Hinduism Books
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Philosophy of the Yogasutra
Book SynopsisKaren O''Brien-Kop''s introduction to the Yogasutra highlights its status as a significant work of philosophy. Approaching the Yogasutra as living philosophy, this book elucidates philosophical conceptions of yoga, recognises the logical structure the sutras follow and explains the rules and principles that have sustained Patañjali's system of thought for centuries. Moving beyond standard interpretations of Patañjali''s text and commentary as an aphoristic practice manual, O''Brien-Kop uses branches of philosophy to read the Yogasutra. Covering reality, self, ethics, language and knowledge, Patañjali's philosophies come to the fore. The book introduces his reasoned positions on dual and nondual metaphysics, the relationship between mind and body, the qualities of consciousness, the nature of freedom, and how to live ethically. Carefully-selected extracts from the primary text are translated for those unfamiliar with Sanskrit and commentaries run throughouTrade ReviewThe Philosophy of the Yogasutra by Karen O'Brien-Kop offers an insightful analysis of various philosophical arguments presented by Patañjali. Her critical examination of recent discussions of Patañjali’s philosophy around various topics of contemporary relevance will definitely help to position yoga philosophy as a serious interlocutor in global philosophical conversations. * Ana Laura Funes, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Eastern Connecticut State University, USA *O’Brien-Kop’s claim that Yoga is “a system of living, breathing philosophy” (not just an historical artefact) rings true in this fine book. This refreshing study succeeds in many ways—above all, it brings Patañjali’s text into dialogue with contemporary philosophical debates. The Philosophy of the Yogasutra belongs on the reading list of yoga practitioners and scholars alike. * Geoffrey Ashton, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of San Francisco, USA *Karen O’Brien-Kop’s The Philosophy of the Yogasutra is a much-needed book that presents the Patañjalayogasastra as a work of philosophy. Such is an aspect that is often overlooked. The book’s thematic presentation of the philosophy of the Patañjalayogasastra should help even those who are untrained in Indian philosophy grasp it. * Kengo Harimoto, Research Associate, University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy *Table of ContentsList of Figures Key Figures Glossary of Terms List of Abbreviations Note on translations Patañjalayogasastra 1. Introduction: The Context of The Yogasutra 2. Metaphysics: The World and Reality 3. Ontology: Self and Being 4. Epistemology: The Primacy of Perception 5. Logic: The Thread of Reasoning 6. Philosophy of Language 7. Ethics 8. The Aesthetics of Freedom 9. Conclusions Notes Bibliography Index
£16.14
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Comparative Approaches to Compassion
Book SynopsisRamin Jahanbegloo develops the concept of compassion as a practical and ethical response to the problems of today's world. Examining the power of compassion through the lens of multiple world religions, he explores ahimsa in Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism and neighbourly love in Christianity, before synthesizing the two concepts in the Gandhian theory of non-violence and its impact on Muslim and Christian thinkers such as Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Martin Luther King, Jr. Jahanbegloo considers the idea of a compassionate civilization based on the nonviolent democratic theory put forward by Gandhi with Swaraj, and completed by Martin Luther King, Jr. with the Beloved Community.By scrutinizing compassion in various religious and ethical traditions and exploring the relevance of homo fragilis, Jahanbegloo's comparative approach enriches our understanding of nonviolence as a universal philosophy and practice for the 21st century. He shows that nonviolence is not onlTrade ReviewRamin Jahanbegloo has written with heart a beautiful understanding of the ethical knowledge that makes us human and at the same time divine. If you want a richer journey in wisdom, you must read this book, a work offering the foundations of a human being, Homo Fragilis, in search of understanding and love for others. * Mario I. Aguilar, Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics, University of St. Andrews, UK *Comparative Approaches to Compassion expands our understanding of non-violence by analyzing the thoughts of some contemporary leaders in addition to perspectives from the past. These additions incorporate the love inherent to that which is humane, the Otherness of the Other, and above all, compassion. These historical contexts further enrich the concept. * Romila Thapar, Professor Emerita of History, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India *In his perceptive and nuanced study Jahanbegloo shows convincingly how concepts initially rooted in various religious traditions can be applied in addressing contemporary problems challenging modern societies. His comprehensive account will be extremely helpful to many seeking guidance in our perplexing times. * Shlomo Avineri, Professor of Political Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Human Fragility and Compassion 1. Ahimsa: A Compassionate View of Life 2. Love and Compassion: from Jesus Christ to Thomas Merton 3. Mahatma Gandhi: Compassionate Citizenship and Feminization of Politics 4. The Twin Heritage of Gandhian Nonviolence: Martin Luther King, Jr. & Abdul Ghaffar Khan 5. Towards a Compassionate Civilization: From Swaraj to the Beloved Community 6. Nelson Mandela: Strategic Compassion and Ethics of Empathy Conclusion: Spiritualizing Compassion and Nonviolence Bibliography Index
