Hinduism Books
Cambridge University Press Religion Enlightenment and Empire
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£21.84
Cambridge University Press The Voice of the Indian Mona Lisa
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£80.75
Cambridge University Press An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism
Book SynopsisAn Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism, third edition, offers a comprehensive study of a contemporary form of Hinduism. Begun as a revival and reform movement in India 200 years ago, it has now become one of the fastest growing and most prominent forms of Hinduism. The Swaminarayan Hindu transnational network of temples and institutions is expanding in India, East Africa, the UK, USA, Australasia, and in other African and Asian cities. The devotion, rituals, and discipline taught by its founder, Sahajanand Swami (17811830) and elaborated by current leaders in major festivals, diverse media, and over the Internet, help preserve ethnic and religious identity in many modern cultural and political contexts. Swaminarayan Hinduism, here described through its history, divisions, leaders, theology and practices, provides valuable case studies of contemporary Hinduism, religion, migrants, and transnationalism. This new edition includes up-to-date information about growth, geographic expansionTable of Contents1. The beginnings of Swaminarayan Hinduism; 2. Growth, administration, and schism; 3. The structure of Swaminarayan theology; 4. The sacred world; 5. Dharma: the disciplined life; 6. The sacred thread: transmission of tradition; 7. Transnational growth of Swaminarayan Hinduism.
£25.64
Penguin Books Ltd Krishna the Beautiful Legend of God
Book SynopsisThe Beautiful Legend of God contains the tenth and most significant book in the popular Indian epic Srimad Bhagavata Purana, which is the principal source for the story of Krishna, worshipped by many Hindus as the Supreme Being. Devoted to Krishna’s miraculous incarnation, this collection of sacred tales recounts his childhood and adolescence in the forests of Vrindavan: playing with his friends, dallying amorously with cowherd maidens, and stealing butter to feed the monkeys. Krishna emerges from these episodes as an immediately engaging figure, and the stories have inspired generations of artists, musicians, poets, sculptors, and dramatists. They also contain valuable insights into Hindu views on such matters as creation, cosmography, and the history of the subcontinent.Making its first appearance as a Penguin Classic, this edition of The Beautiful Legend of God includes an introduction, glossary of Sanskrit terms, pronunciation guide and bibliograpTable of ContentsKrishna: The Beautiful Legend of GodAcknowledgments Introduction Note on Translation and Method Krishna: The Beautiful Legend of GodSrimad Bhagavata Purana Book X Part One Part Two Book XI, Chapters 1, 6, and 29-31 Notes Glossary of Sanskrit Terms and Names Pronunciation Guide List of Primary Sources Mentioned in the Text Bibliography
£14.99
Penguin Putnam Inc The Hindus
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£21.25
The University of Chicago Press The Broken World of Sacrifice An Essay in Ancient
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
£999.99
The University of Chicago Press Rethinking the Mahabharata
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.
£999.99
The University of Chicago Press The Colors of Violence Cultural Identities
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.
£999.99
The University of Chicago Press Neighborhood of Gods The Sacred and the Visible
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
£999.99
Random House USA Inc The Bhagavad Gita
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£13.60
Random House USA Inc American Veda From Emerson and the Beatles to
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£999.99
Random House USA Inc India
Book SynopsisA spiritual history of the world''s most religiously complex and diverse society, from one of Harvard''s most respected scholars.India: A Sacred Geography is the culmination of more than a decade''s work from the renowned Harvard scholar Diana L. Eck. The book explores the sacred places of India, taking the reader on an extraordinary trip through the beliefs and history of this rich and profound place, as well as providing a basic introduction to Hindu religious ideas and how those ideas influence our understanding of the modern sense of India as a nation.
£999.99
The University Press of Kentucky Growing Stories from India
Book SynopsisLessons from the Hindu culture are used to teach the world methods of sustainability.
