Download or read book Many Many Many Gods of Hinduism written by Swami Achuthananda and published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2013-07-02 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religion is the opium of the people, said Karl Marx many centuries ago. For more than a billion people living in India and abroad, Hinduism is the religion and a way of life. In this multi-award winning book, Swami Achuthananda cracks open the opium poppy pods, analyzes the causes for euphoria, and comes away with a deeper understanding of the people and their religion. *** Winner 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (Religious Non-fiction) *** This is a comprehensive book on Hinduism. It tells you why Hindus do the things they do - and don't. Written in a casual style, the book guides you through the fundamentals of the religion. It then goes further and debunks a number of long-standing myths, some of them coming from the academia (of all places). While most books shy away from contentious issues, this book plunges headlong by taking on controversies, like the Aryan Invasion Theory, idol worship, RISA scholarship and many more. In fact one-third of the book is just on controversies that you rarely find in any other literature. Other Awards: *** Finalist - 2014 Pacific Book Awards (Religion) *** *** Bronze - 2014 IPPY Award - (Religion) ***

Download or read book Hindu Gods written by Priya Hemenway and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2003 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hindu gods serve mankind with compassion and devotion, breathing wisdom into every aspect of life. This exquisitely illustrated book presents profiles of 30 deitiesfrom the powerful triad of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer, to the colorful supporting cast of gods such as Ganesha and Saraswati. Author Priya Hemenway tells the stories of how these gods came to be, how theyre worshipped, and how they remain forever alive in the hearts of those who seek to know themselves.

Download or read book Hindu Gods and Goddesses written by Swami Harshananda and published by . This book was released on 2016-04-07 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Reign of the Vedic Gods written by Swami Achuthananda and published by Relianz Communications Pty Ltd. This book was released on 2018-06-06 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Home to one of the ancient civilizations of the world, India is also the birthplace of a dizzying array of gods worshipped by millions of Hindus living in India and across the globe. Over the centuries many of these gods rose to power and became the object of utmost devotion, only to fall from grace and lose their standing. These deities shared a peculiar trait: they were never perfect. In this multivolume series entitled, The Galaxy of Hindu Gods, Sach takes you on an extended journey to meet with the gods and share their tales with you. Among the multitude of deities, the most ancient are the Vedic gods, which include luminaries like Indra, Surya, Varuna, Agni, and others. Today a minor deity, the Vedic Indra was once the ruler of the three worlds who, under the influence of a mysterious power drink, fought with the demons and vanquished them. His reign did not last long. His comrades Surya and Varuna also had their glory days but were overthrown by other gods of the pantheon. Yet, after thousands of years, gods like Indra, Surya, and Varuna are still household names and honored in Hindu rituals and traditions. If you know little or nothing about Hindu mythology, this is your ideal starting point where you will meet the overwhelming array of Hindu gods and learn about their wonderful stories.

Download or read book Hindu Gods and Goddesses written by W. J. Wilkins and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2003-11-21 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Hindu pantheon comprises such a multitude of gods and goddesses that even the most devout can find it difficult to remember their names and characteristics. This self-contained volume presents a comprehensive picture of the gods and goddesses commonly worshiped in India; their origins, and their related myths and legends. It covers the deities from both the Vedic and Puranic literature, as well as demons, sacred birds, and other lore, all accompanied by excellent illustrations from traditional sources.

Download or read book The Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals written by A. Parthasarathy and published by A. Parthasarathy. This book was released on 2013-10-22 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A practical text explaining the allegorical significance of gods and goddesses; rituals and festivals; invocations and prayers. It educates a spiritual aspirant with the philosophical aspect of religious practices.

