Hinduism and Its Sources

The Cosmology of the Bhagavata Purana: Mysteries of the Sacred Universe

Traditional spiritual literature seem to be married to antiquated cosmologies, such as the flat earth and the sun riding in a chariot, which demonstrate, at best, the scientific limits of the people who wrote them. At first look, it would seem that the Bhagavata Purana, which is considered to be one of the most important religious texts in Hinduism, is not an exception to this rule. On the other hand, a more in-depth analysis of this book shows unexpectedly deep levels of understanding of ancient cosmology. This demonstrates that the cosmology of the Bhagavata Purana is an intricate system, since it has numerous layers of meaning that encode at least four distinct astronomical, geographical, and spiritual world models. Richard Thompson demonstrates how ancient scientists presented accurate information in language that seemed to be mythical by reading the text in light of current astronomy and analysing its implications. The ancient traditions of Egypt and the Near East suggest that India and these countries had early cultural linkages, including a science that was startlingly sophisticated at the time. Nevertheless, quantitative science is just one aspect of the bigger picture. This study also provides a transparent comprehension of the manner in which the spiritual component was incorporated into the cosmology of ancient India.

Author

Richard L. Thompson

Ganesa: Unravelling an Enigma

The reverence shown to Ganesa is unrivalled among the many indigenous religious systems.
as well as subgroups within the Jainas, Buddhists, and Hindus. He is a deity who stands alone in terms of   in a variety of ways, including his unusual physiognomy and his dual nature as a vighnakarta.  (the one who causes difficulties), as well as a vighnaharta (remover of obstacles). He is  worshipped first in order to guarantee the success of all subsequent religious and secular activities  and enterprieses. GAnesa is also worshipped as the deity of music and dancing. The religion that the worship of Ganesa became widespread across Asia.  The ascent of Ganesa to the position of preeminence in the canon of traditional Hinduism, as one of the, which is absolutely extraordinary, is comprised of the panca devatas. This is an older form of the phrase.  The boring tale of how the White House was built from a log cabin.  In recent years, there have been various research conducted on this deity; this one is the most current.  textual and linguistically most extensive, completely documented from all original sources, and  creative, and packed with beautiful illustrations throughout. It tracks the beginning as well as the progression  of pauranika Ganesa, from pre-pauranika Vinayaka, a vighnakarta, into  pauranika Ganesa, a vighnaharta, dissects his particular traits and attributes his success to  researches how he is portrayed in art not just in India but also in other nations  pertaining to Asia. It attempts to solve the riddle of a non-Vedic, non-epic, and a non-historical text  a deity of non-Aryan origins being elevated to a prominent position in the Hindu pantheon. The  tactics used by devotees of Ganesa to advertise and spread the word about his religion and  status and the long-lasting consequences obtained make for an interesting case study in public relations work.

Author

Yuvraj Krishan

Hindu Spirituality (Vol. 1): Vedas Through Vedanta

The current book is a part of a series called World Spirituality: An Encyclopedic History of the Religious Quest. This series aims to reveal the spiritual knowledge of the human race as it has unfolded throughout history and this volume is a part of that series. It is aimed to demonstrate the autonomy of the tradition in the historical evolution and draws from the greatest level of study from across the globe. The book pulls together and portrays the richness of the spiritual legacy of the human race. This book explores the timeless and unchanging aspects of the Hindu religion. The papers that are included in this book are broken down and discussed according to one of eight categories. The following is a synopsis of the first volume of Hindu Spirituality: The Vedas by Way of Vedanta In this research project, a social and cultural anthropologist as well as an expert in the field of the study of religion collaborated in order to investigate recent shifts that have occurred in the religion practised by the majority of people in Sri Lanka. According to the perceptions of the Sinhala people themselves, Buddhism proper has always coexisted in the religious sphere with a spirit religion. While redemption is central to Buddhism, the spirit of religion is more concerned with the flourishing of the world. Buddhism Transformed is a book that provides a description and analysis of the developments that have significantly impacted the nature of the Sinhala religious practise in each of these places. This book is the first of its kind to describe in a methodical manner the cultural effects of the degradation in the way that the “other half” of the population in Sri Lanka lives. Following the country’s independence in 1948, significant progress was made in the areas of health care and literacy, but the country’s economy was unable to live up to the soaring aspirations of the country’s rapidly growing population. People fell into poverty and were more mobile, which contributed to the decline of the village community. Changes have taken place in what the authors refer to as “Protestant Buddhism” as a result of the emergence of new psychological requirements brought on by new strains in Sri Lankan society (the Buddhism formed under Protestant influence after British conquest). More and more individuals are interested in and appreciate altered states of consciousness, and among spirit cults, gods with less stringent moral standards are rising to prominence. The authors conclude by arguing that occurrences in Sri Lanka that first seem to be unusual in the religious history of India are, in fact, not entirely new.

