Th Vachanamrut is the foremost spiritual scripture of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. It is a compilation of 262 dialogues between Bhagwan Swaminarayan and His Paramhansas and gruhastha devotees, during the decade 1819-1829.
The followers of the Sampradaya read and study the scripture daily, as a religious vow, just as they read the Shikshapatri every morning in their daily puja. However young people often regard it difficult to understand, perhaps even boring. There are 4 important reasons for this:

• Young people, especially those raised abroad are not familiar with Hindu Dharma's philosophical terminology - neither in Gujarati nor the equivalent English.
• They readily accept preconceived views of their peers about it being difficult rather than making an effort themselves to understand.
• They may have a pre-conditioned view that all Vachanamruts should be easy to understand. This is a misnomer. All are not necessarily relevant to young people. The novice should study only a selected few.
• An finally, if one does not know the true glory and concept of the scripture, its study will always remain tedious. Once we understand how its wisdom solves practical problems in our lives thus imbuing peace, we will readily enjoy its study.

It is precisely in consideration of these four important factors that the Handbook has been written. Before looking at the contents, consider the 5 book reviews given by eminent world scholars of Bhakti literature:

Book Reviews:
(1)"The first part: The Life and Times of the Vachanamrut makes a very interesting reading full of vivid details on the late 18th and early 19th century Gujarat and specially Saurashtra. Again the concern for precise and practical details, somewhat anthropological, renders part 2: Introducing the Vachanamrut and part 3: "The Opening Paragraphs of the Vachanamrut" a good source for a student of both the Gujarat religious history and the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. Parts 4 to 8 concern more a spiritual approach of the sacred scripture; yet the quite meticulous care in explaining clearly the concepts and the terminology may be useful to the scholar as well. I think that the whole book is not only a mine of information but a very sympathetic approach to this exceptional text, as in fact it is the only pre-modern piece of prose in Gujarati and almost in the whole of religious literature in Neo-indo-aryan languages. It certainly will fulfill its mission to attract and to instruct the young westernised devotees of the Community."
Prof. Dr. Françoise Mallison, Directeur D'etudes, Ecole Pratique Des Hautes Etudes, Sciences Historiques Et Philologiques, A la Sorbonne, PARIS, France

(2) "The "Handbook to the Vachanamrutam" is exemplary in every possible respect. Its main characteristic is its striking precision and, at the same time, the artistic creativity with which the information is transported to the reader. On not a single page is the reader left wondering at unexplained terms. This is how a religious tradition should be transmitted to an audience that, for various reasons may no longer have grown up in a traditional atmosphere. The volume satisfies spiritual, intellectual and aesthetic desires."
Prof. Monika Boehm-Tettelbach, Head, Dept. of Modern Indology, South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg, Germany

(3) "A wonderful achievement on the Vachanamrutam of Lord Swaminarayan"
The late H. C. Bhayani, renowned scholar of Apabramsha, Prakrut and Sanskrit, Amdavad, India

(4) "It is a unique literary product in that no other scripture has been, till now presented in such a manner of a research treatise,…. The very get up of the book is quite unique and enticing, much like the reported divine personality of Shri Sahajanand Swami, by his contemporary disciples."
Dr. N. M. Kansara, L. D. Institute of Indology, Amdavad, Director - Akshardham Academy for Research in Social Harmony (AARSH), Gandhinagar, India

(5) "Once in a great while there comes a book which makes the reader wish that he had had something to do with its production. This is one such ...
This Handbook is one of the finest examples of the expository writing this reviewer has seen. With such an intelligent and comprehensive aid by the side of a religious text, there is no reason why the youngest person should not read or understand a text of importance. The production values are exquisite. Beautiful illustrations, clear and asthetic, adorn the book. The maps are works of art. Clarity is present everywhere, of the typeface, of the illustrations and one noteworthy feature is the comments on the margin of every page."
Prema Raghunath, The Vedant Kesari, Feb. 2001
The 258-page Handbook is printed in two-tones, with over 70 sketches, photographs, maps and tables. The two-tone watercolour paintings of Bhagwan Swaminarayan's garments were specially painted from His original, preserved in the Gopinath Deva mandir in Gadhada.


Details of the Handbook:
For a quick overview of the book, we give below the "contents" pages with relevant excerpts and sketches.