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 The Ascent of Vishnu and the Fall of Brahma written by Swami Achuthananda and published by Relianz Communications Pty Ltd. This book was released on 2018-08-27 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to Hindu mythology, Brahma has a lifespan of 100 years. That may appear way short for a god of Brahma’s standing . (He is the creator of our solar system.) But Brahma and Hindu gods do not follow our traditional 24-hour clock. They represent time in cosmic units of yugas and kalpas. If you don’t understand any of these terms, that’s ok. A kalpa, for instance, is defined as a day of Brahma and translates to 4.32 billion human years. In fact Brahma has a lifespan of 311 trillion years! We explain these colossal timescales, as we introduce Brahma in this book. You will learn that Brahma initially was the supreme deity of Hinduism, but he could not hang on to his position for long. A judgmental lapse is said to have caused his downfall. With Brahma’s descent, Vishnu rose to power. Today, in the Hindu pantheon, Vishnu is a prominent god, and has a following of more than 700 million devotees, who are occasionally identified by the U-shared marks on their foreheads. With a focus on Vishnu and Brahma, we continue our journey beyond the Vedic era. We begin by examining a popular creation myth in which Brahma emerges from the navel of a sleeping Vishnu and starts crafting the world. Further on, we explore the churning of the milky ocean, a crucial event in Hindu mythology and one of the rare occasions when gods and demons collaborated (instead of fighting) to search for the nectar of immortality. Many precious things—and surprises—came out this quest, including Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and consort of Vishnu. We also get to know a critical insight into our ancestry. According to Hinduism, we are all related and descendants of Manu, the father of human race. While this book focuses on Brahma and Vishnu, there will be occasional detours when we pause to look at art and architecture. In particular, we’ll look at Angkor Wat, the largest Hindu temple in the world. Guess what? The fact that Angkor Wat is located outside India has dented Hindu pride from time immemorial. We’ll also peek at ancient paintings from a mythological perspective, especially the unique genre of miniature paintings called ragamala that combines art, music, and poetry. A remarkable shift in worship took place during this period. Bhakti became a major form of worship and pervaded Hindu society forever. If you are unfamiliar with bhakti, then nothing exemplifies bhakti (devotion) more than the dancing-and-chanting Hare Krishnas.

Download or read book Hinduism written by Cassie Coleman and published by . This book was released on 2020-03-08 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Hinduism Ritual Reason and Beyond written by Ashok Mishra and published by StoryMirror Infotech Pvt Ltd. This book was released on 2019-08-03 with total page 540 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book is journey through 5000 years of evolution of Hinduism, and is outcome of seven years of study to understand the roots of Hinduism. Tracing the genesis of Hinduism to pre-Indus Valley period, the book explains Hindu, Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma, before it takes one through Hinduism’s oldest scriptures - the four Vedas, the four components of each Veda, and what they contain. How all original translations of Vedic texts were done by Western Sanskrit scholars, and why their works have left scope for doubt about the fidelity of translations. The yajnas (yagya) like Ashvamedha, Rajsooya, Vajpeya, etc., about which we only hear on TV serials and talk shows, have been demystified. The reader will be taken aback reading the sheer size and scale of Soma yajna, described step by step, in great detail. Hinduism’s journey to the Age of Reason, the Upanishads, its encounter with Buddhism, and its transformation into idol worshipping society with many gods and a multitude of stories about its millions of gods is lucidly explained. Puranas, what they contain and what was the reason they were created, has been described and explained next. Hinduism's journey to its modern form - idol worship, the modern puja, detailed description of puja and Sanskaras like Vivaha, their detailed description, the meaning of each action and how they are conducted, the gift to the priest, types of idols, their consecration, all are explained to help a reader understand the why and the how of what we do as a Hindu. The book concludes with a discussion of - Do mantras have power? & Do rituals have meaning?

Download or read book The Little Book of Hindu Deities written by Sanjay Patel and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-10-31 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pixar animator and Academy Award–nominated director Sanjay Patel (Sanjay’s Super Team) brings to life Hinduism’s most important gods and goddesses—and one sacred stone—in fun, full-color illustrations, each accompanied by a short, lively profile. The Little Book of Hindu Deities is chock-full of monsters, demons, noble warriors, and divine divas. Find out why Ganesha has an elephant’s head (his father cut his off!); why Kali, the goddess of time, is known as the “Black One” (she’s a bit goth); and what “Hare Krishna” really means. “Throw another ingredient in the American spirituality blender. Pop culture is veering into Hinduism.”—USA Today

Download or read book Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Japan written by Saroj Kumar Chaudhuri and published by Vedams eBooks (P) Ltd. This book was released on 2003 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Buddhism introduced many Hindu Gods and Goddesses to the Japanese. The rulers were the first to be attracted to them. Historical records show that they earnestly believed in the miracles of these divinities promised in the sutras. Many miracle stories started appearing in popular literature as the divinities percolated down to the masses. The resulting naturalisation process in the case of some divinities went to the extent that they became an integral part of the native Shinto pantheon. Their popularity remains unabated even today. The Tantric Buddhist sects also played a vital role in propagating the divinities. They regularly worshipped the divinities in their temples where people thronged in large numbers. Many steps in these ceremonies, for instance, the homa ritual, are very familiar to the present-day Hindus. The monks have also produced a considerable volume of religious literature related to these divinities. Descriptions of many divinities show that they have not changed substantially over centuries. A study of these writings also shows that a large volume of Hindu myths and legends related to these deities were transmitted to Japan. These writings are also a testimony to the way the ancestors of the present-day Hindus thought about these deities, say, around the eighth or ninth century of the Christian era.

