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The Taittiriya Upanisad is offered in three chapters treated singly by the author who reveals the invisible thread that runs through them. The analytical commentary results from the insights he has gained from interactions over the years.
The Upanishads capture the quintessence of Indian spiritual wisdom unfolding deep-set, highly perceptive reflections on human existence and how it is related to cosmic mystery. Authored by enlightened seers, at different times, during 1500-200 b.c., the Upanishadic message inheres neither a promise of heaven, nor scare of hell. Rather, it is a magnificent vision that raises human consciousness to sublime heights. The Taittiriya appended to the Krishna (Black) Yajur Veda is one of best among the principal Upanishads. And, schematically, is offered in three chapters, entitled: (1) Shiksha Valli, (2) Brahmananda Valli, and (3) Bhrigu Valli which each Swami Muni Narayana Prasad treats singly, superbly revealing the invisible thread that goes through all of them. With origjnal Sanskrit text, its Roman transliteration and easy-to- understand English paraphrase, this stimulating, at once analytical commentary grows from Swami Muni Narayana Prasads prolonged reflections on the Taittiriya Upanishad, coupled with the insights he acknowledges to have gained from Nataraja Gurus discourses on different Upanishadic themes, Narayana Gurus mystico-philosophical poems, and numerous sessions of intellectual interaction with different groups of scholars.
The book presents the stories on Krishna relating to events before and after his birth, his life as cowherd in Gokul, Vrindavan and Mathura and Kansa’s atrocities, his leelas with gopis in Vrindavan, his brave deeds, his visit to Mathura and the death of Kansa.
The book presents the stories on Krishna as contained in the Bhagavata Puranam which was narrated by Sage Shuka to King Parikshit according to legend. The tales relate to events before the birth of Krishna and Krishna’s life as a boy in Gokul, Vrindavan and Mathura. They relate to a number of events and acts relating to the life of Krishna such as Kansa’s atrocities on the people, the plight of Krishna’s parents, Devaki and Vasudeva, the birth of Krishna, his childhood pranks and leelas with gopis in Vrindavan, his brave deeds, his visit to Mathura and the death of Kansa at the hands of Krishna. Written for modern young readers, in a simple and easy-to-understand language, the stories contain the rich religious tradition of India that has come down through the centuries and continue to be revered today.
This is a cultural-anthropological study exploring those hedonistic aspects of the pan-Indian heritage which affirm that the pleasurable, especially the sexually pleasurable, is natural as a means to achieve the highest mystical experience.
This is a brilliant cultural-anthropological study exploring those hedonistic aspects of the pan-Indian heritage which, represented by centuries of the non-Vedic, Tantric tradition, affirm that the pleasurable, especially the sexually pleasurable, is natural as a means to achieve the highest mystical experience. Himself a Tantric initiate, Prem Saran offers a compelling, sympathetic analysis of Tantrism, its place in the Bengali and Assamese cultures, and its pervasiveness in pan-Indian thought and ritual generally. Prem Saran’s is also a cultural critique of modern Indian values and life-ways. In addition, it is an exercise in methodology, employing certain anthropological tools and concepts like Cultural Debate, Cultural Criticism, Hindu Renaissance and Pizza-effect the last three having been developed by the late Professor Agehananda Bharati whom the author acknowledges as a constant source of encouragement during the last decade.
Here Prof. Donaldson presents a rich and variegated picture of the sakta/tantra art of Orissa, highlighting the evolving iconography of individual images. He focuses on different forms and depictions of the Goddess as Sakti, painstakingly analysing the architecture of a number of temples and their images.
The emergence of Tantrism and Shaktism in the sixth-seventh centuries in ancient India symbolised a belief in fertility worship, worship of the female principle with the Devi/Goddess supreme as the Energy/Power the substance of everything, pervading everything. In Orissa in particular, the shakta/tantra cults played a major role in the religion and culture of the region and this is testified by its many temples and sculptural wonders therein. In this work, Prof. Donaldson presents a rich and variegated picture of the shakta/tantra art of Orissa, highlighting the evolving iconography of individual images. Based on largely first-hand study of the temples and their iconography and also referring to various textual sources, he deals with, in detail, the shakta mythology of the region along with its depiction in iconography. He focuses on different forms and depictions of the Goddess the Matrikas, Camunda, Naga/Nagi, Manasha/Jaratkuriu, Tara, the Mahavidyas, the Yoginis and Dakinis and images of Purusha/Prakriti, Agni/Soma and Linga/Yoni, Painstakingly analysing the architecture of a number of temples and their images. The work abounds in photographs (more than seven hundred) revealing the variety of forms of the Goddess and their widespread distribution and provides many maps, diagrams and iconographical charts as well. A thorough research giving attention to minute details even while studying a wide range of iconographical traditions and forms, this work will prove an indispensable source book for young as well as established scholars.
