PART 2
16. Should any king or merchant or cultivator or any one else be resident within the territory (diocese) of Shree Laxmi Narayan, and should he be a follower of ours or not a follower, and further should he be desirous of presenting a free will offering or a votive offering before the blessed Shree Nar Narayan or to any other God, be that offering of grain, or cash, or cattle, or vehicles, or raiment or rubies , or pearls, or jewels, or gravel or stone or any other moveable article, - let him present it as he pleases; there is no objection to that. However he must not give any object of immoveable nature- be it a village, or land, or garden, or storied building, or mansion, or house, or mango or other tree situated within the territory (diocese) of Shree Laxmi Narayan. But should he happen to make such gift, then the ruling spiritual preceptor of Shree Nar Narayan must not take it, but must say to the donor;- “Should it be incumbent on you to give, then give any immovable object of yours situated within our territory (diocese), or buy some object situated within our territory (diocese) and give that; then we can take it.” However should he insist upon giving some immovable object situated within the territory (diocese) of Shree Nar Narayan, then that present must not be kept for Shree Nar Narayan, but immediately on the spiritual preceptor of Shree Nar Narayan learning of this gift, he must give it to the charge of the ruling spiritual preceptor of Shree Laxmi Narayan.
17. In just the same way Should any king or merchant or cultivator or any one else be resident within the territory (diocese) of Shree Nar Narayan, and should he not be a follower of ours or not a follower, and further should he be desirous of presenting a free will offering or a votive offering blessed by Shree Laxmi Narayan or to any other God, be that offering of grain, or cash, or cattle, or vehicles, or raiment or rubies , or pearls, or jewels, or gravel or stone or any other moveable article, - let him present it as he pleases; theere is objection to that. However he must not give any object of immoveable nature- be it a village, or land, or garden, or storied building, or mansion, or house, or mango or other tree situated within the territory (diocese) of Shree Nar Narayan. But should he happen to make such gift, then the ruling spiritual preceptor of Shree Laxmi Narayan must not take it, but must say to the donor;- “Should it be incumbent on you to give, then give any immovable object of yours situated within our territory (diocese), or buy some object situated within or territory (diocese) and give that; then we can take it.” However should he insist upon giving some immovable object situated within the territory (diocese) of Shree Nar Narayan, then that present must not be kept for Shree Laxmi Narayan but immediately on the spiritual preceptor of Shree Laxmi Narayan learning of this gift, he must give it to the charge of the ruling spiritual preceptor of Shree Laxmi Narayan. Such is our command and let no one at any time deviate there from.
18. Should any follower of ours (satsangi) or any one who is not our follower (kusangi), resident within the territory (diocese) of Shri Nar Narayan, give a dinner to the ruling spiritual preceptor of Shri Laxmi Narayan, then the latter should partake of it. There is no objection to that. But whatever may be tendered as a free-will offering or as a votive offering or for friendship’s sake or by way of sale or mortgage or under whatever pretext, - be it a money present (dakshina), or village, or land, or garden, or grain, or cash or raiment, or cattle, or vehicles, or rubies, or gravel, or stone, or jewels, or storied building, or house, or other structure, or mango, or other tree – this must not be taken. Should one out of affection force a gift and it can not but be accepted, then the spiritual preceptor of Shree Laxmi Narayan must not retain for himself, as soon as he learns of it, he must give it into the charge of the ruling spiritual preceptor of Shree Nar Narayan.
19. Just in the same way, Should any follower of ours (satsangi) or any one who is not our follower (kusangi), resident within the territory (diocese) of Shri Laxmi Narayan, give a dinner to the ruling spiritual preceptor of Shri Nar Narayan, then the latter should partake of it. There is no objection to that. But whatever may be tendered as a free-will offering or as a votive offering or for friendship’s sake or by way of sale or mortgage or under whatever pretext, - be it a money present (dakshina), or village, or land, or garden, or grain, or cash or raiment, or cattle, or vehicles, or rubies, or gravel, or stone, or jewels, or storied building, or house, or other structure, or mango, or other tree – this must not be taken., Should one out of affection force a gift and it can not but be accepted, then the spiritual preceptor of Shree Nar Narayan must not retain for himself, as soon as he learns of it, he must give it into the charge of the ruling spiritual preceptor of Shree Laxmi Narayan. Such is our command.
