Hinduism Books

Book Synopsis Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff from taking various forms. From concentration, its spiritual uses and practice, to manifestation and the process of attaining liberation, the aphorisms state the path to self-realization. One of the key texts of classical yoga, this classic hardbound edition of Patanjali? s Yoga Sutras is a translation by Swami Vivekananda. This classic is a must-read for all! ? It is a comprehensive text on the theory and practice of yoga ? It includes the Sanskrit text, its transliteration, and translation ? It comprises an in-depth commentary of each sutra ? This hardbound edition comes with gilded edges, a ribbon bookmark, and beautiful endpapers ? It is perfect for gifting and will make a good addition to any library

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Book SynopsisIndia has a long, rich, and diverse tradition of philosophical thought, spanning some two and a half millennia and encompassing several major religious traditions.This Very Short Introduction emphasizes the diversity of Indian thought, and is structured around six schools which have achieved classic status. Sue Hamilton explores how the traditions have attempted to understand the nature of reality in terms of an inner or spiritual quest, and introduces distinctively Indian concepts such as karma and rebirth. She also shows how Indian thinkers have understood issues of reality and knowledge -- issues which are also an important part of the Western philosophical tradition. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewIndian Philosophy by Sue Hamilton, the perfect gift for anyone who wishes to sort out their karma and nirvana * The Independent Weekend Review 02/06/01 *Table of ContentsPreface ; Introduction ; 1. The Brahmanical beginnings: Vedic sacrifice and the early Upanisads ; 2. Beyond Brahmanism: the Buddha and other renouncers ; 3. Issues and justifications: language, grammar, and the emerging of polemics ; 4. Nyaya and Vaisesika ; 5. Developments in Buddhist thought: Abhidharma, Madhyamaka, and Yogicara ; 6. Yoga and Samkhya ; 7. Grammar again, and the exegetical traditions: Bhartrhari, Mimamsa, and Vedanta ; Further reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisRecorded in sacred Sanskrit texts, including the Rig Veda and the Mahabharata, Hindu Myths are thought to date back as far as the tenth century BCE. Here in these seventy-five seminal myths are the many incarnations of Vishnu, who saves mankind from destruction, and the mischievous child Krishna, alongside stories of the minor gods, demons, rivers and animals including boars, buffalo, serpents and monkeys. Immensely varied and bursting with colour and life, they demonstrate the Hindu belief in the limitless possibilities of the world - from the teeming miracles of creation to the origins of the incarnation of Death who eventually touches them all.

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Book SynopsisThe essential guide to one of the world''s most diverse and fascinating faiths, with a Foreword by Amartya SenK. M. Sen discusses the evolution of Hinduism''s central systems of belief and codes of conduct, as well as popular cults and sects such as Bhakti, Tantrika and the mystics of North India, and describes the varying incarnations of its supreme deity, Krishna and Rama among them. He recounts its history from the Indus Valley civilization c.2500 BC and the Vedic age nature gods to its relationship with Buddhism and Jainism and the impact of western culture. And he describes the day-to-day practice of Hinduism - customs, festivals and rituals; the caste system; and its philosophies and exponents. The author''s grandson Professor Amartya Sen brings his work right up to date, examining the role of Hinduism in the world today.

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Book SynopsisThe Mahabharata is a story of war between cousins, the Pandavas and Kouravas, centered on conflicts of dharma with no clear right or wrong. Characters face immense and varied dilemmas, showcasing every human emotion. Bibek Debroy's acclaimed translation captures the epic's enduring hold on imagination.

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Book SynopsisThe women in Indian mythology might be fewer in number, but their stories of strength and mystery in the pages of ancient texts and epics are many. They slayed demons and protected their devotees fiercely. From Parvati to Ashokasundari and from Bhamati to Mandodari, this collection features enchanting and fearless women who frequently led wars on behalf of the gods, were the backbone of their families and makers of their own destinies.

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Book SynopsisHinduism has two major roots. The more familiar is the religion brought to South Asia in the second millennium BCE by speakers of Aryan or Indo-Iranian languages, a branch of the Indo-European language family. Another, more enigmatic, root is the Indus civilization of the third millennium BCE, which left behind thousands of short inscriptions in a forgotten pictographic script. Discovered in the valley of the Indus River in the early 1920s, the Indus civilization had a population estimated at one million people, in more than 1000 settlements, several of which were cities of some 50,000 inhabitants. With an area of nearly a million square kilometers, the Indus civilization was more extensive than the other key urban cultures of the time, in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Yet, after almost a century of excavation and research the Indus civilization remains little understood. What language did the Indus people speak? How might we decipher the exquisitely carved Indus inscriptions? What deities diTrade Review"Written with scholarly rigor and great erudition, this volume will be warmly received by supporters of the views that the Indus Valley script is a proto-Dravidian language and that continuities exist between IVC and Hinduism. Highly recommended."--CHOICE "A highly innovative and welcome volume, bringing together the linguistic and archaeological evidence for the cultures that underlie Hinduism. Asko Parpola is uniquely well qualified to undertake this, through his major research on the Vedas and Vedic ritual and on the Indus Civilization, combined with an excellent understanding of the archaeological evidence beyond India itself. No one interested in any of these fields can afford to miss it." --J.L. Brockington, Emeritus Professor of Sanskrit, University of Edinburgh; Vice President, International Association of Sanskrit Studies "The Roots of Hinduism is undoubtedly a major contribution -- like Parpola's earlier book on deciphering the Indus script -- to the understanding of the Indus civilisation, the Aryan migrations into India, and the development of Hinduism." --Current World ArchaeologyTable of ContentsPreface ; Introduction ; 1. Defining 'Hindu' and 'Hinduism' ; 2. The early Aryans ; 3. Indo-European linguistics ; 4. The Indus civilization ; 5. The Indus religion and the Indus script ; Part I: The Early Aryans ; 6. Proto-Indo-European homelands ; 7. Early Indo-Iranians on the Eurasian steppes ; 8. The BMAC of Central Asia and the Mitanni of Syria ; 9. The Rigvedic Indo-Aryans and the D?sas ; 10. The Asvins and Mitra-Varuna ; 11. The Asvins as funerary gods ; 12. The Atharvaveda and the Vratyas ; 13. The Kuru kingdom and the great epics ; Part II: The Indus Civilization ; 14. The language of the Indus civilization ; 15. Fertility cults in folk religion ; 16. Astronomy, time-reckoning and cosmology ; 17. Dilmun, Magan and Meluhha ; 18. Royal symbols from West Asia ; 19. The Goddess and the buffalo ; 20. Early Iranians and 'left-hand' Tantrism ; 21. Religion in the Indus script ; Conclusion ; 22. The prehistory of Indo-Aryan speech and Aryan contributions to Hinduism ; 23. Harappan religion in relation to West Asia and later South Asia ; 24. Retrospect and prospect ; Bibliographical notes ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisAre the richness and diversity of rituals and celebrations in South Asia unique? Can we speak of a homo ritualis when it comes to India or Hinduism? Are Indians or Hindus more involved in rituals than other people? If so, what makes them special? Homo Ritualis is the first book to present a Hindu theory of rituals. Based on extensive textual studies and field-work in Nepal and India, Axel Michaels argues that ritual is a distinctive way of acting, which, as in the theater, can be distinguished from other forms of action. The book analyzes ritual in these cultural-specific and religious contexts, taking into account how indigenous terms and theories affect and contribute to current ritual theory. It describes and investigates various forms of Hindu rituals and festivals, such as life-cycle rituals, the Vedic sacrifice, vows processions, and the worship of deities (puja). It also examines conceptual components of (Hindu) rituals such as framing, formality, modality, and theories of meaniTrade ReviewMichaels's book is a positive contribution to ritual studies and to the study of Hindu ritual within the larger conversation of ritual theory. The ethno-Indological approach taken by Michaels is, furthermore, an innovative and rewarding method for the study of Hindu ritual, particularly as these two fieldsethnography and Indologyhave sometimes been seen as at odds with each other. * Adam Newman, Reading Religion *Michaels's key contributions are twofold: first, he offers a unifying theory of the complex structure and variety of South Asian ritual performances in their own hermeneutical terms, and second he demonstrates that a theoretically sophisticated understanding of such rituals can make significant contributions to the field of ritual studies. * Jarrod Whitaker, Journal of Religion *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; Abbreviations ; Plates and Figures ; Pronunciation of Indian Words ; Introduction ; Part I: Framing ; 1. The Beginning of Rituals ; 1.1 The Solemn Intention (samkalpa) ; 1.2 Greeting and Ritualized Greeting (namaskara) ; Conclusion ; Part II: Formality ; 2. Repetitive Rules (vidhi) ; 2.1 The Grammar of Rituals ; 2.2 A Preliminary "Grammar" of Newar Life-cycle Rituals ; 2.3 Rituals in Handbooks (paddhati) ; 3. Agency in Ritual ; 3.1 Ritual Competency (adhikara) ; 3.2 Atonements for Ritual Mishaps (prayascitta) ; 3.3 The Comic Side of Ritual Formality ; 4. Performed and Played Rituals (lila) ; 4.1 Music and Ritual Music ; 4.2 Dance and Ritual Dance ; 4.3 Emotions and Ritual Emotions ; Conclusion ; Part III: Modality ; 5. Individualized and Domestic Rituals (samskara) ; 5.1 The Boy's Initiation ; 5.2 The Girl's Initiation ; 5.3 The Marriage ; 5.4 Death Rituals and Redemption ; 6. Collective and Public Rituals ; 6.1 Temple Festivals (utsava) ; 6.2 Vows (vrata) ; 6.3 Pilgrimages and Processions (yatra) ; 7. Transcendence in Rituals ; 7.1 The Vedic Sacrifice (yajna) ; 7.2 The Fire Sacrifice (homa) ; 7.3 Worship and Prayer (puja) ; 7.4 E-darshan and Cyber-puja ; Conclusion ; Part IV: Meaning ; 8. Meaning and Function ; 8.1 The Cultural Studies Approach ; 8.2 The Cognitive Sciences approach ; 9. The Purvamimamsa Theory of Ritual Efficacy ; Conclusion ; Part V: The Hindu Path of Ritual-Summary ; Appendix: Automatic Detection of Ritual Structures ; Glossary ; References

