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 MEET THE ANCIENT SCRIPTURES OF HINDUISM written by Prof. V. Krishnamurthy and published by Notion Press. This book was released on 2019-03-18 with total page 453 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing a wire-frame for the juxtaposition of the hoary sacred texts of Hinduism, the book offers a first acquaintance with them in a simplistic and authentic way -- all peppered with bite-sized excerpts ranging from the holy Vedas to the Puranic tales along with meaningful insights that whet the appetite.
Download or read book Hinduism and the Ancient Scriptures written by Satish Desai OBE and published by . This book was released on 2019-07-31 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hinduism has very simple basic principles and there is flexibility for their application to suit local circumstances. More important, such flexibility has encouraged discussion and development, which has enhanced inclusiveness of Hinduism. Such discussions and development have led to some 1,280 religious books, 10,000 commentaries, and more than 100,000 sub-commentaries on Vedas. Various local religious sects have adopted 33 types of gods, and varieties of scholars and thousands of saintly gurus are preaching their understanding of Hinduism in hundreds of languages. However, millions of Hindus belonging to various sects have lived in harmony during the last ten thousand years!It is beyond any doubt that most Hindus, even though they amount to over 80% of the population in India, have sought to accommodate minorities all through the history of India. There would always be a place in India for all religions in the future. This is owing to the inclusiveness of Hindu philosophy depicted in the Sanskrit hymn: "Truth is one but there are many paths to understand and get it". Hinduism says that 'God is one' and does not deny the concepts of "god" according to other religions. A Hindu does not believe in the absolutism of his own God. Most concepts of "God" are suitable and made for His believers in circumstances in different parts of the world. Hence, if anyone believes in his own faith and wants to pursue his God in that way, he should be able to do so without any impediment.This book brings out the real nature of Hinduism, with a limited reference to some old scriptures. It is hoped that the readers can be encouraged to have the true concept of being a Hindu, as portrayed in various scriptures.
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 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 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 Reading the Hindu and Christian Classics written by Francis X. Clooney and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 2019-10-28 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We live in an era of unprecedented growth in knowledge. Never before has there been so great an availability of and access to information in both print and online. Yet as opportunities to educate ourselves have greatly increased, our time for reading has significantly diminished. And when we do read, we rarely have the patience to read in the slow, sustained fashion that great books require if we are to be truly transformed by them. In Reading the Hindu and Christian Classics, renowned Harvard Divinity School professor Francis Clooney argues that our increasing inability to read in a concerted manner is particularly notable in the realm of religion, where the proliferation of information detracts from the learning of practices that require slow and patient reading. Although awareness of the world’s many religions is at an all-time high, deep knowledge of the various traditions has suffered. Clooney challenges this trend by considering six classic Hindu and Christian texts dealing with ritual and law, catechesis and doctrine, and devotion and religious participation, showing how, in distinctive ways, such texts instruct, teach truth, and draw willing readers to participate in the realities they are learning. Through readings of these seminal scriptural and theological texts, he reveals the rewards of a more spiritually transformative mode of reading—and how individuals and communities can achieve it.
Download or read book Teachings of the Hindu Mystics written by Andrew Harvey and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2019-07-30 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An anthology of the most lyrical, passionate, illuminating writings of the Hindu mystical tradition. Some of the most lyrical, passionate, and illuminating writings of the Hindu mystical tradition are showcased in this anthology. Spiritual scholar and writer Andrew Harvey has selected excerpts from ancient and contemporary sources, including the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and other classical Hindu texts; the words of such venerable spiritual teachers as Ramakrishna and Ramana Maharshi; and the devotional poetry of Mirabai, Ramprasad, and many others. The scope of the collection makes it an excellent introduction to Hindu mystical literature, while the power and beauty of the language will inspire those already familiar with the genre. This book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series. The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.
Download or read book A Hindu Theology of Liberation written by Anantanand Rambachan and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 2014-11-07 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discusses Hindu Advaita Ved?nta as a philosophy of social justice for the modern world. This expansive and accessible work provides an introduction to the Hindu tradition of Advaita Ved?nta and brings it into discussion with contemporary concerns. Advaita, the non-dual school of Indian philosophy and spirituality associated with ?a?kara, is often seen as other-worldly, regarding the world as an illusion. Anantanand Rambachan has played a central role in presenting a more authentic Advaita, one that reveals how Advaita is positive about the here and now. The first part of the book presents the hermeneutics and spirituality of Advaita, using textual sources, classical commentary, and modern scholarship. The books second section considers the implications of Advaita for ethical and social challenges: patriarchy, homophobia, ecological crisis, child abuse, and inequality. Rambachan establishes how Advaitas non-dual understanding of reality provides the ground for social activism and the values that advocate for justice, dignity, and the equality of human beings. Rambachan has written an original, creative, and provocative book that will assure that Hinduism has a greater voice in the general arena of interreligious dialogue. Paul F. Knitter, Union Theological Seminary This is an important contribution to the advancement of constructive work in Hindu theology, comparative theology, and the study of South Asian religious traditions. It has the potential to revolutionize how scholars view Hinduism generally, and Advaita Ved?nta in particular. Jeffery D. Long, Elizabethtown College
Download or read book The Essence of the Hindu Religion written by Sudhir Anand and published by University of Washington Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Focus Of This Book Is On The Essential Beliefs Of The Hindu Religion; It Introduces The Reader To The Vedas Including Sanskrit To English Translation Of Mantras. The Book Also Focuses On Spiritual Aspects Of The Raj Yoga, Definitions Of Certain Words Like Mantra, Karma, Etc.
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 Oxford History of Hinduism written by Gavin Flood and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2020 with total page 501 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An authoritative collection on the history of Hindu religious practices. Hindu Practice considers traditions of asceticism, yoga, and devotion, including dance and music, developed in Hinduism over long periods of time.
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 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 Hinduism written by H. L. Richard and published by William Carey Publishing. This book was released on 2007-06-01 with total page 59 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Visitors to the world of Hinduism seldom probe its complex system of diverse beliefs and practices. If you want to better understand the 900 million Hindus of the world, H. L. Richard's brief but insightful Hinduism is a must-read. In it, he addresses both esoteric and practical issues. In this small book, Richard takes us on a quick tour of the Hindu scriptures, the basic Hindu philosophies, and includes a comprehensive glossary of Hindu terminology.
Download or read book A Vedic Concordance written by Maurice Bloomfield and published by Motilal Banarsidass Publ.. This book was released on 1964 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Vedic Concordance is a monumental work by the famous American Sanskritist Maurice Bloomfield planned prepared and published during the years 1892-1906. It affords primarily an easy and ready means of ascertaining the following things: First where a given mantra occurs if it occurs but once second whether it occurs wlsewhere either with or without variants and in what places and third if it occurs with variants what those variants are. One hundred and nineteen texts in all have been drawn upon for contributions to the concordance comprising .The concordance also includes a very considerable amount of material not yet published. The concordance may also be readily put to certain indirect or secondary uses which are scarcely less important for the systematic progress of vedic study.