20. Should any Vaishnava (haribhakta) leaving his household go to earn his livelihood in the territory (diocese) of another (spiritual preceptor) and he have occasion to give as Dharmada a tenth or a twentieth of his income, or aught else, then he must give it to the spiritual preceptor within whose territory (diocese) his wife and children live and his house is situated. Such is our command.
21. In your native place, the district of Saravar, live the relatives of you, the two ruling preceptors, and their dependants, should they have any. Each of these may receive spiritual ministration from which ever of the two ruling spiritual preceptor he pleases. He shall be the follower (sevak) of that one and honour him as his Guru and there is no objection to his giving what he pleases to that Guru. In as much as this district is your early home, each one of you may wittingly retain whatever land, garden, storied building, house, or village or aught else you have or that you may buy or hold in mortgage. There is no objection to that.
22. Save and except your relatives and their dependants, should any one want to receive spiritual ministration and become a follower, he must have recourse to the ruling spiritual preceptor of Shree Nar Narayan; and whatever he may with to give be it a village, or land, or garden, or grain, or cash or raiment, or cattle, or vehicles, or rubies, or gravel, or stone, or jewels, or storied building, or house, or other structure, or mango, or other tree, that he must give to the ruling spiritual preceptor of Shree Nar Narayan, in virtue of his relationship to his as Guru and as such the spiritual preceptor should receive it. This is our command.
23. Of our full knowledge and pleasure we have made equitable distribution and have executed this document after completely satisfying you two spiritual preceptors. In this matter your full brothers have no right or title. Should any of your full brothers come to you, then you should give them for their expenses what is suitable and what you think right after consultation with the more religious amongst the Sadhus and followers.
24. As to the matter of succession to the Gadee, one who is your son, or who is the son of any of your brothers of the line of Shree Dharmadev and further who is such as will remain competent in every aspect on matters of religion, and also will be able to cause all the sadhus and all the Brahmcharis and all the followers to keep each in his own path of duty, - such a one you must seat upon the Gadee. Further, you should learn the mind of the more religious of the Sadhus and the more religious of the followers (satsangis) who desire the extension of our sect and are in every respect honest men. Should you also approve of him, and should the party selected be such as prescribed in the books of our belief, then you should seat such a one on each of your Gadees.
25. Should you have more sons than the one on the Gadee, and should they come to you, then having learnt the mind of the Sadhus and followers (satsangis) he should give them for their expenses as has been written above; but over and beyond that none of them has any right or title. Such is our command.
26. Should any difference arise between you two spiritual preceptors in matters of lending and borrowing or any other transactions and the matter has to be discussed or a Panch has to be appointed for settling the difference, - then no Sadhu or Brahmachari or Pala is to be sent to take part in these proceedings; and he must not wittingly be a party. He having renounced the world (tyagi) is inauspicious in the matter of such proceedings and such proceedings are inauspicious for him as one who has renounced the world (tyagi). With a view to discussion and the holding of a Panch for settling such differences, two men- each having wife and children, honest and pious, living within the territory (diocese) of Shree Nar Narayan, and two such men living in the territory (diocese0 of Shree Laxmi Narayan- should be engaged; they shall bring the dispute to an end.
27. Should there ever be a dispute of any kind between the ladies of the house of the two spiritual preceptors, then no Sankha Jogi widow shall be sent to speak in the matter and to settle the quarrel, for a widow is inauspicious. From each side women, whose husbands are living, who are honest and religious, shall be entrusted with the matter in dispute. They shall have the case discussed from both sides, and shall terminate the dispute. Such is our command.
28. To the above effect we have given writings to the two spiritual preceptors. The two spiritual preceptors should always and for ever observe whatever commands we have given and cause the same to be observed. Let them at no time make any deviation therefrom. Whoever deviates from these commands, he betrays our word and betrays his Guru, and he is not of the true stock of Dharmadev.
29. Our command to all Sadhus and all Brahmcharis and all Palas and all our followers (satsangi) is, that no one at any time deviate from, or cause others to deviate from, what we have here written; they shall always remain obedient to their spiritual preceptors. They shall not let quarrels arise between the two ruling preceptors. He who, misrepresenting matters, brings about quarrels and strife between them, and disobeys our commands, betrays our word and betrays his Guru. He is not Ours. Regard him as an outcast (chaandaal),
30. Written in the Darbar of Khachar Dada Ebhal at the auspicious place of Gadhada on Margashirsh Sudi 15th, Samvat 1883.
Writer Sadhu ShukMuni.
True translation, Geo. P Taylor M.A. D, D.