Hinduism and Its Sources

The Sacred Marriage of a Hindu Goddess

In the region of southern India known as Tamil Nadu, the city of Madurai is the location where Hindus celebrate the union of the goddess Minakshi and the god Siva. The yearly festival lasts for 10 days and is considered to be one of the most important and well-known of all Hindu celebrations. This event is investigated in the work of William Harman from a variety of viewpoints, including the history of religions, Sanskrit and Tamil traditions, and Hindu cultural norms.

Author

WILLIAM P. HARMAN

The Doctrine Of The Upanisads And The Early Buddhism

The first edition of this book was released in 1908.

Oldenberg gives a brief overview of the life and philosophy of Vedic Indians in the introduction of his book. During this time period, a magician may eventually advance to the role of a priest as a result of their advancement. The Vedas and the Brahmanas were written during this time period.

In Chapter I, which delves into the more ancient Upanisads, such as the Brhad Aranyaka Upanisad and the Chandogya Upanisad, it is first described how the concept of the Supreme Being, the one and only mystic power, was conceived in the words Brahman and Atman, and how these two entities merged with each other and became identical. This is done in the context of Chapter I’s discussion of the older Upanisads. After then, it moves on to a discussion of the theory of metempsychosis, which focuses on how it developed as a result of the relationship between the Supreme Being and the world of plurality. During this time, the magician-priest starts to transition into more of a philosophical role.

Chapter II deals with subsequent Upanisads such Kathaka Upanisad, Maitrayana Upanisad and Svetasvatara Upanisad. During this time period, there are convincing indications that the Samkhya Doctrine and the Yoga were only starting to take shape as distinct systems. Here, the culmination of human aspiration, the deliverance of oneself from anguish, is laid bare for everyone to see. In a nutshell, we see the evolution of thinking in Indian philosophy from a god of impersonal powers to a deity of personal powers.

However, it is noteworthy to note that a system that firmly supports the aspects of Yoga also strongly rejects theism and adheres to the gloomy philosophy of Indian mysticism, which is the Doctrine of Buddhism. This is discussed in further detail in Chapter III.

Author

Hermann Oldenberg

The Religion of the Veda: Die Religion des Veda

The Vedic Literature, which is the oldest product of the Aryan mind and is held in the highest esteem and is regarded as the most sacred by Hindus, presents a panorama of the life of the ancient population of India in all of its facets. Vedic Literature is the oldest product of the Aryan mind and is held in the highest esteem. Herman Oldenberg was the professor who pioneered the first critical examination of frightening literature in the last several centuries, and European academics, mostly Germans, were the ones who conducted the research. His masterpiece, titled Die Religion des Vedas, was published for the first time in 1894, and a revised version was released in 1916. In his thorough and in-depth research on the Vedic religion, he took use of linguistic approaches, as well as those from the fields of ethnology and folklore. This work has had a significant influence on subsequent Vedic studies and has an enduring interest to the student of the Veda, as is amply evident from the fact that even after nearly a century has passed since its first publication, it continues to attract the attention of Vedic researchers and is very frequently sought for guidance and consultation by them, and here is the first ever English translation of these four classic texts.

The book is divided into four chapters, each of which is preceded by an introduction that provides a comprehensive discussion of the source material, which includes the Vedas, Brahmanas, and sutra. The first chapter discusses the gods and demons of the Vedic tradition in general, while the second chapter delves into the specific gods of the Vedic tradition, including Agni, Indra, Vruna Mitra, and others, as well as the bad demons, the beginning of the universe, and the divine and moral realms. The third chapter discusses in depth the religion of sacrifice, which includes topics such as magic observances, festivals, prayer, and priests. The fourth chapter discusses animism, the dead, soul heaven, and ell, as well as ghosts, fathers, and burial ceremonies.

Author

HERMANN OLDENBERG

The Krsna Cycle in the Puranas: Themes and Motifs in a Heroic Saga

Krsna is often regarded as one of the most beloved personalities in Indian literature and religion. The accounts of his life and the actions he performed continue to play an important role in the literary traditions of India right up to the present day. The primary ideas and recurrent images that can be seen throughout the Krsna mythology up to the 10th century are the focus of this book. In the first chapter, the antecedents of the figure of Krsna that may be found in the Vedas are investigated, as are some of the viewpoints that suggest that Krsna can be found in the hymns of the Vedas. An exhaustive survey is made of all of the archaeological and literary evidences, along with their interpretations and discussions by modern scholars, and the second chapter deals with the first historical evidence on Krsna up to the beginning of the Christian Era. This chapter covers the time period from the beginning of the Christian Era to the beginning of the Christian Era. In the third and fourth chapters, an examination of the motifs and themes found in the Krsna saga is presented using a folk-comparative methodology. Particular focus is placed on the parallels between the Krsna saga and the mythology surrounding Hercules. The last chapter provides an overview of the Krsna tales as they were shown in iconography up to the 10th century. In addition to this, there is a collection of images that depict the majority of the iconographical evidence that has been addressed; several of these photographs are being released for the first first time here.

Author

DR. BENJAMIN PRECIADO-SOLIS

The Sacrificial Ritual in the Satapatha Brahmana

The Sacrificial Ritual in the Satapatha Brahmana

Author

Naama Drury

The Hymns of Sankara

In conjunction with Sri Sankara Jayanti festivities at Sankara Vihara, Ayanavaram, Madras, every year it has been a regular habit to put out some modest publication based on the works of the Great Master as also works about him under the term ‘Jayanti Series’. The current work falls within such category.

Besides composing his well-known commentaries and Advaita manuals, Adi Sankara penned a great number of powerful hymns filled with intense devotion. Were this reality well known, the complaint brought against Sankara’s Advaita, viz., that there is no space for bhakti in the path of jnana would not have been made.

This book contains several of his hymns. At the conclusion Totakacarya’s well-known song to Sankara is added.

The material is offered in Devanagari script with transliteration, English translation and commentary.

Author

Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan

The Pravargya Brahmana of the Taittiriya Aranyaka: An Ancient Commentary on the Pravargya Ritual

A historical commentary on the Pravargya ceremony can be found in Prapathaka 5, which is part of the Taittiriya Aranyaka in the Andhra recension. This commentary, known as the Pravargya Brahmana, is presented here in a translation that also includes annotations. An investigation of the Pravargya ritual is included in the Introduction. This ceremony is referred to as “One of the few rites that have been specifically alluded to in the Rgveda (typically under the term “Gharma”).” The abstract and spiritual character of what is most likely the primary purpose of the ritual – the participants should acquire the lustre of the sun – the straightforward means by which it can be performed, and the manner in which the main implement, the pot which is heated to a red-hot temperature, is worshipped, give it a special place among the vast assortment of Vedic rites. In addition to the translation, the original Sanskrit text of the Pravargya Brahmana of the Taittiriyas has also been provided here. The present work was prepared under the direction of Professor Dr. H.W. Bodewitz (Utrecht), and it is an expansion of an essay that the author wrote as part of the author’s partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of “doctorandus” at the University of Utrecht, 1987. This work was prepared under the guidance of Professor Dr. H.W. Bodewitz (Utrecht).

Author

Jan E.M. Houben