Description
Book SynopsisHinduism: A Reader offers a comprehensive guide to this major world religion through a combination of passages from scriptures and excerpts from the work of leading scholars in the field.
- Introduces students to the main textual, regional, intellectual, philosophical, historical, and contemporary traditions of the Hindu faith
- Includes excerpts from both canonical ancient texts and thought-provoking contemporary texts to offer a balanced overview of the religion
- Features selections that are concise without sacrificing essential material
- Provides clearly written introductions to each section that help situate the readings within the wider context of Hindu scholarship.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments.
Introduction.
Part I: Classical Texts.
1 The Vedas.
2 Upanisads.
3 The Jaiminigrhyasutra.
4 The Mahabharata.
5 The Bhagavad Gita.
6 The Ramayana of Valmiki.
7 The Puranas, Stories of the Ancient Past.
8 The Bhagavata Purana.
9 Manavadharmasastra, The Law Code of Manu.
Part II: Contemporary Texts and Issues .
10 Papers Relating to East India Affairs, viz. Hindoo Windows, and Voluntary Immolations.
11 Raja Rammohan Ray (1772–1833).
12 Dr B.R. Ambedkar (1891–1956).
13 The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
14 Kancha Ilaiah’s Why I Am Not a Hindu: A Sudra Critique of Hindutva Philosophy, Culture, and Political Economy.
15 Hindutva: Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and the Rise of Hindu Nationalism.
16 The Constitution of India.
Index
