Showing 161–170 of 241 results
This interesting compendium highlights the importance and stature of women Rishikas in the Vedic literature as epitomes of spiritual attainments, and emphasises that the gender discrimination as seen in the Hindu traditional thought was a later phenomenon. It provides a list of women Rishikas and mantras envisioned by them.
The volume presents a study of the famous women Rishikas mentioned in the Vedic literature.
The book describes the great respect offered to seers in the Vedic literature and the equal importance given to Rishikas when compared to Rishis. Discussing how even women of the Vedic period were epitomes of spiritual attainment, the book admiringly points out that the gender discrimination seen in the Hindu traditional thought was a later phenomenon (such as that women are not adhikaris for the study of the Vedas). It states that there are twenty-seven women mantra-drashtarah in the Rigveda. It provides a list of these women Rishikas and deals with the mantras envisioned by them. The Rishikas are mentioned in the study on the basis of those who praised the deities, those who conversed with the seers and deities, and those who praised the self. The Rishikas mentioned in the Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda are also mentioned. Rishikas whose individual contributions are taken up in detail include Vagambhrni, Surya-Savitri, Shraddha, Daksina, Aditi, Ratri, and Urvashi, among others.
The volume is bound to be a handy reference book for all those interested in Indology, particularly students and scholars of Vedic and gender studies.
The book studies the outstanding features of 31 famous palaces, pavilions and residences of the ruling class in different parts of Medieval India, from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century. It illustrates and discusses the layout plan of each building in detail.
The book brings out the outstanding features of the palaces, pavilions and residences of the ruling class in medieval India from the 13th to the 18th century. The focus is on structures that represent a group on religious and ethnic lines, i.e. Hindu/Islamic rulers, Indo-European Hindu or Dravidian Hindu or Afghani or Turk or Iranian rulers, and structures characteristic of particular periods and locales. Presenting some 31 famous buildings including the City Palace of Udaipur and Jaipur and the Lal Qila, Delhi and pleasure pavilions like the Hauz Khas, Delhi and Farah Bagh, Ahmadnagar, the work studies palaces and pavilions from the different regions of India. It illustrates the layout plan of each building in detail. Dr. Fredrick W. Bunce discusses the size, elaborateness or luxury of the royal structures which underlined the kings right to rule. With elaborate notes, he showcases their characteristics such as their tendency towards axiality and their symmetrical aspect, the Hindu rulers choice of the immutable square for the plan and their reliance on the shilpa-shastras, the east-west alignment of the structures, the labyrinthine character of residences/palaces, and their iconography that is unique to the Indian subcontinent. The volume has appendices that give the plans of other great structures of India and the world, list the major rulers of kingdoms in Indias different regions and provide a chronological list of major Indian monuments. The book will be extremely useful to students and scholars of Indian cultural history, particularly relating to architecture and iconography.
This book studies the way both Hinduism and Christianity have related sacrifice to the reality of the whole cosmos including the material universe Þ the Vedic view is seen as the best example of creation through sacrifice and the Christian cross as that of redemption through divine sacrifice.
In Hinduism, yajna has been at the centre of Vedic thought and practice, epic and Puranic literature. The Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita add new dimensions to it through their spiritualization and interiorization and raising tapas and bhakti into sacrifice. The concept of sacrifice has been transformed into an ethical, spiritual and political value by Tilak and Gandhi in modern Hinduism. Christianitys interpretation of the mission of Jesus as a true, non-ritual sacrifice resulted in the gift of salvation to the world. The volume presents a deep understanding of the concept of sacrifice which is a central thought in Hinduism and Christianity. It studies the way the two traditions have related sacrifice to the reality of the whole cosmos including the material universe. The Vedic view is seen as the best example of creation through divine sacrifice, and the Christian Cross as that of redemption through divine sacrifice. The cosmic dynamism of the Eucharistic sacrifice is revealed through a study of four theologians. In this painstaking work sacrifice is examined as a complex universal phenomenon which has many-sided and multifaceted religious connotations. Thus it discovers the complementarity and interconnection between Vedism and Christianity. The book presents a new approach to study of religions and religious concepts. It would prove useful for scholars of religious studies.
Dr. Tagares book unfolds the essence of Saivism and its principal philosophical expressions. Spelling out Saivisms fundamental concepts, it offers a discussion of the major agama-based Saiva Schools besides the Vedic Pasupatism.
