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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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