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Eternal Hinduism

by: Baidyanath Saraswati

This work on the essentials of Hinduism focuses on the anthropocosmic nature of the religion – the cosmic law of nature and culture on which it is founded. It balances social reality and scriptural description with a dynamic analysis of the interacting elements to remove many popular misconceptions about Hinduism.

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ISBN: 9788124602492
Year Of Publication: 2004
Edition: 1st
Pages : viii, 192
Bibliographic Details : 5 Line-drawings; Glossary; Bibliography; Index
Language : English
Binding : Hardcover
Publisher: D.K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
Size: 23 cm.
Weight: 450

Overview

Many misconceptions circulate about Hinduism, mainly because scholars have relied exclusively on popular sources or political slogans of Hinduttva. The Eternal Hinduism, which is fundamentally a study of text and context, balances social reality and scriptural description with a dynamic analysis of the interacting elements. It cannot be understood on the basis of non-rational factor of one God, the Almighty. As an anthropocosmic religion, Hinduism has a great beauty. It can be understood by reading the cosmic law of nature and culture. This book sums up the essentials of Hinduism. It will be useful to a range of readers — scholars of Hindu religious thought and philosophy as well as general readers interested in understanding the essential Hindu religious thinking and belief.

Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The Cosmic Vision
Conscious
Numinous
2. The Primordial thought
Four Castes
Five Elements
3. The Sacred Performances
Four Codes
Mantra — Mudra — Dhvani — Vyavaharaka
Sixteen Sacraments
Garbhadhana — Pursavana — Samantonnayanam — Jatakarman — Namakarana — Niukramana — Annapranana — Canakarana — Karnavedha — Vidyarambha — Upanayana — Vedarambha — Keranta — Samavartana — Vivaha — Antyeuni
4. The Founding Faith
Organizing Principles
Acting Faith — Thinking Faith — Loving Faith — Natural Faith — Nirbandha, without ties — Nalakantha, blueneck — Nityasuddha, all-time purity — Nityamaigala, all time auspicious — Nityananda, all time blissful
Religious Expressions
Simple — Complex — Mixed — Geographical — Cosmological — Archetypal
5. The Numinous-Consciousness
Pilgrimage
Renunciation
Shaiva — Vaishnava — Others
6. The Contemporary Milieu
Secularism
Nationalism
7. The Cosmic Play
Human Thought
Culture Cycles
Bibliography
Glossary of Conceptual Terms

Meet the Author
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B.N. Saraswati obtained his PhD from Ranchi University and specializes in the anthropology of religion and Indian civilization. He is the former UNESCO Professor at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. He was associated with the Anthropological Survey of India, Kolkata, for a decade, and another decade at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. During this period he did extensive field work in rural India and conducted a detailed study of Varanasi. Most recently he has been drawing out relevant themes from traditional thought and modern science to build up indigenous anthropology from within. He has authored The Sacred Science of Man, Ascetics of Kashi, and The Nature of Man and Culture: Alternate Paradigms in Anthropology, as well as many other books and publications.