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This book takes the reader on a journey through the magical and fascinating world of Hindu gods and goddesses and answers the often asked questions about the evolution and myths of these fabulous deities. Here are exciting tales of the eternal battle between gods and demons, the churning of the ocean, the romance of celestial maidens and the boons and curses of ancient sages.
Rajayoga Meditation Course by BK Jagdish Chander Pdf
The study or recitation of sacred texts for one week continuously is considered in India to be of special sanctity and of great spiritual merit. Here, it is customary for the religious-minded people to arrange for one-week recitation of a scripture, styling it as ‘Shrimad Bhagwat Week’ or ‘The Gita Week’. It would be worthwhile to know how and when this practice or tradition of holding seven-day religious congregations for reading out the legends or scriptures started. It is sincerely hoped that by hearing, reading, recapitulating and practising this Knowledge and Yoga in the aforesaid manner, man would attain purity, peace and bliss and would feel himself a highly blessed and lucky person.
Author : James F. Fisher Publisher : Walter de Gruyter Page : 585 pages File Size : 41,8 Mb Release : 2011-06-24 Category : History ISBN : 9783110806496
The Triumph of the Goddess by C. Mackenzie Brown Pdf
The authors of the Devī-Bhāgavata Purāna endeavored to demonstrate the superiority of the Devī over competing masculine deities, and to articulate in new ways the manifold nature of the Goddess. Brown's book sets out to examine how the Purana pursues these ends. The Devī-Bhāgavata employs many ancient myths and motifs from older masculine theologies, incorporating them into a thoroughly "feminized" theological framework. The text also seeks to supplant older "masculine" canonical authorities. Part I of Brown's study explores these strategies by focusing on the Purana's self-conscious endeavor to supersede the famous VaisBhagavata Purana. The Devī-Bhāgavata also re-envisions older mythological traditions about the Goddess, especially those in the first great Sanskritic glorification of the Goddess, the Devi-Mahatmya. Brown shows in Part II how this re-envisioning process transforms the Devī from a primarily martial and erotic goddess into the World-Mother of infinite compassion. Part III examines the Devi Gita, the philosophical climax of the Purana modeled upon the Bhagavad Gita. The Devi Gita, while affirming that ultimate reality is the divine Mother, avows that her highest form as consciousness encompasses all gender, thereby suggesting the final triumph of the Goddess. It is not simply that She is superior to the male gods, but rather that She transcends Her own sexuality without denying it.
We are aware of the Puranas in Hindu society. As an Indian even if you have not read them, they shape your behavior. These stories permeate the air of Bharat. Whether we believe in them or not, they determine our value system. All our festivals, ceremonies, and the way we celebrate them, are narrated to us in these Puranic stories. There are thousands of stories, and even for a brilliant mind, it is impossible to remember all of them. Collectively, as a society, we remember these stories, but as individuals, we struggle to know all. The purpose of these stories was to unite society. The stories that unite people depend on the society. The type of stories that will unite people depends on the political system, ethnic diversity in society, available resources, wealth distribution among citizens, geographical features such as deserts, snowy mountains, overflowing riverbanks, plateaus with good agriculture and water, or areas surrounded by dense forests with unknown diseases, etc. After twelve hundred years of barbaric invasions and colonization, when Bharat became free on 15th August 1947 and chose to be a democratic nation with immense diversity, the question arises: how do we unite the society? Stories revolving around military heroes or successful business ventures are one way to connect with people and unite society. However, these individual stories do not provide us with the broader narrative of a civilizational nation. We cannot unite Bharat in the same way as the USA, Greece, Iran, Saudi Arabia, or China. Bharat is a civilizational nation, and on top of that, we have vast diversity, population, and poverty. Engaging 1.4 billion people of a democratic nation who speak over 400+ languages, and embrace dozens of religious and ethnic diversities in nation-building is an immense challenge. That's why, despite one's education, experience, or