£27.00
Rutgers University Press The Many Colors of Hinduism A Thematichistorical
Book SynopsisConventional approaches to Hinduism typically stress its classical religious tradition with an emphasis on the Brahmin texts and practices. This introductory text provides a view of this religious tradition, acknowledging a range of its many competing and even contradictory aspects.Table of ContentsPart I; The Nature of Hinduism; A Journey to Mother India; Tongues of Fire of the Vedic Sacrificial Cult; The Swan, World Renunciation, and Upanisads; The Way and the Structure of Life; The Experiential Nature of Hinduism; Part II; Nature of Devotional and Sectarian Hinduism; The Sensual Nature of Hinduism; Embodiment of Visnu of Earth; Divine Play, Madness, Eroticism, and Krishna; Righteous Rama, Untouchables, and Sants; Dance of the Ascetic Deity Siva Feminine Thread; Desire Transformed: Tantra and Saktism; Part III; Issues in Modern and; Contemporary Hinduism; The World of the Goddess: Village Hinduism; Reformers, Missionaries, and; Gurus in Modern Hinduism.
£999.99
Quest Books,U.S. The Wisdom of the Vedas Theosophical Heritage
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£14.20
North Point Press Bhakti Yoga Tales and Teachings from the
Book SynopsisBhakti Yoga explores one of the eight 'limbs' of yoga. In the simplest terms, bhakti yoga is the practice of devotion, which is the essential heart of yoga and of Hinduism in general. The term has come to be used in a rather simplistic way to refer to the increasingly popular practice of kirtan, or chanting in a group or at large gatherings.
£25.19
Self-Realization Fellowship,U.S. In the Sanctuary of the Soul
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£14.20
Self-Realization Fellowship,U.S. Mans Eternal Quest 1 Collected Talks and Essays
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£27.00
Self-Realization Fellowship,U.S. Journey to Selfrealization Collected Talks and
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£27.00
Red Wheel/Weiser TANTRIC YOGA The Royal Path to Raising Kundalini
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£15.19
Lotus Press Gods Sages and Kings Revised and Enlarged Edition
Book SynopsisAn expert on Eastern philosophy and Eastern medicine, the author presents a spiritual vision of who we are and where we come from. In so doing, he seeks to fill a void in our understanding of human history, revealing secrets of Vedic and ancient civilization.
£18.99
Integral Yoga Publications Inside Patanjalis Words Explore the Heart of Yoga
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£18.90
Integral Yoga Publications meditation
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£7.81
Integral Yoga Publications Masters Touch True Stories From Students of Sri
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£8.95
Integral Yoga Publications Gems of Wisdom
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£7.67
Integral Yoga Publications Pathways to Peace
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£7.71
Integral Yoga Publications Enlightening Tales
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£17.09
LOTUS BRANDS INC The Life Divine
Book Synopsis"The Life Divine" explores for the modern mind the great streams of Indian metaphysical thought, reconciling the truths behind each, and, from this synthesis, extends in terms of consciousness the concept of evolution.
£27.55
State University of New York Press Bhagavad Gita The TwentyfifthAnniversary Edition
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£52.67
North Atlantic Books,U.S. The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi
Book SynopsisRegarded in India as one of the most important books of the 20th century, Gandhi’s commentary on this classic Hindu text addresses the issues he felt most directly affected the spiritual lives of common people. The Bhagavad Gita, also called The Song of the Lord, is a 700-line section of a much longer Sanskrit war epic, the Mahabharata, about the legendary conflict between two branches of an Indian ruling family. Framed as a conversation between Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, and a general of one of the armies, the Gita is written in powerful poetic language meant to be chanted. Equally treasured as a guide to action, a devotional scripture, a philosophical text, and inspirational reading, it remains one of the world’s most influential, widely read spiritual books. The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi is based on talks given by Gandhi between February and November 1926 at the Satyagraha Ashram in Ahmedabad, India. During this time—a period when Gandhi had withdrawn from mass political activity—he devoted much of his time and energy to translating the Gita from Sanskrit into his native Gujarati. As a result, he met with his followers almost daily, after morning prayer sessions, to discuss the Gita’s contents and meaning as it unfolded before him. This book is the transcription of those daily sessions.
