Hinduism

The Origins of Virasaiva Sects: A TypologicaL Analysis of Ritual and Associational Patterns

An investigation of Virasavism is provided in the book Origins of the Virasaiva Sects. Already, the actions of founder and reformer Basava are well recognised throughout the whole of India and the rest of the globe. The Sunyasampadane, an important document from the evolution of Virasaivism in the third century, is investigated here. The subject of Virasaivism is investigated in great depth here. Already, the efforts of Virasaivism’s founder and reformer Basava are widely known across all of India, and some parts of Virasaivism’s reformation have garnered the attention of western research. The author delves into a crucial document known as the Sunyasampadane, which dates back to the formation of Virasaivism in the third century.

Author

R. Blake Michael

Ramayana At A Glance

The world is the stage on which the Lord played the part of Rama as the ideal son, brother, husband, step-son, and king. The story of Rama and Sita is verily the story of humanity. Sita, Rama’s devoted consort, enacted the role of the dutiful, chaste wife who cared for nothing but her beloved Rama. Lakshmana was the perfect brother, and Bharata and Shatrughna were exemplary in their devotion to their step-brother, Rama.

The next main character, Hanuman, is the embodiment of a surrendered devotee the pinnacle of Bhakti Yoga. The ten-headed Ravana, who plays the antagonistic role, symbolizes our ten senses (5 senses of knowledge and 5 senses of action). During the war, Rama beheads Ravana, which is characteristic of a yogi conquering the senses.

The characters in the Ramayana relate to our own human drama. The Ramayana teaches us a way of life. It shows how to have pure love among family members and toward society and gives us a

method to control the ten senses and the mind for inner peace and spiritual bliss.

Singing the LordÍs name on the gross plane can bring us to the transcendental level where sound manifests as pure energy. The name and form disintegrate in Pure Consciousness and ultimate peace is experienced. Repetition of the Lord’s name in the form of japa or kirtan will bring the transcendental, blissful experience attained by the great devotees and saints like Bhakta Mira

Bai, Tukaram, and in the present time, Sri Sant Keshavadas, Santji has followed the tradition of our great saints and devotees of the past and has now brought the story of the Ramayana for 20th century man.

Manas evam Gita***Lokmangal-Gunjita

Manas evam Gita: Lokmangal-Gunjita

Author

Dr. Satya P. Agarwal

About the Author(s)

Dr. Satya P. Agarwal is a Social Scientist. His academic honours include five gold medals and numerous merit scholarships and research fellowships at various universities. The Governor of the State of Maryland conferred upon him “The Governor’s Citation”, in recognition of his pioneering books as also his contribution to social service. He is author of several books besides the present one which are widely acclaimed and appreciated by the discerning readers. Other honours conferred on him include: (i) Kunti Goyal International Award, (ii) Special Award of Manas Sangam and (iii) International Tulasi Award.

Rigvedasukta Vikas

Rigvedasukta Vikas it focuses emphasis on the social importance of this well-known Hindu text, the current study offers a fresh viewpoint on the Bhagavad-Gita, which is backed by research that was carried out in the past. The first section of this book offers a profound investigation of the ways in which reinterpretations of the Gita played a key part in the social history of India throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The illustrative material is comprised of five case studies pertaining to the following individuals: Raja Rammohun Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Aurobindo Ghose, and Mahatma Gandhi. In Part II, an explanation is given of how the social applications of the Gita are related with its most essential message for the present day, which is known as Loksamgraha and translates to “the good of society.” A contemporary meaning of the lokasamgraha-approach is the inculcation of societal ideals and a feeling of social duty in each person. Lokasamgraha is a Sanskrit phrase that appears in the Gita but not in the Upanishads.

About

H.R. Divakar

Darsan

The experience of the divine in India merges the three components of sight, performance, and sound. This book is about the power and importance of “seeing” in the Hindu religious tradition. In the Hindu view, not only must the gods keep their eyes open, but so must we, in order to make contact with them, to reap their blessings, and to know their secrets. When Hindus go to temple, their eyes meet the powerful, eternal gaze of the eyes of God. It is called Darsan, “Seeing” the divine image, and it is the single most common and significant element of Hindu worship. This book explores what darsan means. This is also a book about the divine image in the Hindu tradition. What do Hindus see in the images of the gods? What is meant by these multi-armed gods, with their various weapons, emblems, and animals? How are these images made and consecreted? How are they treated in a ritual context? In exploring the nature of the divine image, this book not only considers the images of the gods, but also the Hindu temple and the Hindu place of pilgrimage.

Author

DIANA L. ECK

Maha Calisa Samgraha: An Anthology of Calisas and Aratis forming part of the Hindu

A Calisa is a 40-verse song dedicated to the many manifestations of Visnu and other powerful deities, such as the goddesses. It’s obvious that these are songs of devotion. introduction and notes to a significant source of reference on Hinduism. Maha Calisa Samgraha: An Anthology of Calisas and Aratis forming part of the Hindu

Author

Atma Ram Sharma

The Hidden Wisdom of the Goddess

The Hidden Wisdom of the Goddess is an extended meditation in the form of a novel that follows the Devimahatmya’s basic outline, condensed here and expanded there in freely imaginative ways. In the Devimahatmya the seer Medhas teaches through the language of myth, which cries out for interpretation, because little is spelled out. The Hidden Wisdom to the Goddess communicates the hidden wisdom of the holy man’s teachings simply, directly, and eloquently.

Most of the book consists of newly invented scenes, incidents, and conversations between Medhas and his two disciples, the king Suratha and the merchant Samadhi. As the book progresses, the main characters become fleshed out and take on a life of their own. All the while, the writing probes ever deeper into the mysterious of human existence.