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Trade ReviewI cannot imagine a better, more scholarly, and yet respectful study of a Hindu woman saint. This book should be read by everyone interested in women and religion, Hindu women, Hindu goddesses, and the comparative categories of saint, religious teacher, and incarnation....fascinating reading....this book is a tour de force, a marvelous example of sensitive scholarship. * The Journal of Asian Studies *Hallstrom...employs critical analysis, with insightful self-reflection. Includes extensive excerpts from interviews. For all libraries. * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsBIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a close-up view of the religious world of one of the most influential families in Vrinbadan, India''s premier place of pilgrimage for worshipers of Krishna. This priestly family has arguably been the most creative force in this important town. Their influence also radiates well beyond India''s borders both because of their tireless work in fostering scholarship and performance about Krishna and because the scion of the family, Shrivatsa Goswami, has become an international spokesman for Hindu ways and concerns. Case, who has been an occasional resident in the family ashram, gives the reader a real sense of the atmosphere of daily life there, and the complete devotion of the residents to the service and worship of Krishna.Trade ReviewThe power of this book is in its richness of details, which recreate the experiences of a contemporary darsan (seeing) of the dark god. * Choice *

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Book SynopsisThis work aims to offer a close-up view of the religious world of one of the most influential families in Vrinbadan, India's premier place of pilgrimage for worshipers of Krishna. This priestly family has arguably been the most creative force in this important town.

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Book SynopsisThis vibrant collection presents 145 brief Bengali lyric poems dedicated to the Hindu goddesses Kali and Uma. These poems - many of which are presented here for the first time in English translation - were written from the early eighteenth century up to the contemporary period. They represent the unique Bengali tradition of goddess worship (Saktism) as it developed over this period. Included are forty poems by the most famous of all Sakta poets, Ramprasad Sen (c.1718-1775) and ten lyrics by the renowned 20th-century poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. McDermott''s lucid introduction places these works in their historical context and shows how images of the goddesses evolved over the centuries. Her lively translations of these poetic lyrics evoke the passion and devotion of the followers of Kali and Uma and shed light on the history and practice of goddess worship.Trade ReviewOffers a much-needed contribution to the field of South Asia studies and to the history of religions as a whole ... McDermott's volume is unquestionably the most complete, meticulous, and readable collection of Sakta devotional poetry ever published ... McDermott has succeeded in one of the most difficult tasks of translation - that of remaining true to the literal text while still presenting the poems in a fluid and provocative style that really captures the powerful emotion of the Bengali songs. As such this collection should appeal to a wide audience - not just to South Asian scholars, but to a more general nonacademic audience, as well as to students in graduate and undergraduate classrooms. * History of Religions *

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Book SynopsisHindu God, Christian God offers an in-depth study of key themes common to the Hindu and Christian religious traditions. It redefines how we think about Hinduism, comparative study, and Christian theology. This book offers a bold new look at how the two traditions encounter one another, and how comparisons can be made between the two. Redefining theology as an interreligious, comparative, dialogical, and confessional practice open to people of all traditions, it invites not only Hindus and Christians, but also theologians from all religious traditions, to enter into conversation with one another.Trade Review... if there is to be inter-religious theological conversation at all ... it is true that reason must be its presupposition and mainstay. Francis Clooney has written the definitive work on this in the context of the Hindu-Christian encounter. The book is therefore indispensable reading for any serious study on the topic. * Hindu-Christian Studies Bulletin *Clooney's account is lucid and clearly argued, establishing a regular format with a neat juxtaposition of approaches and brief but well-focused summaries ... Theology which is so imaginative and so intelligent is a rare commodity these days. This is a book which deserves a wide readership. * Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society *

