Shloka : 46
त्रिपुंण्ड्ररु़द्राक्षधृतिर्येषां स्यात्स्वकुलागता ।
तैस्तु विप्रादिभि: क्वापि न त्याज्या सा मदाश्रितै: ॥ 46 ॥
અને જે બ્રાહ્મણાદિકને ત્રિપુંડ્ર જે આડું તિલક કરવું તથા રુદ્રાક્ષની માળા ધારવી એ બે વાનાં, પોતાની કુળપરંપરાએ કરીને ચાલ્યાં આવ્યાં હોય અને તે બ્રાહ્મણાદિક અમારા આશ્રિત થયા હોય તો પણ તેમણે ત્રિપુંડ્ર અને રુદ્રાક્ષનો ક્યારેય ત્યાગ ન કરવો. ॥ 46 ॥
And my Brahmin devotees, who put on Tripundra i.e. sideways Tilak and Rudraksha beads for generations, should not give up putting on Tripundra and Rudraksha. || 46 ||
Commentary
Shriji Maharaj has mentioned in Shikshapatri, Shloka 41: My devotees should take initiation from Dharmavanshi Guru and as a part of initiation they should put on an upward Tilak with a dot in the center on their forhead and should also wear double-folded string of Tulsi beads around their neck. This is His supreme principle i.e. His 'main statement' for His absolute devotees. Shikshapatri is also omnibeneficial, therefore Shri Hari has mentioned His generalised principle as under:
The Brahmins, who are devotees of Shiva for generations and who have become my devotees through the contact of satsangis i.e. followers of Swaminarayan sect, should not give up putting on Tripundra and Rudraksh, if their relatives and fellow community people are objecting their putting on Urdhvapundra Tilak with a dot and Kanthi. That means they should follow the Swaminarayan religion wearing the symbols as per their community requirements. But due do such obstacles they should never give up following the code of conduct given by Shri Swaminarayan Bhagwan which can lead towards ultimate salvation.
This is a general principle of Shri Hari. Also, Shriji Maharaj has told Shivram Brahmin in Satsangijeevan Part 2, Chapter 37 (Sampradaya Prakash) that the devotees of Shri Swaminarayan sect, who belong to any of the three categories like Brahmin etc., should always wear around their neck the double-folded string of small Tulsi beads which has been offered to Shri Harikrishna Bhagwan. This clarifies that Shri Hari has recommended the double-folded Kanthi and not the Rudraksha.
Sadguru Muktanand Swami has also mentioned in a Stotra that: if I, the devotee of Shri Swaminarayan Bhagwan, do not wear the signs of a devotee, the Urdhvapundra Tilak and Kanthi of Tulsi beads, then throw my body into the fire and let it burn. And if I hide my devotion for the sake of my profession, then cut my nose and ears and push me downhill. Thus to wear Kanthi and Urdhvapundra is the supreme principle of Shriji Maharaj and His Muktas.