Agni (2 Vols.) with 2 CDs: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire Altar

Agni (2 Vols.) with 2 CDs: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire Altar

A consideration of the role of the Agnicayana in the Vedic srauta tradition, its textual loci, traditional and contemporary interpretations of its origins and meaning, and an overview of the Nambudiri Vedic tradition are all included in the first book of Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire Altar. The majority of the book is dedicated to a comprehensive account of the twelve-day performance that took place in 19875. This account was written in close collaboration with C.V. Somayajipad and M.Itti Ravi Nambudiri, and it is lavishly illustrated with tipped-in photographs that are predominantly coloured and almost entirely taken by Adelaide de Menil. There are various images, tables, and maps included inside the text. Both the original Devanagari text and an English translation of the mantras are provided. Archeology, the pre-Vedic Indian background, geometry, ritual vessels, music, Mudras, Mimamsa, a survey of Srauta traditions in recent times, the influence of Vedic ritual in the Homa traditions of Indonesia, Tibet, China, and Japan, and related topics are covered in the second volume, which was edited with the assistance of Pamela MacFarland. This volume contains contributions from an international galaxy of scholars on archaeology, the pre-Vedic Indian background There are also translations of the relevant Srauta Sutras of Baudhayana (together with Calanda's text) and the Jaiminiya (with Bhavatrata's commentary) as well as the Kausitaki Brahmana; and there is also a survey of the project along with an inventory of the films and tape recording that was made in 1975.

Author

Frits Stall