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Book SynopsisIn the West Krishna is primarily known as the speaker of the Bhagavad Gita. But it is the stories of Krishna''s childhood and his later exploits that have provided some of the most important and widespread sources of religious narrative in the Hindu religious landscape. This volume brings together new translations of representative samples of Krishna religious literature from a variety of genres -- classical, popular, regional, sectarian, poetic, literary, and philosophical.Trade ReviewThis book provides a fine overview of the diversity, strengths, and weaknesses of the current state of American research on Krishna. ...Krishna: A Sourcebook is to be recommended to all those interested in this Hindu deity. Even experts in the area are sure to discover gems as they move through the useful research found in this volume. * Journal of the American Oriental Society *Table of ContentsGeneral Introduction Section One: Classical Source Material 1.: Alf Hiltebeitel: Krishna in the Mahabharata: the Death of Karna 2.: Robert N. Minor: Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita 3.: Ekkhard Lorenz: Harivamsha: The Dynasty of Krishna 4.: Edwin F. Bryant: Krishna and the Bhagavata Purana Section Two: Regional Literary Expressions 5.: Bijoy M. Misra: Orissa -- Shri Krishna Jagannath: Translation of Mushali Parva from Sarala's Mahabharata 6.: William L. Smith: Assam -- Shankaradeva's Parijata Harana Nata 7.: Vasudha Narayanan: Tamil Nadu -- Weaving Garlands in Tamil: the Poetry of the Alvars 8: Vidyut Aklujkar: Maharashtra -- Games with God: Sakhya Bhakti in Marathi Sant Poetry 9.: John Stratton Hawley: Vraj -- Fishing in Sur's Ocean 10.: Nancy Martin: Rajasthan -- Mirabhai and her Poetry 11.: Neelima Shukla Bhatt: Gujarat -- Krishna in the Poetry of Narasimha Mehta 12.: Steven P. Hopkins: Sanskrit from Tamil Nadu -- At Play in the Forests of the Lord: The Gopalavimshati of Vedanta Deshika Section Three: Philosophy and Theology 13.: Lance E. Nelson: Krishna in Advaita Vedanta: The Supreme Brahman in Human Form 14.: Francis X. Clooney, S.J.: Ramanuja and the Meaning of Krishna's Descent and Embodiment on this Earth 15.: Deepak Sharma: Madhva Vedanta and Krishna 16.: Satyanarayana Dasa: The Six Sandarbhas of Jiva Gosvamin 17.: David Haberman: A Selection from the Bhaktirasamritasindhu of Rupa Gosvamin 18.: Graham Schweig: The Divine Feminine in the Theology of Krishna Section Four: Hagiography and Praxis 19.: Richard Barz: Kumbhandas: the Devotee as Salt of the Earth 20.: Paul Arney: A Vallabhite Guidebook for the Worship of Krishna's Divine Images 21.: Paul Sherbow: Vaishnava Pilgrimage: Select Puranic Texts 22.: Neal Delmonico: Chaitanya Vaishnavism and the Holy Names

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Book SynopsisFourteen leading Ramayana scholars examine the epic in its myriad contexts throughout South and Southeast Asia. They explore the role the narrative plays in societies as varied as India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. This volume will be useful for courses in the history of religions, Hinduism, Asian studies, and anthropology.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, eleven leading scholars of Hinduism explore the complex relationship between Hindu women's ritual activities and their lives beyond ritual.Trade ReviewWomen's Lives, Women's Rituals in the Hindu Tradition is an enticingly rich collection. The theme of women's ritual performance and its challenges to and conformity with domesticity set the stage for a range of observations and analyses. Making impressive use of this range, the volume describes from a variety of contexts how religious performances can enhance as well as curtail women's agency and autonomy. Naturally of benefit to students and scholars interested in the rituals and lives of Hindu women, the collection is also a great resource for investigating the vast and variegated nature of Hindu traditions. * Corinne Dempsey, author of The Goddess Lives in Upstate New York: Breaking Convention and Making Home at a North American Hindu Temple and Kerala Christian Sainthood: Collisions of Culture an Worldview in South India. *

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Book SynopsisHanuman, the Hindu monkey-god, is best known in the west for his role in the ancient epic Ramayana (he is also considered the tales first author), in which, as the devoted servant of Rama, the tales hero, he leads a ferocious monkey army to help defeat the evil Ravana and rescue Ramas wife Sita. But because he does not figure as prominently as others in the ancient Sanskrit texts that have traditionally been studied by western scholars, Hanuman has often been relegated to the status of minor deity. Philip Lutgendorf moves beyond these texts to examine Hindu popular literature, art, and ritual, and shows that Hanuman is perhaps the most beloved deity in the Hindu pantheon. Far from being a mere sidekick, Hanuman is worshipped widely in India and the diaspora, across lines of caste and sect. There are more temples devoted to Hanuman than to any other god or goddess, and there has even been something of a competition to erect the largest statue in his honor (the tallest so far, in ParitalTrade ReviewAnything Philip Lutgendorf creates-and he has created a lot-is eagerly awaited and long treasured. Ever since the publication of his prize-winning book The Life of a Text, we've been looking forward to Hanuman's Tale. Now here it is, and it was worth the wait. Somehow Lutgendorf manages to keep the life of his massive subject ever fresh while sharing perceptions whose subtle contours and sometimes radical edges betray many years of thought. He warns us early on that we are not to receive this as The Book on Hanuman in English-but frankly, it is. * John Stratton Hawley, Barnard College, Columbia University *This rich, lavish, broad-ranging book on the Indian figure of Hanuman will be the standard guide and reference source on the Indian monkey god for years to come...A readable narrative that never fails to engage as it informs. * Choice *More than fifteen years after his first masterful book on teh vernacular Ramayana of North India, The Life of a Text: Performing the Ramacaritmanas of Tulsidas, PHilip Lutgendorf returns with another superb book on a closely related and yet vastly different topic: the divine and charismatic monkey Hanuman...This is a major achievement in the study of South Asian religions. * Journal of Religion *

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Book SynopsisDrawing on a large body of previously untapped literature, including documents from the Church Missionary Society and Bengali newspapers, Brian Pennington offers a fascinating portrait of the process by which Hinduism came into being. He argues against the common idea that the modern construction of religion in colonial India was simply a fabrication of Western Orientalists and missionaries. Rather, he says, it involved the active agency and engagement of Indian authors as well, who interacted, argued, and responded to British authors over key religious issues such as image-worship, sati, tolerance, and conversion.Trade ReviewThe flourishing of new knowledge of India's past by British and European scholars and administrators, the emergence of a post-theological notion of religion based on an comparative paradigm of universal religiousness in the contexts of cultural specificity, an increasingly insistent Protestant mission movement, a secular utilitarian notion of civilization, and a new discourse of Hindu among Indians in India were taking place simultaneously in the early nineteenth century. Brian Pennington has investigated each of these threads and their interwoven complexity and located them within the matrix of the post-colonial academic study of religion. A worthy and worthwhile contribution to understanding a misunderstood past. * Paul B. Courtright, Professor of South Asian Religions, Emory University *I read this study of cultural encounters between early-19th-century Hindus and British Christians with a sense of profound relief. The work complicates and problematises the simplifications that much of postcolonial studies operate with. By producing a richly textured account of religious debates and evangelical traditions in Britain, it not only provides a historical context for missionary lives, it also teases apart the multiple and contradictory strands within evangelicalism, normally taken to be a seamless monolith. Changes within modern Hinduism, similarly, are shown to be authentically internal developments that accommodate, but are not dictated by, the influence of new cultural encounters. Pennington deftly combines social and doctrinal themes, and his reading of Bengali, colonial, and missionary print cultures is stimulating. This is a book of many histories, all of which are complex and unexpected. * Tanika Sarkar, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University *Pennington has written an important book that redirects attention to historical agents that mainstream postcolonial scholarship has largely either oversimplified or passed over. He helps to advance a new wave of scholarship that rejects the essentialism of stereotypical, unitary visions not only of 'the East' but also of 'the West.' * Steven S. Maughan, Albertson College *Was Hinduism Invented? is a timely and cogent reconsideration of Hinduism as a word, a concept and, refreshingly, a reality that became apparent in sharp focus in 19th-century British India. Penningtons command of primary sources combines with alertness to current issues in the study of religion to demonstrate why Hinduism, properly understood, sheds new light on how and on what terms India and the West discovered one another, why Hindus and Christians relate as they do today, and how religions are best conceived and studied. * Francis X. Clooney, SJ, author of Divine Mother, Blessed Mother: Hindu Goddesses and the Virgin Mary *