£85.50
Arcturus Publishing Ltd Tantra
Book SynopsisAwaken the transformative energy within you with this beginners guide to tantra, beautifully presented with a gold embossed cover design and gilded page edges.Tantric rituals are used to connect with divine energies and expand our consciousness. Its practices originate from Indian medieval scriptures and informs strands in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist thought. Yoga, meditation and art all formed a part of its rich, historic lineage. In this book we uncover and explain the ideas contained within this complex system of thought and introduce simple exercises to put these ideas into practice. Understanding how to weave together the energies within us leads to a completion of the self that feeds ever-greater health and happiness. This is a prerequisite to a spiritually awakened life and the gift of those who follow tantric teachings.Sections include:• Scripture and experience• Beginning with the breath• Nyasa and the art
£8.54
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A Beginners Guide to the Roots of Yoga
Book SynopsisA practical and accessible guide to incorporating traditional yoga into a modern practice, by an Indian yoga teacher and educator.Yoga in its traditional form is a practice focused on inclusivity, inner work and peace. But the yoga that is practised today in the West has got a little lost along the way. In this accessible beginner''s guide, Indian yoga teacher Nikita Desai brings us back to the authentic roots of this ancient practice.In A Beginner''s Guide to the Roots of Yoga, Desai unpicks the complexities of the modern yoga space. Moving away from the focus on physical poses, expensive outfits and Instagram-perfect bodies, she delves into traditional resources to show how yoga can help your mental and spiritual wellbeing.With a range of enlightening essays, she explores why change in the industry is vital, before centring key yogic texts, philosophy and history in a digestible manner to give us a basic understanding of the origins of yoga. D
£15.29
John Wiley and Sons Ltd The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism
Book Synopsis* Presents the most recent scholarly thinking about Hinduism in an accessible way. * Leading scholars make their views and research available to a wider readership. * Divided into four sections covering theoretical issues, textual traditions, science and philosophy, and Hindu society and politics.Trade Review“This collection offers a new way to parse the multiple entryways into the vast arena of Hinduism. Using the general divisional categories of theoretical issues, text and tradition, systematic thought, and society, politics and nation, Flood has achieved significant breadth in disciplines, subjects and historical perspectives.” Choice “This is a most welcome, timely, and authoritative assessment of the entire field of study, a most commendable response to an enormous challenge.” Journal of Contemporary Religion “It effectively serves to condense the proliferation of scholarship on Hinduism... The approach is interdisciplinary and places Hinduism not within a sphere of its own, but within a larger context, reading it as a dynamic product of historical global exchange. The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism also has an important section devoted to the Indian Sciences (language, mathematics, astrology, astronomy and medicine) which collectively destabilize colonialism’s claim that Hinduism was arbitrary and irrational. … A handsome addition to academic and personal libraries.” Asian Studies ReviewTable of ContentsContributors x Preface and Acknowledgments xii Introduction: Establishing the Boundaries 1 Gavin Flood Part I Theoretical Issues 21 1 Colonialism and the Construction of Hinduism 23 Gauri Viswanathan 2 Orientalism and Hinduism 45 David Smith Part II Text and Tradition 65 The Sanskrit Textual Traditions 67 3 Vedas and Upanisads 68 Michael Witzel 4 The Dharmaúâstras 102 Ludo Rocher 5 The Sanskrit Epics 116 John Brockington 6 The Purânas 129 Freda Matchett Textual Traditions in Regional Languages 144 7 Tamil Hindu Literature 145 Norman Cutler 8 The Literature of Hinduism in Malayalam 159 Rich Freeman 9 North Indian Hindi Devotional Literature 182 Nancy M Martin Major Historical Developments 199 10 The Saiva Traditions 200 Gavin Flood 11 History of Vaisnava Traditions: An Esquisse 229 Gérard Colas 12 The Renouncer Tradition 271 Patrick Olivelle 13 The Householder Tradition in Hindu Society 288 TN Madan Regional Traditions 306 14 The Teyyam Tradition of Kerala 307 Rich Freeman 15 The Month of Kârtik and Women's Ritual Devotions to Krishna in Benares 327 Tracy Pinchman Part III Systematic Thought 343 The Indian Sciences 345 Introduction 346 Frits Staal 16 The Science of Language 348 Frits Staal 17 Indian Mathematics 360 Takao Hayashi 18 Calendar, Astrology and Astronomy 376 Michio Yano 19 The Science of Medicine 393 Dominik Wujastyk Philosophy and Theology 410 20 Hinduism and the Proper Work of Reason 411 Jonardon Ganeri 21 Restoring "Hindu Theology" as a Category in Indian Intellectual Discourse 447 Francis Cloone. SJ 22 Mantra 478 André Padoux Part IV Society, Politics, and Nation 493 23 On the Relationship between Caste and Hinduism 495 Declan Quigley 24 Modernity, Reform and Revival 509 Dermot Killingley 25 Contemporary Political Hinduism 526 C Ram Prasad 26 The Goddess and the Nation Subterfuges of Antiquity, the Cunning of Modernity 551 Sumathi Ramaswamy 27 Gender in a Devotional Universe 569 Vasudha Narayanan Index 588
