Between Mediums: The Dynamics of Religious Instruction in the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

The arrival of print technologies in the western region of India, now known as Gujarat, during the late eighteenth century, ushered in a wave of publications. Works by religious individuals and institutions, including scriptures, hagiographies, and devotional poetry, formed an increasing subset of publications during the nineteenth century. This paper examines how religious individuals and organizations engaged with print technologies during this period of transition and the impact of this transition on instruction. 

This study focuses on the role of vāto, a distinct genre of oral teachings that gained prominence within the Swaminarayan Sampraday during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in shaping religious instruction. Traditionally, the primary mode of religious teaching in the Swaminarayan Sampraday—a Hindu devotional tradition established by Swaminarayan (1781-1830) at the onset of the nineteenth century—was oral, often taking the form of dialogical discourses. Vāto, transcribed by the speaker’s disciples, were intended for personal edification and revision. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, with the adoption of print technologies in Gujarat, they became widely accessible. This new genre of vāto offered instruction by detailing accounts from Swaminarayan’s life, elaborating on theology and soteriology, and outlining practices to be incorporated into one’s daily life. The proliferation of printed vāto expanded their role within the community, as these texts came to serve as aids for religious instruction at Swaminarayan temples, in the homes of lay devotees, and during community assemblies.