Acknowledgment

First of all, I wish to express my salutation to my Guru HDH Pramukha Svāmī Mahārāja, who had identified my strength in the field of study, research, and writing skills. He was the first person on earth who had told me to conduct Ph.D. right after my Bhagavatī Dikṣā. However, at that time, I knew nothing about the Indian Vedic tradition. Therefore, I accomplished a master’s degree in the Svāminārāyaṇa Vedanta. After Pramukha Svāmī left his mortal body, Then Mahanta Svāmī Mahārāja, the spiritual successor of Pramukha Svāmī and present Akṣarabrahman Guru blessed and encouraged me for the task. On Friday, February 2019, at 1.30 pm, he put his both divine hands on my head and opened the way to enroll myself as a research candidate in Maharaja Sayyajirao University, Baroda. For these reasons, I dedicate this work to both of my Gurus: Pramukha Svāmī Mahārāja and Mahanta Svāmī Mahārāja, without whose blessings and inspiration this thesis would not have been possible. Parabrahman Puruṣottama Bhagavān Svāminārāyaṇa is the real source of my life and my thesis. His unique teachings and interpretations of the Vedic texts are the foundation of this research work. Only because of his gracious and divine appearance on this world were the principles of the Akṣarapuruṣottama Darśana revealed.

The BAPS Svāminārāyaṇa Mandira at Sārangapura, all of the faculty at both the training center and the BAPS Sanskrit Mahāvidyālaya and the administration of the mandira complex have been also been supportive. Among them, I would like to particularly remember and express my regard for P. Jñāneśvara Svāmī, P. Nārāyaṇamuni Svāmī, P. Akṣaracaraṇa Svāmī, P. Ātmatṛpta Svāmī and my batchmate Sādhus for endorsing me for the last several years and providing for my needs.

Most importantly, I must express my very profound gratitude to my guide, Professor Dr. Rabindra Panda. His insightful and prudent advice proved to be extremely helpful in preparing my thesis. He has provided me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my process of researching and writing this thesis. This accomplishment would not have been so fruitful without his proper guidance. Meetings and discussions with him have significantly impacted my investigation, organization, and presentation of the ideas that I discuss in this work. He is a great scholar of classical Sanskrit grammar, Vedanta, literature and Nyāya at the same time the profound master of western philosophy and English language. I especially express my vote of thanks to P. Sādhu Dharmasetudāsa (former graduate of Rutgers University, New Jersey) who meticulously read the thesis and suggested grammatical corrections.

I am highly grateful to all the faculties and staff members of the Department of Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit and Oriental Institute, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda for helping me at the time of collecting data from the institute library and enriching me with some important research works. Among them, I would like to thank Mr. Vipul Patel, who served as a bridge to walk on to the university.

Finally, I am highly indebted to Sādhu Bhadreśadāsa, on whose work my entire thesis depends. Since the beginning of my stay here in Sārangapura, Svāmī Bhadreśadāsa has been an unfailing, encouraging, and supportive mentor. His lessons in Sanskrit, Nyāya, verbal expositions of his Sanskrit commentaries, and readiness to discuss readings of the text was an invaluable resource. It was a great privilege to have learned and discussed the expositions of the commentaries with its author. Perhaps, future generations will be covetous of having had such an opportunity. I am also grateful for his envisioning the project. It was by his suggestion that I had originally outlined the idea of this work. I remember and thank all the well-wishers who have helped me directly or indirectly.