Over the centuries, Jain scholars have approached the Bhagavati Sutra as a richly layered treasury of doctrine, cosmology, and spiritual guidance, centering on its dialogical exchanges between Mahavira and his interlocutors. From an early stage, it has been treated as a major canonical authority, especially within the Śvetāmbara tradition, for clarifying the nature of the soul, karma, the categories of existence, and the path to liberation. Its question‑and‑answer structure has been read as preserving authentic teaching in a vivid, interrogative mode, inviting careful reflection rather than passive acceptance. In this way, the text has functioned as both a doctrinal reference and a model of reasoned spiritual inquiry.

A prominent strand of interpretation focuses on its cosmological and encyclopedic character. Scholars have mined its detailed descriptions of the universe, its regions, beings, and time cycles to construct and refine Jain cosmography, often harmonizing its accounts with other scriptural sources. At the same time, there has been an ongoing tension in interpretation between reading these cosmological depictions literally and treating them more symbolically or phenomenologically. This has encouraged a view of the text not merely as a map of external realms, but as a mirror for understanding the conditions and consequences of karmic existence.

Another enduring concern has been doctrinal systematization and ethical application. Medieval commentators composed extensive explanations and reorganized the material thematically, seeking to resolve ambiguities, reconcile apparent contradictions, and defend Jain positions in dialogue with other philosophical traditions. The Sutra’s narratives and analyses have been used to illuminate the stages of spiritual development, the workings of bondage and release, and the practical demands of non‑violence, truthfulness, non‑stealing, celibacy, and non‑attachment. In this way, its often complex discussions have been interpreted as directly relevant to the formation of character and conduct.

Finally, both traditional and modern scholars have read the Bhagavati Sutra with an eye to its broader historical and intellectual context. It has been treated as a key witness to early Jain thought, sectarian identity, and the development of Jain logic and epistemology, especially through its subtle probing of distinctions and standpoints. While Śvetāmbara authorities affirm its full canonical status and Digambara thinkers tend to use it more selectively, there is a shared recognition of the doctrinal weight of its core teachings. Modern academic study has further highlighted its composite and encyclopedic nature, seeing in it a layered record of reflection on ethics, cosmology, geography, and spiritual practice that continues to invite fresh yet disciplined interpretation.