Preface The Vachanamrut begins with a preface, termed, partharo (
parthāro), that provides a detailed account of Swaminarayan’s activities, his interactions with devotees, and his appearance. The discourses took place across various towns and villages of Gujarat, India, specifically Gadhada, Sarangpur, Kariyani, Loya, Panchala, Vartal, Amdavad, Ashlali, and Jetalpur. The introductory paragraph also notes the setting and atmosphere of the assembly and describes the audience seated. Furthermore, Swaminarayan himself is described with intricate detail with mention to the colour and style of his clothes and adornments. Occasionally, the seat upon which Swaminarayan is seated and the direction in which he is facing is detailed. Regarding the details and precise dating present in the introductory paragraphs of each Vachanamrut, John Carmen, Professor of Comparative Religion at
Harvard, notes that the inclusion of such information in a scriptural text nullifies a common Western misunderstanding that religious India lacks a sense of history.
Style of discourse The style of discourse is highly dialogical and didactic, with most in the form of a question-and-answer session similar to the Upanishadic tradition of guru-disciple dialogue in which dialogues occur between the guru and pupils. == Content ==