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Book SynopsisTantra is a family of rituals modeled on those of the Vedas and their attendant texts and lineages. These rituals typically involve the visualization of a deity, offerings, and the chanting of his or her mantra. Common variations include visualizing the deity in the act of sexual union with a consort, visualizing oneself as the deity, and transgressive acts such as token consumption of meat or alcohol. Most notoriously, non-standard or ritualized sex is sometimes practiced. This accounts for Tantra''s negative reputation in some quarters and its reception in the West primarily as a collection of sexual practices. Although some today extol Tantra''s liberating qualities, the role of women remains controversial. Traditionally there are two views of women and Tantra. Either the feminine is a metaphor and actual women are altogether absent, or Tantra involves the transgressive use of women''s bodies to serve male interests. Loriliai Biernacki presents an alternative view, in which women aTrade Review"A rhetorically and poetically beautiful piece of scholarship that incorporates the best of previous work but moves well beyond it into a fundamentally new set of ideas about female agency and speech, the Tantric sex rite, male asceticism, and transcultural encounter. Biernacki's corpus or bodied speech is as blue and as powerful as the Tantric goddesses she writes about." --Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of Esalen: America and the Religion of No ReligionTable of ContentsIntroduction 1: The "Kali Practice": Rereading Women's Roles in Tantra 2: Sex Talk and Gender Rites: Women and the Tantric Rite of Sexual Union 3: The Other/Woman: The Role of Wives and Goddesses in a Tantric Rite of Kamakhya 4: To Speak Like a Woman: The Feminine Mantra and Bodied Speech 5: How a Blue Goddess of Speech Turns Blue Appendix 1: Sources, Their Comparison with Other Tantric Texts, and Historical Context Appendix 2: Synopsis of Contents of the Brhannila Tantra Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis book narrates how Ayodhya's inhabitants experienced the events that led up to and followed the destruction of the Babri Masjid, the end-product of a century's effort to convert Hindus into a 'proper' modern nation. Woven into the narrative is an analysis of the culture of communal conflict, the nature of organized mass violence, and the political psychology of Hindu nationalism.Trade ReviewThe book remains...a very useful and insightful study of Hindu nationalism. * American Historical Review *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating story of change and transmission, this book describes how Mirabai, Surdas, and Kabir-the most famous and beloved poet-saints of fifteenth and sixteenth centuries-were heard and perceived in their own times and probes into the many beliefs and legends that emerged long after their deaths.Table of ContentsPREFACE TO THE PAPERBACK EDITION; PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION; TRANSLITERATION AND ABBREVIATION; POEMS TRANSLATED, BY ENGLISH TITLE; POEMS TRANSLATED, BY HINDI TITLE; ILLUSTRATIONS; INTRODUCTION; THE BHAKTI POET-SAINT; CHAPTER 2. MORALITY BEYOND MORALITY; CHAPTER 3. THE NIRGUN?/SAGUN? DISTINCTION; MIRABAI; CHAPTER 4. MIRABAI IN MANUSCRIPT; CHAPTER 5. MIRABAI AS WIFE AND YOGI; CHAPTER 6. THE SAINTS SUBDUED IN AMAR CHITRA KATHA; CHAPTER 7. KRISHNA AND THE GENDER OF LONGING; SURDAS; CHAPTER 8. LAST SEEN WITH AKBAR; CHAPTER 9. THE EARLY S?RS?GAR AND THE GROWTH OF THE SUR TRADITION; CHAPTER 10. THE VERBAL ICON-HOW LITERAL?; CHAPTER 11. SUR'S SUD?M?; CHAPTER 12. CREATIVE ENUMERATION IN SUR'S VINAYA POETRY; CHAPTER 13. WHY SURDAS WENT BLIND; KABIR; CHAPTER 14. THE RECEIVED KABIR: BEGINNINGS TO BLY; CHAPTER 15. KABIR IN HIS OLDEST DATED MANUSCRIPT; CHAPTER 16. VINAYA CROSSOVERS: KABIR AND SUR; CHAPTER 17. BHAKTI, DEMOCRACY, AND THE STUDY OF RELIGION; NOTES; BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS CITED; INDEX

