Showing 361–372 of 932 results
The repetition of God’s name or of a mantra containing God’s name, otherwise known as japa, is a religious ritual, generally meant for the emancipation of the self. This book on japa-yoga has not neglected this aspect. But, it is a more comprehensive and a broad-range booking effects of japa-applications on a scientific footing, a successful attempt made for the first time.
The repetition of Gods name or of a mantra containing Gods name, otherwise known as japa, is a religious ritual, generally meant for the emancipation of the self. The present book on japa-yoga has not neglected this aspect. But, it is a more comprehensive and a broad-range book. That japa is a branch of yoga, an easily attainable one and simultaneously a very effective one, has been emphasized. The theory and methology of japa in Patanjala Yoga, in the Vedas, in the Vedanta and in the Tantra, in the perspective of knowledge and devotion, have clearly been outlined. The book has been divided into three Chapters. Chapter 1 expounds the theory of japa based on classical scriptures. Chapter 2 presents the practice of japa in a clearly graspable style, easy to be followed by the readers. Chapter 3 deals with the applications of japa for the uplift of human personality and spirituality, for attaining the liberation of the self, for mental peace and tranquillity, and for physical health inclusive of the prevention and treatment of diseases, both physical and mental. The last part of this book tries to explain the effects of japa-applications on a scientific footing, a successful attempt made for the first time.
The book presents the essentials of jnana-yoga (the central Principles of Super-imposition, Dependent Origination and Two Truths) based upon the teachings of Sankara, the Hindu philosopher-mystic and Nagarjuna, the Buddhist philosopher-patriarch.
Jnana-yoga or The Path of Knowledge is one of the four central paths to knowledge of man and the world and realisation of the ultimate reality as obtained in the ancient religious and philosophical traditions of India. It is the way of overcoming doubt through the exercise and development of the buddhi (the discriminative intellect). The roots of this tradition are traced to the glorious Upanishads; and the earliest jnana-yogis are none other than the Upanishadic rishis themselves. In this book, the author presents the fundamental insights of jnana-yoga based upon the teachings of two of the most prominent jnana-yogis Shankara, the Hindu philosopher, poet and mystic and Nagarjuna, the Buddhist philosopher and patriarch. A result of Prof. Puligandlas theoretical and experimental study of their teachings for over three decades, the book systematically discusses in clear and unambiguous terms three central principles of jnana-yoga, namely, the Principle of Superimposition; the Principle of Dependent Origination; and the Principle of Two Truths. The broad-based approach of this work is evident in many ways as, for instance, in its use of the principles of modern science to illustrate the ideas of jnana-yoga and discussion of concepts of the western philosophical tradition as well. The book would immensely aid scholars of religious-philosophical traditions as well as students studying Indian traditional systems of thought.
The Indian society has yet to appreciate the strength of its women populace and treat them as quintessentials in nation-building. The objectives of this journal from Banaras Hindu University’s Centre for Women’s Studies and Development, are both academic and social. It expects to change the present attitude and values in society regarding women’s roles and rights to one of equal participation in all social, economic and political processes.
India has been labelled as a land of gender inequality and a challenging place for a woman to live. For centuries, social reformers were fighting for women rights and thus taking the country out of this social stigma and injustice, and they invested a lot on educating and empowering women. But they have met with only partial success. The numerous cases of female infanticides, sex-selective abortions and atrocities on women endorse this fact. We have yet to undergo a sea change in our attitude towards the dignity, education, employment and empowerment of women. The society has to appreciate their strength and treat them as quintessentials in nation-building.
There is no society in the world in which women do not experience some gender inequality, be it in political, economic, social, or legal fronts. But in many countries, the gender inequality is really acute. Therefore these important issues Þ the invisibility, dstortion and marginalization of gender as a category of analysis in mainstream disciplines and their canonozation Þ need serious deliberations.
The objectives of Journal of Gender and Justice are both academic and social. It expects to change the present attitude and values in society regarding women’s roles and rights to one of equal participation in all social, economic and political processes. It is designed to help in bringing a culture shift in attitudes and values in society regarding women’s roles and rights. This ßannualû journal from the stable of Banares Hindu University’s Centre for Women’s Studies and Development, Varanasi, will also target at fulfilling a special responsibility to teachers, who are aware of the need of non-sexiest education, who would pick up the challenge to promote value of equality, including the gender equality.
