Motilal Banarsidass

Seer of the Fifth Veda: (Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa in the Mahabharat)

Sage Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa is generally considered to be the author of India’s most famous epic poem, the Mahabharat, which is written in the Sanskrit language. This research focuses on the portrayal of Vyasa in the Mahabharata, where he plays a significant role in the story that he is credited with writing. The many viewpoints presented in other works of literature, such as plays, Jataka stories, Arthasastra, and Puranas, contribute to an enlargement of the meaning that may be derived from Vyasa’s writings.

Author

BRUCE M. SULLIVAN

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

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

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 Agamasastra of Gaudapada

Because the author was dissatisfied with the interpretation provided by Sankara and his followers as well as the interpretation provided by some other teachers, he has made an effort in the following pages to present to the readers his own interpretation of the work based on how he has understood it. On the other hand, he makes no claim whatsoever that his interpretation is the interpretation, in other words, the meaning that Gaudapada himself had in mind. The author of the current book has provided a fresh edition of the text of the Agamasastra based on a number of distinct manuscripts and editions, which is then followed by an English translation of the text. His annotation follows immediately after this. Appendices are included at the conclusion of the book and include the text of the Mandukya Upanisad as well as an English translation of it. Additionally, there are many distinct indexes and versions of the MSS that were used to create the edition of the Agamasastra text.

About the Author(s)

Vidhushekhara Bhattacharya

Vaisnavi: Women and the Worship of Krishna

This collection delves into the touchy issue of gender and religion with openness and compassion, with a particular emphasis on Vaishnavism, one of the oldest and most textually rich religious traditions practised by humans. Steven J. Rosen has compiled a collection of eight articles that shed light on the lives of many female saints throughout history as well as the teachings that they left behind. These pieces were written by notable scholars, poets, and practitioners.

Author

Steven J. Rosen

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 Asvamedha: The Rite and its Logic

This article explains many specific characteristics of the Vedic sacrificial system by describing the ritual known as “Asvamedha” and the symbolism associated with it. Within the framework of Vedic epistemology, a number of inquiries about the Asvamedha are addressed, along with their respective answers. This rite serves three important purposes: I it presents an equivalence of the naksatra year to the heaven, implying that it is a rite that celebrates the rebirth of the Sun; (ii) it is symbolic of the conquest of Time by the king, in whose name the rite is performed; and (iii) it is a celebration of social harmony that has been achieved by the transcendence of the fundamental conflicts that exist between various sources of The comprehension of numerous of its particulars is aided by the use of numerical concepts taken from another Vedic ritual known as the Agnicayana.

Author

Subhash Kak

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