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Book SynopsisIn this magisterial volume of essays, Wendy Doniger enhances our understanding of the ancient and complex religion to which she has devoted herself for half a century. This series of interconnected essays and lectures surveys the most critically important and hotly contested issues in Hinduism over 3,500 years, from the ancient time of the Vedas to the present day.The essays contemplate the nature of Hinduism; Hindu concepts of divinity; attitudes concerning gender, control, and desire; the question of reality and illusion; and the impermanent and the eternal in the two great Sanskrit epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Among the questions Doniger considers are: Are Hindus monotheists or polytheists? How can atheists be Hindu, and how can unrepentant Hindu sinners find salvation? Why have Hindus devoted so much attention to the psychology of addiction? What does the significance of dogs and cows tell us about Hinduism? How have Hindu concepts of death, rebirth, and karma changed oTrade ReviewOn Hinduism lies in its belongong to Wendy Doniger's broader oeuvre, which has come to play an attention-grabbing role in the clamorous clash between the practises of free-spirited scholarship and the assertions of cultural identity. * Chakravarthi Ran-Prasad, The Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Foreword into the Past ; A Chronology ; I On Being Hindu ; Hinduism by Any Other Name ; Are Hindus Monotheists or Polytheists? ; Three (or More) Forms of the Three (or More) - Fold Path in Hinduism ; The Concept of Heresy in Hinduism ; Eating Karma ; Medical and Mythical Constructions of the Body in Sakskrit Texts ; Death and Rebirth in Hinduism ; Forgetting and Re-awakening to Incarnation ; Assume the Position: The Fight over the Body of Yoga ; The Toleration of Intolerance in Hinduism ; The Politics of Hinduism Tomorrow ; II Gods, Humans and Anti-Gods ; Saguna and Nirguna Images of the Deity ; You Can't Get Here from There: The Logical Paradox of Hindu Creation Myths ; Together Apart: Changing Ethical Implications of Hindu Cosmologies ; God's Body, or, the Lingam Made Flesh: Conflicts over the Representation of Shiva ; Sacrifice and Subsitution: Ritual Mystification and Mythical Demystification in Hinduism ; The Scrapbook of Undeserved Salvation: The Kedara Khanda of the Skanda Purana ; III Women and Other Genders ; Why Should a Brahmin Tell You Whom to Marry?: A Deconstruction of the Laws of Manu ; Saranyu/Samjna: The Sun and the Shadow ; The Clever Wife in Indian Mythology ; Rings of Rejection and Recognition in Ancient India ; The Third Nature: Gender Inversions in the Kamasutra ; Bisexuality and Transsexuality Among the Hindu Gods ; Transsexual Transformations of Subjectivity and Memory in Hindu Mythology ; IV Kama and other Seductions ; The Control of Addiction in Ancient India ; Reading the Kamasutra: It Isn't All About Sex ; The Mythology of the Kamasutra ; From Kama to Karma: The Resurgence of Puritanism in Contemporary India ; V Horses and Other Animals ; The Ambivalence of Ahimsa ; Zoomorphism in Ancient India: Humans More Bestial Than Beasts ; The Mythology of Horses in India ; The Submarine Mare in the Mythology of Shiva ; Indra as the Stallion's Wife ; Dogs as Dalits in Indian Literature ; Sacred Cows and Beefeaters ; VI Illusion and Reality in the Hindu Epics ; Impermanence and Eternity in Hindu Epic, Art and Performance ; Shadows of the Ramayana ; Women in the Mahabharata ; The History of Ekalavya ; VII On Not Being Hindu ; "I Have Scinde": Orientalism and Guilt ; Doniger O'Flaherty on Doniger ; You Can't Make an Omelette ; The Forest-Dweller ; Appendix I: Limericks on Hinduism ; Appendix II: Essays on Hinduism by Wendy Doniger ; List of Abbreviations ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisMa Anandamayi is generally regarded as the most important Hindu woman saint of the twentieth century. Venerated alternately as a guru and as an incarnation of God on earth, Ma had hundreds of thousands of devotees. Through the creation of a religious movement and a vast network of ashramsunprecedented for a womanMa presented herself as an authority figure in a society where female gurus were not often recognized. Because of her widespread influence, Ma is one of the rare Hindu saints whose cult has outlived her. Today, her tomb is a place of veneration for those who knew her as well as new generations of her followers. By performing extensive fieldwork among Ma''s current devotees, Orianne Aymard examines what happens to a cult after the death of its leader. Does it decline, stagnate, or grow? Or is it rather transformed into something else entirely? Aymard''s work sheds new light not only on Hindu sainthoodand particularly female Hindu sainthoodbut on the nature of charismatic religioTrade ReviewOrianne Aymards study of the cult of Sri Anandamayi Ma is among the best works to date on the fate of contemporary post-charismatic religious movements. Through interviews with Mas devotees, Aymard illustrates the fundamental Hindu belief in the presence of a saint after his or her death. She also describes the perils inherent in the institutionalization of the saints charisma by her surviving devotees. A tour de force! * Lisa Lassell Hallstrom, Author of Mother of Bliss: Anandmay Ma (1896-1982) *Table of ContentsContents ; Acknowledgments ; Introduction ; Chapter 1: Aspects of the Postmortem Cult of the Guru ; Chapter 2: The Cult of Relics in Hinduism ; Chapter 3: Death of the Guru ; Chapter 4: Presence of the Guru ; Chapter 5: Sustainability of the Postmortem Cult ; Conclusion ; Appendix ; Notes ; Glossary ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisKabir was a great iconoclastic-mystic poet of fifteenth-century North India; his poems were composed orally, written down by others in manuscripts and books, and transmitted through song. Scholars and translators usually attend to written collections, but these present only a partial picture of the Kabir who has remained vibrantly alive through the centuries mostly in oral forms. Entering the worlds of singers and listeners in rural Madhya Pradesh, Bodies of Song combines ethnographic and textual study in exploring how oral transmission and performance shape the content and interpretation of vernacular poetry in North India. The book investigates textual scholars'' study of oral-performative traditions in a milieu where texts move simultaneously via oral, written, audio/video-recorded, and electronic pathways.As texts and performances are always socially embedded, Linda Hess brings readers into the lives of those who sing, hear, celebrate, revere, and dispute about Kabir. Bodies of SonTrade ReviewRecommended. * J. Bussanich, CHOICE *Hess decodes (for the uninitiated) the experience, confidence, and wisdom of ordinary men and women of India. She shows us how people have been living out their inner and outer lives and how they have been enriching further the traditional "bodies of song" through performance. By this decoding, Hess has made a lasting contribution to our understanding of some of the most poignant aspects of Indian religiosity. * Purushottam Agrawal, ITM University, The Journal of Religion *Table of ContentsTransliteration ; Acknowledgements ; Preface ; 1. "You Must Meet Prahladji!" ; 2. Oral Tradition in the Twenty-first Century: Observing Texts ; 3. "True Words of Kabir": Adventures in Authenticity ; 4. In the Jeweler's Bazaar: Malwa's Kabir ; 5. Oral Tradition in the Twenty-first Century: Exploring Theory ; 6. A Scorching Fire, A Cool Pool ; 7. Fighting over Kabir's Dead Body ; 8. Political/Spiritual Kabir ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisHoffmeier examines the Wilderness narratives of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. As director of the North Sinai Archaeological Project, the author has led several excavations that have uncovered important new evidence supporting the Wilderness narratives, including a major New Kingdom fort at Tell el-Borg that was occupied during the Israelite exodus. Hoffmeier employs these archaeological findings to shed new light on the route of the exodus from Egypt. Ancient Israel in Sinai brings the Wilderness tradition to the forefront and makes a case for its authenticity based on solid evidence and intelligent analysis.Trade ReviewEgyptologist and ancient Near Eastern scholar, James K. Hoffmeier, has produced an important work for the ongoing study of Israel's wilderness traditions. It is an excellent example of the integration of archaeology, philology, religion, history and biblical studies by a scholar who has demonstrated over the years his outstanding abilities in all these matters. While it gives an up-to-date accounting of what is known about Israel's wilderness traditions, it makes important contributions to the study of the toponymy and history of ancient Egypt's eastern frontier, as well as that of ancient Sinai. There can be no doubt that this volume will become the standard work in these areas for years to come. * K. Lawson Younger, Jr., co-editor of Mesopotamia and the Bible: Comparative Explorations *'Biblical Scholarship and Egyptology are brought together with uncommon skill in this important study. The book contains a wealth of evidence which is as fascinating as it is well-researched.' * Richard H. Wilkinson, Professor and Director, Egyptian Expedition, The University of Arizona *'As the director of numerous archaeological surveys in North Sinai and current excavations at Tell el-Borg, James Hoffmeier is one of the world's foremost authorities on Egypt's northern border defenses during the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1069 B.C.). Any new work of his will be read with interest by Egyptologists and biblical scholars alike.' -- * Ellen F. Morris, Department of Classics, Ancient History, and Egyptology, University of Wales Swansea *'Hoffmeier furnishes a sophisticated fresh approach to the Biblical Exodus traditions filled with detailed Egyptological background, and utterly indispensable because of its basis in recent, and in many cases as yet unpublished, archaeological data. This is a virtual encyclopedia of the Exodus.' * Baruch Halpern, Chaiken Family Chair in Jewish Studies, Penn State *Table of ContentsForeword by Kenneth A. Kitchen ; Abbreviations ; Chronological Charts ; The Wilderness Tradition ; The Wilderness Tradition and the Historian of Religion ; Sinai: The Great and Terrible Wilderness ; The Geography of the Exodus: Ramesses to the Sea ; The Location of the Re(e)d Sea ; The Mountain of God ; From Egypt to Mt. Sinai: Traveling and Living in the Wilderness ; The Sinai Legislation ; Israel's Desert Sanctuary ; Egyptian Personal Names and Other Egyptian Elements in the Exodus-Wilderness Narratives ; The Wilderness Tradition and the Origin of Israel ; Notes ; Index ; Photo gallery