Jyotiba Phule, a multi-faceted social reformer of the nineteenth century, relentlessly worked for the uplift of the oppressed classes, having started schools for girls and children of the lower castes and farmers, widow homes and orphanages. His philosophy of universal religion strengthened him to fight against child marriage, sati and casteism, and for the remarriage of Brahmin widows.
Caste conflicts ruled the roost in the nineteenth-century India. It housed many social evils like untouchability, discrimination against women and the underprivileged, and sati. Education was the prerogative of the mighty Brahmins and the upper-class society, resulting in the perennial exploitation of the backward classes, women, farmers and widows.
Jyotiba Phule (182790) dawned as the saviour of the weaker sections. Defying diktats and intimidations, he got himself and his wife educated. This paved the way for the Phule couples to start and successfully run few schools for the children of the downtrodden and girls. He opened his well for the untouchables’ use. Through tireless efforts and continued writings, he fought against the social injustices, nail and tooth. His writings were a new philosophy in the making a philosophy of universal religion. He believed in God, but refused to believe the Vedas, saying them as the handworks of Brahmins.
Man was his religion and his emancipation was his drive. He founded Widow Homes and orphanages. For him education was the key for liberation from all social evils. He fought with the English regime to have the children of farmers and the downtrodden equal rights to education. He was eventually accredited with the title ßMahatmaû.
This book is sure to generate keen interest among social workers, modern historians, researchers on social reforms and reformers, and students of sociology and political science.
This is the first-ever English translation of Narasimhas Kadambarinataka and its critical evaluation. It highlights the plays importance in Sanskrit-Prakrt literature of medieval India and compares it with the kavyas of classicists like Sudraka.
It is the first ever English translation of Narasimhas Kadambarinataka. And also its first critical evaluation, highlighting not only its high importance in Sanskrit-Prakrit literature of medieval India, but also how this fourteenth-century play compares favourably with the masterly kavyas of the classicists like Sudraka, Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti and Rajashekhara.
Kadambarinataka is essentially a dramatic version of Kadambari : an internationally celebrated novel/romance of the seventh century, authored by the legendary Bana and his son. For over six centuries, it has remained unacknow-ledged and unnoticed owing to the prevailing prejudice against the whole range of Sanskrit-Prakrit literature that came to be written after the 10th century or so. Though the play saw its only printed edition in 1936, it was not studied in perspective nor has it so far been translated into any language. Dr. Hideaki Sato retrieves Kadambarinataka from the centuries of oblivion, offering this literary masterpiece, in two parts, to English-knowing audiences the world over. Part One, in the nature of a critical introduction, focusses on Narasimha: the author, his times and his writings; together with insightful analyses of his natakas sources, plot structure, language, style, innovative elements, and how far it has deviated from Banas Kadambari. Part Two comprises the English rendering of Kadambarinataka which, based directly on its two manuscripts available today, also carries extensive textual notes.
The Book mainly deals with the historical importance of the Kalamukha movement in Karnataka and the existence of an exceptional school of arts which flourished under Kalamukha patronage, describing Somanatha temple at Haralahalli and the Kadambeshvara temple at Rattihalli with their architecture, iconography, epigraphy and religious and cultural background.
The Kalamukha temples in Karnataka are associated with the Lakulashaiva movement especially the beliefs and practices of the Kalamukha Shaivites and the jakkanacari style of temples in Karnataka. This volume is a study of two of the best examples of Kalamukha shrines in the region. It focuses on the Somanatheshvara temple at Haralahalli and Kadambeshvara temple at Rattihalli, splendid examples of conversion of single-cell shrines into triple sancta. With numrous illustrations of the temples including their plans and sculptures and referring to and quoting from the Agamas, the Puranas and other ancient works, it studies the architecture of the temples along with their history, the general plans of the temples, their interior including pillars, lintel and entrances, their external structure, and their iconography, particularly the main deities in the temples. It makes a unique effort to study the inscriptions associated with the temples which are in Kannada interlaced with Sanskrit verses and containing Sanskrit words, presenting their Roman transliteration and translation into English. The inscriptions include one on renovation of Someshvara temple by King Joma (ce 1181), one on the foundation of a temple of Daseshvara laid by Dasiraja (ce 1188) and one that eulogises the Kadambas and minister Soma (ce 1144).
The volume, with extensive notes that explain terms in a simple manner, will prove invaluable to scholars and students of Indology, especially those interested in early medieval religion, culture and architecture in South India.
