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The Goddess Within a...
The Goddess Within and Beyond the Three Cities
Shakta Tantra and the Paradox of Power in Nepala- Mandala by: Jeffrey S. LidkeThis volume combines the study of primary sources on Shakta Tantra with the investigation of living interpretations of these sources by contemporary Nepalese practitioners. It is twenty-year analysis on a specific Tantric tradition Shri Vidya a specific deity Tripurasundari a specific text Nityashodashikarnava and a specific set of initiates within a specific locale the Kathmandu Valley.
₹1,980.00
ISBN: 9788124608760
Year Of Publication: 2017
Edition: 1st Edition
Pages : xxviii + 376 p.
Bibliographic Details : 12 coloured and 17 b/w plates, Glossary, Bibliography and Index
Language : English
Binding : Hardcover
Publisher: D.K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
Foreword By : Douglas R. Brooks
Size: 25
Weight: 1200
In this groundbreaking study on Sarvamnaya Shakta Tantra in Nepal, Jeffrey S. Lidke combines the study of primary sources with the investigation of living interpretations of these sources by contemporary Nepalese practitioners. Lidke focuses his twenty-year analysis on a specific Tantric tradition Shri Vidya a specific deity Tripurasundari a specific text Nityashodashikarnava and a specific set of initiates within a specific locale the Kathmandu Valley.
This emphasis on specificity enables the author to contextualize his study within the unique Nepalese historical and sociocultural context, and thereby to represent Sarvamnaya Shakta Tantra not as a static, universal ism present in a single form throughout the subcontinent, but as a dynamic place-specific tradition reflecting the nuanced ways that peoples and institutions shape their religious traditions according to the power negotiations that arise in Tantric worlds in which individuals imagine they can be like the gods they worship.
The central symbol that drives these negotiations in Nepal is the mandala, a pan-Tantric instrument of worship by which Tantric practitioners be they kings, commoners, artisans or warriors navigate, imagine and identify with the territories in which they live and strive to obtain their mundane and spiritual aims.
The mandalas ubiquitous presence is found not just overtly in city designs, temple architecture and a seemingly infinite array of artistic representations (including sculpture, painting, music and dance) but also covertly in the secret rituals and meditation practices of initiates at all levels of Nepalese society, ranging from lower caste girls to the former kings of Nepal.
Foreword Douglas R. Brooks
Preface Sthaneshwar Timalsina
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Tracking the Stories of Devi
1. The Goddess Embodied: Tripurasundari and the Tricosmos
2. Tantric Sadhana: Harnessing the Powers of Shakti
3. The Mandala-Hologram: Centres, Peripheries, and the Dance of Power
4. The Reverberating Goddess: The Kumari and the King
Conclusion: Will the Devis Power Be Enough?
Appendix A: Nityashodashikarnava: An Annotated Translation of the Mangala-Shlokas in Chapters 1, 4 and 5 along with the Commentaries by Shivananda and Vidyananda
Appendix B: Index of Shri-Vidya Paddhatis at Nepals National Archives
Appendix C: Inscriptions from Bhaktapur Tripurasundari Vidya-Pitha and Dolakhas Devikotta
Glossary
Bibliography
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Sale!Lalita-Sahasranama A Comprehensive Study of One Thousand Names of Lalita Maha-Tripurasundari ₹1,350.00
In the Hindu sacred literature, Sahasra-namas: the texts embodying literally “the Thousand Names” of a deity, constitute a genre in their own right. And Lalita-Sahasranama (LS) is a veritable classic in the traditional writings of the kind — a classic widely acknowledged for its lucidity, clarity and poetic excellence. A medieval work of unknown authorship eulogising Shakti: the Mother Goddess, this Sahasranama is not just a masterly exposition of Shri Lalita’s cult, but also sets out the deity’s diverse epithets — like, for instance, Kundalini, Nirguna, Saguna, Parashakti or Brahman — which continue to evoke reverence as mantras with ‘mystic powers’. Also included among these names are the goddess’s other panegyric descriptions that have come to have profound, esoteric connotations in tantric practices — epitomizing, thus, the fundamental tenets of tantrashastra. Here is a brilliant critical edition of Lalita-Sahasranama meticulously analysing, for the first time, each of Shri Lalita’s thousand names — by a variety of themes, like the Goddess’s conceptual representations, anthropomorphic forms, disposition, abodes, kinships/consorts, ritualistic worship, and her supremacy in pantheonic hierarchy. Also explaining and interpreting anew these thousand names on the basis of time-honoured commentaries, Dr. Joshi under-scores the high importance of Lalita-Sahasranama in philosophy, tantra, yoga, sahasranama literature, and rituals of various descriptions. The book includes the original Sanskrit text of LS, its romanised transliteration and, additionally, an Appendix listing Sri Lalita’s thousand names in the A-Z sequence.
