Radha Soami Seth Shiv Dayal Ji Had No Guru

Did Seth Shiv Dayal Ji Maharaj acquire a Guru

Ref: Radha Soami book “Jeevan Charitr Swami Ji Maharaj”, Radha Swami Trust, Swami Baag, Agra, (Writer - Lala Pratap Sing Seth)

In the biography of Swami Ji Maharaj it is very clearly mentioned that Hazoor Swami Shiv Dayal Ji Maharaj did not have a Guru.

Book - "Jeevan Charitr Swami Ji Maharaj"

The underlined text in the book above reads as under

Hindi: स्वामीजी महाराज का कोई गुरु नहीं था, और न किसी से उन्होने परमार्थ का उपदेश लिया,

Transliteration: swami ji maharaj ka koi guru nahin tha, aur na kisi se unhone parmarth ka updesh liya,

Translation: Swami ji Maharaj did not have a guru and neither did he take initiation.

The explantion given in biography of Swami ji Maharaj on why he did not acquire a guru is that a saint of Supreme God does not need to take naam from anyone.

However this concept of their's is wrong. It is a rule that acquiring a guru is a must for everyone if one needs to achieve salvation. God Kabir despite being Supreme God himself still acquired a guru to keep this tradition of Guru-Disciple intact. 

Biography Swami Shiv Dayal Ji | Video

Bani of Great Saints on Importance of a Guru

कबीर साहिब कहते हैं (Kabir Sahib Says)

कबीर – गुरु बिन माला फेरते, गुरु बिन देते दान।
गुरु बिन दोनों निष्फल हैं, पूछो वेद पुराण ॥

Kabir Guru bin mala ferte, guru bin dete daan
Guru bin dono nishfal hain, puchho ved puran

Kabir Sahib says that those who don't have any Guru are wasting their time and cannot achieve God

Guru Nanak Dev Ji Says

ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਭੇਟੇ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਭੇਟੇ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥(SGGS Page 946, Line 8)
without meeting the True Guru, no one is liberated. Without meeting the True Guru, the Naam cannot be found.

ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਭੇਟੇ ਮਹਾ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਇ ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਭੇਟੇ ਮਹਾ ਗਰਬਿ ਗੁਬਾਰਿ ॥ (SGGS Page 946, Line 9)
Without meeting the True Guru, one suffers in terrible pain. Without meeting the True Guru, there is only the deep darkness of egotistical pride.

ਨਾਨਕ ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਮੁਆ ਜਨਮੁ ਹਾਰਿ ॥੭੦॥(SGGS Page 946, Line 10)
O Nanak, without the True Guru, one dies, having lost the opportunity of this life. ||70||

Conclusion: Shiv Dayal Ji did not have a Guru. Hence he could not achieve salvation. As as result the whole of Radha Soami sect is arbitrary and no one can attain salvation in this sect because this sect has been started without the orders of a Guru.

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