This book explores the roots of kathaka dance forms to reveal its sublime and divine dimension. It discusses the concept of Tantra and Sound and their manifestation in kathaka. It also analyses the distinct yantra formations both in the dance as well as the dance floor.
The Indian perspective has always been holistic and all-inclusive: thought and activity in different fields, at different levels, have been interlinked to produce what has been timeless. Indian arts is a classic example of such amalgamation: it interlinks aspects of art, philosophy, mythology, religion, and mysticism. This book is an attempt to unravel such links with specific reference to the Kathaka dance form. Dr. Ranjana Srivastava explores the roots of Kathaka dance form to reveal its sublime, philosophic, esoteric and divine dimensions. Focussing on inter-relationships, she unfolds how dance embraces other disciplines of Yoga Tantra, Mantra and Yantra. She discusses the concept of Tantra and its approximation and application to the dance form the way Kathaka absorbed the sacred knowledge within its form. She deals with the importance and aspects of sound in the Hindu religious scheme and its manifestation in Kathaka. Explaining the significance of the yantra as a diagrammatic/geometric representation and the way it functions, she analyses the techniques of Kathaka which create distinct yantra formations both in the physical movements of the dancer in the surrounding space as well as on the dancing floor. The study abounds in extensive notes to explain numerous terms and concepts and has references to noted works and authors on the subject. The book will be useful to experts and students of Indian art and, in particular, dance and will interest general people keen to know more about Indias art traditions.
There may be many publications dealing with Ganesa, but only a few take original Sanskrit texts into consideration. Since the Tantric aspects of the deity have been studied too little, this book details fourteen forms of Ganesa as described in the Vidyarnavatantra.
Although the number of publications dealing with Ganesha is not insignificant, few take original Sanskrit texts into consideration. The Tantric aspects of the deity have certainly been studied too little. This book contributes to our knowledge of this less familiar side of Ganesha. It describes his forms according to the Vidyarnavatantra, a large compilation on mantrashastra attributed to Vidyaranya Yati and compiled around the seventeenth century. This text gives the iconographic peculiarities, mantras, and yantras of fourteen forms of Ganesha as well as instructions for the ritual application of the mantras.
It is the study of the yogic developments in the Mahanadi Valley which evolved erotic mysticism and examines the evolution of Tantric Cults. With numerous illustrations, it emphasises on the art and architectural expressions of tantric belief. Furthermore the concept of sex to super-consciousness has been described in detail.
This is a brilliant cultural-anthropological study exploring those hedonistic aspects of the pan-Indian heritage which, represented by centuries of the non-Vedic, Tantric tradition, affirm that the pleasurable, especially the sexually pleasurable, is natural as a means to achieve the highest mystical experience. Himself a Tantric initiate, Prem Saran offers a compelling, sympathetic analysis of Tantrism, its place in the Bengali and Assamese cultures, and its pervasiveness in pan-Indian thought and ritual generally. Prem Sarans is also a cultural critique of modern Indian values and life-ways. In addition, it is an exercise in methodology, employing certain anthropological tools and concepts like “Cultural Debate”, “Cultural Criticism”, “Hindu Renaissance” and “Pizza-effect” the last three having been developed by the late Professor Agehananda Bharati whom the author acknowledges as a “constant source of encouragement” during the last decade. Though tantra is juxtaposed to Vedic traditions as a heterodox, life-affirming tradition, which is both ancient and basic to Hindu interpretations of being, its hedonistic contents have been purposely neglected or suppressed, partly because of the continuing hold of Victorian morality (imbibed from the British missionaries and colonial rulers), and partly because the erotic route to mystical achievement has always been a secret, minority path. Tantra: Hedonism in Indian Culture will, therefore, fill an existing lacuna in the cultural-anthropology of South Asia. The book carries a Foreword by the distinguished anthropologist, Professor Mattison Mines of the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.
This volume presents an in-depth study of a distinct temple ritual cult of Kerala, a tradition deeply rooted within the Vedic ritualistic fold and characterized by Smarta-Pauranika beliefs and customs, which still remains to be a less explored subject, and its present institutionalized structure.
