The Relic in the Glass Cabinet
A History of the Śikṣāpatrī with New Translation and Notes
Series: AAR Religion in Translation;
- Publisher's listprice GBP 91.00
-
41 086 Ft (39 130 Ft + 5% VAT)
The price is estimated because at the time of ordering we do not know what conversion rates will apply to HUF / product currency when the book arrives. In case HUF is weaker, the price increases slightly, in case HUF is stronger, the price goes lower slightly.
- Discount 10% (cc. 4 109 Ft off)
- Discounted price 36 978 Ft (35 217 Ft + 5% VAT)
Subcribe now and take benefit of a favourable price.
Subscribe
41 086 Ft
Availability
Not yet published.
Why don't you give exact delivery time?
Delivery time is estimated on our previous experiences. We give estimations only, because we order from outside Hungary, and the delivery time mainly depends on how quickly the publisher supplies the book. Faster or slower deliveries both happen, but we do our best to supply as quickly as possible.
Product details:
- Publisher OUP USA
- Date of Publication 3 July 2026
- ISBN 9780197827635
- Binding Hardback
- No. of pages320 pages
- Size 235x156 mm
- Language English 700
Categories
Short description:
What happens when a sacred text is rewritten? The Relic in the Glass Cabinet explores the hidden history of the Shikshapatri, a foundational Hindu scripture of the Swaminarayan tradition, revealing how its meaning and purpose were reshaped over time. Drawing on a multitude of manuscripts and additional recension, Avni Chag guides the reader through her own translation of an earlier version of the text, demonstrating how religious texts evolve, shaped by historical, political, and theological priorities. Combining technical textual work and storytelling, this book offers novel insights into the making of religious authority and the fluid nature of sacred tradition.
MoreLong description:
The Shikshapatri (1826) is a scripture presented as a letter to devotees from Swaminarayan (1781-1830), the founder and principal deity of the eponymous Swaminarayan tradition. Designated by millions as a revelatory scripture down to the belief of its divine authorship, the text is treated as a succinct and authoritative index of Swaminarayan beliefs and practices. Early manuscripts of the text are so cherished that some, like the one enclosed in a glass cabinet in the Oxford Bodleian libraries, are treated as relics.
For the first time, Avni Chag's thorough text and historical analysis of the Shikshapatri adds nuance to the story of its canonization. Featuring the first English translation of an earlier, shorter version of the text (1823), The Relic in the Glass Cabinet submits the text's authorship, intent, and historical development to critical scrutiny. Based on a comparative study of two Shikshapatri recensions, Chag demonstrates that the text did not originally align with the specific Vaisnava theological identity it now claims. Instead, doctrinal commitments were added after Swaminarayan's passing, fundamentally reshaping how the text, its author, and his tradition have been understood.
The Relic in the Glass Cabinet offers novel dimensions to existing scholarly interpretations of early Swaminarayan history, theology, and literature. It tells an untold story of the complex histories of textual production, exploring the interplay between historically contingent circumstances and inherited, albeit negotiated, religious ideas and practices, all at the formative moment of a tradition's inception in early nineteenth-century western India, present day Gujarat.
Table of Contents:
List of Figures
List of Tables
Note on Terms, Transliteration, and Translation
PART 1
Introduction: Under Lock and Key
Chapter 1: Unlocking the Shikshapatri's Composition History
Chapter 2: Reflecting Vaisnavism
Chapter 3: Colonial Reception
Chapter 4: A Manual of Living
Conclusion
PART 2
A Comparative Annotated Translation of the
Shikshapatri's Two Recensions
Introduction
Translation
PART 3
A Comparative Edition of the Shikshapatri's Two Recensions
Introduction
Witnesses Used
Edition
Bibliography
