Bhadreshdas Swami
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Mumbai) | |
---|---|
Notable work | Swaminarayan Bhashyam, Swaminarayan Siddhanta Sudha |
Awards | Darshankesari, Vedant Martand (Silpakorn University), Abhinav Bhashyakar (Somnath Sanskrit University), Mahamahopadhyaya, Vedant Prakash (Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University) |
School | Swaminarayan Hinduism |
Institutions | BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute, New Delhi. BAPS Swaminarayan Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya and Yagnapurush Sanskrit Pathshala, Sarangpur, Gujarat |
Website | www |
Bhadreshdas Swami is a Sanskrit scholar and an ordained monk of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).[1][2] In 2007 he completed the Swaminarayan Bhashyam, a five-volume classical Sanskrit commentary on the Prasthanatrayi. This commentary on Hinduism's three canonical texts: the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma sutras, forms the interpretive foundation of the philosophy of Akshar Purushottam darshana, also known as Swaminarayan darshana, illuminating the Vedic roots of the Akshar Purushottama philosophy, which was propagated by the 19th-century Hindu leader, Swaminarayan and later by Shastriji Maharaj.
The commentary discusses the basis of the five "eternal entities" - Jiva, Ishwar, Maya, Brahma and Parabrahman - as expounded by Swaminarayan. It also expands on the concept of
After receiving a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from Karnakata University in 2005, he was awarded a
Early life
Bhadreshdas Swami was initiated as a renunciant (swami) of the
Education
Bhadreshdas Swami received five M.A. degrees in
Scholarly work
Bhadreshdas Swami has conducted extensive research[
Swaminarayan Bhashyam
The Swaminarayan Bhashyam is a commentary (or bhashya), on the ten
The commentary is the first of its scope written in the 21st century.
Creation of the Swaminarayan Bhashyam
After earning his doctorate in Sanskrit, Bhadreshdas Swami was asked by his guru,
Critical reception
The work has since been regarded by scholars of Indian philosophy as a significant commentary in the Prasthantrayi commentary tradition. Philosophy professor S.P. Dubey from the
Krishnamurti Shastri from the Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratishthan of India says that the "poetic commentary presents new insights into the secrets of Vedanta in comparison to any previous views on the subject".[8]
N. Radhakrishna Bhat, Sanskrit professor at the
V.S. Vishnu Potty, of the Department of Sanskrit and Indian Culture at the Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya, states that "this new interpretation opens our eyes to a new horizon in this field of knowledge, in an objective manner."[7]
The dean of the Arts faculty at the
The work was also added into the Library of Congress by Democratic whip Steny Hoyer. During this ceremony, Hoyer said that "Surely these commentaries written by [Bhadreshdas Swami] will bring peace and blessings to the millions who will read and benefit from them".[8]
Acclamation by Shri Kashi Vidvat Parisad
On 31 July 2017, Bhadreshdas Swami and his work on the Swaminarayan-Siddhant-Sudha was acknowledged by the Shri Kashi Vidvat Parisad.[9] Throughout India, the Shri Kashi Vidvat Parisad is an authoritative council on all matters pertaining to Vedic dharma and philosophy.
The council's gathering was marked by four declarations:
First, that the Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam and the Swaminarayan-Sidhhant-Sudha are sacred texts on Parabrahman Swaminarayan's revealed Akshar Purshottam Darshana; and that these sacred texts are in every manner the protectors of the eternal Vedic religious tradition.[9]
Second, that Bhadreshdas Swami is an acharya and a contemporary commentator in the lineage of commentators on the Prasthanatrayi.[9]
Third, that within philosophy, it is valid to identify Swaminarayan's Vedanta by the title Akshar-Purshottam Darshana.[9]
Fourth, that all members of the Shri Kashi Parisad endorse the Akshar Purshottam Siddhant, revealed by Parabrahma Swaminarayan as distinct from Advaita, Vishistadvaita, and all other doctrines and is indeed a Vedic Siddhanta.[9]
Swaminarayan Siddhanta Sudha
On 17 September 2017, Mahant Swami Maharaj inaugurated the Swaminarayan-Siddhanta-Sudha, a text authored by Bhadreshdas. This text is a vadagrantha, or a formal exposition, justification and defense of the philosophical and theological positions of a darshan. This specific vadagrantha is composed on the Akshar-Purshottam Darshan. It presents a sophisticated treatment of the philosophical principles of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.[10]
Awards
In recognition of his work on the commentary, the
Bibliography
- LCCN 2011432134.
- LCCN 2011432133.
- LCCN 2011432126.
- LCCN 2011432128.
- LCCN 2011432125.
- Das, Mahamahopadhyaya Sadhu Bhadresh (2012). "Mukti Mīmāṃsā". Journal of the Ananthacharya Indological Research Institute. 10. catalogued at "DIP: Das 2011-2012 (2012)". www.univie.ac.at. 2012. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
- Bhadreshdas, Sadhu; Paramvivekdas, Sadhu (1 June 2012). Essence of the Upanishads: The Wisdom of the Ancient Rishis (1st ed.). Swaminarayan Aksharpith. OCLC 820817846.
References
- ^ a b c d "Enlightening lecture on Vedas by Bhadreshdas Swami". India Post News Service. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ^ Shastri, Parch. "Manuscripts shed light on Yoga history in the region". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Swaminarayan Bhashyam - a unique scriptural commentary on the Prasthantrayi". BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. Retrieved 4 November 2015.[self-published source?]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Scripture: Guru's grace empowers philosophical treatise". Hinduism Today Magazine (Magazine Web ed.). April–June 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- ^ a b "DIP: Das 2011-2012 (2012)". www.univie.ac.at. 2012. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "International Vedic Conference". www.internationalvedicconference.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Inauguration of BAPS Research Institute". swaminarayan.org. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- ^ a b Harish Rao. "Steny Hoyer honors Hindu scriptures at Capitol Hill". India Post. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "'Swaminarayansiddhantasudha' Acclamation by the Śrī Kāśī Vidvat Parisad". BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
- ^ "Declaration of Bhagwan Swaminarayan's teachings as the Akshar-Purshottan Darshan". The South Asian Times. 10: B15.
- ^ "HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj's Vicharan". BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.[self-published source?]