£39.85
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Everyday Hinduism
Book SynopsisThis innovative introductory textbook explores the central practices and beliefs of Hinduism through contemporary, everyday practice.Trade Review"An engaging read, as a textbook as well as general resource, this book has the potential to make instructors re-envision how they teach Hinduism in the classroom." (CHOICE, 2016)Table of ContentsAcknowledgements viii A Note on Transliteration x Map of India xii Introduction 1 The Terms “Hindu,” “Hinduism,” and “Hindu Traditions” 2 Dharma: A Way of Life and Religious Tradition 3 Context and Multiplicity 6 Ethnographic Selection and Chapter Topics 9 A Note on Caste 13 1 Families of Deities 18 The Trimurti 20 Mythological and Narrative Families 21 Vishnu 21 Shiva 25 Devi, the Goddess 28 Gramadevatas, Village Deities 30 Temple Families 34 Ritual Families in Domestic Shrines 36 2 Oral and Visual Narratives and Theologies 46 Oral Performance Genres 47 Visual Narratives and Theologies 49 Verbal and Visual Together 56 Where Does the Narrative Lie? 61 The Ramayana Tradition Performed 62 3 Loving and Serving God: Bhakti, Murtis, and Puja 73Bhakti, Devotion 73 Singing to God and the Goddess 76 Worshipping Deities in Material Form 77 Narratives of God in the Murti 80 The Deity without Form 83 Modes of Worshipping the Murti 85 The Services of Puja 89 Online, Cyber Puja 93 4 Temples, Shrines, and Pilgrimage 97 Temples 98 Sthala Puranas 99 Temple Architecture 101 Temple Worship 104 Shrines 109 Pilgrimage 110 Tirumala, a Southern, Pan]Indian, and Transnational Pilgrimage Site 114 Narsinghnath, a Sub]regional Pilgrimage Site 119 5 Festivals 123 Divali: Festival of Lights 127 Ganesha Chaturthi: Domestic, Neighborhood, and City]Wide Celebrations 129 Place]Bound Festivals: Tirupati’s Gangamma Jatara 138 6 Vrats: Ritual Vows and Women’s Auspiciousness 145 Temple Vrats 146 Domestic Vrats 147 Vrat Kathas: Ritual Narratives 150 Two South Indian Vrat Traditions 151 Gender and Vrats 164 7 Samskaras: Transformative Rites of Passage 169 Pregnancy and Birth 170 First]Year Samskaras 171 Upanayana and Rituals of Transition to Adulthood 172 Ranga Pravesham: Ascending the (Dance) Stage 177 Marriage 178 Death Rituals 186 8 Ritual Healing, Possession, and Astrology 193 Accessing Multiple Healing Sites 194 Healing across Religious Boundaries 199 Possession 203 Astrology 211 Afterword 220 Glossary 227 Index 231
£18.00
Read Books Towards Discipleship 1926
£13.99
£35.99
Author Solutions Inc TritiyaPrakriti People of the Third Sex People of the Third Sex Understanding HomosexualityTransgender Identity and Intersex Conditions Through Hinduism
£25.64
1st World Library Vedanta Philosophy
£9.05
1st World Library The Upanishads
£17.66
Trafford Publishing The History of the Holy Servants of the Lord Siva A Translation of the Periya Purnam of Ckkilr
£22.95
Peter Lang Publishing Inc Sanskrit Debate
Book SynopsisSanskrit Debate: Vasubandhu's Vimsatika' versus Kumarila's Niralambanavada' illustrates the rules and regulations of classical Indian debate literature (pramanasastra) by introducing new translations of two Sanskrit texts composed in antithesis to each other's tradition of thought and practice. In the third century CE, Vasubandhu, a Buddhist philosopher-monk, proposed that the entire world of lived experience is a matter of mind only through his Vimsatika (Twenty Verses). In the seventh century CE, Kumarila, a Hindu philosopher-priest, composed Niralambanavada (Non-Sensory Limit Debate) to establish the objective reality of objects by refuting Vasubandhu's claim that objects experienced in waking life are not different from objects experienced in dreams. Kumarila rigorously employs formal rules and regulations of Indian logic and debate to demonstrate that Vasubandhu's assertion is totally irrational and incoherent. Vimsatika ranks among the world's mosTable of ContentsContents: Classical Indian Philosophy – Vimśatikā and Auto-Commentary in Text-Historical Context – Translation of Vimśatikā and Auto-Commentary – Nirālambanavāda in Text–Historical Context – Translation of Nirālambanavāda – The Verdict.
£56.97
State University of New York Press Bhagavad Gita The TwentyfifthAnniversary Edition
Book Synopsis
£52.67
State University Press of New York (SUNY) Revelation of the Breath The A Tribute to Its
Book SynopsisCelebrates and instructs in the healing power of breath.Faced with unrelenting stresses from daily news, relationships, health, and financial conditions, and unsatisfied with the temporary and side-effect-riddled relief that pharmaceuticals provide, millions are finding measures of peace and positive energy through mindful breathing practices. In this book, Stanislav Grof, Neil Douglas-Klotz, Sharon G. Mijares, Sonia Gilbert, Sheldon Kramer, Ilse Middendorf, Michael Sky, Puran Bair, and other well-known experts and international workshop leaders take up a wide range of Western, Eastern, and Middle Eastern breathing practices, describing the historical development of these techniques and philosophies, and providing examples of modern practices, stories of healing, and specific exercises for application.
£21.64
State University of New York Press Colonizing the Realm of Words The Transformation
Book SynopsisDetails the transformation of Tamil literary culture that came with colonialism and the encounter with Western modernity.
£65.04
State University of New York Press One Religion Too Many The Religiously Comparative
Book SynopsisPresents enlightening encounters with the world's religions from a Hindu perspective.
