Download or read book A Book of Hindu Scriptures written by William Q Judge and published by Theophania Publishing. This book was released on 2011-06-03 with total page 740 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Bagavad Gita is a conversation between Lord Krishna and the Pandava prince Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra War. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma about fighting his own cousins, Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince, and elaborates on different Yogic and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies. This has led to the Gita often being described as a concise guide to Hindu theology and also as a practical, self-contained guide to life. During the discourse, Lord Krishna reveals His identity as the Supreme Being Himself (Svayam Bhagavan), blessing Arjuna with an awe-inspiring vision of His divine universal form. Two words that are of paramount importance in grasping the Upanishads are Brahman and Atman. The Brahman is the universal spirit and the Atman is the individual Self. Differing opinions exist amongst scholars regarding the etymology of these words. Brahman comes from the root brh which means "The Biggest The Greatest The ALL." Brahman is "the infinite Spirit Source and fabric and core and destiny of all existence, both manifested and unmanifested and the formless infinite substratum and from whom the universe has grown." Brahman is the ultimate, both transcendent and immanent, the absolute infinite existence, the sum total of all that ever is, was, or shall be. The word Atman means the immortal perfect Spirit of any living creature, being, including trees etc. The idea put forth by the Upanishadic seers that Atman and Brahman are One and the same is one of the greatest contributions made to the thought of the world. The Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns. It is counted among the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism known as the Vedas. Some of its verses are still recited as Hindu prayers, at religious functions and other occasions, putting these among the world's oldest religious texts in continued use. The Rigveda contains several mythological and poetical accounts of the origin of the world, hymns praising the gods, and ancient prayers for life, prosperity, etc.
Download or read book Windows Into the Infinite written by Barbara Powell and published by Jain Publishing Company. This book was released on 1996 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A timely book to understand and put into perspective the vast corpus of the Hindu religious literature which a typical Western reader otherwise finds so daunting that he/she gets discouraged and simply gives up. Besides being of enormous value to spiritual seekers, the book is ideally suited for study in a classroom environment.
Download or read book Hindu Scriptures written by Robert Charles Zaehner and published by Everyman. This book was released on 1992 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comprises such sacred books of India as the hymns of the Rig-Veda, the world's first recorded poems, the stirring pantheistic speculations of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita, a cosmic drama of God's self-revelation in human history, on the field of human battle.
Download or read book Hindu Scriptures written by Dominic Goodall and published by Motilal Banarsidass Publ.. This book was released on 2001 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hindu Scriptures is a unique collection of Hindu texts spanning more than twenty centuries. Two anthologies entitled Hindu Scriptures have previously appeared in the Everyman series alone, that of Nicol MacNicol in 1938 and that of Professor R.C. Zaehner in 1966. This present title is the enlarged edition of R.C. Zaehner`s anthology, with the addition of three fresh translations, its broad range includes arcane hymns of the ancient Aryans, a manual of prescriptions governing every aspect of the daily life of the orthodox, and rich poetry that describes with heady sensuality the dalliance of Krsna and the cowherd women of Vraja in the nights of the autumn moon. The texts are arranged in chronological order and the Introduction explains the reasons for their inclusion, sets them in context, and briefly characterizes their contents.
Download or read book Indian Scriptures written by Prof.S.K.Prasoon and published by Pustak Mahal. This book was released on 2008-01-25 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Vedas are the eternal source of knowledge from which all the other Hindu Scriptures originated. When we say eternal books of knowledge, it carries a sense of oneness with the Supreme Lord. Scriptures are the holy books of a religion that are pious and revered. All the religions in the world have one scripture eachwhereas Hinduism has many Scriptures. Hindu scriptures are divided into Shruti and Smriti. the Shruti is the primary authority and the Smriti is the secondary. the Shruti literally means what is heard. the great rishis of yore heard the eternal truth which was later compiled by the great rishi Veda Vyasa in the four Vedas - Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. Smritis on the other hand include Itihasas or epics, Puranas or chronicles, Agamas or the manuals of worship and Darshanas or the schools of philosophy. All these are the supreme books of human knowledge and form the foundation of Hindu religion.
Download or read book The Dharmasutras written by Patrick Olivelle and published by Oxford Paperbacks. This book was released on 1999-09-02 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The law codes of ancient India"--Cover.