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Book SynopsisThis volume offers an in-depth study of key themes common to the Hindu and Christian religious traditions. It redefines how we think about Hinduism, comparative study, and Christian theology. This book offers a bold new look at how traditions encounter one another, and how good comparisons are to be made. Redefining theology as an interreligious, comparative, dialogical, and confessional practice open to all people, it invites not only Hindus and Christians, but also theologians from all religious traditions, to enter into conversation with one another.Trade ReviewIt is no longer acceptable for theologians to criticize other religions or to think their own religion superior unless and until they have engaged in true dialogue (which means learning the necessary languages and texts, etc.). Clooney's work thus argues for and exemplifies a new kind of multireligious theological conversation. * The Journal of Religion *Francis Clooney's Hindu God, Christian God * which embodies disciplined scholarship, a strong faith commitment that is tempered by deep devotion to reason, and radical openness to theological conversation across religious boundariesbrings a breath of theological fresh air.Journal of the American Academy of Religion *...a thought-provoking and deeply researched book that all Indologists, philosophers of religion, and Christian theologians will benefit from reading. * Philosophy East & West *This is a wonderfully conceived and well-written book. A model of an emerging theology which is interreligious, comparative, dialogical, and confessional at the same time. * Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection *Thinkers within one religious tradition hone their work through appreciation for and opposition to views of major predecessors in that tradition. Francis Clooney demonstrates that Christian faith genuinely seeking understanding can and must widen this circle of formative dialogue to include figures in other religions as models and critics. Even when they were not speaking to each other, the Hindu and Christian theologians Clooney matches have a great deal to say to each other, precisely because they share the medium of rational argument, argument for God and about God. They emerge as collaborators, yet undiminished in their distinct identities. No other book so powerfully presents comparative study as integral to the healthy internal life of a religious tradition. * S. Mark Heim, Andover Newton Theological Seminary *Distinguished by its admirably close attention to textual detail, Hindu God, Christian God is an exemplary contribution to comparative theology. It will be essential reading for courses in comparative theology. * Keith Ward, Oxford University "Francis X. Clooney's new book takes a major step forward in developing a lucid presentation and close analysis of reasoning about topics common to much theistic thought. Clooney exemplifies his own interpretation of theology as both the affirmation of a particular faith tradition, and the mutual understanding (and possible agreement) of theologians in very different traditions. The book's compelling climax urges both Christian and Hindu theologians to join him in conducting scholarly comparison as interreligious dialogue.John B. Carman, Harvard University, Emeritus *If there is to be inter-religious thological conversation at all reason must be its presupposition and mainstay. Francis Clooney has written the definitive work on this in the contect of the Hindu-Christian encounter. The book is therefore indispensable reading for any serious study on the topic. * Hindu-Christian Studies Bulletin *Francis Clooney's Hindu God, Christian God * which embodies disciplined scholarship, a strong faith commitment that is tempered by deep devotion to reason, and radical openness to theological conversation across religious boundariesbrings a breath of theological fresh air.... Clooney traverses the Hindu and Christian textual and theological terrains with equal ease, remarkable skill, keen sensitivity, and admirable sophistication. His command of the intricate nuances of both Hindu and Christian theologies impressively shines throughout the work.Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Francis Clooney's Hindu God, Christian God * which embodies disciplined scholarship, a strong faith commitment that is tempered by deep devotion to reason, and radical openness to theological conversation across religious boundariesbrings a breath of theological fresh air.... Clooney traverses the Hindu and Christian textual and theological terrains with equal ease, remarkable skill, keen sensitivity, and admirable sophistication. His command of the intricate nuances of both Hindu and Christian theologies impressively shines throughout the work.Journal of the American Academy of Religion *a thought-provoking and deeply researched book that all Indologists, philosophers of religion, and Christian theologians will benefit from reading. * Philosophy East & West *This is a wonderfully concieved and well-written book . A model of an emerging theology which is interreligious, comparative, dialogical, and confessional at the same time. * Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection *By virtue of its theological sophistication, it analytical strength, its breadth of vision for a broadened and renewed theology, and the sheer number of theologians studied, this landmark contribution is an indispensable resource for Hindu and Christian scholars and other theologians."-The Journal of the American Academy of ReligionDistinguished by its admirably close attention to textual detail, Hindu God, Christian God is an exemplary contribution to comparative theology. It will be essential reading for courses in comparative theology. * Keith Ward, Oxford University *Francis X. Clooney's new book takes a major step forward in developing a lucid presentation and close analysis of reasoning about topics common to much theistic thought. Clooney exemplifies his own interpretation of theology as both the affirmation of a particular faith tradition, and the mutual understanding (and possible agreement) of theologians in very different traditions. The book's compelling climax urges both Christian and Hindu theologians to join him in conducting scholarly comparison as interreligious dialogue. * John B. Carman, Harvard University, Emeritus *Thinkers within one religious tradition hone their work through appreciation for and opposition to views of major predecessors in that tradition. Francis Clooney demonstrates that Christian faith genuinely seeking understanding can and must widen this circle of formative dialogue to include figures in other religions as models and critics. Even when they were not speaking to each other, the Hindu and Christian theologians Clooney matches have a great deal to say to each other, precisely because they share the medium of rational argument, argument for God and about God. They emerge as collaborators, yet undiminished in their distinct identities. No other book so powerfully presents comparative study as integral to the healthy internal life of a religious tradition. * S. Mark Heim, Andover Newton Theological Seminary *It is no longer acceptable for theologians to criticize other religions or to think their own religion superior unless and until they have engaged in true dialogue (which means learning the necessary languages and texts, etc.). Clooney's work thus argues for and exemplifies a new kind of multireligious theological conversation. * The Journal of Religion *If there is to be inter-religious thological conversation at all reason must be its presupposition and mainstay. Francis Clooney has written the definitive work on this in the contect of the Hindu-Christian encounter. The book is therefore indispensable reading for any serious study on the topic. * Hindu-Christian Studies Bulletin *Table of Contents1. Widening the Theological Conversation in Today's Pluralistic Context 2. Arguing the Existence of God: From the World to Its Maker 3. Debating God's Identity 4. Making Sense of Divine Embodiment 5. How Revelation Matters in the Assessment of Religions 6. Faithful and Reasonable Theology in a Pluralistic World A Hindu Theologian's Response: A Prolegomenon to "Christian God, Hindu God" by Parimal G. Patil Appendix I: LIst of Theologians Appendix II: Note on the Translations and Pronunciations Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Virgin Mary has long been the object of both devotional and scholarly interest, and recent years have seen a proliferation of studies on Hindu goddess-worship traditions.Trade ReviewMany have looked forward to this kind of book for years....Reading each of the paired texts allows for extraordinary illumination between the two, as the author gives close textual analyses dealing with theology, the use of images, and textual and ritual structures. A final essay is especially valuable, as it focuses on some of the larger, broader questions of goddess worship. * CHOICE *...a notable achievement. It allows new questions to flow about the nature of the divine, letting gender issues take their rightful place in mutually enriching conversation. * WATERwheel *Divine Mother, Blessed Mother is a groundbreaking study of comparative theology as well as a beautiful book to enjoy, a work that appears to be as much the fruit of devotion and meditation as of scholarship and philosophical reflection. * Theological Studies *Francis X. Clooney, S.J., once again demonstrates the value of a comparative approach to theology. Through a close textual analysis of particular hymns from each tradition, this study of Hindu goddess traditions in relation to Christian understandings of Mary reveals fresh insight into both traditions and raises new questions to each. Entering both into the vigorous contemporary discussion of gender and divinity, and into the largely intra-Roman Catholic discussion of the historical and symbolic dimensions of Mary's role, Clooney's work is both substantive and provocative. I expect it will engender lively and productive dialogue. * Mary E. Hines, Emmanuel College *Divine Mother, Blessed Mother is a signal contribution to the growing theological literature on goddesses. Indebted to feminist scholarship and promoting women's well-being, Francis X. Clooney provides a close reading of Hindu and Christian texts, offering an elegant, accessible, and insightful treatment of Sri, Devi, Apirami, and Mary. His genius is in sparking their mutual conversation on their own terms. Clooney invites the reader in, and lets the theological implications flow as they will. Interreligious work is enriched immeasurably by this creative contribution. * Mary E. Hunt, Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual *Francis Clooney is virtually unique in the field of Hindu Studies as a Catholic theologian with the linguistic and philosophical expertise necessary to produce sophisticated comparative analyses. Written at the intersection of feminist studies, Hindu theology, and Catholic theology, Divine Mother, Blessed Mother is a juxtaposition of three Hindu goddess-centered and three Catholic Marian texts with the aim of investigating the relationship of gender imagery to the practical purpose of liberation. This is an invitation for feminists to view male-authored depictions of sensuous female figures as potentially undermining, not expressive, of patriarchal values; for Catholics to gain empathy for Hindu goddess worship; and for scholars of comparative religion to learn from a master of the art. * Rachel Fell McDermott, Barnard College *Table of Contents1 Sri, Devi, Apirami, and Mary: Who and Why ; 2 Sri in the Sri Guna Ratna Kosa: Divine Equality, Divine Pleasure; in Light of the Akathistos ; 3 Devi in the Saundarya Lahari: From Bliss to Beauty; in Light of the Stabat Mater ; 4 Apirami in the Apirami Antati: Finding Her Within; in Light of the Mataracamman Antati ; 5 Three Hindu Goddesses, Mary, and Reading Ahead ; Glossary ; Notes ; Works Cited ; Index