The volume delves into Bhartriharis conception of Time as power (Kalashakti). Time as the power (Kalashakti) serves as an important conceptual tool to maintain Bhartriharis non-dualistic position, both in the level of ontology as well as semantics. Kala serves as an important conceptual link between unity and diversity; unchanged and the changing.
The volume delves into Bhartriharis conception of Time as power (Kalashakti) as enunciated in the ninth section of the third Canto of his Vakyapadiya, entitled Kala Samuddesha. Prof. Patnaik tries to argue that Time as the power (Kalashakti) serves as an important conceptual tool for Bhartrihari to maintain his non-dualistic position, both in the level of ontology as well as semantics.
The book examines the Bhartriharian model of Kala as shakti in the backdrop of two other models available in the Indian philosophical tradition Time as substance (Vaisheshika and Nyaya Darshana), on the one hand, and Time as atom (kshana/svalakshanas) of the Yoga and Sautrantika Buddhism. Whether Kala is admitted as an abstract and trans-empirical principle (Kala) or just as a measurable unit of events, no philosophical tradition has been able to discard its semantic role. This is evident from our usage of tense-words. But this double-valued nature of time as a metaphysical principle and as a semantic apparatus comes out most explicitly in Bhartriharis analysis of time as a power. In his unflinching non-dualistic (advaitin) stand both in the level of metaphysics as well as semantics Kala serves as an important conceptual link between unity and diversity; unchanged and the changing. Kala also has the point of convergence between the two streams of philosophy metaphysics and semantics.
The book is rare in nature, both in content and accessability, as there is very little literature available on the topics discussed in the book. The paucity of materials in the area of thought makes it a scholars collection.
Kalidasas world in of hallowed human grace, of emotional fulfilment and unsurpassed elegance of its habitat. Leading us to that rich, intimate and beautiful mind of Kalidasa are the nayikas of his plays and poems. The book sparkles with literary grace and painterly elegance and is a welcome addition to the world of Kalidasa.
To enter the mind of Kalidasa is to enter a world of colour and music, a world of beauty, of regal spaces and mythic narratives, of sensuous nayikas and sonorous sounds, of evocative words and ornamented phrases, of unhurried elegance and silken shringara, of serene hermitages and opulent havelis, of changing seasons with their unique flora and fauna, of pathways in the sky that look down upon the earth in their journey, and above all of the beauty of human emotions; in short it is a world of hallowed human grace, of emotional fulfilment and unsurpassed elegance of its habitat. Leading us to that rich, intimate and beautiful mind of Kalidasa are the nayikas of his plays and poems. To follow in their footsteps is to be coloured by the many hues of shringara, to be touched by the many textures of royal and political intrigue and above be enriched by a world of human longing and desire.
Harsha V. Dehejia leads a team of scholars who explore the many-faceted nayikas of Kalidasa and takes us into the hushed ambience of the havelis, palaces and ashrams of ancient India. Bringing these nayikas alive with paintings is the renowned miniaturist Vijay Sharma.
The book sparkles with literary grace and painterly elegance and is a welcome addition to the world of Kalidasa.
The entire Mahanadi River Valley is stated to be the land of Kamakala (art of desire), Uddiyana-Pitha (the sites where Lord Shiva resides in the Yogini cult) and erotic art. Based on a deep study of archaeological remains, this book reveals the contribution of the Valley to the origin of esoteric yogic sadhanas.
The entire Mahanadi River Valley is stated to be the land of Kamakala, Uddiyana-Pitha and erotic art. Kamakala means the art of desire; the divine Kamakala is symbolized in the shape of two circular components, the overall shape signifying the union of male and female principles. The Uddiyana-Pitha refers to sites where Lord Shiva resides in the Yogini cult that developed in this region.
The volume reveals the contributions of the Mahanadi River Valley to the origin of esoteric yogic sadhanas (spiritual practice). Based on a deep study of archaeological remains which include numerous antiquities like sculptures, the book examines the origin and development of the Yoginã cult in the Mahanadi River Valley, laying stress on the Yoginis representation of the cosmic creative forces. It delves into the evolution of the Bhairava cult, the Ganapatya Tantra in Orissa, role of Mattamayura Shaivism there, and the origin of the Purushottama Jagannatha cult. Exploring the aspects of sensuousness in art and its link to the tantric cults, it scrutinizes the development of erotic art in Orissa, examining erotic sculptures, erotic art in wood and palm-leaf manuscripts. Abundant in references to ancient texts and modern scholarly works on the subject and with numerous illustrations, this intensive work also explains numerous terms and differences between words and concepts in an attempt to present a thorough study of the subject.
