Download or read book Brahma s Weapon written by Ashapurna Debi and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each of the twenty-one stories in Brahma's Weapon, carefully selected from the great writer Ashapurna Debi's extensive oeuvre and brilliantly translated from Bengali, highlights the tensions inherent in a society of close-knit and interdependent families. Focusing on the charged relationships between men and women, Ashapurna illuminates every facet of her heroes' lives with the light of her intellect, insight, and compassion. And her hero is the Bengali woman, in many ways the everywoman of a changing world, powerless yet powerful, challenged at every turn yet challenging the world of men, fighting back, spirited, indomitable. In “Poddolota's Dream,” the title character returns triumphant and magnanimous to the scene of a harrowing childhood; it is only at the very end of the story that we find out exactly where her triumph lies. In “Glass Beads Diamonds,” a woman attends a wedding reception at her estranged in-laws', bearing a gift for the bride; and such is the author's skill that without being told we know how much that gift has cost the giver. In “Grieving for Oneself,” told from a man's point of view, a midnight scare shows the protagonist, immobile in his bed, precisely how he fits into his world, this world he's worked his life to build. It is, as in so many of Ashapurna's stories, a compelling insight, natural and shocking, terrible and human. Ashapurna is one of those rare writers able to render the voice of an entire culture, to capture its deepest and most abiding traditions indelibly, as also its revealing moments; to bring forth an entire society fully formed and unforgettable. Her created world is Bengal, her creature the Bengali woman within the Bengali family, her creation all the ebb and flow of the Bengali woman's universe, a world cartwheeling through the stars, dancing among the eternal truths. Her hero is this woman, this middle-class warrior, among her husband and children, among her sisters and neighbors, tight in this web of attachment, utterly indispensable yet utterly alone, reaching for understanding, for sustenance. But she is the provider, not the provided for. She is the sustainer, not the sustained. The characters at the center of these stories pay a price for their knowledge; but it is the price we all pay, as we live our lives, in measures of disappointment, grief, anger—lit by moments of laughter and connection. It is Ashapurna's triumph, her gift of diamonds to the reader, that she shows us all of this in the compressed spaces of these stories. Reading Ashapurna, we come away understanding, sympathetic, illumined—not only about her characters but also about ourselves. These translations by the critically acclaimed translator Prasenjit Gupta seek to preserve the flavor of the original Bengali as much as possible, to carry across the meanings and metaphors of Ashapurna's world. The translator has avoided the too-familiar path of hackneyed English idiom in order to create an English that serves the Bengali writer and the Bengali characters, a fresh new dialect that gives the reader an insight into the Bengali language and, since language is shaped by and shaper of tradition, into Bengali culture. Translations from Bengali—and perhaps from any language—have seldom been so effective and powerful; this collection is a glorious example of the translator's art. Jhumpa Lahiri's superbly thoughtful introduction to the collection prepares the reader for the grand sweep of the stories, for the universal verities embedded within their narrow domestic walls. This well-researched essay by the accomplished writer and scholar acquaints the reader with the time and place of these tales and presents to the English-speaking world a literary genius, admired for decades in her own country but only now being given her rightful place in the pantheon of world literature.
Download or read book Indian Wisdom written by Sir Monier Monier-Williams and published by . This book was released on 1875 with total page 640 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book South Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses written by Hosakote Krishna Sastri and published by . This book was released on 1916 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book On the Weapons Army Organisation and Political Maxims of the Ancient Hindus written by Gustav Salomon Oppert and published by . This book was released on 1880 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the weapons and war implements of the ancient Hindus -- On the authenticty of the Śukranīti -- On the use of gunpowder and firearms in general -- Inside the home of gunpowder and firearms -- On the Army organization and political organization of the ancient Hindus -- Appendix: Identification of the Manipura of the Mahabarata with Manipura or Manaluru or Madura in South India.
Download or read book The Book of Hindu Imagery written by Eva Rudy Jansen and published by Binkey Kok. This book was released on 1993 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hinduism is more than a religion; it is a way of life. Its rich and multicoloured history has made the structure of its mythical and philosophical principles into a highly differentiated maze, of which total knowledge is a practical impossibility. This volume cannot offer a complete survey of the meaning of Hinduism. It is an extensive compilation of important deities and their divine manifestations, so that modern students can understand the significance of the Hindu pantheon.
Download or read book Vishwamitra written by Vineet Aggarwal and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2014-11-21 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: He was born a Kshatriya. He became a Brahmarishi. When Satyavati, wife of Rishi Ruchik, exchanges with her mother, Queen Ratna, the magic potion for bearing a child, they change not just their children’s destiny, but also the history of mankind. Born of this mix up is Vishwamitra, the son of a Kshatriya, with the qualities of a Brahmin. The duality in his life soon begins to show as he strives to become a Brahmarishi—the ultimate, the most powerful of all Gurus. With the creation of the Gayatri Mantra he begins a tapasya that makes him second to none. He challenges the Gods and shakes the very foundation of the heavens. Vishwamitra is the powerful, riveting story of a brave but stubborn, haughty yet compassionate, visionary king of Aryavarta who not only acquires material wealth through military conquests but also becomes one of the most well-known sages of all times.
Download or read book Mythological Swords written by Rocky Pendergrass and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2015-06-22 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mythological Swords provides a collection of curated articles detailing mythological swords.
Download or read book The Wheel of Sharp Weapons written by Dharmarakshita and published by Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. This book was released on 2019-01-01 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Wheel of Sharp Weapons, one of the most important and influential texts in the Mahayana training of the mind. It was composed by the great Indian Yogi Dharmarakshita and he transmitted these teachings to Atisha (982-1054), who later transmitted the same to his greatest disciple Upasaka Dromtonpa and together translated it into Tibetan from Sanskrit. The present English translation is based on its Tibetan text, done by the Translation Bureau of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. Commentary to The Wheel of Sharp Weapons was given by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey.