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Book SynopsisFeeding the Dead outlines the early history of ancestor worship in South Asia, from the earliest sources available, the Vedas, up to the descriptions found in the Dharmshastra tradition.Trade ReviewThis compact volume makes a notable contribution to our understanding of doctrinal and institutional shifts in India in the last centuries before the Common Era. Sayers is one of just a handful of recent scholars to call attention to the importance of the Vedic domestic ritual codes in the creation of what has come to be known as 'classical Hinduism.' He is to be congratulated for setting the complex ritual particulars within a clearly limned overview of the competing religious ideologies being 'marketed' by rival groups of professional 'religious experts.' He manages to do this without trivializing the ideas at stake, and without glibly reifying categories such as 'popular' and 'elite' or 'Brahmanical' and 'non-Brahmanical.' * Timothy Lubin, Washington and Lee University *Table of ContentsList of Tables ; Acknowledgements ; Abbreviations ; Introduction ; Chapter 1: Ancestral Rites in the Early Vedas ; Chapter 2: The Solemn Ancestral Rites ; Chapter 3: The Domestic Rice-ball Sacrifice to the Ancestors ; Chapter 4: The sraddha-rite ; Chapter 5: Ancestral Rites in the Buddhist Literature ; Chapter 6: Soteriology ; Chapter 7: Mediation ; Conclusion ; Appendix ; Notes ; Glossary of Sanskrit Terms ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisThough many practitioners of yoga and meditation are familiar with the Sri Cakra yantra, few fully understand the depth of meaning in this representation of the cosmos. Even fewer have been exposed to the practices of mantra and puja (worship) associated with it. André Padoux, with Roger Orphe-Jeanty, offers the first English translation of the Yoginihrdaya, a seminal Hindu tantric text dating back to the 10th or 11th century CE. The Yoginihrdaya discloses to initiates the secret of the Heart of the Yogini, or the supreme Reality: the divine plane where the Goddess (Tripurasundari, or Consciousness itself) manifests her power and glory. As Padoux demonstrates, the Yoginihrdaya is not a philosophical treatise aimed at expounding particular metaphysical tenets. It aims to show a way towards liberation, or, more precisely, to a tantric form of liberation in this life---jivanmukti, which grants both liberation from the fetters of the world and domination over it.Trade ReviewThis long-awaited English-language edition of Andre Padoux's classic study and translation of the Yoginihrdaya is a window onto a remarkably sophisticated ritual and metaphysical system. Presented in a clear and engaging format, it is an ideal introduction and guide to the world of Hindu Tantra. * David Gordon White, J. F. Rowny Professor of Comparative Religion, University of California, Santa Barbara *Table of ContentsNote on the Transcription and Pronunciation of Sanskrit ; Preface ; Introduction ; Chapter 1, Encounter in the Cakra - Cakrasadketa ; Chapter 2, Encounter in the Mantra - Mantrasadketa ; Chapter 3, Encounter in the Puja - Pujasamketa ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn this multifaceted work, John Carman and Vasudha Narayanan clarify historical developments in South Asian religion and make important contributions to the methodology of textual interpretation and the comparative study of world religions.

