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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.
Kantha the embroidered poetry on cloth speaks volumes about the imagination of a woman and the aspirations that her craftwork reflects. This folk art emerged from a combination of materialistic circumstances and daily needs, climate, geography and economic factors. The motifs embroidered were influenced by religious beliefs and superstitions, and of course what the women saw around them.
Kantha the embroidered poetry on cloth speaks volumes about the imagination of Bengali women and the aspirations that her craftwork reflects. It is a well-conceived art work, which has always attracted people from all walks of life. She creates the most amazing Kanthas with great love and affection for her dear ones. Her creativity stands unmatched when she breathes life into a discarded saree, worn out from constant use and laundering. She transforms this simple five metres of old cloth into a most admirable, attractive and unparalleled utilitarian artefact. Initially, light coverlets or quilts to withstand the mild winters and cool monsoon nights of Bengal – were made using the Kantha embroideries, which was limited to simple stitches and a few colours. Some Kanthas were used as swaddling clothes for babies; expectant mothers spent their last stages of pregnancy in making a Kantha for the new born, with the belief that this piece of cloth would bring good fortune for the family and protect the baby from diseases. Every home in a Bengali village housed a number of Kanthas that were more for personal use than commercial gain. This folk art emerged from a combination of materialistic circumstances and daily needs, climate, geography and economic factors. The motifs embroidered were influenced by religious beliefs and superstitions, and of course what the women saw around them. These motifs embroidered in the simplest of running stitches, speak of folk beliefs and practices, religious ideas, themes and characters from mythology and epics, flora, fauna, man and nature; they also reflect the social and personal life of people in their own way.
Kantha signifies a poor man’s wrap consisting of old used up cloth patched up and sewn into a single garment. It seems probable that patch works Kantha constituted the original form of Kanthas and that Kanthas of a decorative appliqué type were evolved from this.
This work focuses on Kants concern with the problem of moral motivation. It argues that there is a gap between objectively conceived principle and subjective motivation, and aesthetic experience of the sublime phenomenon of utmost existential importance fills this gap.
Kant’s Concept of the Sublime: A Pathway to the Numinous focuses attention on Kant’s concern with the problem of moral motivation, the significance of the aesthetic experience, particularly the experience of the Sublime in terms of his overall concern with morality. As the Sublime is considered in the context of moral motivation, this is a new approach. The work argues that the importance of knowledge of the existence of a supersensible ground of ourselves and our actions lies in its role as motivation. There is a gap between objectively conceived principle and subjective motivation. The aesthetic experience of the Sublime provides an experience that helps fill this gap. There is a moral feeling that precedes the Categorical Imperative in spite of the second Critique’s argument that the feeling of respect follows from awareness of the moral law. The aesthetic experience is a phenomenon of the utmost existential importance. For Kant the aesthetic experience specially the experience of the Sublime, is phenomenologically important to him, as it helped in pursuing his life long moral project. The Kantian corpus heightens his concern with the problem of moral motivation and his thought on feeling a motive capable of moving the existing individual to subordinate the fulfillment of the subjective desire in favour of the objectively conceived universal law. Once this concern is properly understood, Kant’s importance to the connection between the feeling of the Sublime and our awareness of our known supersensible faculty becomes clear. The publication of this book coincides with the commemoration of 200 years of Kant’s death.
Swami Muni Narayana Prasad studies the doctrinal beliefs of karma and reincarnation from the viewpoint of an advaitin, developing insights from his studies of the Upanisads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Brahma Sutras and the works of Narayana Guru.
The atman (soul), in the Eastern belief system, is eternal, immortal. The phenomenon of (physical) death is, thus, nothing but its disembodiment and its reincarnation in a new body. And what determine as atmans choice of a new body is the law of karma the merits and demerits of ones actions in the present life. The notions of karma and reincarnation constitute the fundamental tenets of Indian thinking; though these, like many other doctrinal beliefs, are hard to prove/disprove in purely rationalistic or even empirical terms. Swami Muni Narayana Prasad looks afresh at these age-old doctrinal beliefs from the viewpoint of an Advaitin (non-dualist), developing stimulating insights from his studies of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita the Brahma Sutras and, these besides, the works of his mentor: Narayana Guru. Contextually, among other questions, his book also dwells on Ultimate Reality, Birth and Death, and the Two Paths: Devayana (the path of gods) and Pitriyana (the path of manes), which either the souls take to after death.
This book is a manual on the purpose of human life, and of human death and enlightenment. It explains the teachings of vulnerable master Samael Aun Weor. The book reveals the method of fulfilling the three aims of life artha, kama and dharma, and shows that without shunning sex and money, one can achieve the ultimate goal in life, i.e. moksha.