Download or read book Dravidian Gods in Modern Hinduism written by Wilber Theodore Elmore and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Living with the Himalayan Masters written by Swami Rama and published by Himalayan Institute Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inspirational stories of Swama Rama's experiences and lessons learned with the great teachers who guided his life including Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore, and more.
Download or read book Essential Hinduism written by Steven Rosen and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2006-10-30 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a world religion, Hinduism remains one of the most elusive for many. Its teachings, beliefs, practices, and history are reviewed here by an expert hoping to introduce readers to the world of Hinduism. While there are many forms of Hinduism, and offshoots as well, the complex nature of this faith makes it elusive to many. This straightforward overview, focusing on Vaishnavism-the most common form of Hinduism—is ideal for those who wish to learn more about this ancient tradition.. Beginning with chapters about the foundations of Hinduism, Rosen clearly lays out what is otherwise a complicated history. Providing Hindu terms alongside English translations, he is able to bring the faith alive for readers unacquainted with its varieties and its tenets. Moving on to chapters about practices, including festivals, teachings, chanting, eating habits and more, Rosen brings Hinduism to life in vivid detail.
Download or read book Mahabharata written by and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Valmiki s Ramayana written by and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-04-20 with total page 563 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of India’s greatest epics, the Ramayana pervades the country’s moral and cultural consciousness. For generations it has served as a bedtime story for Indian children, while at the same time engaging the interest of philosophers and theologians. Believed to have been composed by Valmiki sometime between the eighth and sixth centuries BCE, the Ramayana tells the tragic and magical story of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, an incarnation of Lord Visnu, born to rid the earth of the terrible demon Ravana. An idealized heroic tale ending with the inevitable triumph of good over evil, the Ramayana is also an intensely personal story of family relationships, love and loss, duty and honor, of harem intrigue, petty jealousies, and destructive ambitions. All this played out in a universe populated by larger-than-life humans, gods and celestial beings, wondrous animals and terrifying demons. With her magnificent translation and superb introduction, Arshia Sattar has successfully bridged both time and space to bring this ancient classic to modern English readers.
Download or read book Weapons of the Gods written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2016-10-28 with total page 10 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We are told to follow the path of ahimsa (non-violence), but our devis and devatas are always ready for war. What is the reason for this? How does Shiva hold space and time in the same hands in which he holds his bow Pinak? Who made all these weapons? And what do our scriptures say about using weapons for mass destruction? Devdutt explores the dramatic, fantastic weapons of the gods. From Indra’s Vajra made of bones of a sage, to the bow of Kama, made of sugarcane, butterflies and bees with flowers for arrows, read all about the intricacies of ancient weaponry and their symbolic meaning in this short, sweet read from Devlok.
Download or read book Brahma s Hair written by Maneka Gandhi and published by books catalog. This book was released on 1989 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maneka Gandhi, politician, author and animal rights activist, discovers the wonderful world of mythology that has grown around thirty Indian plants and trees. Their botanical background is also provided in this delightful book she has written in collaboration with Yasmin Singh, with Mona Bhandari's illustrations.
Download or read book In Praise of the Goddess written by and published by Nicolas-Hays, Inc.. This book was released on 2003-12-01 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: About 16 centuries ago, an unknown Indian author or authors gathered together the diverse threads of already ancient traditions and wove them into a verbal tapestry that today is still the central text for worshippers of the Hindu Devi, the Divine Mother. This spiritual classic, the Devimahatmya, addresses the perennial questions of the nature of the universe, humankind, and divinity. How are they related, how do we live in a world torn between good and evil, and how do we find lasting satisfaction and inner peace? These questions and their answers form the substance of the Devimahatmya. Its narrative of a dispossessed king, a merchant betrayed by the family he loves, and a seer whose teaching leads beyond existential suffering sets the stage for a trilogy of myths concerning the all-powerful Divine Mother, Durga, and the fierce battles she wages against throngs of demonic foes. In these allegories, her adversaries represent our all-too-human impulses toward power, possessions, and pleasure. The battlefields symbolize the field of human consciousness on which our lives' dramas play out in joy and sorrow, in wisdom and folly. The Devimahatmya speaks to us across the ages of the experiences and beliefs of our ancient ancestors. We sense their enchantment at nature's bounty and their terror before its destructive fury, their recognition of the good and evil in the human heart, and their understanding that everything in our experience is the expression of a greater reality, personified as the Divine Mother.
Download or read book Shreemad Bhagavad Gita written by Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda and published by Bhakti Marga Publications. This book was released on 2017-01-12 with total page 1485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Shreemad Bhagavad Gita is one of the most ancient scriptures in the world. Of all the scriptures, it is said that Gita provides the deepest and most practical knowledge about faith, devotion, surrender, detachment, and a release of expectations and ownership over one’s own actions. But like any teaching, time and unqualified minds can distort scriptures like this and misrepresent what is contained within. It is for that purpose that the Lord continuously takes birth on earth in the form of the Guru to revive the true essence of the Gita and to demonstrate the simplicity and power of the divine message of the Lord. One such Master is Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, and this book is his personal commentary on this timeless knowledge. Included here are over 900 pages of verses, translations, drawings for every chapter, and Paramahamsa Vishwananda's extensive commentary. Perfect for the beginner as well as those who have read other commentaries, this is more than just a book. It is a guiding light that can be applied to every day, to every thought, and to every moment.
