Patel, Vinay and Ram-Prasad, Chakravarthi (2017) Svāminārāyaṇa’s interpretation of 'Dharma' as it appears in the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.
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Abstract
Parabrahman Puruṣottama Bhagavān Svāminārāyaṇa offered novel contributions to the Vedānta philosophical tradition by presenting the principles of the Akṣarapuruṣottama Siddhānta (doctrine) and establishing the Akṣarapuruṣottama Darśana, an independent Vedāntic school of thought. In addition to revealing the darśana’s (school of thought) princi-ples, he also presented distinct readings of sacred texts. Among these readings, in “Va-canāmṛta Gaḍhaḍā Madhya 9” he put forth a unique interpretation of ‘dharma’ as it appears in verse 2.40 of the Śrīmadbhagavadgītā. Based on this reading and the Svāminārāyaṇabhāṣyam’s corresponding exposition, this work offers an analysis of Bhagavān Svāminārāyaṇa’s interpre-tation of ‘dharma’ as it appears in the Gītā. Unlike the classical commentators, Bhagavān Svāminārāyaṇa interprets ‘dharma’ as conviction in the present form of God (pratyakṣaparamātmasvarūpaniṣṭhā). This interpretation is signifi-cant in terms of its distinct content, its associated philosophical and theological commitments, and the hermeneutical and exegetical insights it offers. By elucidating Svāminārāyaṇa’s inter-pretation and the Svāminārāyaṇabhāṣyam’s corresponding exposition, this work presents (1) an unoffered discussion of Svāminārāyaṇa’s understanding of the nature and content of con-viction in the present form of God, (2) Svāminārāyaṇa’s relevant philosophical, theological, and hermeneutical principles, (3) an alternative reading of the Gita in light of Svāminārāyaṇa’s interpretation, and (4) cross-disciplinary darśanic insights that are characteristic of Svāminārāyaṇa’s interpretive move.