£12.34
Paragon House Publishers Kundalini, Evolution and Enlightenment
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£20.09
Georgetown University Press Key Words in Hinduism Key Words Guides
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£20.44
Inner Traditions Bear and Company Shakti: Realm of the Divine Mother
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£18.04
Inner Traditions Bear and Company Shiva: Stories and Teachings from the Shiva
Book SynopsisShiva, the most ancient and complex deity of the Hindu pantheon, has been portrayed in many contrasting lights: destroyer and benefactor, ascetic and householder, wild demon slayer and calm yogi atop Mount Kailash. Drawing from the Hindu sacred text the Shiva Mahapurana--said to be written by Shiva himself--Vanamali selects the essential stories of Shiva, both those from his dark wild side and those from his benevolent peaceful side. Vanamali discusses Shiva’s many avatars such as Shambunatha and Bhola, as well as Dakshinamurti who taught the shastras and tantras to the rishis. She explores Shiva’s relationships with Durga, Shakti, Sati, and Parvati and with his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya. Examining Shiva’s acceptance of outsiders, Vanamali explains why ghosts and ghouls are his attendants and why his greatest devotees are demon kings, like Ravana. She includes famous Shiva stories such as the Descent of the River Ganga and Churning the Milky Ocean as well as those that reveal the origin of the festival of lights, Diwali; his creation of the cosmic couple, or hierogamos; and how Shiva and Parvati taught the world the secrets of Kundalini Shakti. The author also draws upon Shaivite teachings to illustrate the differences between Western science and Vedic science and their explanations for the origins of consciousness. Integrating Shiva’s two sides, the fierce and the peaceful, Vanamali reveals that Shiva’s form depends on the needs of the devotee. Understanding his teachings allows one to see through the illusions at the root of all grief and alienation in human life, for Shiva is the wielder of mayawho does not fall under its spell. While Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles, Shiva is the remover of tears.Trade Review"Vanamali’s passionate writing blends a grandmother’s loving wisdom with a lifetime of devotion to the Sanatana Dharma. Like an ancient vedic chant, Vanamali’s spellbinding prose elevates the reader to sublime Himalayan peaks of Transcendental Consciousness. Mataji’s erudition and devotion is a portal to a legendary realm of the Gods." * Bruce Burger, founder of Heartwood Institute and author of Esoteric Anatomy: The Body as Consciousne *“Shiva is a complex Hindu deity. Both destroyer and creator, he is always energetically involved in the world, bringing his special wisdom to us in whatever form we might recognize. Vanamali has gathered together the sacred tales of Shiva’s adventures for this book, recounting them with reverence and insight. Customers will begin to see their lives and their potential with greater clarity as they read her carefully crafted words.” * Retailing Insight, October 2013 *“Vanamali’s book is seductive, full of the charm of myth retold with sincerity and with a minimum of intellectualization; it should appeal to many school and college collections.” * Library Journal, November 2013 *Table of ContentsForeword by Swami Dayananda Introduction Part One The Divine Aspects of Shiva 1 The Great Universal God 2 Creation 3 Sandhya, the Evening Star 4 Durga’s Promise 5 The Courtship of Sati 6 Sati and Shiva 7 Daksha’s Yajna 8 The Wrath of Shiva 9 Parvati Seeks Her Lord 10 The Defeat of Kama 11 Parvati’s Penance 12 The Cosmic Wedding 13 The Cosmic Couple 14 Kartikeya Defeats the Demon 15 Ganesha, Remover of Obstacles 16 The Three Demonic Cities 17 Downfall of the Demons 18 Churning the Milky Ocean 19 The Descent of the River Ganga 20 Destroyed by His Own Hand 21 Markandeya and Agniswara 22 The Manifestations of Shiva 23 Shiva, the Beloved 24 The Jyotirlingas Part Two Those Who Worship Shiva 25 Devotees of Shiva 26 The Great Four 27 The Violent Votaries 28 Women Devotees Epilogue Appendix One. Method of Worshipping Lord Shiva Appendix Two. Names of Shiva Appendix Three. Names of Other Characters in the Hindu Pantheon Appendix Four. Alphabetical List of Mantras Appendix Five. Vedic Invocations for World Peace Glossary of Sanskrit Terms Index
£999.99
Sounds True Inc The Bhakti Coloring Book: Deities, Mandalas, and