Along with Brahma and Vishnu, Shiva makes the Hindu trinity: the trimurti. The name, Shiva signifies auspiciousness. But he is Rudra: the fierce, as well. Often looked upon as the principle of cosmic destruction, he also creates and reproduces. In abstract terms, Shiva is the first cause, the source of consciousness, the very substratum of the universe. Shaivism: the worship of Shiva, is not just a dominant religious tradition. It is also a philosophy which, over the centuries, has evolved metaphysical doctrines on different issues of universal concern, specially the nature of Reality: Shiva (pati), and of its interrelatedness with the Individual Soul (jivatman/pashu) and the world at large. Dr. Tagares book is a brilliant effort to quintessentially unfold Shaivism and its principal philosophical expressions. Spelling out a range of fundamental concepts like, for instance, pati (Shiva), pashu (individual soul), and moksha (liberation), the author offers a stimulating, highly systematic discussion of the major, agama-based Shaiva Schools, namely, Kashmir Shaivism, Siddhanta Shaivism, Shivadvaita (or Shaiva Vishishtadvaita of Shrikantha), and Vira-Shaivism (or Shakti-Vishishtadvaita); besides the Vedic Pashupatism with emphasis on how one school of Shaiva thought differs from the other. Finally describing some of its syncretic forms, Dr. Tagare demonstrates how Shaivism, through a balanced synthesis of yoga, karma and bhakti, inheres a strong relevance to the tension-riven world of our times. Together with a glossary of Sanskrit terms and many bibliographic references, the book holds out a lasting appeal to the scholars of Indology, traditional Indian philosophy, and religion.
The worship of Shakti (Mother Goddess) is almost a universal phenomenon and its manifestation is seen in different forms. This book incorporates a number of papers on multiple aspects of øàkta traditions practised in Varanasi continuing from hoary past to-date.
The worship of Shakti (mother Goddess) is almost a universal phenomenon and its manifestation is seen in different forms. Indian contribution has also been laudable and it is amply noticed through the figures of Mother-Goddesses even from the pre-Indus Culture. This was followed in the subsequent ages throughout India, and Varanasi being a great religious centre has also left an indelible imprint in this regard. This book incorporates a good number of papers on multiple aspects of Shakta traditions practised in Varanasi continuing from hoary past to-date. Beside philosophical, religious and cultural leanings the contents expose the iconographic, ritualistic and artistic rendering of the Divine Mother. Kashi or Varanasi has been a stronghold of religious and spiritual fervour; and several religious sects have contributed to its present texture. Saktism has also been a forceful current in the cultural stream of this holy city. This is evidenced by several Devi temples, Shakti-pithas, yantras, fairs and festivals associated with the worship of Mother-Goddess.
This study, in an ethono-historical perspective, explores the multi linear evolution of Sakti worship in Orissa: from the pre-/protohistorical times to the late medieval epoch, and its continuity into the modern period with contextual focus on its probable genesis, historical development, festivals, ritualistic patterns, and cultural sources including myths, legends and folklore.
In the Hindu world-view, Shakti is the Mother of the Universe: the highest primal power. She is, accordingly, the all-pervading, intagible energy principle that propels the cosmos and its endless human dimensions with the life-throbs of activity and culture. Many are her songs, countless her stories, numerous her names. Worship of Shakti, as a pan-Indian phenomenon, predates Sanskritic influences of every kind. Combining his extensive fieldwork with diverse published and unpublished sources: archaeological, historical and religious, Francesco Brighentis study traces its presence in Orissa. Which, perhaps, provides the best paradigm of an age-old Goddess cult, deeply rooted in the autochthonous religious traditions of Eastern India. It is the first, all-encompassing study, in an ethono-historical perspective, exploring the multilinear evolution of Shakti worship in Orissa: from the pre-/proto- historical times to the late medieval epoch, and even its continuity into the modern period with contextual focus on its probable genesis, historical development, festivals, ritualistic patterns, and cultural sources including myths, legends and folklore. The book also incorporates, besides a description of important Shakta centres in Orissa, a study of the Divine Mothers iconographic features in Her multifarious manifestations. Together with around hundred illustrations highlighting the varied representations of Shakti in sculpture, this study will interest not only the scholars of archaeology, history and religion, but historians of art as well.
Jainism regards life to be eternal. Recognizing that the soul can never die, but merely takes a new body, a careful tradition welcoming death through intentional fasting developed more than two thousand years ago. A legal challenge Rajasthan was put forward in 2013, suggesting that this practice is harmful and coercive and targets women in particular. For a short while SallekhanÀ, which means the thinning of existence, was declared illegal. In response to this controversy, three conferences were convened by the International School for Jain Studies to explore the legal, religious, and medical aspects of this practice. Experts discussed the long history of the practice, attested to in epigraphs throughout India; the ways in which fasting to death has become an acceptable practice in the Western world; and contemporary instances of its observance in India. This volume presents an interdisciplinary approach to thinking about the end of life, from biomedical, historical, religious, and legal perspectives.
Jainism regards life to be eternal. Recognizing that the soul can never die, but merely takes a new body, a careful tradition welcoming death through intentional fasting developed more than two thousand years ago. A legal challenge Rajasthan was put forward in 2013, suggesting that this practice is harmful and coercive and targets women in particular. For a short while Sallekhanā, which means the “thinning of existence,” was declared illegal. In response to this controversy, three conferences were convened by the International School for Jain Studies to explore the legal, religious, and medical aspects of this practice. Experts discussed the long history of the practice, attested to in epigraphs throughout India; the ways in which fasting to death has become an acceptable practice in the Western world; and contemporary instances of its observance in India. This volume presents an interdisciplinary approach to thinking about the end of life, from biomedical, historical, religious, and legal perspectives.