£22.30
State University of New York Press Kamas Flowers
Book SynopsisExplores the transformation of Hindi poetry as it reflects a changing society during the period from 1885 to 1925.Kama''s Flowers documents the transformation of Hindi poetry during the crucial period of 1885-1925. As Hindi was becoming a national language and Indian nationalism was emerging, Hindi authors articulated a North Indian version of modernity by reenvisioning nature. While their writing has previously been seen as an imitation of European Romanticism, Valerie Ritter shows its unique and particular function in North India. Description of the natural world recalled traditional poetics, particularly erotic and devotional poetics, but was now used to address sociopolitical concerns, as authors created literature to advocate for a "national character" and to address a growing audience of female readers.Examining Hindi classics, translations from English poetry, literary criticism, and little-known popular works, Ritter combines translations with fresh literary analysis to show the pivotal role of nature in how modernity was understood. Bringing a new body of literature to English-language readers, Kama''s Flowers also reveals the origins of an influential visual culture that resonates today in Bollywood cinema.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Colonizing Southampton The Transformation of a
Book SynopsisA study of the times and life in Southampton, New York between 1870 and 1900. This book concerns the emergence and impact of the summer colony in the village of Southampton, New York, between the years 1870 and 1900, particularly the often fraught relations between the area's wealthy resort population and its year-round residents. Essentially a study in social change and conflict, the book revolves around a number of key issues that preoccupied inhabitants and summer residents alike and were the subject of great controversy at the time, including beach rights, oyster farming in Mecox Bay, and the loss of the Shinnecock Hills, first by the Native American inhabitants and then by the town itself to outside developers. Due consideration is given to those individuals who played major roles in these disputes. The book also explores salient and significant aspects of Southampton's early history insofar as they relate to the period in question.
£17.30
State University of New York Press Yogi Heroes and Poets
Book SynopsisAn exploration of the history, religion, and folklore of the Naths, a Hindu lineage known for Hatha yoga practice.This book provides a remarkable range of information on the history, religion, and folklore of the Nath Yogis. A Hindu lineage prominent in North India since the eleventh century, Naths are well-known as adepts of Hatha yoga and alchemical practices said to increase longevity. Long a heterogeneous group, some Naths are ascetics and some are householders; some are dedicated to personified forms of Shiva, others to a formless god, still others to Vishnu.The essays in the first part of the book deal with the history and historiography of the Naths, their literature, and their relationships with other religious movements in India. Essays in the second part discuss the legends and folklore of the Naths and provide an exploration of their religious ideas. Contributors to the volume depict a variety of local areas where this lineage is prominent and highlight how the Naths have been a link between religious, metaphysical, and even medical traditions in India.
£22.96
State University of New York Press Yogi Heroes and Poets
Book SynopsisAn exploration of the history, religion, and folklore of the Naths, a Hindu lineage known for Hatha yoga practice.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Refiguring the Body Embodiment in South Asian
Book SynopsisExamines how embodiment is conceived and experienced in South Asian religions.Refiguring the Body provides a sustained interrogation of categories and models of the body grounded in the distinctive idioms of South Asian religions, particularly Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The contributors engage prevailing theories of the body in the Western academy that derive from philosophy, social theory, and feminist and gender studies. At the same time, they recognize the limitations of applying Western theoretical models as the default epistemological framework for understanding notions of embodiment that derive from non-Western cultures. Divided into three sections, this collection of essays explores material bodies, embodied selves, and perfected forms of embodiment; divine bodies and devotional bodies; and gendered logics defining male and female bodies. The contributors seek to establish theory parity in scholarly investigations and to re-figure body theories by taking seriously the contributions of South Asian discourses to theorizing the body.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Hindu Pasts Women Religion Histories
Book SynopsisChallenges the monolithic view of Hinduism in the nineteenth century, and instead offers a vision of India that contains a rich multiplicity of Hinduisms, women''s stories, and cultural histories.In her introduction to Hindu Pasts-which showcases her work as a scholar of social, literary, and religious history-Vasudha Dalmia outlines the central ideas which thread her writings: first, to understand in greater historical depth the relationship between body language, religion, and society in India, as well as the ever-changing role of its religious and social institutions; second, to recognize that the Hindu tradition, which colonials and nationalists tend to see as monolithic, is in fact a multiplicity of distinct and semi-autonomous strands.
£24.27
State University of New York Press Ritual Innovation Strategic Interventions in
Book SynopsisChallenges prevailing conceptions of what religious ritual does and how it achieves its ends.Religious rituals are often seen as unchanging and ahistorical bearers of long-standing traditions. But as this book demonstrates, ritual is a lively platform for social change and innovation in the religions of South Asia. Drawing from Hindu and Jain examples in India, Nepal, and North America, the essays in this volume, written by renowned scholars of religion, explore how the intentional, conscious, and public invention or alteration of ritual can effect dramatic social transformation, whether in dethroning a Nepali king or sanctioning same-sex marriage. Ritual Innovation shows how the very idea of ritual as a conservative force misreads the history of religion by overlooking ritual''s inherent creative potential and its adaptability to new contexts and circumstances.