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Sale!Lalita-Sahasranama A Comprehensive Study of One Thousand Names of Lalita Maha-Tripurasundari (PB) ₹765.00
In the Hindu sacred literature, Sahasra-namas: the texts embodying literally “the Thousand Names” of a deity, constitute a genre in their own right. And Lalita-Sahasranama (LS) is a veritable classic in the traditional writings of the kind — a classic widely acknowledged for its lucidity, clarity and poetic excellence. A medieval work of unknown authorship eulogising Shakti: the Mother Goddess, this Sahasranama is not just a masterly exposition of Shri Lalita’s cult, but also sets out the deity’s diverse epithets — like, for instance, Kundalini, Nirguna, Saguna, Parashakti or Brahman — which continue to evoke reverence as mantras with ‘mystic powers’. Also included among these names are the goddess’s other panegyric descriptions that have come to have profound, esoteric connotations in tantric practices — epitomizing, thus, the fundamental tenets of tantrashastra. Here is a brilliant critical edition of Lalita-Sahasranama meticulously analysing, for the first time, each of Shri Lalita’s thousand names — by a variety of themes, like the Goddess’s conceptual representations, anthropomorphic forms, disposition, abodes, kinships/consorts, ritualistic worship, and her supremacy in pantheonic hierarchy. Also explaining and interpreting anew these thousand names on the basis of time-honoured commentaries, Dr. Joshi under-scores the high importance of Lalita-Sahasranama in philosophy, tantra, yoga, sahasranama literature, and rituals of various descriptions. The book includes the original Sanskrit text of LS, its romanised transliteration and, additionally, an Appendix listing Sri Lalita’s thousand names in the A-Z sequence.
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Sale!Impact of Tantra on Religion and Art ₹495.00
With its roots (perhaps) in the prehistoric times, Tantra is a unique, highly complex spiritual tradition of India. Which is hard to define and still harder to be grasped by the non-initiated largely because of its occult and mysteriously ritualistic elements, often accompanied by equally mysterious mantras, yantras, kriyas and even sexual practices. As a religious philosophy, this esoteric cult of Shakti: the female principle, seeks to discover the source of cosmic power within the human body through intensely specialized yogic activity. And, like yoga, it transcends religious boundaries. Introducing this non-Vedic, esoteric cult in an altogether fresh perspective, the book looks at tantra: both as a philosophy and as a spiritual tradition in its own right, and how tantrism has, in the past, been an irresistible influence not only on major Indian religions (Brahmanical Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism), but on arts as well. Dr. Mishra authenticates his findings with evidence from numerous Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta, Buddhist, and Jaina texts on religion, philosophy, art and iconography. The author, who has had long, personal interactions with some of the living tantrikas, also tries to dispel certain distortions woven around Tantric religion to contextually offer an unbiased account of its evolution, cultic variations, culture, philosophy, mysticism, and cardinal concepts and tenets. Together with relevant visual material, Dr. Mishras work will, thus, evoke as much interest in discerning readers as in the scholars of Indian religions, traditional philosophy, arts and art history.
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Sale!Tibetan Tantric Vision ₹1,350.00
Tibetan Buddhism has held a place of its own in the Buddhist tradition, having preserved and evolved the religious culture of the Vajrayana, the final phase of Buddhism in India. Within that, the Tibetan Tantric belief has a unique significance and it has made a memorable contribution to the literature on Tibetan Buddhism. This authoritative work deals with the theory and practice of Tibetan Buddhism in a comprehensive manner. It presents a study of Tibetan Tantricism beginning with an account of the historical, religious and cultural evolution of Tibetan Buddhism and delving into the intricacies of practice of the religion. Dr. Krishna Ghosh discusses the many deities of the tradition as representing a wide range of religious experience from the primitive to the sublime. She lays bare the complex vision of Tibetan Tantric Buddhist philosophy and sadhana, clearing it of the obscurantism associated with the belief system for long. The work abounds in illustrations line drawings and photographs and has numerous references to original works by Tibetan and other scholars. The book is written in an easy-accessible style to allow a broad range of readers to familiarise themselves with Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. Its penetrating insights into the subject would make it an invaluable work for scholars and practitioners of the tradition.
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Sale!Precognitive Dreams in Kashmir Saivism ₹810.00
Precognitive dreams appear to predict the future through a sixth sense. Historically, there are a lot of references to precognitive dreams responsible for great discoveries and showcasing big happenings. This volume is an attempt to illuminate and rediscover precognition in dreams in a different perspective of investigation in the light of Kashmir Saivism about reality and consciousness.
In the process, the book introduces readers to dreams and consciousness, underlining evidences, references and descriptions of the phenomenon. To enlighten one on the concept of precognition on the basis of reflectionism, it illustrates the Pure and Reflected Consciousness, and how one attains spiritual powers like precognition through japa, dana, tapa, puja and so on, based on the findings from Tantraloka and Pratyabhijnasastra. Further, it surveys the complete philosophical physiology of precognitive dreams with respect to concepts like pramata, prameya and pramana.
While establishing a uniform principle lying in the back of precognition, it lets future scope for investigation on precognition and the myssteries of this phenomenon, giving the book a high referral value to all in the field of psychology and parapsychology.
