Digital Shikshapatri provides instant online access to a treasure of the British Hindu cultural heritage that is held in Oxford's Bodleian Library. This fragile Sanskrit manuscript, called the Shikshapatri, was written by Shree Swaminaryan, founder of Swaminarayan Hinduism, and outlines moral and spiritual codes for everyday life.

This site provides a wide variety of online resources which set the Shikshapatri in its historical, cultural and religious context. It is designed to help people of all backgrounds to better understand the significance of this manuscript, which receives hundreds of visitors every year.

News

The Shikshapatri manuscript has been damaged by constant handling for darshans during the past twenty years. Some of the pages have come loose and the stitching on the edge of the cover is coming off. We regret that it has had to be sent to the Bodleian Library's Preservation Department and will not be available for darshan for some time.

New users - Introductory video

We have prepared an introductory video to the Shikshapatri for visitors who are new to the manuscript. It covers the history from Lord Swaminaryan in Nineteenth Century India, through to the present day and the creation of the Digital Shikshapatri.

• Click here to view the introductory video
• Click here to view a transcript of the video

Multimedia

A reading of the Shikshapatri

Articles

'Presentation of the Shikshapatri to Sir John Malcolm', An introductory article by Raymond Williams.

Sahajanand Swami gave a copy of the Shikshapatri to Sir John Malcolm at the conclusion of their meeting at the residence of the Acting Political Agent in Rajkot on February 26, 1830.
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