Book SynopsisIn the yoga tradition, bhakti is the path of the heart. This devotional branch of yoga is growing in popularity as increasing numbers of practitioners seek greater peace and more heartfelt connections in their personal and professional lives. Artist and scholar Ekabhumi Charles Ellik invites us to cultivate these feelings of love and connection through coloring, meditation, and art in The Bhakti Coloring Book. Following on the success of The Shakti Coloring Book, Ekabhumi has created 40 brand-new, easy-to-color images from the bhakti tradition. Mandalas, deities, and symbols adorn the pages of this heart-centered book along with guidance for using the images both in spiritual practice and for simple pleasure. Devotional art is an important part of the bhakti tradition, as sacred imagery can shift our consciousness into a naturally meditative state. For experienced artists and novices alike, this book offers an enjoyable entry into this powerful practice.
£17.23
Self-Realization Fellowship,U.S. The Spiritual Expression of Friendship
£15.19
Equinox Publishing Ltd Exploring Hindu Philosophy
Book SynopsisThis introductory text points to some of the diverse tapestries of Hindu worldviews where scriptural revelation, logical argumentation, embodied affectivity, moral reasoning, and aesthetic cultivation constitute densely interwoven conceptual threads. It begins with an exploration of some classical iterations of the quest for a fundamental ontology amidst the diversities of the everyday world. This quest is often embedded in both a diagnosis of the human condition as structured by suffering and a therapy for recovery from worldly fragmentation. A crucial aspect of this therapeutic structure is the analysis of the means of knowledge and the categories of reality, since in order to know the nature of the world one must proceed along truth-tracking routes. Such dynamic mind-world encounters are mediated through language, and Hindu philosophical texts extensively discuss the motif of whether or not deep reality can be comprehended through linguistic structures. These philosophical exercises also shape reflections on themes such as aesthetics, social organization, the meaning of life, and so on. As Hinduism increasingly migrates to western locations through practices of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, and along with sensibilities relating to vegetarianism, ecology, and pacifism, we encounter multiple translations of these classical motifs relating to the self, language, and consciousness.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Conceptual Constellations Chapter 1: Unity and its Concrete Multitudes Chapter 2: Knowing the Roots of Reality Chapter 3: Therapies for Liberation Chapter 4: Finding a Home in the World Chapter 5: Multiple Modes of Morality Conclusion: Reorienting the Mind’s Compass
£91.59
Archaeopress South Asian Goddesses and the Natural Environment
Book SynopsisSouth Asian Goddesses and the Natural Environment is a multidisciplinary collection of 11 essays ranging from the pre-Vedic to the modern era and incorporating research on Hindu, Buddhist and tribal cultures. The authors ask whether the worship of goddesses, strongly linked to fertility rituals, might have mitigated the ecological decline of South Asia in the pre-British and post-colonial eras.The manifold powers of the Devi, whether nurturing or destructive, could be constructed as companions to the unstoppable forces of Nature. This binary paradigm, however, is misleading. For millions of South Asian people, the Devi is Nature and Nature is She. Amongst scholars, the connections between the South Asian Goddesses and the natural environment have been debated and contested for centuries. This collection of essays, the last of a trilogy on the Devi or iconic female by Australian scholars and their collaborators, interrogates the paradoxes of worshipping the feminine divine and yet ignoring the natural environment that validates Her existence. Historical and cultural sources, many of them in Sanskrit, point to the Devi-Nature complex but in ignoring the role of human agency, appear to exonerate society from taking responsibility for the ecological devastation manifested throughout the South Asian region. The Devi is omnipotent but in the role of the nurturing Mother she will not intervene if we remain passive. South Asian deities teach us to respect the environment, a necessary but insufficient condition for compelling us to behave in a manner that respects the wonders of the universe.
