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Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly known as "Rajaji" or "C.R." was a great patriot, astute politician, incisive thinker, great visionary and one of the greatest statesmen of all time. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, hailed as conscious-keeper of the Mahatma. As an ardent freedom-fighter, as Chief Minister of Madras, as Governor of West Bengal, as Home Minister of India and as the first Indian Governor-General of India, he rendered yeoman service to the nation and left an indelible impress on our contemporary life.

Rajaji was closely associated with Kulapati Munshiji and he was among the distinguished founder-members of the Bhavan. The Bhavan had the privilege of publishing 18 books (see page ii) by him so far, the copyright of which he gifted to the Bhavan.

All of Rajaji's works, especially on Marcus Aurelius, the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads are popular. In Ramayana and Mahabharata, he has displayed his inimitable flair for story-telling and applying the moral of stories to the needs of modern times.

Rajaji wrote not only in English but also in chaste Tamil, his mother-tongue. He was at his best as a short-story writer. The present book is a translation of some of his stories which open the window into the unsophisticated South Indian homes and ways of life. The reader will be fascinated by their gentle humour and unobtrusive didactic motif.

Rajaji passed away in 1972 at the age of 94.

Foreword
Most of these stories were written by Rajaji in Tamil at various times between 1925 and now and appeared in leading Tamil Journals. Some of these were translated and published in 1945 by the Hindustan Time under the title 'The Fatal Cart and Other Stories.'

The first sixteen stories published in this volume were translated into English by Rajaji son, C.R. Ramaswami who died eighteen years ago, and the rest by Prof. P. Sankaranarayanan, excepting Nos. 29, 35, 36 and 37. Which were written in English by the distinguished author himself. To them all I tender my thanks.

Translation is a difficult and delicate task and generally the transmutation is form gold into lead. However, I believe, there is enough gold left in this volume because of the innate excellence of the original. Rajaji is indeed a born and inimitable story-teller.

Note: We send only available edition.

Born on October 4, 1916, at Bangalore and educated in that city, the author had the privilege of studying under the distinguished Professor B. M. Srikantiah, Professor and Head of the English Department, Central College, Bangalore, and top litterateur in modern Kannada. She developed early in life an avid taste for English literature and particularly love for Shakespeare’s plays.

In 1937, she married Dr. V. S. Subramaniam, the renowned E.N.T. Surgeon of Madras.

Preoccupation with family affairs did not come in the way of her literary pursuit. She wrote a series of “Imaginary Conversations” on the modern of Lando’s for the Triveni under the pen-name “Ketaki.”

Smt. Kamala Subramaniam’s condensations of the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam, both Bhavan’s publications, have won wide acclaim and with her Ramayana she successfully concludes her magnificent triad on the Epics and Puranas of India this latest offering marks a distinct landmark in her great voyage of self-discovery on which she set off long years ago.

The Epics and Puranas epitomize our culture. They are suffused with spiritual fervour, their heroes and heroines are exemplars of nobility, sublimity, valour, heroism, steadfastness and chivalry. And anyone reading them will find himself a little better, a little nobler. They have moulded our outlook, our way of life from times immemorial.

It is this priceless treasure of the spirit Smt. Kamala Subramaniam has tried to recapture for the benefit of the younger generation who, alas are deprived of this spiritual inspiration and nourishment.

A master story-teller, Smt. Kamala Subramaniam has retold the story of the “Perfect” man – the ideal man of the conception of the ageless Valmiki – lucidly, simply, elegantly.

If her Mahabharata established her as a born narrator and in her Srimad Bhagavatam she has soared to ecstatic devotional heights, in her Ramayana she has excelled herself in retelling the story of Sri Ramachandra – a story so soul-stirring, so ennobling, so elevating. Each one of the characters stands out for the quality predominant in him/her, but the focal point is the intensely humane hero, the shining symbol of dharma, Rama.

Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi's versatility and achievements were in a way unique. He was an eminent lawyer, one of the framers of India's Constitution and a seasoned statesman. Coming under the inspiring influence of Sri Aurobindo during his student days, Munshi had been an ardent fighter for India's freedom, working at different stages in close association with Jinnah, Tilak, Besant, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru. His achievements as Home Minister of Bombay in 1937, as India's food Minister and as Governor of Uttar Pradesh had been characterized by rare courage and decisive energy.