£24.27
State University of New York Press Nine Nights of the Goddess The Navaratri Festival
Book SynopsisExplores the contemporary nature and the diverse narratives, rituals, and performances of the Navaratri Festival.Nine Nights of the Goddess explores the festival of Navaratri-alternatively called Navaratra, Mahanavami, Durga Puja, Dasara, and/or Dassain-which lasts for nine nights and ends with a celebration called Vijayadasami, or "the tenth (day) of victory." Celebrated in both massive public venues and in small, private domestic spaces, Navaratri is one of the most important and ubiquitous festivals in South Asia and wherever South Asians have settled. These festivals share many elements, including the goddess, royal power, the killing of demons, and the worship of young girls and married women, but their interpretation and performance vary widely. This interdisciplinary collection of essays investigates Navaratri in its many manifestations and across historical periods, including celebrations in West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal. Collectively, the essays consider the role of the festival''s contextual specificity and continental ubiquity as a central component for understanding South Asian religious life, as well as how it shapes and is shaped by political patronage, economic development, and social status.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Nine Nights of the Goddess The Navaratri Festival
Book SynopsisExplores the contemporary nature and the diverse narratives, rituals, and performances of the Navaratri Festival. Nine Nights of the Goddess explores the festival of Navaratri-alternatively called Navaratra, Mahanavami, Durga Puja, Dasara, and/or Dassain-which lasts for nine nights and ends with a celebration called Vijayadasami, or the tenth (day) of victory. Celebrated in both massive public venues and in small, private domestic spaces, Navaratri is one of the most important and ubiquitous festivals in South Asia and wherever South Asians have settled. These festivals share many elements, including the goddess, royal power, the killing of demons, and the worship of young girls and married women, but their interpretation and performance vary widely. This interdisciplinary collection of essays investigates Navaratri in its many manifestations and across historical periods, including celebrations in West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal. Collectively, the essays consider the role of the festival's contextual specificity and continental ubiquity as a central component for understanding South Asian religious life, as well as how it shapes and is shaped by political patronage, economic development, and social status.
£24.27
State University of New York Press Material Acts in Everyday Hindu Worlds
Book Synopsis
£65.04
State University of New York Press Tracing the Path of Yoga
Book SynopsisA comprehensive and theory-rich investigation of the history and philosophy of yoga, from its Indian origins to the contemporary context.Clear, accessible, and meticulously annotated, Tracing the Path of Yoga offers a comprehensive survey of the history and philosophy of yoga that will be invaluable to both specialists and to nonspecialists seeking a deeper understanding of this fascinating subject. Stuart Ray Sarbacker argues that yoga can be understood first and foremost as a discipline of mind and body that is represented in its narrative and philosophical literature as resulting in both numinous and cessative accomplishments that correspond, respectively, to the attainment of this-worldly power and otherworldly liberation. Sarbacker demonstrates how the yogic quest for perfection as such is situated within the concrete realities of human life, intersecting with issues of politics, economics, class, gender, and sexuality, as well as reflecting larger Indic religious and philosophical ideals.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Words of Destiny
Book Synopsis
£65.04
State University of New York Press Words of Destiny
Book SynopsisInvestigates the professional practices of astrologers in urban India and their popularity among the educated middle and upper classes.Astrologers play an important role in Indian society, but there are very few studies on their social identity and professional practices. Based on extensive fieldwork carried out in the city of Banaras, Words of Destiny shows how the Brahmanical scholarly tradition of astral sciences (jyotisastra) described in Sanskrit literature and taught at universities has been adapted and reformulated to meet the needs and questions of educated middle and upper classes in urban India: How to get a career promotion? How to choose the most suitable field of study for children? When is the best moment to move into a new house?The study of astrology challenges ready-made assumptions about the boundaries between "science" and "superstition," "rationality" and "magic." Rather than judging the validity of astrology as a knowledge system, Caterina Guenzi explores astrological counseling as a social practice and how it "works from within" for both astrologers and their clients. She examines the points of view of those who use astrology either as a way of earning their living or as a means through which to solve problems and make decisions, concluding that, because astrology combines mathematical calculations and astronomical observations with ritual practices, it provides educated urban families with an idiom through which modern science and devotional Hinduism can be subsumed.
£24.93
State University of New York Press The Hagiographer and the Avatar
Book SynopsisExamines the key role of a hagiographer within a charismatic religious movement.In this biographical study, Antonio Rigopoulos explores the fundamental role of a hagiographer within a charismatic religious movement: in this case, the postsectarian, cosmopolitan community of the Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba. The guru''s hagiographer, Narayan Kasturi, was already a distinguished litterateur by the time he first met Sathya Sai Baba in 1948. The two lived together at the guru''s hermitage more or less continuously from 1954 up until Kasturi''s death, in 1987. Despite Kasturi''s influential hagiography, Sathyam Sivam Sundaram, little scholarly attention has been paid to the hagiographer himself and his importance to the movement. In detailing Kasturi''s relationship to Sathya Sai Baba, Rigopoulos emphasizes that the hagiographer''s work was not subordinate to the guru''s definition of himself. Rather, his discourses with the holy man had a reciprocal and reinforcing influence, resulting in the construction of a unified canon. Furthermore, Kasturi''s ability to perform a variety of functions as a hagiographer successfully mediated the relationship between the guru and his followers. Drawing on years of research on the movement as well as interviews with Kasturi himself, this book deepens our understanding of this important pan-Indian figure and his charismatic religious movement.