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Book SynopsisThe Vaisnava-sahajiya cult that arose in Bengal in the sixteenth century was an intensely emotional attempt to reconcile the sensual and the ascetic. Exploring the history and doctrine of this cult, Edward C. Dimock, Jr., examines the works of numerous poets who are the source of knowledge about this sect. Dimock examines the life of the saint Caitanya, the mad Baul singers, the doctrines of Tantrism, the origins of the figure of Radha, and the worship of Krishna. His study will appeal to students of the history of religion as well as of Indian culture. This edition includes a new Foreword by Wendy Doniger. This is a magnificent bookpainstakingly researched and gracefully written. . . . Professor Dimock's book is one of the most rewarding and stimulating studies to appear in recent years.G. Richard Weldon, Journal of Asian Studies

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Book SynopsisHindu and Greek mythologies teem with stories of women and men who are doubled, this text recounts and compares a vast range of these tales from ancient Greece and India. The comparisons show that differences in gender are more significant than differences in culture.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, J. C. Heesterman attempts to understand the origins and nature of Vedic sacrifice--the complex compound of ritual practices that stood at the center of ancient Indian religion. Paying close attention to anomalous elements within both the Vedic ritual texts, the brahmanas, and the ritual manuals, the srautasutras, Heesterman reconstructs the ideal sacrifice as consisting of four moments: killing, destruction, feasting, and contest. He shows that Vedic sacrifice all but exclusively stressed the offering in the fire--the element of destruction--at the expense of the other elements. Notably, the contest was radically eliminated. At the same time sacrifice was withdrawn from society to become the sole concern of the individual sacrificer. The ritual turns in on the individual as self-sacrificer who realizes through the internalized knowledge of the ritual the immortal Self. At this point the sacrificial cult of the fire recedes behind doctrine of the atman's transcendence and

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Book SynopsisAn exploration into South Asia's regional epic traditions. The author draws on his own fieldwork and analyzes how the oral tradition of the south Indian cult of the goddess Draupadi and five regional martial oral epics compare with one another and tie in with the Sanskrit epics.

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Book SynopsisEmploying a range of theories, the author draws on historical and comparative research in an attempt to discern the spirit and techniques behind the Mahabharata epic. He focuses on Yudhisthira's education, and shows how this figure's relationships with others provides a thread through the stories.

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Book SynopsisEmploying a range of theories, the author draws on historical and comparative research in an attempt to discern the spirit and techniques behind the Mahabharata epic. He focuses on Yudhisthira's education, and shows how this figures relationships with others provides a thread through the stories.

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Book SynopsisFor decades India has been the scene of outbursts of religious violence, thrusting many ordinary Hindus and Muslims into bloody conflict. This work analyzes the psychological roots of Hindu-Muslim violence and examines the subjective experience of religious hatred in the author's native land.

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Book SynopsisFor decades India has been the scene of outbursts of religious violence, thrusting many ordinary Hindus and Muslims into bloody conflict. This work analyzes the psychological roots of Hindu-Muslim violence and examines the subjective experience of religious hatred in the author's native land.

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Book SynopsisThere are many holy cities in India, but Mumbai is not usually considered one of them. More popular images of the city capture the world's collective imaginationas a Bollywood fantasia or a slumland dystopia.Yet for many, if not most, people who live in the city, the neighborhood streets are indeed shared with local gods and guardian spirits. In The Neighborhood of Gods, William Elison examines the link between territory and divinity in India's most self-consciously modern city. In this densely settled environment, space is scarce, and anxiety about housing is pervasive. Consecrating spacefirst with impromptu displays and then, eventually, with full-blown temples and official recognitionis one way of staking a claim. But how can a marginalized community make its gods visible, and therefore powerful, in the eyes of others? The Neighborhood of Gods explores this question, bringing an ethnographic lens to a range of visual and spatial practices: from the shrine construction that encroache

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Book SynopsisThere are many holy cities in India, but Mumbai is not usually considered one of them. More popular images of the city capture the world's collective imaginationas a Bollywood fantasia or a slumland dystopia.Yet for many, if not most, people who live in the city, the neighborhood streets are indeed shared with local gods and guardian spirits. In The Neighborhood of Gods, William Elison examines the link between territory and divinity in India's most self-consciously modern city. In this densely settled environment, space is scarce, and anxiety about housing is pervasive. Consecrating spacefirst with impromptu displays and then, eventually, with full-blown temples and official recognitionis one way of staking a claim. But how can a marginalized community make its gods visible, and therefore powerful, in the eyes of others? The Neighborhood of Gods explores this question, bringing an ethnographic lens to a range of visual and spatial practices: from the shrine construction that encroache

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Book SynopsisFocusing on the organizations and activities of Hindu ascetics and gurus, the author explores the complex interrelations among religion, the political economy of India and global capitalism. The work illustrates the pervasive presence of Hindu imagery in India's burgeoning market economy.Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments 1: Sumptuary Spirituality 2: Hardwar and Rishikesh: Gateway to Gods and Godmen 3: Savarkar: Nationalist Ideologue and Organizer of Hindus 4: Hindu Sangathan after Savarkar: The Vishva Hindu Parishad 5: Swami Satyamitranand: VHP Leader and Founder of Hardwar's Bharat Mata Temple 6: The Bharat Mata Temple: Satyamitranand's Candid Appraisal 7: Sivananda and the Divine Life Society 8: Arenas of Ashram Life 9: Celebrating the Birth Centenary of Gurudev Sivananda 10: Shakti ex Machina Epilogue Appendix 1 The Manav Utthan Seva Samiti Appendix 2 A Brief Account of Hardwar Bibliography Index Gallery follows page 96

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Book SynopsisFocusing on the organizations and activities of Hindu ascetics and gurus, the author explores the complex interrelations among religion, the political economy of India and global capitalism. The work illustrates the pervasive presence of Hindu imagery in India's burgeoning market economy.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"David Gordon White’s new book, Dæmons are Forever: Contacts and Exchangesin the Eurasian Pandemonium, is one of the most significant monographs in the academic study of religion in recent years. With impressive geographical and temporal scopes—ranging from East and South Asia all the way to Northern and Western Europe, and from reconstructed prehistorical protomyths to contemporary ethnography—the book impressively attempts to narrate the long story of vital religious contacts and exchanges across Eurasia. . . . Dæmons are Forever charts a path for future insights into Eurasia’s interconnected histories." * Reading Religion *"This is an excellent resource for advanced or graduate students and researchers, and it could serve as a reference covering the myriad stories, creatures, and Indo-European features included. . . . Dæmons are Forever is both capstone and cornerstone, a summation of a professional scholarly career and the laying of a foundation for the continuing work of a professor emeritus." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *“Not only does White address an immense geographic space with stupefying erudition, but he examines an equally vast historical time period, using texts from High Antiquity to contemporary ethnography. . . . This work reveals the immense erudition and intellectual virtuosity of the author, an admirable expert not only of the religions of the Indian sub-continent, but also of a wide array of Euro-asian religious traditions.” * Archives de sciences sociales des religions (Translated from French) *“White is unique in combining the characters of an old-fashioned, obsessively knowledgeable linguist, an Eliadean (or even Frazerian) comparatist, and a cutting-edge theorist with a particular penchant for the dark, the bent, and the anarchic in human religious life. This book makes full use of all his talents, presenting a broad view, constantly enlivened with astonishing details, of the too-long-misunderstood role of the demonic in the history of religions.” * Wendy Doniger, University of Chicago *“A revelatory book that brims with erudition and ambition, making connections that span thousands of miles and cross not only centuries but millennia. White has written a book that issues a series of challenges to how we should look at South Asia and worlds far beyond.” * Peter Frankopan, Worcester College *Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations Note on Translations 1 Dæmon-ology 2 Of Filth and Phylacteries 3 The Demons Are in the Details: Demonological Sciences and Technologies, East and West 4 Medieval and Modern Child Abductions 5 Odysseus in Taprobane 6 Perilous Fountains 7 Imagining a Connected History of Religions Acknowledgments Notes References Index

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