intelligence, without divine blessings, whether you are a nation or an individual both will suffer. Bharat has a long tradition of writing and narrating Pauranic stories, and in a democratic system, we need to harness this art to unite society. However, this time, the stories should steer clear of concepts like heaven and hell. They should also avoid focusing on the gods and goddesses of the sky. Citizens should not prioritize to an afterlife but instead strive for a meaningful, peaceful existence on the land we call Rashtra or nation. Namo Purana is a grand narrative of Bharat. Glory, struggle, and progress from Vedic times to 2023 are compressed within this book. It encapsulates everything essential about Bharat, its Vedic time, peaks, struggle, rise, and resurgence. This is not a book focused on any specific topic like spirituality, history, geography, or economy. Instead, it is a Purana that delves into every aspect of Maa Bharati's life. Readers will encounter a wide range of topics in this work, including spirituality, dharma, religion, history, geography, trade and business, economy, culture, politics, geopolitics, war and conflicts, agriculture, literature, biographies, Bhakti Yoga, Jnyana Yoga, Karma Yoga, sociology, colonization, patriotism, nationalism, constitution, law and order, and the dos and don'ts of good governance. Each is discussed briefly to inspire the citizens of Bharat to understand their motherland, its struggles, and challenges. One should neither look up to any other nation with awe nor look down on any other nation. All nations on the planet are equal, and their residents are our family members residing in different houses. Therefore, it's important to respect and care for all, while ensuring that our Rashtra, our home, is safe and peaceful for ourselves and future generations.
Marriage, Religion and Society by Giri Raj Gupta Pdf
Originally published in 1974, the conclusions of the book are based on intensive field-work during 1963-66 in a village in south-east Rajasthan, India. Although the marriages of 158 boys and 163 girls were studied, the relevance of the conclusions drawn extends far beyond the village and its region since it reveals the changing themes and values in Indian society at the time. The perceptive analysis of rites and ceremonies of marriage further illuminates the central problem of the book – how the themes of the Dharmasastras are interpreted and acted upon in village life and what kinds of reinforcements and incentives to change they provide to the various units of social structure. The author contends that the series of marriage rites manifest the continuity of tradition, a ritual epitomisation of caste interdependence and means of systematic social advancement. At the time ritual idioms and patterns of social exchange were beginning to change, more often in observance than in content. Traditional sources of status aggrandisement continued to provide new pathways to the forces of modernisation and unveil several clues to the innovative strategies of change. This scholarly study filled the need for a realistic appraisal of the relationship between marriage practices, religious values and the changing social structure.
Author : Vicki Pomeroy Publisher : Deep in the Indian Himalaya Page : 360 pages File Size : 40,8 Mb Release : 2008 Category : Social Science ISBN : 0615156975
A collection of true stories written by an American woman living in a remote village in Pauri Garhwal, India. A colorful cast of characters takes readers beyond the superficial glimpse of conventional travel narratives, lending humanity to the otherwise nameless faces outside tour bus windows, while giving readers a profound, multifaceted introduction into the unique character and traditions of the Garhwali people: Their deep faith in god, primitive village conditions, the family, Hindu worship ceremonies, tantra-mantra rituals, small-terraced farming, humility, animal husbandry, focus on the group (as opposed to the individual), elaborate weddings, patience, a strong work ethic, ghosts, poverty, complex funerary rites, animal sacrifice, curses, the caste system, adherence to custom, restricted education & employment opportunities, soothsayers, god possessions, an intimate relationship with nature, fortitude, friendliness and immense respect for elders, ancestors & guests.
Religious Giving and the Invention of Karma in Theravada Buddhism by James Egge Pdf
Demonstrates that Buddhists appropriated the practice, vocabulary, and ideology of sacrifice from Vedic religion, and discusses the relationship of this sacrificial discourse to ideas of karma in the Pali canon and in early Buddhism.