£26.24
State University of New York Press Hagiographer and the Avatar The The Life and
Book SynopsisExamines the key role of a hagiographer within a charismatic religious movement.In this biographical study, Antonio Rigopoulos explores the fundamental role of a hagiographer within a charismatic religious movement: in this case, the postsectarian, cosmopolitan community of the Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba. The guru''s hagiographer, Narayan Kasturi, was already a distinguished litterateur by the time he first met Sathya Sai Baba in 1948. The two lived together at the guru''s hermitage more or less continuously from 1954 up until Kasturi''s death, in 1987. Despite Kasturi''s influential hagiography, Sathyam Sivam Sundaram, little scholarly attention has been paid to the hagiographer himself and his importance to the movement. In detailing Kasturi''s relationship to Sathya Sai Baba, Rigopoulos emphasizes that the hagiographer''s work was not subordinate to the guru''s definition of himself. Rather, his discourses with the holy man had a reciprocal and reinforcing influence, resulting in the construction of a unified canon. Furthermore, Kasturi''s ability to perform a variety of functions as a hagiographer successfully mediated the relationship between the guru and his followers. Drawing on years of research on the movement as well as interviews with Kasturi himself, this book deepens our understanding of this important pan-Indian figure and his charismatic religious movement.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Many Mahbhratas SUNY series in Hindu Studies
Book SynopsisA major contribution to the study of South Asian literature, offering a landmark view of Mahabharata studies. Many Mahabharatas is an introduction to the spectacular and long-lived diversity of Mahabharata literature in South Asia. This diversity begins with the Sanskrit Mahabharata, an early epic poem that narrates the events of a catastrophic fratricidal war. Along the way, it draws in nearly everything else in Hindu mythology, philosophy, and story literature. The magnitude of its scope and the relentless complexity of its worldview primed the Mahabharata for uncountable tellings in South Asia and beyond. For two thousand years, the instinctive approach to the Mahabharata has been not to consume it but to create it anew. The many Mahabharatas of this book come from the first century to the twenty-first. They are composed in nine different languages-Apabhramsha, Bengali, English, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Sanskrit, Tamil, and Telugu. Early chapters illuminate themes of retelling within the Sanskrit Mahabharata itself, demonstrating that the story's propensity for regeneration emerges from within. The majority of the book, however, reaches far beyond the Sanskrit epic. Readers dive into classical dramas, premodern vernacular poems, regional performance traditions, commentaries, graphic novels, political essays, novels, and contemporary theater productions-all of them Mahabharatas. Because of its historical and linguistic breadth, its commitment to primary sources, and its exploration of multiplicity and diversity as essential features of the Mahabharata's long life in South Asia, Many Mahabharatas constitutes a major contribution to the study of South Asian literature and offers a landmark view of the field of Mahabharata studies.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Till Kingdom Come
Book SynopsisThe first book to offer a detailed framework, a fine-grained history, and an analytically nuanced understanding of one of the rarest branches of Hindu worship.Hinduism, as is well known, has taken a multitude of shapes and forms. Some Hindu "little traditions" have remained obscure or understudied to this day due to their regional remoteness. One such offshoot is the influential cult of Mahasu, which has existed since medieval times in a part of the western Himalaya. The deity at the core of the cult takes the form of four primary Mahasus with territorial influence, installed in various far-flung temples. Their geographical center is the village of Hanol, and the larger territory is integrated into the Mahasu politico-religious system by a peripatetic deity with loyal followers across a considerable domain.Mahasu remains influential in the region, its ritual practices having remained quite distinct despite social change. An anthropological survey was conducted in its terrain during British times, but Till Kingdom Come is the first book to offer a detailed framework, a fine-grained history, and an analytically nuanced understanding of one of the rarest branches of Hindu worship.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Till Kingdom Come
Book SynopsisThe first book to offer a detailed framework, a fine-grained history, and an analytically nuanced understanding of one of the rarest branches of Hindu worship.Hinduism, as is well known, has taken a multitude of shapes and forms. Some Hindu "little traditions" have remained obscure or understudied to this day due to their regional remoteness. One such offshoot is the influential cult of Mahasu, which has existed since medieval times in a part of the western Himalaya. The deity at the core of the cult takes the form of four primary Mahasus with territorial influence, installed in various far-flung temples. Their geographical center is the village of Hanol, and the larger territory is integrated into the Mahasu politico-religious system by a peripatetic deity with loyal followers across a considerable domain.Mahasu remains influential in the region, its ritual practices having remained quite distinct despite social change. An anthropological survey was conducted in its terrain during British times, but Till Kingdom Come is the first book to offer a detailed framework, a fine-grained history, and an analytically nuanced understanding of one of the rarest branches of Hindu worship.
£24.93
State University of New York Press Nine Nights of Power
Book SynopsisExplores the rich diversity of narratives, rituals, and participants connected with one of the most important celebrations for Hindus in South Asia and in the diaspora.The autumnal Navaratri festival-also called Durga Puja, Dassehra, or Dasain-is the most important Hindu festival in South Asia and wherever Hindus settle. A nine-night-long celebration in honor of the goddess Durga, it ends on the tenth day with a celebration called "the victorious tenth" (vijayadasami). The rituals that take place in domestic, royal, and public spaces are closely connected with one''s station in life and dependent on social status, economic class, caste, and gender issues. Exploring different aspects of the festival as celebrated in diverse regions of South Asia and in the South Asian diaspora, this book addresses the following common questions: What does this festival do? What does it achieve, and how? Why and in what way does it sometimes fail? How do mass communication and social media increase participation in and contribute to the changing nature of the festival? The contributors address these questions from multiple perspectives and discuss issues of agency, authority, ritual efficacy, change, appropriation, and adaptation. Because of the festival''s reach beyond its diverse celebrations in South Asia, its influence can be seen in the rituals and dances in many parts of Western Europe and North America.
£24.27
State University of New York Press The Truths and Lies of Nationalism as Narrated by
Book SynopsisRejects Hindu nationalism and pluralist secularism in favor of a revitalized politics of Indian federalism.Written in the voice of the mythical atheist, naysayer, and general all-purpose heretic of Indian philosophy, The Truths and Lies of Nationalism as Narrated by Charvak presents a completely new way of telling the history of Indian nationalism. Severely criticizing the doctrines of both Hindu nationalism and pluralist secularism, it examines the ongoing debates over Indian civilization and recounts in detail how the present borders of India were defined by British colonial policy, the partition of 1947, and the integration of the princely states and the French and Portuguese territories. The emphasis is not so much on the state machinery inherited from colonial times but on the moral foundation of a new republic based on the solidarity of different but equal formations of the people. After a trenchant critique of the present-day conflicts over religion, caste, class, gender, language, and region in India, the book proposes a new politics of revitalized federalism. Intended for a general readership, and eschewing academic jargon, this book will be of interest to anyone concerned about the future of India.