Acknowledged as the foremost writer in modern Gujarati literature, he has to his credit a vast and varied literature including novels, dramas, memoirs and history in Gujarati, as also several historical and other works in English, notably Gujarat and Its Literature, Imperial Gurjaras, Creative Art of Life, To Badrinath, The End of an Era, Krishnavatara, Bhagavad Gita and Modern Life, Saga of Indian Sculpture, Bhagawan Parashurama, Tapasvini and Prithvi Vallabh.

Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi's versatility and achievements were in a way unique. He was an eminent lawyer, one of the framers of India's Constitution and a seasoned statesman. Coming under the inspiring influence of Sri Aurobindo during his student days, Munshi had been an ardent fighter for India's freedom, working at different stages in close association with Jinnah, Tilak, Besant, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru. His achievements as Home Minister of Bombay in 1937, as India's food Minister and as Governor of Uttar Pradesh had been characterized by rare courage and decisive energy.

Acknowledged as the foremost writer in modern Gujarati literature, he has to his credit a vast and varied literature including novels, dramas, memoirs and history in Gujarati, as also several historical and other works in English, notably Gujarat and Its Literature, Imperial Gurjaras, Creative Art of Life, To Badrinath, The End of an Era, Krishnavatara, Bhagavad Gita and Modern Life, Saga of Indian Sculpture, Bhagawan Parashurama, Tapasvini and Prithvi Vallabh.

Author

Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi's versatility and achievements were in a way unique. He was an eminent lawyer, one of the framers of India's constitution and a seasoned statesman. Coming under the inspiring influence of Sri Aurobindo during his student days, Munshi and been an ardent fighter for India's freedom, working at different stages in close association with Jinnah, Tilak, Besant, mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru. His achievements as Home Minister of Bombay in 1937, as India's Agent-General in Hyderabad before the Police Action, as India's Food Minister and as Governor of Uttar Pradesh had been characterized by rare courage and decisive energy.

Acknowledged as the foremost writer in modern Gujarati literature, he has to his credit a vast and varied literature including novels, dramas, memoirs and history in Gujarati, as also several historical and other works in English, notably "Gujarat and Its Literature", "Imperial Gurjaras", "Creative Art of Life", "To Badrinath", "The End of an Era", "Krishnavatara", "Bhagavad Gita and Modern Life", "Saga of Indian Sculpture", "Bhagawan Parashurama", "Tapasvini" and "Prithvi Vallabh.

Author
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly known as "Rajaji" or "C.R" was a great patriot, astute politician, incisive thinker, great visionary and one of the greatest statesmen of all time. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, hailed as conscious- keeper of the Mahatma. As an ardent freedom-fighter, as Chief Minister of Madras, as Governor of West Bengal, as Home Minister of India and as the first Indian Governor-General of India he rendered yeoman service to the nation and left an indelible impress on our contemporary life.

Rajaji was closely associated with Kulapati Munshiji and he was among the distinguished founder-members of the Bhavan. The Bhavan had the privilege of publishing 18 books (see page ii) by him so far, the copyright of which he gifted to the Bhavan.

All of Rajaji's works, especially of Marcus Aurelius, the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads are popular. In Ramayana and Mahabharata, he has displayed his inimitable flair for story-telling and applying the moral of stories to the needs of modern times.

Rajaji wrote not only in English but also in chaste Tamil, his mother-tongue. He was at his best as a short-story writer.

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the greatest scriptures expounding the creed, discipline and ideals of Hinduism. And no better exponent of the ideas contained in it can be found than Rajaji who was indisputably one of the greatest of Indian and who has dared to live strictly according to the precepts of that manual of correct living in the face of the challenges of a rife-torn political and public life.

Rajaji passed away in 1972 at the age of 94.

PREFACE
IT is a matter for great regret that the young men and women of our Universities know very much less about the Gita and the principles of Hindu religion than the undergraduates of European Universities know about the Bible and the principles of the Christian faith. We inherit in Hindu religion a body of thought which, in the opinion of those best fitted to judge, is the product of the highest efforts of intellect and imagination that ever were turned in that direction. Young men and women of any Western nation, had they inherited our philosophy, would have been as proud of it as of an empire.

This book has been written mainly to serve as a handbook for students. Reading these pages, if they find any thought in the text or in the explanation not satisfying, or wanting in clarity, or such as evokes disagreement, they should pursue the matter discussing it with fellow-students or consulting scholars. No Indian can consider himself as having attained a liberal education if he has not a sound knowledge of the principles of the great religious philosophy for which India is famous throughout the civilized world.