Download or read book Beauty Power and Grace written by Krishna Dharma and published by Mandala Publishing. This book was released on 2014-05-20 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Replete with inspired illustrations by award-winning artists B.G. Sharma and Mahaveer Swami, Beauty, Power & Grace features Krishna Dharma’s dramatic retellings of pivotal ancient Indian stories of the many Hindu Goddesses. Adapted from ancient Sanskrit texts, the stories in Beauty, Power & Grace represent one of the most fundamental aspects of Hinduism—the innumerable manifestations of divinity. Among these, the portrayal of the Goddess is perhaps the most alluring. She appears as a devoted wife, a master of the arts, a terrifying demon slayer, a scornful critic, and a doting mother, to name just a few of her forms. In Vedic tradition, these depictions of the Goddess reflect the belief that male and female are simply different expressions of one supreme, absolute truth. These profound stories are brought together here in an exquisitely illustrated collection that reveals the various manifestations of the Goddess, ranging from the iconic to the obscure: Mother Yashoda peers into her infant’s mouth and is astonished to catch a glimpse of the entire universe; Ganga Devi, now synonymous with the sacred river, rides upon a great crocodile and purifies those whom she encounters; and Kali, adorned with a garland of skulls, drinks the blood of her victims on the battlefield. A definitive and timeless celebration of Goddess imagery, symbolism, and lore, Beauty, Power & Grace stunningly displays the fascinating intersection between color, form, and meaning at the heart of Hindu tradition.

Download or read book Hinduism written by Kim Knott and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hinduism is practised by about 80% of India's population, and by about 30,000,000 people outside India. But how is Hinduism defined, and what basis does the religion have? This work gives concise insights into the central preoccupations of Hinduism.

Download or read book Amazing Secrets of Hinduism Demy PB 1st written by Vishvanat Ed and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Hinduism Adopting Hinduism As a Way of Life the Ultimate Guide to Hindu Gods Hindu Beliefs Hindu Rituals and Hindu Religion written by Cassie Coleman and published by . This book was released on 2017-03-22 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2 Hinduism books in 1: Hinduism: Adopting Hinduism as a Way of Life Hinduism: Hinduism for Beginners - The Ultimate Guide to Hindu Gods, Hindu Beliefs, Hindu Rituals and Hindu Religion Book 1: Learn How To Adopt Hinduism as a Way of Life Hinduism is the oldest and the third largest religion by population. There are more than a billion Hindus in India, Nepal, Indonesia (Bali), Mauritius, Canada, New Zealand, Kenya, and elsewhere in the world who practice the faith. However, many scholars and practitioners believe that Hinduism is not a religion at all - it is a way of life, as Hinduism explains the purpose of human life, what you should and shouldn't do, how you should behave with others, and how you should carry out your duties and responsibilities. There are many aspects of Hinduism that makes it distinct from any other religion. For instance, there is no founder. Hinduism developed from the faiths and traditions of the earliest people who practiced it, and it is still evolving. Hinduism believes that God is within us, and everywhere in the universe. This book contains detailed information on the Hindu way of life. You will learn about Dharma and how to lead the life in a dharmic way so that you can achieve self-awareness, realize the true potential of your atman or soul, find God, and become free from the cycle of life and death. I will introduce you to the concepts of atman, moksha, sanatan dharma, the Hindu theories of evolution, and the duties and responsibilities of all Hindus. I will show you how faith, devotion, dharma and artistic expression are a way of life. You will learn about the teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita. Finally, I will explain the meaning of life, and show you how to find God within you and in the outside universe. Within this book, you'll find the answers to these questions and more. Just some of the questions and topics covered include Understanding Hinduism Atman or the Eternal Soul Theories of Evolution in Hinduism Hinduism is Not a Religion Hinduism as a Way of Life Top Reasons That Makes Hinduism a Way of Life Living According to Dharma for Self Realization The Hindu Way of Life - Ten Duties Distinguishing Features of Hinduism And more! The Ultimate Guide to Hindu Gods, Hindu Beliefs, Hindu Rituals and Hindu Religion In this book, we will explore numerous beliefs held by this diverse group of people. We will look at some of the legends of the divine "angels" which serve Brahman. Also, we will delve into some of the rituals which are common within Hinduism. In addition, we will do some comparative religion, looking at some of the similarities and differences between Hinduism and some other philosophies. This will allow us not only to gain greater insight into Hinduism but see the common threads of philosophy found in many of the great religions of the world. Within this book, you'll find the answers to these questions and more. Just some of the questions and topics covered include The Meaning of Hinduism Brahman and Atman Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva Indra and other Key Gods and Godesses Durga, Kali and Mariamman Karma Reincarnation Hindu Rituals Hinduism versus Other Belief Systems Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva Tales of the Brahmin And more! Get your copy now and learn more about Hinduism

