Classic Tales from India
Classic Tales from India

Author: Vatsala Sperling

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2020-07-07

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 1591433878

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Seven beautifully illustrated traditional stories that immerse the reader in the ancient culture of India as well as impart important life lessons • Shares classic tales from India, including stories drawn from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Puranas, translated by the authors • Illustrated throughout with glowing full-color paintings in traditional Indian style prepared according to the traditional Hindu canon With this full-color illustrated collection of classic tales from India, you will learn about the playful, loyal, strong, loving, and wise gods, goddesses, and heroes of India. You will discover how the deity Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, got his elephant head, how the goddess Parvati won the heart of the great god Shiva, and how the goddess Ganga came to Earth from Heaven in the form of the holy Ganges River. You will discover how Krishna’s childhood as superhero and mischievous boy prepared him to fulfill his destiny as an avatar of the god Vishnu. In two tales drawn from the Ramayana, you will learn about prince Ram and his victory over the ten-headed demon king Ravana and how the monkey-god Hanuman moved a medicine mountain to save Ram’s brother. In two stories from the famous epic the Mahabharata, you will discover how Karna became the greatest archer in the world to help good triumph over evil and how Arjuna compassionately fought his own cousins to bring peace to the kingdom of Hastinapur. The glowing illustrations, executed in transparent watercolors and tempera paints, are done in a centuries-old method traditional to India. Richly detailed, they bring to life the colorful cast of characters--humans, gods, and demons alike--and allow the reader to become immersed in the mystical world of ancient India.

Inside the Drama-House
Inside the Drama-House

Author: Stuart Blackburn

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 1996-05-28

Total Pages: 307

ISBN-13: 0520202066

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The author describes the skill and physical stamina of the shadow puppeteers in Kerala state in South India as they perform the Tamil version of the Ramayana epic all night for as many as ten weeks during the festival season. The fact that these performances often take place without an audience forms the starting point for Blackburn's discussion which also explores the broader theoretical issues of text, interpretation, and audience.

For Seven Lifetimes
For Seven Lifetimes

Author: Vatsala Sperling

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2010-12-21

Total Pages: 391

ISBN-13: 1594778353

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How to cultivate a successful marriage based on shared values and spiritual growth • With new chapters on their past 15 years together, stories of happy marriages modeled on the book, marital “obedience,” and the family way to world peace • Reveals how a couple can become an engine for higher spiritual experiences • Includes more than 60 letters written between the authors during their courtship and over 100 full-color photographs, including their traditional wedding in India Defying the norms of her culture and tradition, a highly educated Tamil Brahmin woman decides to arrange her own marriage. Simultaneously, an American book publisher--disillusioned with love in the Western world--looks to India to find a wife by placing an ad in an Indian newspaper. A dialogue between two souls, two families, and two cultures, For Seven Lifetimes chronicles the year-long written courtship of this pair as they share their beliefs on sexuality, desire, gender roles, careers, parenthood, spirituality, and religion. By appreciating the similarities and differences in their worldviews, they initiate a union that reflects their ideals as a couple and the life they will create together. Revealing the secrets to a fulfilling relationship based on shared values and spiritual growth, Vatsala and Ehud outline the principles needed to truly understand the roles of husband and wife and the questions to ask to recognize true spiritual compatibility. With new chapters on the 15 years since their wedding day, stories of happy marriages inspired by and modeled on the book, marital “obedience,” and how a couple can become an engine for higher spiritual experiences, this new edition shows how the successful marriage reflects the greater union between the masculine and the feminine.

Hanuman's Tale
Hanuman's Tale

Author: Philip Lutgendorf

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2007-01-11

Total Pages: 449

ISBN-13: 0199885826

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Hanuman, the devoted monkey helper of Rama and Sita, has long been recognized as a popular character in India's ancient Ramayana epic. But more recently he has also become one of the most beloved and worshiped gods in the Hindu pantheon - enshrined in majestic new temples, but equally present in poster art, advertising, and mass media. Drawing on Sanskrit and vernacular texts, classical iconography and modern TV serials, and extensive fieldwork and interviews, Philip Lutgendorf challenges the academic cliché of Hanuman as a "minor" or "folk" deity by exploring his complex and growing role in South Asian religion and culture. This wide-ranging study examines the historical evolution of Hanuman's worship, his close association with Shiva and goddesses, his invocation in tantric ritual, his physical immortality and enduring presence in sacred sites, and his appeal to devotees who include scholars, wrestlers, healers, politicians, and middle-class urbanites. Lutgendorf also offers a rich array of entertaining stories not previously available in English: an expanding epic cycle that he christens the "Hanumayana." Arguing that Hanuman's role as cosmic "middle man" is intimately linked to his embodiment in a charming and provocative simian form, Lutgendorf moves beyond the Indian subcontinent to interrogate the wider human fascination with anthropoid primates as boundary beings and as potent signifiers of both Self and Other.

Literature-Based Teaching in the Content Areas
Literature-Based Teaching in the Content Areas

Author: Carole Cox

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Published: 2011-01-12

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 1452223661

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Grounded in theory and best-practices research, this practical text provides teachers with 40 strategies for using fiction and non-fiction trade books to teach in five key content areas: language arts and reading, social studies, mathematics, science, and the arts. Each strategy provides everything a teacher needs to get started: a classroom example that models the strategy, a research-based rationale, relevant content standards, suggested books, reader-response questions and prompts, assessment ideas, examples of how to adapt the strategy for different grade levels (K–2, 3–5, and 6–8), and ideas for differentiating instruction for English language learners and struggling students. Throughout the book, student work samples and classroom vignettes bring the content to life.

