LONDON, Apr 5: The University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries has launched a historic UK‑wide tour of the ‘Shikshapatri’—one of the world’s rarest and most significant Hindu scriptures—to mark its 200th anniversary. The sacred manuscript, composed in Vadtal, Gujarat, in 1826 by Sahajanand Swami, also known as Lord Swaminarayan, is being carried to major Swaminarayan temples across the country in collaboration with faith leaders, giving an estimated 20,000–30,000 people a rare chance to view the original text.
The ‘Shikshapatri’—meaning “a letter of teachings”—is structured as a guide to ethical and spiritual living, containing 212 Sanskrit shlokas that condense key Hindu principles. It is recited daily by Swaminarayan followers and has been printed millions of times worldwide. The Bodleian’s copy is considered historically vital as one of the oldest known manuscripts personally offered by the author himself; according to Oxford, Sahajanand Swami presented it to Sir John Malcolm, then Governor of Bombay, on February 26, 1830, during a period of colonial upheaval