£62.68
KTD Publications Four Dharmas of Gampopa
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£999.99
Hohm Press,U.S. In Praise of Adya Kali: Approaching the
Book SynopsisThis book details the goddess Kali and the culture of devotion to her in West Bengal and South Asia. The term Adya means primal, original or archean. Adya Kali is the primordial energy, the shakti, that creates, preserves, and transforms/dissolves all existence. She is the womb that births all, and the tomb that swallows all.In Praise of Adya Kali is different from most contemporary books about Kali because it offers a liturgy of worship, a type of spiritual practice (sadhana) that the reader (both male and female) can use over the course of days, weeks, or months, to cultivate a direct devotional relationship to Kali. But, beyond that, In Praise of Adya Kali is a context-setting guide. Rather than simply recommending that we recite these sacred names, each one a prayer, the author establishes this practice as a general orientation to life. Furthermore, and most compelling, the text and Commentaries on this liturgy contain an intimate revelation of how the goddess establishes herself in her devotees'' bodies and thus intervenes, by unconditional love and acceptance, in their lives. A lengthy Introduction, both scholarly and personal, describes the goddess and the possibilities that these prayers will offer. Aditi Devi guides us in how to build a shrine to Kali, various types of offerings to make to her, and suggests a schedule for how to use this liturgy with a long-term commitment over the course of 108 nights. This book presents a serious practice, not for the faint-hearted. It requires courage, strength and joy to permit the goddess''s energy to slowly, sensuously and irrevocably be invoked-conceived, allowed to gestate, birthed according to her will. And while the orientation here is toward realizing her sacred presence in the womb of the devotee, the practice can be undertaken by anyone. The physical form of the body is not a limitation, as the author notes: In this lineage we practice into the depths of whatever form we have, & arise from within that, knowing that we are her, male or female. This Song of the Hundred Names is a powerful teaching that all forms are her forms. Male, female or other gendered, we are presented with the possibility to experience the depths of our own internal feminine energies & thereby come into greater healing & wholeness, more readily able to express this often neglected part of ourselves. Aditi Devi''s long study & spiritual practice within living tantric lineages in South Asia has made this book possible.
£28.05
Librarie Philosophique J. Vrin Textes Cles de Philosophie Indienne: Illusion Et
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£999.99
JCB Mohr (Paul Siebeck) Der Buddhismus in Japan: Geschichte, Lehre,
Book SynopsisAls erster Autor überhaupt erörtert Christoph Kleine in einer Gesamtschau die Besonderheiten der japanischen Religionsgeschichte kritisch unter systematisch religionswissenschaftlichen Gesichtspunkten, indem er die historischen Fakten mit Fragestellungen und Theorien der allgemeinen Religionswissenschaft verknüpft.
£75.39
Harrassowitz Growing Up Hindu and Buddhist Initiation Rituals
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£77.90
Harrassowitz Of Death and Birth: Icakkiyamman, a Tamil
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£118.75
Harrassowitz Der Askesediskurs in Der Religionsgeschichte:
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£999.99
Harrassowitz Reflexion Und Ritual in Der Purvamimamsa
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£40.00
Harrassowitz Sivaismus Im Wandel: Der Tamilische Saiva
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£33.00
Harrassowitz The Goddess's Embrace: Multifaceted Relations at
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£65.55