Download or read book Hindu Scriptures written by Robert Charles Zaehner and published by Dutton Adult. This book was released on 1966 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Hindu scriptures" presents a collection of traditional Hindu texts in English translation. The ancient scriptures of Hinduism are in Sanskrit. These texts are classified into two: Shruti and Smriti. Shruti is apauruey, "not made of a man" but revealed to the rishis (seers), and regarded as having the highest authority, while the smriti are manmade and have secondary authority. They are the two highest sources of dharma, the other two being ia chra/Sadchara (conduct of noble people) and finally tma tui ("what is pleasing to oneself"). Hindu scriptures were composed, memorized and transmitted verbally, across generations, for many centuries before they were written down. Over many centuries, sages refined the teachings and expanded the Shruti and Smriti, as well as developed Shastras with epistemological and metaphysical theories of six classical schools of Hinduism. Shruti (lit. that which is heard) primarily refers to the Vedas, which form the earliest record of the Hindu scriptures, and are regarded as eternal truths revealed to the ancient sages (rishis).There are four Vedas Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. Each Veda has been subclassified into four major text types the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (text discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge). The first two parts of the Vedas were subsequently called the Karmaka (ritualistic portion), while the last two form the Jnaka (knowledge portion, discussing spiritual insight and philosophical teachings). The Upanishads are the foundation of Hindu philosophical thought, and have profoundly influenced diverse traditions. Of the Shrutis (Vedic corpus), they alone are widely influential among Hindus, considered scriptures par excellence of Hinduism, and their central ideas have continued to influence its thoughts and traditions. The Upanishads have played a major role ever since their appearance There are 108 Muktik Upanishads in Hinduism, of which between 10 and 13 are variously counted by scholars as Principal Upanishads. The most notable of the Smritis ("remembered") are the Hindu epics and the Puranas. The epics consist of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Bhagavad Gita is an integral part of the Mahabharata and one of the most popular sacred texts of Hinduism. It is sometimes called Gitopanishad, then placed in the Shruti ("heard") category, being Upanishadic in content. The Puranas, which started to be composed from c. 300 CE onward, contain extensive mythologies, and are central in the distribution of common themes of Hinduism through vivid narratives. The Yoga Sutras is a classical text for the Hindu Yoga tradition, which gained a renewed popularity in the 20th century. Since the 19th-century Indian modernists have re-asserted the 'Aryan origins' of Hinduism, "purifying" Hinduism from its Tantric elements and elevating the Vedic elements. Hindu modernists like Vivekananda see the Vedas as the laws of the spiritual world, which would still exist even if they were not revealed to the sages. In Tantric tradition, the Agamas refer to authoritative scriptures or the teachings of Shiva to Shakti, while Nigamas refers to the Vedas and the teachings of Shakti to Shiva. In Agamic schools of Hinduism, the Vedic literature and the Agamas are equally authoritative.
Download or read book The Limits of Scripture written by Anantanand Rambachan and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 1994-01-01 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Hailed as one of modern India's cultural heroes, Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) has been credited not only with interpreting Hinduism to the west but with interpreting it to India itself. Despite his pervasive influence, critical assessments and attempts to "demythologize" Vivekananda have been rare, and rarer still are historical and hermeneutical clarification of his work. The Limits of Scripture offers a close examination of Vivekananda's understanding of the authority of sruiti (the Vedas) and its relationship to anubhava (personal experience)." "Beginning with an analysis of western influences and Hindu responses in the nineteenth century, Anantanand Rambachan moves on to a careful explication of Vivekananda's understanding of the Vedas, the nature and scope of their authority, and the hermeneutical principles employed by him in his approach to the texts. Throughout the discussion, the author also clarifies the generally overlooked distinctions between Vivekananda's view of anubhava as the source of liberating knowledge and that of Sankara (ca. 788-820), the principal systematizer and exponent of the Advaita tradition, who argued for the Vedas as the authoritative source of this knowledge. The task of critically distinguishing Sankara and Vivekananda has not been thoroughly accomplished elsewhere and is crucial for understanding religious and philosophical change in modern Indian thought." "In addition this work evaluates the coherence and consistency of Vivekananda's reinterpretations, drawing attention to important problems in his claim for the supremacy of personal experience, his arguments for "many paths to the same goal," and his attempts to reconcile the insights of Hinduism with the methods and findings of science. In undertaking this assessment and analysis, The Limits of Scripture makes a real contribution to the understanding of Vivekananda's legacy, Indian religions, and the wider study of religion."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Download or read book Hindu Dharma written by Ashim Bhattacharyya and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2006-02-14 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Hindu Dharma: Introduction to Scriptures and Theology briefly the essentials of the scriptures of the Hindu Dharma such as the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Smriti Shstras like the Purnas, the Tantras, the epics (Rmyana and Mahbhrata) and the Bhagavad Git have been described and discussed. Also, the concepts of Brahman and tman, the goal of Hindu life (Purushrthas) and other doctrines like 'Varnshrama', 'Samskras' of the Dharma have been briefly discussed. Further what 'Puj'(worship) is and how it is performed is described. Finally, a few well-known prayer (Mantras hymns) are provided. The objective has been to describe the difficult ideas of the Hindu Dharma in a simple way so readers will get a broad idea about the contents of the various scriptures and the theology and philosophy of the Hindu Dharma.