Kerala Tantra is a regional phenomenon, which is an offshoot or synthesis of Saiddhantika and Pancaratra tantric ritual rites. It is a tradition deeply rooted within the Vedic ritualistic fold and characterized by Smarta-Pauranika beliefs and customs.
This volume is a general, but a serious and in-depth study of distinct temple ritual cult of Kerala. Kerala Tantra still remains to be a less explored subject. There is no exclusive study on the ritual peculiarities of Kerala Tantra. This book focuses on filling that gap covering extensively the prominent characteristics of the unique ritual cult of Kerala.
The data presented in the book are based on many unpublished and less-known, but authentic manuscripts of late medieval period, and interviews with previous and current generations of tantrins and their testimonies. It covers the great traditions of Tantra, Kerala Tantra, and transmission of tantric knowledge through formal and informal methods. It also talks about the institutionalization of Tantric education, taking a cue from the context of Vedic and Sanskrit education of Kerala.
The present book is the fourth enlarged edition of the earlier book Tarkasastra Ek Roop Rekha. The current edition includes an additional chapter on Uses of Language and its Functions. Like the earlier book, the present book sets forth the principles and procedures of elementary Logic in the most simplified way and is specifically designed and intended for the use of undergraduate students. It contains almost all the main topics on Deductive, Inductive and Symbolic Logic prescribed in the syllabi of different universities in the country.
The present book is the fourth enlarged edition of the earlier book A Text Book of Logic-An Introduction. The current edition includes an additional chapter on Uses of Language and its Functions. Like the earlier book, the present book sets forth the principles and procedures of elementary Logic in the most simplified way and is specifically designed and intended for the use of undergraduate students. It contains almost all the main topics on Deductive, Inductive and Symbolic Logic prescribed in the syllabi of different universities in the country. The book attempts to present a clear perspective on Logic as a science of correct reasoning. In the introductory chapter the aim of Logic and the task of a Logician are elaborated. Other topics covered here are Terms, Propositions, Immediate Inference, Syllogism, Boolean Equations, Venn Diagrams, Anti-Logism Theorem, Truth Functions, Truth Table, Deductive Method, Predicate Calculus, Scientific Inductions, Causation, Mill’s Methods and Informal Fallacies to mention a few. All the topics are explained with the help of diagrams and lucid examples. Each chapter is followed by plenty of exercises for the benefit of students.
Twelve authentic papers six in Hindi and six in English as part of the Tattvabodha series deal with varied subjects of India’s knowledge system. These papers are from well-known experts and can be of great interest to students, researchers and scholars of Indology.
The National Mission for Manuscripts was established in February 2003 by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India with the purpose of locating, documenting, preserving and disseminating the knowledge content of India’s handwritten manuscripts, said to be the largest collection of handwritten knowledge documents in the world. While looking ahead to reconnect with the knowledge of the past, the Mission is in the process of trying to re-contextualize the knowledge contained in manuscripts for the present and the future generations.
The Mission launched a lecture series titled ßTattvabodhaû in January 2005. Since then, a monthly lecture series is organized in Delhi and other academic centres all over the country. Tattvabodha has established itself as a forum for intellectual discourse, debate and discussion. Eminent scholars representing different aspects of India’s knowledge systems have addressed and interacted with highly receptive audiences over the course of the past few years.
The present volume, fourth in this series, comprises 12 lectures delivered under Tattvabodha lectures series. A glance at the list of contributors will reveal that the Mission has had the privilege of hosting the finest exponents of Indian culture and the compilation of their lectures makes for invaluable literature.
These well-researched papers talk about ancient texts like the lost texts of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy, the Kalpagamasamgraha written by Aryadasa which is a commentary on Vedic text, and the manuscripts on the Natyashastra and its text. The lucidly presented studies include an interesting textual criticism and critical reading of the text Abhijnanashakuntala by Kalidasa. They examine concepts such as that of Vak with special reference to Bhartrihari that involves a detailed scrutiny of the concept as understood in the Vedas and till Bhartrihari’s time, and the Advaita concept as available in Vedic hymns. They deal with the problems involved in editing texts on astrology and manuscripts on music. They include a survey of the manuscripts available in the Himalayan region. A study on original Persian sources to throw light on the India of the past comes in as an attempt to highlight significance of using original sources to understand Indian history.
The volume, covering wide-ranging subjects penned by experts in various fields, will surely interest scholars and students of Indology.
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