Bhadreshdas Swami Of BAPS Gets Saraswati Samman For Sanskrit Scholarship
India-West Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI- Dr. Bhadreshdas Swami, a scholar of Sanskrit and Indian philosophy from the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, has been awarded the Saraswati Samman 2024 for his Sanskrit publication Swaminarayana Siddhanta Sudha. The recognition marks a return of the prestigious literary award to Sanskrit literature after more than two decades.
The Saraswati Samman, established by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991, is one of India’s highest literary honors. It is awarded annually to an Indian author for an outstanding work of prose or poetry published in the last ten years in any of the 22 languages recognized in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The award includes a cash prize of ₹15 lakhs, a citation, and a plaque.
The selection for the 2024 award was made by a panel chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri.
Published in 2022, Swaminarayana Siddhanta Sudha presents the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan, a Vedantic philosophical tradition attributed to Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Written in classical Sanskrit, the treatise systematically explains this tradition. Scholars have noted its depth and contribution to Sanskrit literature, a press release said.
Dr. Bhadreshdas Swami is an academic in Sanskrit studies and Indian philosophy and leads the BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute.
His other significant work includes Swaminarayan Bhashyam, a five-volume Sanskrit commentary on the Prasthanatrayi—the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Brahmasutras. His research has been recognized by various academic and cultural institutions.
Dr. Bhadreshdas Swami dedicated the award to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and his spiritual mentors, Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Mahant Swami Maharaj. He emphasized the recognition as a validation of Sanskrit’s continuing relevance and Indian philosophical traditions.