Download or read book All about Hinduism written by Swami Sivananda and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Hinduism For Dummies written by Amrutur V. Srinivasan and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-07-12 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your hands-on guide to one of the world's major religions The dominant religion of India, "Hinduism" refers to a wide variety of religious traditions and philosophies that have developed over thousands of years. Today, the United States is home to approximately one million Hindus. If you've heard of this ancient religion and are looking for a reference that explains the intricacies of the customs, practices, and teachings of this ancient spiritual system, Hinduism For Dummies is for you! Provides a thorough introduction to this earliest and popular world belief system Information on the rites, rituals, deities, and teachings associated with the practice of Hinduism Explores the history and teachings of the Vedas, Brahmans, and Upanishads Offers insight into the modern daily practice of Hinduism around the world Continuing the Dummies tradition of making the world's religions engaging and accessible to everyone, Hinduism For Dummies is your hands-on, friendly guide to this fascinating religion.
Download or read book Hindu Scriptures and Their Profound Teachings written by Amrahs Hseham and published by Mahesh Dutt Sharma. This book was released on 2024-01-07 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this book, "Hindu Scriptures and Their Profound Teachings," is to provide readers with an overview of the most important Hindu scriptures and the teachings contained within them. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific text or philosophical system and offers a concise yet comprehensive summary of its key ideas and teachings.
Download or read book Wisdom from the Ages written by Mahesh B. Sharma and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2006-05-18 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wisdom from Ages contains selected articles from Hindu Scriptures. The ancient Hindu Scriptures such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita, Shrimad Bhagavata, etc., are the very foundation of Hindu spiritual tradition. The Vedas house the earliest poetry and prose literature and incorporate a vast body of Sanskrit poetry, ritual treatises, dialogues, and philosophical discourses, which are the oldest surviving literature of India and among the oldest literature anywhere in the world. They have no date or human author. They were composed over a period of many centuries by inspired Seers or Rishis. A spirit of enquiry dominated the minds of the Sages and they were urged by a compelling thirst for Truth of the secret of the Universe.
Download or read book Living Hinduism written by Samarpan and published by Niyogi Books. This book was released on 2017-09-12 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hinduism is neither an organized religion nor a proselytising one. It is often described as a way of life, which gently nudges its followers—through its scriptures, mythologies, rituals and practices—to question deeply, live fully and grow wholesomely in compassion and universal acceptance. Hinduism believes whatever inspires one to stay truly unselfish, be it a vocation, an ideology or a faith, can lead one towards greater self-realization and ultimate freedom. Living Hinduism by Samarpan encapsulates this essence of Hinduism in a language that can be understood and appreciated by all, especially the younger generation, who need to know and understand what it means to be a Hindu, in an age of strident opinions and changing values.
Download or read book Hindu Scriptures and American Transcendentalists written by Umesh Patri and published by Notion Press. This book was released on 2019-10-17 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this extraordinarily candid book, Umesh Patri presents a fresh reappraisal of the impact of Indian scriptures on American transcendentalism which flourished in New England in the 19th century. The major premise of the study is that other influences on the transcendentalists, such as Chinese, Persian, Sufi, Arabic, Neo-Platonism and German transcendentalism, are of less significance than that of Indian scriptures comprising of Hindu and Buddhist texts. In the writings of Emerson, Thoreau and minor transcendentalists like Alcott, Fuller, Channing, Johnson, Brownson, etc., the influence of Indian scriptures is clearly discernable. An attempt has been made here to show that Indian scriptures have not only influenced the philosophical thinking of these writers but also their lifestyle and social conduct. It also attempts to show that transcendentalism was not an isolated movement but was a part of a cultural renaissance which swept the entire nation in the wake of avid interest and curiosity in the ancient lore of other countries. Transcendentalism, it is suggested here, continues to affect the thinking of Americans and can be viewed as a continuing movement of thought in American intellectual history. This book draws attention to many aspects of transcendentalism which have not been adequately discussed so far.
Download or read book Hindu Perspectives on Evolution written by C. Mackenzie Brown and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-01-19 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing new insights into the contemporary creationist-evolution debates, this book looks at the Hindu cultural-religious traditions of India, the Hindu Dharma traditions. By focusing on the interaction of religion and science in a Hindu context, it offers a global context for understanding contemporary creationist-evolution conflicts and tensions utilizing a critical analysis of Hindu perspectives on these issues. The cultural and political as well as theological nature of these conflicts is illustrated by drawing attention to parallels with contemporary Islamic and Buddhist responses to modern science and Darwinism. The book explores various ancient and classical Hindu models to explain the origin of the universe encompassing creationist as well as evolutionary—but non-Darwinian—interpretations of how we came to be. Complex schemes of cosmic evolution were developed, alongside creationist proofs for the existence of God utilizing distinctly Hindu versions of the design argument. After examining diverse elements of the Hindu Dharmic traditions that laid the groundwork for an ambivalent response to Darwinism when it first became known in India, the book highlights the significance of the colonial context. Analysing critically the question of compatibility between traditional Dharmic theories of knowledge and the epistemological assumptions underlying contemporary scientific methodology, the book raises broad questions regarding the frequently alleged harmony of Hinduism, the eternal Dharma, with modern science, and with Darwinian evolution in particular.
Download or read book The Rig Veda written by Ralph T. H. Griffith, Translator and published by Library of Alexandria. This book was released on with total page 1187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