This book tries to look at samnyasins and the samnyasashrama in their long existence from the times of Shankara to the present day and also throws light on how scholars, common people, as well as the samnyasins themselves view their roles, both as individual personalities and as persons living in an institution relating to society as a whole.
The present book, Samnyasins in the Hindu Tradition: Changing Perspectives, covers a wide territory, trying to look at the samnyasins and the samnyasashrama in their long existence from the times of Shankara to the present day. This book traverses a slightly different trajectory from the usual book on samnyasins as it attempts an overview of the samnyasin and the institution over a long period from Vedic to post-Independence times and speculates on the future of the institution as well. Samnyasins and scholars not only from India, but from countries as diverse as Canada, South Africa, UK and USA also figure in this collection. The samnyasashramas covered also range from the traditional Advaita, Vishishthadvaita and Dvaita to include many more later ashrams such as the Vira Shaiva (Lingayat), Dharmapuram Adheenam, Arya Samaj, Shivananda Ashram, Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Narayan and many others. Another departure from other books on the subject is that it also compares institutions like the Ramakrishna Mission for instance, as they function in India and in foreign countries where they have established ashrams. In the midst of varied opinions regarding the samnyasin and the samnyasashrama this book will throw light on how scholars, common people, as well as the samnyasins themselves view their roles, both as individual personalities and as persons living in an institution relating to society as a whole.
This volume is a Birth Centenary tribute to Swami Lakshman Joo Raina (1907-1991), a great saint and scholar of Kashmir, who revived the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. The articles by scholars, disciples and devotees reflect on his life and work, and on his spiritual influence.
Swami Lakshman Joo Raina, also called Lakshman Brahmacarin and Ishvara Svarupa (1907Ý1991) was one of the greatest saints of 20th century India, who was at the same time an extraordinary scholar who relived and revived the almost forgotten tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. His high spiritual state was matched by his profound knowledge of the Shaiva scriptures and of the great thinkers and commentators of the tradition Þ Abhinavagupta, Kshemaraja and others. Swami Lakshman Joo lived a secluded life in his ashram in Kashmir, but he taught the texts of Kashmir Shaivism to Pandits and scholars from different countries, besides giving spiritual guidance to a number of seekers and disciples. On the occasion of his Birth Centenary, a volume in his memory is being brought out containing articles by scholar-disciples, devotees and relatives which throw light on the extraordinary life of this saint and on his contribution to reviving and continuing the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. Articles on his life by his close disciple Prabha Devi and his scholar-disciples Jaideva Singh and Jankinath Kaul `Kamal’, an exhaustive article on his place in the Kashmirian Shaiva tradition by Professor Alexis Sanderson of Oxford, to mention only a few, provide an insight into his saintly personality and his great qualities as a teacher. Even scholars and seekers who have never met him and have been deeply influenced by his spiritual presence have contributed an account of their experience. The volume is richly illustrated by historical photographs which provide a visual testimony of the life of Swami Lakshman Joo. A list of his published works is an important complement.
This volume is a Birth Centenary tribute to Swami Lakshman Joo Raina (1907-1991), a great saint and scholar of Kashmir, who revived the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. The articles by scholars, disciples and devotees reflect on his life and work, and on his spiritual influence.
Swami Lakshman Joo Raina, also called Lakshman Brahmacarin and Ishvara Svarupa (1907Ý1991) was one of the greatest saints of 20th century India, who was at the same time an extraordinary scholar who relived and revived the almost forgotten tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. His high spiritual state was matched by his profound knowledge of the Shaiva scriptures and of the great thinkers and commentators of the tradition Þ Abhinavagupta, Kshemaraja and others. Swami Lakshman Joo lived a secluded life in his ashram in Kashmir, but he taught the texts of Kashmir Shaivism to Pandits and scholars from different countries, besides giving spiritual guidance to a number of seekers and disciples. On the occasion of his Birth Centenary, a volume in his memory is being brought out containing articles by scholar-disciples, devotees and relatives which throw light on the extraordinary life of this saint and on his contribution to reviving and continuing the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. Articles on his life by his close disciple Prabha Devi and his scholar-disciples Jaideva Singh and Jankinath Kaul `Kamal’, an exhaustive article on his place in the Kashmirian Shaiva tradition by Professor Alexis Sanderson of Oxford, to mention only a few, provide an insight into his saintly personality and his great qualities as a teacher. Even scholars and seekers who have never met him and have been deeply influenced by his spiritual presence have contributed an account of their experience. The volume is richly illustrated by historical photographs which provide a visual testimony of the life of Swami Lakshman Joo. A list of his published works is an important complement.
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