Hinduism
Hinduism

Author: Roshen Dalal

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2014-04-18

Total Pages: 1068

ISBN-13: 8184752776

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An invaluable encyclopedia of Hinduism Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions; an amalgam of diverse beliefs and schools, it originates in the Vedas and is rooted in Indian culture. Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide illuminates complex philosophical concepts through lucid definitions, a historical perspective and incisive analyses. It examines various aspects of Hinduism, covering festivals and rituals, gods and goddesses, philosophers, memorials, aesthetics, and sacred plants and animals. The author also explores pivotal ideas, including moksha, karma, dharma and samsara, and details the diverse commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita and other important texts. Citing extensively from the regional languages, the book describes Hinduism’s innumerable myths and legends, and looks at the many versions of texts including the Ramayana and Mahabharata, placing each entry in its historical context and tracing its evolution to the present. • Outlines all eighteen major Puranas, the 108 Upanishads, and a selection of Vaishnava, Sahiva and Tantric texts • Provides quotations from rare original texts • A product of years of research, with a wide range of entries

Indian Culture
Indian Culture

Author: Dr. S. Srikanta Sastri, English Translation by S. Naganath

Publisher: Notion Press

Published: 2022-05-11

Total Pages: 474

ISBN-13: 163806511X

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The author, a historian of repute, confronts important issues of Indian history in this classic work. He raises such questions as “Was there an Aryan Invasion of India in the past?”, “Is the caste system a bane or a boon?”, “Did Indian women enjoy equal rights in ancient times?”, “Was Democracy an alien concept to Vedic Indians?”, “Why Buddhism became extinct in the country of its origin?”, “What is India’s lasting contribution to the field of Science, Mathematics, Astronomy, Medicine, Chemistry, Metallurgy, etc.?”, “Was Indian Culture greatly impacted by foreign religions?”, “How did India influence its neighbouring Eastern and Western countries?”, “Is Sanskrit only an off-shoot of the Indo-European Languages Group?”, “What was the scale of the social, economic and political implosion detonated by two centuries of British Colonial Rule?”. The author has answered the above vexing questions based on an intensive study of Archaeology, Epigraphy, Numismatics, original records in different languages and the travelogues of foreign visitors.(Translator’s Note).

Yamunacharya
Yamunacharya

Author: Venkatadriagaram Varadachari

Publisher:

Published: 1984

Total Pages: 106

ISBN-13:

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On the works of Yamunacarya, exponent of Sri VaishnĐava sect.

Philosophy of Pancaratras
Philosophy of Pancaratras

Author: S. Rangachar

Publisher: Hesperides Press

Published: 2006-11-01

Total Pages: 404

ISBN-13: 1406735892

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Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Hesperides Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Iśvarasaṃhitā
Iśvarasaṃhitā

Author: V. Varadachari

Publisher:

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 442

ISBN-13:

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Visnuism has given rise to two very important schools of ritual and philosophy, namely Vaikhanasa and Pancaratra. Isvarasamhita is an important text of the Pancaratra school of Visnuism. Whereas Vaikhanasa is relatively archaic in character and leans more upon the Vedic tradition for its repertoire of Mantras used in religious rites and ceremonies, the Pancaratra is more liberal and open in its approach. It has a text tradition going back to some two thousand years- which has also been the main source of the Visistadvaita philosophy of Ramanuja (11th 12th c.). In most of the Vaisnava temples in South India, especially in Tamilnadu, worship is conducted in accordance with the prescription of one of the important Pancaratra Samhitas. Isvarasamhita is an important text of the Pancaratra School and is followed meticulously for conduction of daily Puja ceremony and performances of various religious festivals in the Narayanasvami temple of Melkote. It can safely be dated to 8th-9th Century at least on the basis of its reference in the Agama Pramanya of Shri Yamunacarya. It is supposed to be a simpler and smaller version of the older sattvatasamhita of this school which is the earliest available work of Pancaratra and is considered as one of three ratnas, (Jewels), along with Pauskara- and Jaya Samhitas. In 25 long Adhyayas the Isvarasamhita describes in great details the rites, rituals and ceremonies taking place ( or ought to take place) in a Vaisnava temple. Palm leaf Manuscripts of the Isvarasamhita were procured mainly from the Narayanasvami temple of Melkote for the sake of authenticity. We have also appended to the text the gloss of Alasimha Bhatta (early 19th C.) which shall be helpful in comprehending certain difficult or sectarian expressions. The English translation on the opposite (right) page has been provided for the facility of the modern scholars working on philosophy, Ritual and Iconography of Visnuism. A proper understanding of ritual is obviously indispensable for the study of Art.