It is a good reference for those who are interested in the history of Orissa and various cults of worship, and students and teachers of arts and history, and researchers on Orissan culture, which is wide and varied.
This is a comprehensive work on the Kamakhya temple complex in Assam: the complex processes of the deitys Sanskritization and the temples role in integrating the people of this region with the mainland. It makes a detailed study of the temple rituals, festivals and personnel and socio-cultural life and includes an account on spread of Saktism in the region.
This is a comprehensive work on the Kamakhya temple complex in Assam: the complex processes of the deity’s sanskritization and the temple’s role in integrating the people of this region with the mainland. Incorporating details from interviews with temple priests and other temple staff and from literary materials on the temple, it deals with the socio-cultural life at the temple complex with respect to rites of passage relating to marriage, birth and death, arts and crafts, food, dress and folk medicine. With illustrations of the temple structure and sculptures and religious and cultural activities, the text makes a detailed study of the temple rituals, festivals and personnel their kinds and functions and changes in the body of the temple staff with time. Importantly, it provides a background to the study by examining the spread of shaktism over different periods in the Eastern Indian region and specifically Assam.
The research findings of archaeological and socio-ethnological nature studying geomorphological/environmental influence on historical settlements explore the possible identity of Drupad-Kila complex near Kampil village with Kampilya city of Mahabharata fame.
Kampil (Farrukhabad District, U.P.) is a typical Indian village in the fertile terrain of the Ganga-Yamuna Doab. Known for its long, glorious past, the village has, since A. Cunninghams visit here in 1878, compelled increasing attention of the archaeologists seeking to explore its possible identity with Kampilya the city, described in the Mahabharata story, as the fabulous capital of Drupads south Pancala kingdom. The question of Kampil-Kampilya identity was examined afresh by a multidisciplinary research team, on the basis of lRS Satellite multispectral images of the mid -Ganga plain, a predictive geo-archaeological model, and field surveys. Which, in trun, led researchers to the discovery of a complex of ruins: the remains of a fortified structure, locally called Drupad Kila about five kilometers upstream of the Kampil village. Set out here are the preliminary findings of this multidisciplinary research, including (a) a study of the late Holocene palaeo-hydographic evolution of Doab region around Drupad Kila site and the influence of geomorphology/environmental resources on the human historical settlements; (b) an archaeological report, based on the surface survey of the discovered site; and (c) a socio-ethnological study of the villages around the Kila complex. Carried out during 1996-98, these studies: each contributed by the area specialist (s) of the research team, addressed specifically the question whether the Drupad-Kila complex answers to the description of Mahabharata city of Kampilya. Visualizing the manifold importance of Kampilya beyond just the archaeological event, the editors have created a holistic Kampilya Project to retrieve the cultural and environmental potentialities of the Drupad-Kila complex and its peripheral areas.
The book presents the original Sanskrit text of the Kampilyamahatmya of Durgadatta Sharma, a harmonic compilation on the greatness of Kampilya composed from different references to traditional Indian sources, along with its translation in English. It deals with identification and location of the holy tirtha of Kampilya and ancient legends and dynasties associated with it.
The mahatmyas constitute an important streams of the Indian tradition, putting in evidence the greatness either of a place or of a character. Among the many mahatmyas, the Kampilyamahatmya, focusing its attention on the region of Kampilya, has a unique significance, as the exact identification and location of the holy tirtha of Kampilya remains a subject of mystery and controversy even today. Kampilya was the capital of the ancient realm of Pancala. The area around Kampilya, also known as Kaliksetra was the environment where King Drupadas daughter, Draupadi, manifested herself and where the tournament for the choice of her husband took place. Dronacarya, the weapon teacher of the Pandavas, Dhrstadyumna, the brother of Draupadi, and many other famous warriors of the Mahabharata have their names joint with this place. Written in the twentieth century, the Kampilyamahatmya is a harmonic compilation on the greatness of Kampilya composed from different references of Indian traditional sources; it is the result of a research begun by the grandfather of the author, that has been accomplished, through family transmission and with the help of other poets’ previous works. The book, presenting the original Sankrit text, with its fluent translation in English, provides a plethora of information on ancient legends and dynasties of pre-Pauranic and Pauranic times, will be useful to scholars of ancient Indian mythology and history. It will prove extremely absorbing and informative for general readers as well.
| There are no products |