£24.27
State University of New York Press The Truths and Lies of Nationalism as Narrated by
Book SynopsisRejects Hindu nationalism and pluralist secularism in favor of a revitalized politics of Indian federalism.Written in the voice of the mythical atheist, naysayer, and general all-purpose heretic of Indian philosophy, The Truths and Lies of Nationalism as Narrated by Charvak presents a completely new way of telling the history of Indian nationalism. Severely criticizing the doctrines of both Hindu nationalism and pluralist secularism, it examines the ongoing debates over Indian civilization and recounts in detail how the present borders of India were defined by British colonial policy, the partition of 1947, and the integration of the princely states and the French and Portuguese territories. The emphasis is not so much on the state machinery inherited from colonial times but on the moral foundation of a new republic based on the solidarity of different but equal formations of the people. After a trenchant critique of the present-day conflicts over religion, caste, class, gender, language, and region in India, the book proposes a new politics of revitalized federalism. Intended for a general readership, and eschewing academic jargon, this book will be of interest to anyone concerned about the future of India.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Singing the Goddess Into Place
Book SynopsisExplores how a folk ballad in southern India transforms the landscape and embeds the deities that are its subject within the social worlds of their devotees.Singing the Goddess into Place examines Chamundi of the Hill, a collection of songs that tells the stories of the gods and goddesses of the region around the city of Mysore in southern Karnataka. The ballad actively transforms the region into a land where gods and goddesses live, embedding these deities within the social worlds of their devotees and remapping southern Karnataka into sacred geography connected through networks of devotion and pilgrimage. In this in-depth study of the songs and their context, Caleb Simmons not only provides the first English-language translation of these songs but brings to light the unstudied folk perspectives on the foundational myth of Mysore and its urban history. Singing the Goddess into Place demonstrates how folk narratives reflect local context while also actively working to upend social inequities based on caste and ritual/devotional practices. By delving into this world, the book helps us understand how a landscape is transformed through people''s relationship with it and how this relationship helps build meaning for the communities that call it home.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Singing the Goddess Into Place
Book SynopsisExplores how a folk ballad in southern India transforms the landscape and embeds the deities that are its subject within the social worlds of their devotees.Singing the Goddess into Place examines Chamundi of the Hill, a collection of songs that tells the stories of the gods and goddesses of the region around the city of Mysore in southern Karnataka. The ballad actively transforms the region into a land where gods and goddesses live, embedding these deities within the social worlds of their devotees and remapping southern Karnataka into sacred geography connected through networks of devotion and pilgrimage. In this in-depth study of the songs and their context, Caleb Simmons not only provides the first English-language translation of these songs but brings to light the unstudied folk perspectives on the foundational myth of Mysore and its urban history. Singing the Goddess into Place demonstrates how folk narratives reflect local context while also actively working to upend social inequities based on caste and ritual/devotional practices. By delving into this world, the book helps us understand how a landscape is transformed through people''s relationship with it and how this relationship helps build meaning for the communities that call it home.
£22.96
State University of New York Press Hindutva and Violence
Book SynopsisExamines the place of history in the political thought of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, one of the key architects of modern Hindu nationalism.Hindutva and Violence explores the place of history in the political thought of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883?1966), the most controversial Indian political thinker of the twentieth century and a key architect of Hindu nationalism. Examining his central claim that "Hindutva is not a word but a history," the book argues that, for Savarkar, this history was not a total history, a complete history, or a narrative history. Rather, its purpose was to trace key historical events to a powerful source-the font of motivation for "chief actors" of the past who had turned to violence in a permanent war for Hindutva as the founding principle of a Hindu nation. At the center of Savarkar''s writings are historical characters who not only participated in ethical warfare against invaders, imperialists, and conquerors in India, but also became Hindus in acts of violence. He argues that the discipline of history provides the only method for interpreting Hindutva.The book also shows how Savarkar developed his conceptualization of history as a way into the meaning of Hindutva. Savarkar wrote extensively, from analyses of the nineteenth century to studies of antiquity, to draw up his histories of Hindus. He also turned to a wide range of works, from the epic tradition to contemporary social theory and world history, as his way of explicating "Hindutva" and "history." By examining Savarkar''s key writings on history, historical methodology, and historiography, Vinayak Chaturvedi provides an interpretation of the philosophical underpinnings of Hindutva. Savarkar''s interpretation of Hindutva, he demonstrates, requires above all grappling with his idea of history.