Author

Krishnan Sivaraman

The Upadesasahasri of Sankara: 2 Volumes: Introduction, Text and Indices

It is widely agreed that Sankara, an Indian philosopher who lived in the eighth century, was the greatest thinker in the lengthy history of Indian philosophy as well as in the metaphysical tradition known as Vedanta. Sankara is credited with founding the Vedanta school of thought. The Advaita or non-dualist approach to the issue of existence and ultimate reality is emphasised in the Advaita Vedanta school or philosophy, which was developed by him. For hundreds of years, this way of thinking has been the dominant school of thought in India.

The majority of Sankara’s writings are comments on other great works of Indian philosophy, such as the Brahmasutra, the Bhagavadgita, and the Upanisads. The Upadesasahasri, also known as “A Thousand Teachings,” is the only independent and non-commentary work that can be safely attributed to him; the other independent writings that have traditionally been ascribed to him are all probably spurious. The Upadesasahasri, also known as “A Thousand Teachings,” has been critically edited and translated into English here.

Sengaku Mayeda, the author of this work, has provided both academics and general readers with a critical edition based on the analysis of 27 metrical and 11 prose manuscripts, as well as an exact and readable English translation of the work based on his definitive edition of the work, in addition to his extensive introduction to the work. These materials can be found on this website. This Indian philosophical classic is now available to a far larger audience thanks to his lucid and trustworthy translation as well as his in-depth introduction that discusses Sankara’s biography as well as his ideas.

Author

Sengaku Mayeda

About the Author(s)

The Advaitic Theism of the Bhagavata Purana

The author of this book takes a detailed look at the core beliefs that are outlined in the Bhagavata Purana during the course of its eight chapters. Through in-depth analysis, he demonstrates how the Bhagavata Purana, as a unified scripture, combines Vedantic non-dualism and Vaisnava devotionalism; and how the Bhagavata non-dualism accommodates the reality of the universe and of the individual selves that are found within it within the reality of Brahman. This marvellous combination of the devotionals and non-dualism in the Bhagavata Purana is said to find its expression in the worship of Krsna as a transcendent and ultimate god by all Vaisnavas. This is according to the author. The discussion and delineation found throughout the chapters highlight “each of the major forces” that are responsible for determining “the religious structure of the Bhagavata,” which “has a significance and meaning for the study of religion beyond that of situating a scriptural text within a religious history.” Students of Indian religion and philosophy will find the current academic work to be very interesting and valuable. The general reader who is interested in Indian history and culture will also find a place for it in their collection of literature..

Author

Daniel P. Sheridan

The Bridge to the Three Holy Cities: The Samanya-praghattaka of Narayana Bhatta’s Trishalisetu

In the Hindu tradition, the study of holy locations and pilgrimages to such places is considered to be a sub-field of the Dharmasastra. This sub-field is known as tirtha. The “Bridge to the Three Holy Cities” (also known as “Tristhalisetu”) of Narayana Bhatta, which was composed in Varanasi in the 16th century A.D., is regarded as the canonical and most authoritative work of the extensive tirtha literature. It was authored by Narayana Bhatta. The book is divided into four parts, but only the third, fourth, and final parts were included in the Anandasrama version that came out in 1915. The first, or “General,” Section of the Samanya-praghattaka, which was not included in that edition, discusses the concept, definition, and distinguishing characteristics of tirthas, and prescribes in detail the procedures and practises of a pilgrimage. However, this section was omitted from that edition. Both a critical edition of the text of the Samanyapraghattaka as well as a translation that has been annotated are included in this book. The practise of making pilgrimages is an important part of Hinduism, and this literature provides a variety of knowledge relevant to that subject.A

Author

Richard Salomon