The Ayurvedic Reset Diet
The Ayurvedic Reset Diet

Author: Vatsala Sperling

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2020-12-29

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1644111314

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A step-by-step guide to Ayurvedic dietary resets to gently cleanse your digestive system and reboot your body and mind • Presents easy-to-follow instructions for a full 6- or 8-week Ayurvedic rest diet, as well as a simplified 1-week plan, detailing what to eat and drink day by day • Includes recipes, mindful eating tips, and meal prepping techniques • Explains the healing science of Ayurveda, the rejuvenating benefits of fasting and mono-diets, and how to maximize nutrient absorption with food combining Food sensitivities, chronic inflammation, obesity, and chronic disease are on the rise. Could our modern diets and mindless eating habits be to blame? How do you reboot your system--body, mind, and spirit--and start the path to radiant health? In this easy-to-follow guide to Ayurvedic dietary resets, Vatsala Sperling, Ph.D., details how to rest and gently cleanse your digestive system, lose extra pounds, and reboot your body and mind with the Ayurvedic techniques of fasting, mono-diets, and food combining. She begins by sharing a simplified introduction to the healing science of Ayurveda from India and explains the spiritual, mindful relationship to food at its heart. Offering step-by-step instructions for a full 6- or 8-week Ayurvedic reset diet, as well as a simplified 1-week program, she details, day by day, what to eat and drink and provides recipes and meal prepping tips and techniques. The author explains how to prepare for fasting and the benefits of giving your digestive system a break from food, even if only for one day. She prepares you for mono-dieting--when you eat one type of food such as fruits or vegetables for a set period--and reveals the rejuvenating effects that come from isolating your daily diet to one food type. The author then explores the Ayurvedic techniques of food combining in detail, explaining exactly what to eat when to maximize nutrient absorption. Based on the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, this guide provides everything you need to know to heal your digestive system, prevent chronic ailments, find your healthy weight, and rebuild your sacred relationship with food.

Ganga
Ganga

Author: Vatsala Sperling

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2008-11-10

Total Pages: 36

ISBN-13: 1591439086

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Tells how the Hindu goddess Ganga came to Earth as the Ganges River • Introduces children to one of the most beloved characters of Hindu mythology • Illustrated throughout with full-color paintings in traditional Indian style The Ganges River, which flows from the high reaches of the Himalayas all the way down to the Bay of Bengal, is sacred to the Hindu people, who consider it to be the earthly form of the goddess Ganga. The story of how Ganga was born, and how she became a river, tells of a journey from a place even higher than the Himalayan mountaintops--a journey from Heaven itself. Born in a pot of sacred water, the baby Ganga grows into a beautiful and lighthearted girl, the darling of Heaven. But one day her sense of humor gets her in trouble. When grumpy Sage Durvasa is caught in a whirlwind that blows his clothes right off him, Ganga makes the mistake of laughing at him. In a rage, the sage puts a curse on her: “You must go to Earth as a river!” Ganga is heartbroken and begs the sage to forgive her. He can’t take back the curse, but seeing that she is truly sorry, he gives her a blessing as well: her water will purify the souls of men, releasing them from sin. When Sage Baghirath prays to the gods to help him release the souls of his ancestors, Ganga comes tumbling from the sky and follows the sage across India, the river unfurling behind her. To this day millions of people take comfort in her healing waters, and Ganga, too, takes comfort in relieving their suffering.

The Illustrated Ramayana
The Illustrated Ramayana

Author: DK

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2022-12-15

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 0744058546

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Discover the Ramayana-one of India's most celebrated epics, and a story that transcends time itself. The tale of Rama, the exiled prince of Ayodhya who battles the evil Ravana, the king of Lanka, and rescues his abducted wife, Sita, is about much more than the eternal battle of good versus evil. It is a tale of love, friendship, loyalty, devotion, righteousness, and deliverance. Ramayana and Rama, whose journey is told in the epic, are embedded in India's cultural consciousness, but they transcend borders. Various versions of the Ramayana can be found across the Indian subcontinent and in parts of southeast Asia. Created in consultation with distinguished economist, scholar, and translator Dr. Bibek Debroy, The Illustrated Ramayana draws from one of its earliest composers, the celebrated sage and poet Valmiki. It uses a combination of text and stunning images drawn from a variety of sources-historic and contemporary artifacts, paintings, photographs, and performances-to tell Rama's story as he walks the path that destiny creates for him.

Hanuman's Tale
Hanuman's Tale

Author: Philip Lutgendorf

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2007-01-11

Total Pages: 449

ISBN-13: 0198042205

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Hanuman, the devoted monkey helper of Rama and Sita, has long been recognized as a popular character in India's ancient Ramayana epic. But more recently he has also become one of the most beloved and worshiped gods in the Hindu pantheon - enshrined in majestic new temples, but equally present in poster art, advertising, and mass media. Drawing on Sanskrit and vernacular texts, classical iconography and modern TV serials, and extensive fieldwork and interviews, Philip Lutgendorf challenges the academic cliché of Hanuman as a "minor" or "folk" deity by exploring his complex and growing role in South Asian religion and culture. This wide-ranging study examines the historical evolution of Hanuman's worship, his close association with Shiva and goddesses, his invocation in tantric ritual, his physical immortality and enduring presence in sacred sites, and his appeal to devotees who include scholars, wrestlers, healers, politicians, and middle-class urbanites. Lutgendorf also offers a rich array of entertaining stories not previously available in English: an expanding epic cycle that he christens the "Hanumayana." Arguing that Hanuman's role as cosmic "middle man" is intimately linked to his embodiment in a charming and provocative simian form, Lutgendorf moves beyond the Indian subcontinent to interrogate the wider human fascination with anthropoid primates as boundary beings and as potent signifiers of both Self and Other.