a bullock-cart or use any other means of transportation. (21) Do not revisit a house where one gets good food. (22) If one is sleepy, grind two kilograms of grains. (23) If one dozes, then bathe with cold water. (24) Do not sit leaning against anything. (25) Do not sit under a tree. (26) Do not seek the shade of or lean against bales of grass or haystacks. (27) When bathing, do not rub one’s body. (28) Engage in activity after recognizing one’s thoughts and intentions. (29) If one likes a particular clothing, then give it away to someone else. (30) Observe a water-less fast on days of Ekadashi. (31) If one is parched on day of Ekadashi, drink 1/4 cup of water. (32) Stay awake during the night of the Ekadashi. (33) Only wear a cloth that is the length of four feet. (34) Keep one kaupin. (35) Keep one three-layered blanket. (36) Tie a mask around one’s mouth. (37) If the seven types of metals (gold, silver, copper, lead, bronze, iron, and brass) are touched, wash hands 25 times. (38) Only eat whatever items received once and while sitting in a group. (39) Keep a Rudraksha mālā. (40) Behave like a digambar (go about bare). (41) Wear a rough cloth. (42) Fast if you see a woman’s clothes. (43) If one comes for [Maharaj’s] darshan without a guru’s order, send them away. (44) Give darshan [Allow Maharaj’s darshan] to those who come with guru’s order. (45) Understand the purpose of the activities before engaging in them. (46) Eat whatever you get by the grace of God, only once and by squeezing it into a flavorless ball. (47) Do not warm themselves in front of a fire. (48) Do not touch fire. (49) Do not believe the talks of those that are 25 years of age. (50) Do not teach Sanskrut to the low. (51) Learn to sit still. (52) Do not keep company of sannyasis. (53) Do not visit a village another group of sadhus recently visited. (54) If you pass someone, bow down with the belief that God is in their heart. (55) Walk carefully on the road. (56) Do not ask for something from others; ask only from their senior. (57) Tolerate others’ insults. (58) The senior females should eat one paisā worth food. (59) Eat food equal to one-fourth sher. (60) Do not go to Dada Khachar’s darbār without permission. (61) Do not gather things. (62) Do not run. (63) Do not plant trees. (64) Do not keep animals. (65) Do not walk at night. (66) Do not wash one’s feet by scrubbing them (i.e. properly). (67) Eat in a group after singing kirtans of God. (68) While eating, engage in worship and refrain from talking. (69) When traveling in other regions, do not accept sweet items as offerings. (70) Eat sākar (sugar lumps) brought to Gadhada, but not other sākar. (71) When travelling, leave the village where one is welcomed with honor. (72) Do not take medicine. (73) Do not be afraid when seeing a ghost, a spirit, a tantric, a thief, or a tiger. (74) Defecate on money. (75) Do not gossip or listen to gossip. (76) Increase Satsang by speaking to others (discoursing). (77) Give the vartamān vows to one person daily; if no one agrees, then give the vartamān to a living tree and then eat food. (78) Ask for alms daily and then eat. (79) Always eat food by mixing it with water. (80) Talk about Jadbharat daily. (81) Speak ill of one’s body daily. (82) Householder devotees should leave their home to go for the darshan of sadhus. (83) Do not stay where one has stayed once before. (84) Sleep on the bare ground. (85) If one awakes while sleeping, do not go back to sleep. (86) If one awakes while sleeping, do not extend one’s legs again when sleeping. (87) Think about one’s ātmā daily. (88) Do not sleep without praying to God. (89) Only look as far as the length of a bow in front of you (i.e., do not look up and look too far ahead). (90) Forsake one’s nature. (91) As a group, sing kirtans on your way to eat. (92) Do not give up when fasting. (93) Do not eat cooked meals; eat raw and dry food. (94) Behave according to commands of God. (95) Devotees should take grains out from the spigot of their grain stores. (96) Bathe with cold water before daybreak. (97) Everyone should eat their begged food and gather. (98) If one becomes angry, then shoo them like a dog till their anger subsides. (99) When a group of sadhus arrives, offer prostrations. (100) When a senior sadhu arrives, stand up. (101) If one passes flatulence, then prostrate 25 times. (102) Do not eat what is made from sugarcane. (103) Eat that which can be made from milk. (104) Eat having conquered the sense of taste. (105) In Kariyani, when devotees bring sākar, eat one cube. (106) Remember the murti of God in all activities. (107) Do not step on green (i.e. living) grass. (108) Do not walk in water. (109) Do not eat green vegetables. (110) Everyone should worship the Shaligram. (111) Make food oneself and offer it to Thakorji before eating. (112) Engage in the nine types of bhakti rather than remaining idle. (113) Speak to others about the supremacy of Maharaj. (114) If one is a guru and he does not talk about God and a shishya does not come to listen to talks of God, then both should fast once.