Download or read book Hinduism Made Easy written by Shalu Sharma and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-04-20 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you ever wanted to learn about the concepts and fundamentals of Hinduism then this is the book for you. Even though the Hindu religion is the oldest religion in the world, there are many misconceptions that laypeople have about it. Some people don't understand the mystical chants and mantra traditions where they keep repeating "Aum" over and over again. But you have to understand the religion to truly appreciate where these acts and traditions come from. There is a 4000 year history to Hinduism that many people outside of India don't even know about. On top of that, Hinduism has evolved a lot over the years with both oral and ancient stories involving the laws of Hinduism. These stories were often told by sages who passed down their knowledge of the religion to their disciples. Eventually there was a compilation of ancient Sanskrit texts where Hindus could study the ethical and moral code that they needed to live by. However, Hindus for thousands of years have been changing traditions and teaching new philosophies about the religion that help motivate modern day people to become followers. Furthermore, they encourage them to take up Hindu derived practices, like yoga and meditation, in order to help them feel better in their lives. You don't have to be looking to convert to Hinduism to appreciate this book. It is not a book that is going to try to change you or convince you that Hinduism is the one true religion to believe in. This book simply goes over all the important aspects and traditions of the religion, as they are broken down into chapters. That way you can understand the Hindu concepts of God, prayer, meditation, animal sacrifices and reincarnation. These are the key points that people often misinterpret because they see movies or television shows that misrepresent the real Hindu religion. If you are a westerner then this probably means you. The only way you are really going to learn the truth about Hinduism is to either go to India and visit a Hindu school or read through this entire book with an objective mind. If you are thinking about becoming a Hindu then it has to be your choice alone. You first need to study the Vedic scriptures and seek religious guidance from an elder Hindu. This book will simply awaken you to the religious customs of Hinduism and get you familiar with what you are in for. The great part about Hinduism is that you don't need to have a religious affiliation with it in order to learn from its teachings and participate in its traditions. Hinduism is all about establishing a spiritual connection with your soul and the universe. For some Hindus, they don't even reach this point for an entire lifetime. That is why they continuously reach the for the Sanskrit texts and practice their meditations. The chapters in this book: Chapter 1 Introduction to Hinduism Chapter 2 Hindu Philosophy Chapter 3 Concept of Maya in Hinduism Chapter 4 What is Karma? Chapter 5 Soul (Aatma) in Hinduism Chapter 6 Reincarnation in Hinduism Chapter 7 Brahman - The Supreme Being Chapter 8 Why Hindus Worship Idols? Chapter 9 Mantras in the Hindu Religion Chapter 10 Practice of Yoga in Hinduism Chapter 11 Vegetarianism in the Hindu Religion Chapter 12 The Caste System in the Hindu Religion Chapter 13 Popular Hindu Gods and Goddesses Chapter 14 Symbolism of Arms in Hindu Gods and Goddesses Chapter 15 Hindu Swastika Chapter 16 The Aum Chapter 17 Holy books of the Hindus Chapter 18 The Mahabharata Chapter 19 Bhagavad Gita Chapter 20 The Ramayana Chapter 21 River Ganges in the Hindu religion Chapter 22 The cow in Hindu religion Chapter 23 Major Hindu Festivals Chapter 24 Important Hindu Holy places to visit in India Chapter 25 Tips for visiting a Hindu temple Chapter 26 Conclusion