Parabrahma Bhagwan Swaminarayan gifted the eternal, Vedic, and distinct Akshar-Purushottam Darshan. By Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s wishes, Mahamahopadhyaya Pujya Bhadreshdas Swami presented a scholarly substantiation of this Darshan by authoring the Prasthanatrayi-bhashya.
Shri Murlidhar Sharma, the vice-chancellor of the National Sanskrit University, Tirupati, together with other scholars wished to ceremoniously welcome and introduce this Darshan to the National Sanskrit University. Their aim was to offer an opportunity to interested and leading scholars of South India to engage in the scholarly study and instruction of the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan. They invited Mahamahopadhyaya Swami Bhadreshdas to the National Sanskrit University to present a detailed introduction to this Darshan. They expressed, “Presently, we have the opportunity to engage in a discussion on the Darshans and other topics with Swami Bhadreshdasji, the sole bhashyakara of the entire Prasthanatrayi who is present before us.”
At Tirupati, the scheduled events included over a week of scholarly discussions between distinguished scholars and bhashyakara Swami Bhadreshdas. Hosted at the vice-chancellor’s residence, these discussions continued for eight days. During this time, Swami Bhadreshdas engaged in scholarly discussions on the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan from different perspectives with scholars learned in the Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, and Dvaita Darshans and in Nyaya and Vyakarana texts. These scholars participated in an in-depth study of the Prasthanatrayi-Swaminarayanbhashya, the vadagrantha Swaminarayan-siddhanta-sudha, the ‘Satsanga-diksha’ section of the Akshar-Purushottam-samhita text, and other works. Swami Bhadreshdas logically and satisfactorily answered all the questions and curiosities raised during these discussions with evidence and according to the Sampradaya’s principles. Consequently, every scholar was convinced that the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan was also a principal school of Vedanta and a distinct Vedic Sanatan Darshan, just like the Advaita, Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita Darshans,
Thereafter, a scholarly symposium was organized on 4 February 2021 at the National Sanskrit University. Eminent scholars from Tirupati, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanchipuram, Sringeri and other regions gathered for the occasion.
The symposium commenced with a procession organized to honor Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj and the sacred texts of the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan. The procession proceeded from the vice-chancellor’s residence to the assembly hall. Surrounded by traditional tunes of the nadasvaram, scholars joined the festivities, while reciting Vedic mantras and reverently holding the Prasthanatrayi bhashya and other sacred texts in their hands.
In the inaugural session, a professor from the University extolled the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan and its author by reciting self-written Sanskrit verses. Mahamahopadhyaya Swami Bhadreshdas introduced the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan to all those present. Thereafter, a scholarly question and answer session was conducted. Swami Bhadreshdas then presented an introduction of the Satsanga-diksha shastra, written by Pragat Brahmaswarup Mahant Swami Maharaj. Scholars were enthralled on examining the work, a contemporary smruti scripture. After the vice-chancellor’s concluding address, the bhashyakara himself gifted the bhashyas to the vice-chancellor. All scholars present were then honored. The symposium concluded with all scholars presenting Bhadreshdas Swami with a written proclamation recognizing the bhashyas: “We collectively proclaim that…
The Akshar-Purushottam Darshan revealed by Parabrahma Swaminarayan is a Vedic Sanatan Darshan. It is also unique, original, and distinct from all other Darshans. It is an indisputable fact that by the creation of the Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan-bhashya, the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan will persist as long as the Sun and the Moon. Swami Bhadreshdasji has authored a unique, historic, and siddhanta-propagating work. Like Adi-Shankaracharya, his methods for composing scripture are comprehensible, lucid, deep in meaning, poetic, void of enmity and other defects, and proficient in advocating his principles. This was experienced by all scholars who examined this work.
Mahamahopadhyaya Swami Bhadreshdas, the author of a commentary on the entire Prasthanatrayi, is thoroughly qualified to join the echelons of Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, and other acharyas. For this reason, all scholars wholeheartedly believe him to be decorated by the title: ‘Bhashyakara Mahacharya.’”
In this way, South India’s prominent scholars collectively welcomed and affirmed the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan at the National Sanskrit University. It was a truly historic and notable event in the world of darshanic thought.