Dr Amit Jain’s simplistic writing, insightful perspective and enthusiasm make this book an excellent manual for anyone who wants to know the purpose of human life, about death and enlightenment. Dr Jain in his simple words explains the teachings of Venerable Master Samael Aun Weor. He beautifully reveals how by fulfilling the first three aims of human life, i.e. artha (money), kama (sex) and dharma (cosmic principles), without shunning sex and money, one can achieve the fourth and ultimate aim of human life the self realization/moksha. You may read it for a better understanding of karma, dharma and moksha.
If you have been in quest of enlightenment, this book will unfold the wisdom which only the masters know. Also an eye-opener on why we suffer, how we acquire negative karma and how to get what we want.
Swami Vivekananda speaks of two types of Karma-Yoga: work for work’s sake and work for God’s sake in this volume. Work for work’s sake means that one works selflessly, without worrying about the existence of God or any other metaphysical doctrine. Work for God’s sake is the normal way in which most of the saints have pursued their spiritual journey.
Karma-Yoga, a highly reflective and spiritual volume, is the reproduction of eight illuminating lectures that Swami Vivekananda delivered during December 1895 to January 1896 in New York.
The contents of this volume calls for repeated reading, comprehension, contemplation and is highly useful to be reflected on. Here Swami Vivekananda is speaking of two types of Karma-Yoga: work for work’s sake and work for God’s sake. Work for work’s sake means that one works selflessly, without worrying about the existence of God or any other metaphysical doctrine. Work for God’s sake is the normal way in which most of the saints have pursued their spiritual journey. And it is the suggested way for any spiritual aspirant.
This book reminds and invites us to redefine our approach to work and directs us to absorb the most ideal and desirable way of doing it irrespective of what we are and in what position we are.
Amongst the traditions of the non-dual Kashmir Shavism, Krama and Kula have dominated the attention of the world scholarship. Going by the testimony of Jayaratha, the seminal notions of tantra-prakriya and kula-prakriya have largely determined Abhinavan enunciation of the intra-systemal variety. This monograph addresses all this in necessary detail charting historical evolution together with bringing to light some unpublished minor but useful tracts.
From within the fold of the tantric Shaiva non-dualism of Kashmir, Kula and Krama are the traditions that have fascinated most of the modern Indological scholarship the world over. This monograph, in the first place, attempts to approach the two traditions against the backdrop of their historical and evolutionary growth.
From this presentation emerges the fact that Krama is a living mode of contemplation and thought even today. If one goes by Jayaratha, the seminal processes of Kula-prakriya and Tantra-prakriya have been largely instrumental in formulating Abhinavan exegesis of the intra-systemal diversity. This process-centric approach has gone a long way in defining the tantric meaning, typological classification and distinctive ritual praxis. This aspect was first noticed and underscored by the author in his Krama Trantricism of Kashmir. The problem, since then, has been constantly engaging the mind of the scholars eliciting valuable contributions. The prime motivation for the author has been to utilise this occasion to reassess, in the light of the fresh data, the contextualisation in which Abhinava sought to situate Kula and Krama. This could be considered as the second highlight of the present essay. The third and, perhaps the foremost feature of this monograph lies in bringing to light some minor but significant texts, hitherto unpublished, belonging to the Kula and Krama, namely Chumma-sampradaya by Nishkriyanandanatha, Kaulasutra (Kulasutra) and Shodashasvarakala by Shitikantha, Shaivashtakakosha (fragments) and Jnanakriyadvaya-shataka by anonymous authors. With the printing of these MSS the corpus of the published literature on Krama and Kula has got richer.
This English version attempts to unravel the mystery of death. It shows how a young seeker, calling upon Yama, insists on knowing the secret of all secrets, with specific questions, like: what is death? Why people fear death when they know it to be inevitable?
Man has always been perplexed with the now and hereafter of his worldly existence. The enigma, called life, with all its attendant uncertainties and everyday strifes and irritants, continues to defy experimental/realistic investigation despite all the exciting advances in science. We still age, we still die. We are as mortal as ever. Life remains a mystery. And death remains, in Shakespearean phraseology, the undis-covered country. A masterpiece among the writings of its genre, Katha Upanishad attempts to unravel the mystery of death though, in its totality, it is an insightful exposition of brahmavidya: Knowledge of the Absolute/Supreme Reality. In a well-devised dialectical situation, the Upanishad shows how a young seeker, calling upon Yama, none other than the God of Death himself, insists on knowing the secret of all secrets, with specific questions, like: What is death? Why people fear death when they know it to be inevitable? What happens at death? And what, if anything, continues to exist after death, and how? the questions which the deity answers, amidst widely-ranged wisdom teachings. Swami Muni Narayana Prasad here offers a lucid English version of this time-honoured Upanishad, together with exhaustive commentary, the original Sanskrit text and its Roman transliteration. Written at a time when the profoundly symbolic Vedic yajnas/rituals had degenerated into crass priestcraft, the Katha Upanishad not only has its historical importance, but counts among the landmark writings that have shaped Indias heritage of spirituality and philosophic thought.
