Historic Announcement of Aksara-Purusottama Darsana by HH Mahant Swami Maharaj
His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj inaugurates the Svaminarayaṇa-siddhanta-sudha – a historic philosophical work by Mahamahopadyaya Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami and announces Parabrahman Svaminarayaṇa’s Darsana as the Aksara-Purusottama Darsana
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ: The land of the free and the home of the brave proudly hails once more its twilight’s gleam. With lady liberty’s guiding torch welcoming all to its shores, America has always been a land that has embraced diversity of cultural expression. September 17, 2017 was witness to such a demonstration.
On this historic day, an assembly on the holy grounds of the Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, NJ to celebrate the inauguration of a traditionally composed Sanskrit text. The proceedings were an example of diversity in its purest form. The assembly was a celebration of three momentous events:
• The inauguration of the Svaminarayana-siddhanta-sudha
• The Sri Kasi Vidvat Parisad recognizing Sri Svaminarayana’s Vedanta as the Akshara-Purushottama Darsana, as Vedic and distinct from the other Vedanta darsanas
• The official announcement of Svaminarayana’s teachings as the Akshara-Purushottama Darsana
Distinguished scholars present at the event. From left: Professor Sthaneshwar Timalsina, Professor Graham Schweig, Professor Cardona, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, Sadguru Pujya Ishwarcahrandas Swami, Pujya Anandswarupdas Swami, Mahamahopadyaya Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami, Paramacharya Sadasivanatha Palaniswami from Hinduism Today, and Professor Deven Patel.
The Inauguration of the Svaminarayana-siddhanta-sudha
The evening assembly was marked with the inauguration of the Svaminarayana-siddhanta-sudha by HH Mahant Swami Maharaj. Authored by Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami, the text is traditionally categorized as a vadagrantha – a formal exposition, justification, and defense of the philosophical and theological positions of a darsana. It is composed on the Akshara-Purushottama Darsana as it was revealed by Parabrahman Purushottama Svaminarayana. Divided into nine chapters identified as dharas, the text presents a sophisticated treatment of the philosophical principles of Bhagavan Svaminarayana. Among other things, it grounds these principles on expositions found within the Prasthanatrayi – a collective designation for the Upanishads, Srimadbhagavadgita, and the Brahmasutras. It also presents a unique epistemological system that is characteristic of the darsana. Its comprehensive, critical, yet reverent treatment of alternative darsanas and their disagreements not only reflects the traditional methods of a vadagrantha, but also emphasizes the robustness of the text.
In admiration for the text’s intellectual appeal, several dignitaries and renowned academics in the assembly expressed their thoughts and praise for the text. Both the text and its author were honored by invited guests including Professor George Cardona – a renowned professor emeritus of linguistics and South Asian studies at the University of Pennsylvania; Professor Sthaneshwar Timalsina – a distinguished professor at San Diego State University; Professor Graham Schweig – the director of studies in religion at Christopher Newport University; Professor Deven Patel – a professor of South-Asian Studies at University of Pennsylvania; Professor Jyotindra Dave – the director of BAPS Research Institute at Akshardham; New Delhi; and Paramacharya Sadasivanathaswami – the chief editor at Hinduism Today.
Professor Deven Patel offered reverence to Swamiji for his outstanding work as the author of both the comprehensive commentary of the sacred texts of the Prasthanatrayi and the Svaminarayana-siddhanta-sudha – an accomplishment never performed before by a single author.
Sri Kasi Vidvat Parishad’s Recognition of the Svaminarayana-siddhanta-sudha. The assembly thereafter continued by recalling the admiration, commendation, and recognition expressed by the Sri Kasi Vidvat Parishad for Sadhu Bhadreshdas’ creation of the Svaminarayana-siddhanta-sudha. Established in Varanasi, the Kasi Vidvat Parishad is an authoritative, honorable council which serves a decisive role in matters concerning Vedic principles and its research. In recognition of the outstanding composition of the text, the novelty of the Akshara-Purushottama Darsana, and its characteristic Akshara-Purushottama Siddhanta (doctrine), the council presented a letter of endorsement and a copper-plated letter of declaration to Mahamahopadyaya Sadhu Bhadreshdas Swami. Notably, the two documents express the following:
• “The Prasthanatrayi-Svaminarayana-bhasya and the Svaminarayana-siddhanta-sudha are sacred texts on Parabrahman Svaminarayana’s revealed Akshara-Purushottama Darsana. These sacred texts are in every manner the protectors of the eternal Vedic religious tradition.”
• “Acclaimed by all scholars, respected Mahamahopadyaya Sadhu Bhadreshdas is an acharya and a contemporary commentator in the lineage of commentators on the Prasthanatrayi.”
• “Within philosophy, just as Sri Sankara’s Vedanta is identified as the Advaita Darsana, Sri Ramanuja’s Vedanta is identified as the Visistadvaita Darsana, Sri Madhva’s Vedanta is identified as the Dvaita Darsana, Sri Vallabha’s Vedanta is identified as the Suddhadvaita Darsana, and others are respectively known; it is in every way appropriate to identify Sri Svaminarayana’s Vedanta by the title: Akshara-Purushottama Darsana.”
• “We (members of the Kasi Vidvat Parishad) all collectively endorse that this Akshara-Purushottama Siddhanta that has been revealed by Parabrahman Svaminarayana is a Vedic siddhanta that is distinct from Advaita, Visistadvaita, and all other doctrines.”
Both the letter of endorsement and the copper-plated letter of declaration were offered by Sadhu Bhadreshdas Swami to guru Mahant Swami Maharaj. Speaking on this occasion, Sadhu Bhadreshdas Swami humbly credited his scholarly works to the inspiration he had received from Pramukh Swami Maharaj and the blessings of guru Mahant Swami Maharaj. He added: “The Akshara-Purushottama Darsana is not only confined to such texts, but is also practiced as a way of life by thousands of devotees of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.”
Svaminarayana’s Teachings as the Akshara-Purushottama Darsana
The assembly concluded with HH Mahant Swami Maharaj’s appreciation of the Svaminarayana-siddhanta-sudha and Sadhu Bhadreshdas Swami’s humility. Mahant Swami Maharaj, thereafter, read aloud a proclamation letter that he composed. Within this proclamation he illuminated the Vedic roots of Parabrahman Swaminarayan’s reveled teachings. He recalled that the first joined use of ‘Akshara’ and ‘Purushottama’ was gifted by Shastriji Maharaj, the third spiritual successor of Bhagwan Svaminarayana and the founder of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. He then officially announced that Parabrahman Svaminarayana’s teachings would henceforth be recognized as the Akshara-Purushottama Siddhanta and that the darsanic title would be identified as the Akshara-Purushottama Darsana. He concluded by instructing that all publications, philosophical discussions, assemblies, seminars, and activities of the darsana be conducted according to the teachings of Bhagavan Svaminarayana as they are expressed in the Svaminarayana-siddhanta-sudha.
In celebration of these this historic events, all of those present at the assembly expressed their deep admiration. Proud to have witnessed such proceedings, all experienced the significance of both the inaugurated text and the proclamations announced.
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