Yogic Secrets of the Dark Goddess by Shambhavi L. Chopra Pdf
Yogic Secrets of the Dark Goddess unfolds the mystic beauty of Kali, the most powerful but misunderstood of the great goddesses of India. Probably the most comprehensive and innovative examination of Ma Kali in recent decades, the book reveals all dimensions of life and consciousness in Kali’s tranformative dance.
Temple Architecture of the Western Himalaya by Omacanda Hāṇḍā Pdf
The Present Study, Divided Into Two Parts, Deals With The Socio-Geographical Mosaic, The Racio-Cultural Background And Discusses The Factors Responsible For The Development Of The Wooden Temple Architecture In The Western Himalayas.
Faith Movements and Social Transformation by Samta P. Pandya Pdf
This book examines the role of Hindu-inspired faith movements (HIFMs) in contemporary India as actors in social transformation. It further situates these movements in the context of the global political economy where such movements cross national boundaries to locate believers among the Hindu diaspora and others. In contemporary neoliberal India, HIFMs have become important actors, and they realize themselves by making public assertions through service. The four pillars of the contemporary presence of such movements are: gurus, sociality, hegemony and social transformation. Gurus, who spearhead these movements, create a matrix of possible meanings in their public discourses which their followers pick up to create messages of personal and social change. Sociality is a core strategy of proliferation across such movements and implies social service, which is qualified by memories of the guru and what they are believed to embody. Hegemony is reflected in the fact that social service in such movements often ominously imbibes right-wing or far-right Hinduism. They propose a model of Hindu-inspired social transformation, involving faith building into and transforming the civil society. The book discusses in a nuanced way several Hindu-inspired faith movements of various hues which have made national and international impact. This topical book is of interest to students and researchers in the fields of sociology, anthropology, social work, and social psychology, with a special interest in the study of religious movements.
The British claimed that India’s Adivasi population lay beyond the pale of mainstream Hindu society. Yet even a cursory mapping of the spiritual-cultural landscape reveals a deep symbiotic relationship between tribals and non-tribals, which is amply reflected in the ancient literature and inscriptions. Indeed, it was also noted by colonial anthropologists and ethnographers (mainly British officials), who deliberately delinked tribals from Hindu society through the imposition of racial categories and census classifications. Tribals have made an enormous contribution to India’s civilisation; all major gods of the Indic tradition have tribal links. Shiva was worshipped by forest-dwelling communities in large parts of the country, as were Vishnu’s incarnations as Varaha (boar) and Narasimha (lion). Vishnu, in fact, evolved out of several distinct deities, notably Vasudeva, the supreme lord of the Vrishni/Satvata tribe; Krishna of the Yadava clan; Gopala of the Abhira tribe and Narayana of the Hindukush mountains. Similarly, Gautama Buddha hailed from the Sakya tribe; Vardhaman Mahavira was a scion of the Jnatrikas. There is to this day a close relationship between the Kurumba, Lambadi, Yenadi, Yerukula and Chenchu tribes and Shri Venkateshwar of Tirupathi. Lord Ayyappam in Kerala and Mata Vaishno Devi in Jammu also appear to have tribal links. All these gods and temples, as also that of Jagannath in Puri, enjoy a pre-eminent status in the classical Hindu pantheon. Even caste, long regarded as the keynote of Hindu society, possibly originated in the tribal clan or gotra. The term ‘jat’ or ‘jati’ is used equally for caste and tribe in most Indian languages and tribal dialects. Moreover, the defining characteristics of tribes apply equally to castes, such as claims of descent from a common ancestor, common language, endogamy and clan exogamy, caste/tribal councils, certain taboos in matters of diet and marriage alliances, presence of hierarchy within groups and limited self-sufficiency. Mahatma Gandhi insisted that tribals are an inalienable part of Hindu society. This work suggests that tribal society constitutes the keynote and the bedrock of Hindu civilisation.