The book narrates the history of the Kathaka dance art: its origin, continuous evolution and struggle for existence from ancient to the medieval period. It discusses the influence of Kathakya Acarya, Sage Katha and his sampradaya on Kathaka, besides generic similarities between Rasalila and present-day Kathaka.
The book traces the history of Kathaka from ancient to the medieval period: its origin and continuous evolution in a struggle for existence through a process involving fusion, diffusion and adaptation. It studies its etymological meaning in a painstaking effort which involves a discussion on the influence of Kathakya Acarya, Sage Katha and the generic similarities between Rasalila, Hallisaka, Carcari, Rasa, and present-day Kathaka. It shows that Kathaka has an ancient origin and is an indigenous Indian dance. It deals with the three distinct sections that form the present-day Kathaka. Surveying a host of religious and secular literature including the Natyashastra, the Abhinaya Darpana and the Sangita Ratnakara and referring to sculptural reliefs from temples and illustrations from manuscripts including the Akbar-Nama, it undertakes a detailed and illuminating study of gestures, postures, movements and stances of Kathaka. An attempt to help readers gain a better insight into the Kathaka dance, the volume will interest practitioners and lovers of classical dance forms of India.
कौटिल्य-अर्थशास्त्र प्राचीन भारतीय आर्थिक परम्परा का आधारभूत ग्रन्थ है। भारत का प्राचीन आर्थिक इतिहास सामाजिक संरचना, राजनीतिक मान्यताओं इस ग्रन्थ में जो प्रतिनिधिक वर्णन मिलता है, वह किसी भी अन्य ग्रन्थ में दुर्लभ है। सत्ता एवं शक्ति, न्याय एवं दण्डनीति, वार्ता एवं आन्वीक्षिकी, नगर-जनपद-ग्राम्य की संरचना से लेकर सुचारू अर्थव्यवस्था, स्वर्ण-नीति, मौद्रिक-नीति एवं लोक-कल्याणकारी तथा निष्टकण्टक राज आदि सिद्धान्त, कौटिल्य-अर्थशास्त्र को विश्व के आर्थिक इतिहास में महत्वपूर्ण ग्रन्थ के रूप में प्रतिष्ठित करते हैं। कौटिल्य के अर्थशास्त्र में विषय-वस्तु की गहनता एवं ऐतिहासिक कालक्रम में उनका इदम्प्रथमतया प्रणयन कौटिल्य को विश्व में अर्थशास्त्र का पुरोधा घोषित करते हैं।
This work studies the scientific and technological contents of the Arthasastra. It makes inquisitive analyses to extract the latest scientific essence of observational facts, operational techniques, perceptual awareness of discriminal and classificatory propositions and hypotheses in fields like mineralogy, gemmology, mining, metallurgy, agriculture, architecture, civil engineering and environment, dealt within the treatise.
A Sanskrit treatise of the fourth century bc, Arthashastra is, ostensibly, the world’s oldest surviving document of its genre. Written by Kautilya (also known as Vishnugupta and Chanakya): the astute Brahmin preceptor and prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya, it is now widely recognized as a classic on statecraft, including a discussion of contemporary Indian polity, political theories, administrative mechanisms, war and peace, and a variety of other subjects. Though a lot has already been written on Kautilya’s world view of statecraft, polity and kindred themes, this book is veritably the first ever effort to examine Arthashastra from the standpoint of modern science and technology. Analysing meticulously layers after layers of Kautilya’s complex sutras (aphoristic statements), the author unfolds scientific perceptions, hypotheses, operational techniques and other significant dimensions of several ancient Indian disciplines, like minerology, mining, gemmology, metallurgy, agriculture, town planning, civil engineering, and even environment. Himself a professional geologist, Sunil Sarma has adopted the current normative techniques for the scientific evaluation of Arthashastra, while using all through modern idiom to spell out its scientific content. An unbiased study based on Sarma’s honest, altogether fresh interpretation of Arthasastra’s archaic Sanskrit language and its peculiar scientific terminology, the book will fascinate Indologists, historians of science, and many area-specialists.
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