Kategoria BISAC: Religion >> Hinduism - General

"Shri Krsna and Bhāgavat Dharma" discusses mainly four subjects: First the book considers Shri Krsna as Brahman, Ishvara or Bhagavān as is meant by 'Ishvarah paramah Krsnah sacchidānandavigrahah" meaning 'Krsna is Ishvara; He is Sat-Cit-Ānanda"; this has been supported by quotations from the Vedānta, Purānas and Vaishnava Shāstras. Second, the discussion is on Shri Krsna's divine...

• Shows Hinduism to be a highly dynamic world-view which challenges western notions of modernity.
  
• Considers a broad range of topics including women, the caste system, the self, divinities and gurus.
  
• Contains up-to-date discussions of modern Hindu culture and beliefs.

• Shows Hinduism to be a highly dynamic world-view which challenges western notions of modernity.
  
• Considers a broad range of topics including women, the caste system, the self, divinities and gurus.
  
• Contains up-to-date discussions of modern Hindu culture and beliefs.

For many centuries, Hindus have taken it for granted that the religious images they place in temples and home shrines for purposes of worship are alive. Hindu priests bring them to life through a complex ritual "establishment" that invokes the god or goddess into material support. Priests and devotees then maintain the enlivened image as a divine person through ongoing liturgical activity: they must awaken it in the morning, bathe it, dress it, feed it, entertain it, praise it, and eventually put it to bed at night. In this linked series of case studies of Hindu religious objects, Richard...

One of the three great gods of Hinduism, Siva is a living god. The most sacred and most ancient book of India, The Rg Veda, evokes his presence in its hymns; Vedic myths, rituals, and even astronomy testify to his existence from the dawn of time. In a lively meditation on Siva--based on original Sanskrit texts, many translated here for the first time--Stella Kramrisch ponders the metaphysics, ontology, and myths of Siva from the Vedas and the Puranas.

Who is Siva? Who is this god whose being comprises and transcends everything? From the dawn of creation, the Wild God,...

Here are the chief riches of more than 3,000 years of Indian philosophical thought-the ancient Vedas, the Upanisads, the epics, the treatises of the heterodox and orthodox systems, the commentaries of the scholastic period, and the contemporary writings. Introductions and interpretive commentaries are provided.

Hinduism is currently followed by one-fifth of humankind. Far from a monolithic theistic tradition, the religion comprises thousands of gods, a complex caste system, and hundreds of languages and dialects. Such internal plurality inspires vastly ranging rites and practices amongst Hinduism's hundreds of millions of adherents. It is therefore not surprising that scholars have been hesitant to define universal Hindu beliefs and practices. In this book, Axel Michaels breaks this trend. He examines the traditions, beliefs, and rituals Hindus hold in common through the lens of what he deems its...

The heart of this book is a dramatic love poem, the Rasa Lila, which is the ultimate focal point of one of the most treasured Sanskrit texts of India, the Bhagavata Purana. Judged a literary masterpiece by Indian and Western scholars alike, this work of poetic genius and soaring religious vision is one of the world's greatest sacred love stories and, as Graham Schweig clearly demonstrates, should be regarded as India's Song of Songs. The story presents the supreme deity as the youthful and amorous cowherd, Krishna, who joins his beloved maidens in an enchanting and celebratory...

Much has changed for the priests at the Minakshi Temple, one of the most famous Hindu temples in India. In The Renewal of the Priesthood, C. J. Fuller traces their improving fortunes over the past 25 years. This fluidly written book is unique in showing that traditionalism and modernity are actually reinforcing each other among these priests, a process in which the state has played a crucial role.

Since the mid-1980s, growing urban affluence has seen more people spend more money on rituals in the Minakshi Temple, which is in the southern city of Madurai. The priests have...

The first full-length examination of Sahaja Yoga, a new religious movement led by Sri Mataji Nirmala Devi, which claims up to one hundred thousand members from around the world.This is the first full-length examination of Sahaja Yoga, a new religious movement led by Sri Mataji Nirmala Devi, which claims up to one hundred thousand members from around the world.

The author examines how newcomers adopt new practices and allegiances on becoming full-time members, and how most develop a radically new awareness of 'spiritual vibrations' as a result of the regular meditation suggested by...