Sacred Hindu text leaves Oxford for national tour

THE University of Oxford’s Bodleian Li­braries has launched a national tour of the Shikshapatri, one of the rarest and most significant Hindu scriptures in ex­istence, to mark the 200^th anniversary of its composition.

The sacred manuscript has begun what the Bodleian is calling a bicentenary jour­ney, travelling to major temples across the country in collaboration with leaders of the Swaminarayan faith. Between 20,000 and 30,000 people are expected to view it dur­ing the tour, a rare opportunity for com­munities to see up close a text that nor­mally sits behind glass in an Oxford library.

The Shikshapatri – which translates as “a letter of teachings” – was composed in Vadtal, Gujarat, in 1826 by Sahajananda Swami, also known as Lord Swaminarayan.

Written in Sanskrit, it contains 212 vers­es drawing on key principles from Hindu scriptures and is intended as a guide to ethical and spiritual living.

Said to have been written on the fifth day of the bright half of the month, its contents cover principles including non-violence, vegetarianism, honesty and the avoidance of sinful behaviour. It is recited daily by Swaminarayan followers around the world and has been printed millions of times.

The Bodleian’s copy holds particular historical weight. It is considered one of the oldest known versions of the text given by the author himself.

On February 26, 1830, Sahajananda Swami presented it personally to Sir John Malcolm, the then governor of Bombay.

“At a time of colonial upheaval, the text offered guidance for ethical conduct and living,” Oxford University said.

Gillian Evison, Keeper of Asian and Middle Eastern Collections at the Bodle­ian, said the tour was designed to bring the manuscript direct to the communities for whom it carries the deepest meaning.

“By sharing this historic manuscript with temples and communities across the UK, the Bodleian Libraries hope to honour both its cultural significance and its en­during message,” she said.

“Two centuries after it was first written, the Shikshapatri’s call for compassion, eth­ical living and social harmony continues to resonate in an increasingly complex world.”

The manuscript is normally on perma­nent display at the Bodleian’s Weston Li­brary in Oxford.

Its removal for this tour has been de­scribed as a rare moment when a cher­ished object of scholarship is returned, in a sense, to the people it was written for.

The tour runs until August and will cover Swaminarayan temples across London and Wales. The Bodleian Librar­ies is the largest university library system in the UK.

Its collections include more than 14 million printed items, over 80,000 elec­tronic journals, and outstanding holdings of rare books, manuscripts, classical pa­pyri, maps, music and artwork gathered across four centuries.