£24.93
State University of New York Press Hindutva and Violence
Book SynopsisExamines the place of history in the political thought of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, one of the key architects of modern Hindu nationalism.Hindutva and Violence explores the place of history in the political thought of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883?1966), the most controversial Indian political thinker of the twentieth century and a key architect of Hindu nationalism. Examining his central claim that "Hindutva is not a word but a history," the book argues that, for Savarkar, this history was not a total history, a complete history, or a narrative history. Rather, its purpose was to trace key historical events to a powerful source-the font of motivation for "chief actors" of the past who had turned to violence in a permanent war for Hindutva as the founding principle of a Hindu nation. At the center of Savarkar''s writings are historical characters who not only participated in ethical warfare against invaders, imperialists, and conquerors in India, but also became Hindus in acts of violence. He argues that the discipline of history provides the only method for interpreting Hindutva.The book also shows how Savarkar developed his conceptualization of history as a way into the meaning of Hindutva. Savarkar wrote extensively, from analyses of the nineteenth century to studies of antiquity, to draw up his histories of Hindus. He also turned to a wide range of works, from the epic tradition to contemporary social theory and world history, as his way of explicating "Hindutva" and "history." By examining Savarkar''s key writings on history, historical methodology, and historiography, Vinayak Chaturvedi provides an interpretation of the philosophical underpinnings of Hindutva. Savarkar''s interpretation of Hindutva, he demonstrates, requires above all grappling with his idea of history.
£65.04
State University of New York Press The Festival of Indra
Book SynopsisDetails the textual and performative history of the South Asian festival of Indra and its role in the development of classical Hinduism.The Festival of Indra details the textual and performative history of an important South Asian festival and its role in the development of classical Hinduism. Drawing on various genres of Sanskrit textual sources-especially the epic Mahabharata-the book highlights the innovative ways that this annual public festival has supported the stable royal power responsible for the sponsorship of these texts. More than just a textual project, however, the book devotes significant ethnographic attention to the only contemporary performance of this festival that adheres to the classical Sanskrit record: the Indrajatra of Kathmandu, Nepal. Here, Indra''s tall pole remains the festival''s focal point, though its addition of the royal blessing by Kumari, the "living goddess" of Nepal, and the regular presence of the fierce god Bhairav show several significant ways that ritual agents have re-constructed this festival over the past two thousand years.
£22.96
State University of New York Press The Festival of Indra
Book SynopsisDetails the textual and performative history of the South Asian festival of Indra and its role in the development of classical Hinduism.The Festival of Indra details the textual and performative history of an important South Asian festival and its role in the development of classical Hinduism. Drawing on various genres of Sanskrit textual sources-especially the epic Mahabharata-the book highlights the innovative ways that this annual public festival has supported the stable royal power responsible for the sponsorship of these texts. More than just a textual project, however, the book devotes significant ethnographic attention to the only contemporary performance of this festival that adheres to the classical Sanskrit record: the Indrajatra of Kathmandu, Nepal. Here, Indra''s tall pole remains the festival''s focal point, though its addition of the royal blessing by Kumari, the "living goddess" of Nepal, and the regular presence of the fierce god Bhairav show several significant ways that ritual agents have re-constructed this festival over the past two thousand years.
£65.04
State University of New York Press The Ethnography of Tantra
Book SynopsisPresents Tantra from an ethnographic vantage point, through a series of case studies grounded in diverse settings across contemporary Asia.This is the first collection of essays to approach the topic of Tantric Studies from the vantage point of ethnography and lived religion, moving beyond the centrality of written texts and giving voice to the everyday life and livelihoods of a multitude of Tantric actors. Bringing together a team of international scholars whose contributions range across diverse communities and traditions in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayan region, the book connects distant shores of Tantric scholarship and lived Tantric practices. The contributors unpack Tantra''s relationship to the body, ritual performance, sexuality, secrecy, power hierarchies, death, magic, and healing, while doing so with vigilant sensitivity to decolonization and the ethics of fieldwork. Through diverse ethnographies of Tantra and attention to lived experiences and life stories, the book challenges normative definitions of Tantra and maps the variety of Tantric traditions, providing comparative perspectives on Tantric societies across regions and religious backgrounds. The accessible tone of the ethnographic case studies makes this an ideal book for undergraduate or graduate audiences working on the topic of Tantra.
£65.04
State University of New York Press Wonder in South Asia
Book SynopsisA comparative study of wonder in South Asian religions.The experience of wonder-encompassing awe, bewilderment, curiosity, excitement, fear, dread, mystery, perplexity, reverence, surprise, and supplication-and the ineffable quality of that which is wondrous have been entwined in religion and human experience. Yet strangely, wonder in non-western societies, including South Asia, has rarely been acknowledged or understood. This groundbreaking volume brings together historians and ethnographers of South Asia, including leading and emerging scholars, to consider the place and meaning of wonder in such varied joyful, tense, and creative sites and moments as Sufi music performances in Gujarat, Tamil graveyard processions, trans women''s charitable practices, Kipling''s Orientalist tales, village Kuchipudi dance performances, and Rajasthani healing shrines. Offering a synthetic and scholarly reading of wonder that speaks to the political, aesthetic, and ethical worlds of South Asia, these essays redefine the nature and meaning of wonder and its worlds. Taken together, they provide an invaluable research tool for those in the fields of Asian religion, religion in context, and South Asian religions in particular.
£65.04
State University of New York Press I Yantra
Book SynopsisArgues that ancient yantra (robot) tales reveal how their Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain authors thought about the nature of humanity and our role in a cosmos filled with divine and natural forces.What does it mean to be human? I, Yantra examines ancient Indian narratives about robots and mechanically constructed beings to explore how their Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist authors approached this question. Making translations of many of these texts available in English for the first time, author Signe Cohen argues that they shed considerable light on South Asian religious notions of humanity, self, and agency. She also documents connections between ancient and modern responses to the ethical problems of what precisely constitutes a sentient being and what rights such a being should have. Situated at the intersection of humanities and bioethics, this cross-disciplinary study will be of interest to scholars of South Asian languages and literature as well as specialists in religion and technology.
£65.04
£25.64
