Shop

In the Image of Fire: The Vedic Experience of Heat

In the Image of Fire: The Vedic Experience of Heat

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

Essays on the Mahabharata

This book is considered to be a classic analysis of a massive work known as the Mahabharata. It is maybe the longest epic in all of written history. It is an epic study of epics due to the voluminous size it has itself attained, the kaleidoscopic variety of the themes it covers, the great diversity of approaches it canvasses, the wide array of contributions it includes, and the high standard of scholarship it achieves. All of these factors combine to make it an epic study of epics. Students and academics specialising in Hinduism, comparative religion, comparative literature, comparative mythology, and classics are the target audience for this work.

Author

Arvind Sharma

Devi Mahatmya: The Crystallization of the Goddes Tradition

Both worshippers and academics of the Indian Great Goddess know the Devi-Mahatmya. It’s the earliest Sanskrit narrative of the Goddess and remains fundamental to the Goddess (Sakta) tradition. Like much in that tradition, the book eluded historical examination until today.

The central task here is to explore how an anonymous Sanskrit text

articulates a view of ultimate reality as feminine when there is virtually

no precedent in the Sanskrit tradition for such a view. To accomplish this

task, an appropriate method of scriptural analysis is developed. This

involves an examination of Hindu understanding of the Puranas in general,

and of the Devi Mahatmya in particular, along with consideration of several recent scholarly discussions, in india and elsewhere. Subsequently, a comprehensive inquiry into the Goddess’s epithets in this text is undertaken, followed by examination of the earlier history of the myths that the Devi-Mahatmya associates with her. The study culminates in

translations of the text’s hymns, which are annotated so as to indicate the

synthesis that is here being accomplished. The resulting illumination of

Sanskritized form of Goddess worship is what Daniel H.H. Ingalls calls in

his Foreword “a notable scholarly achievement”

Authored by

Thomas B. Coburn

About the author

Thomas B. Coburn is currently serving as the Charles A. Dana Professor of Religious Studies and has accumulated a significant number of scholarly works.