This little book is an attempt like what the father in the old story did with his sons, who were told to dig for treasure in the family garden. The gold was indeed found; not as coined treasure hidden away in a pot but as the reward of toil, a plentiful crop which the garden yielded for the digging. There is nothing in what the writer has himself written, but if the readers are induced to dig, the Gita, our precious patrimony, will yield a rich harvest for the striving soul.

Many suggestions were made after the issue of the first edition, to make subsequent issues more useful, for example that parallel quotations and Upanishad sources may be given, and that a bibliography may be added. All these may be very useful, but I have not accepted these suggestions, as I intend that this book should continue to be a beginner’s handbook, and I do not wish to aim at making it anything like a book for scholars.

About The Author

Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi's versatility and achievements were in a way unique. He was an eminent lawyer, one of the framers of India's constitution and a seasoned statesman. Coming under the inspiring influence of Sri Aurobindo during his student days, Munshi and been an ardent fighter for India's freedom, working at different stages in close association with Jinnah, Tilak, Besant, mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru. His achievements as Home Minister of Bombay in 1937, as India's Agent-General in Hyderabad before the Police Action, as India's Food Minister and as Governor of Uttar Pradesh had been characterized by rare courage and decisive energy.

Acknowledged as the foremost writer in modern Gujarati literature, he has to his credit a vast and varied literature including novels, dramas, memoirs and history in Gujarati, as also several historical and other works in English, notably "Gujarat and Its Literature", "Imperial Gurjaras", "Creative Art of Life", "To Badrinath", "The End of an Era", "Krishnavatara", "Bhagavad Gita and Modern Life", "Saga of Indian Sculpture", "Bhagawan Parashurama", "Tapasvini" and "Prithvi Vallabh.

To deal with Hindu Dharma or, more correctly, Veda Dharma or Sanatana Dharma, within the compass of a book, is like trying to contain an ocean in a jar. It is a task that can be accomplished only by a Great Master. Such a Master was Pujyasri Candrasekharendra Sarasvati Svami who has in the discourses constituting this book given an illuminating account of Hindu Dharma in all its aspects. He has brought to bear here not only his vast erudition but also his intuitive insights and synaptic vision. It is doubtful if in modern times any other acharya has given such a lucid and comprehensive exegesis of our sastras.

The Paramaguru discusses the basic texts of Veda Dharma ? the four Vedas, the six Vedangas, Mimamsa, Nyaya, the Puranas and Dharmasastra. These encompass various systems of thought and various points of view and the Great Master tries to make them part of one unified vision that is Hinduism. He combines ancient wisdom with modern knowledge and it is thus that he finds common points between the metaphysics and physics of sound in the CHAPTER in which he expounds the Vedas and tells us why their sound must be preserved. It is all in the context of varna dharma to which we owe the achievements of our great civilization. We need Brahmins as a separate class only to preserve the Vedic dharma and work for the well-being of mankind. In the varna system the duties of the various jatis are interlinked so as to ensure cohesion and harmony in society.

Altogether it is an integrated view of Sanatana Dharma that emerges in which the ultimate Vedic message of liberation here and now is underlined.

Pujyasri Candrasekharendra Sarasvati Svami was installed as the 68th Sankaracharya of Kanci Kamakoti Pitha in 1907 when he was hardly 13 years old. His life spanned the greater part of the century and during this period of social and political ferment he was one of the guiding lights. He was a divine incarnation - indeed he was the greatest spiritual luminary of our time ? and his mission of restoring the vedic religion to its old glory was no less significant than that of Adi Sankara.

This Master of Masters was like a lambent light who rekindled the spirit of the nation and brought about a renaissance in many spheres like religion and culture. He was the voice of eternal India and he taught mankind, groping in the dark despite all the strides taken in science and technology, how to journey towards a higher destiny, how to win the highest of freedoms, the freedom of Atma-svarajya.

His compassion was as boundless as his jnana. The memory of his gentle face can never be erased from our hearts and we shall cherish it always as we shall the memory of his hand that conveyed his blessings. We still hear his godly voice brought by the wind and the waves of the sea and we still feel the infinitude of his divine presence.

Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi's versatility and achievements were in a way unique. He was an eminent lawyer, one of the framers of India's Constitution and a seasoned statesman. Coming under the inspiring influence of Sri Aurobindo during his student days, Munshi had been an ardent fighter for India's freedom, working at different stages in close association with Jinnah, Tilak, Besant, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru. His achievements as Home Minister of Bombay in 1937, as India's food Minister and as Governor of Uttar Pradesh had been characterized by rare courage and decisive energy.

Acknowledged as the foremost writer in modern Gujarati literature, he has to his credit a vast and varied literature including novels, dramas, memoirs and history in Gujarati, as also several historical and other works in English, notably Gujarat and Its Literature, Imperial Gurjaras, Creative Art of Life, To Badrinath, The End of an Era, Krishnavatara, Bhagavad Gita and Modern Life, Saga of Indian Sculpture, Bhagawan Parashurama, Tapasvini, Prithvi Vallabh and The Master of Gujarat.

Here we have a meeting of two great minds, a meeting of two great spirits. Here we have deep calling deep. The Saundaryalahari is by Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada (Adi Sankara) and its exposition is by Pujyasri Candrasekharendra Sarasvati Svami (the Sage of Kanci, widely known as the Mahasvami). Adi Sankara is celebrated all over the world as a great bhasyakara, as a commentator of the Upanisads, the Brahmasutra, the Bhagavadgita and other texts. Here we have a Bhasya of a great hymn composed by the bhasyakara and what we call "an exposition" of the Saundaryalahari is indeed an inspired and inspiring work, a classic in its own right.

The Mahasvami speaks with the heart of a poet, with the penetrating insight of a philosopher and metaphysician and with the vision of a mystic. There are passages that move you with their unobtrusive eloquence, passages in which abstruse ideas are explained in a masterly fashion. There is poetry in this exposition; there is the fervour of devotion as well as profundity of thought that is oceanic in its vastness and depth.

Here we have synthesis of bhakti and Jnana, of Advaita and the Sakta doctrine, when the Sage of Kanci speaks of beauty he takes you to the sublime realm of aesthetic delight. How lofty must be his mystic vision as revealed in his identification of beauty with love and compassion. He speaks of many laharis, many waves, and his own Bhasya of the saundaryalahari is a flood of beauty that traverses various systems of thought: he harmonizes them as only he can, proving again that he is an Acarya with rare insights and with an original and creative mind.

About the Author

Pujyasri Candrasekharendra Sarasvati Svami (1894-1994) must be regarded as the greatest seer of our time. This gentle saint and mystic, whose life spanned almost the whole of the 20th century, created a spiritual and moral awakening in the land and made an immense contribution to its cultural resurgence. But he stood for all human civilization and he had a message for all mankind. He richly deserved the title of "Jagadguru", as one who taught in terms of the entire universe. His devotees believe that, life Adi Sankara before him, he too was an incarnation of Siva together with Amba. In these decades of struggle and turmoil, of conflict and hatred, he stood out as a luminous figure upholding the values of tolerance and charity and friendship and showed himself to be godly in his overflowing grace and compassion, while yet remaining intensely human.

Smt. Kamala Subramaniam was born on October4, 1916 in Banglore. Her father was the eminent Kannada poet and dramatist, Shri T. P. Kailasam. She Studies under the distinguished scholar Prof. B. M. Srikantiah. She read avidly both classics and modern thrillers and her knowledge of English literature, especially of Shakespeare, was profound. She also loved philosophy and knew her Bible as well as she knew the Gita.

In 1937, Smt. Kamala married Dr. V. S. Subramaniam, a renowned E.N.T. Surgeon of Madras. In spite of her family concerns, she pursued her literary interests and wrote a series of imaginary conversations on the model of Landor’s for Triveni under the pen-name “Ketaki”.

Herlove of literature, nursed over the years, expressed itself in her developing a fascination for the Epics and Puranas of India.

In the late 60s Smt. Kamala underwent and operation for cancer, which gave her a ten-year lease of life. Lesser mortals would have been un-nerved by this but for Smt. Kamala it came as a challenge and this period turned out to be the most productive literary period of her life.

Her first labour of love was the retelling of the Mahabharata. In this masterly condensation, of India’s great epic, Smt. Kamala captures with dramatic intensity the movement of the story. As the episodes unfold in Smt. Kamala’s vivid narrative, one seems to hear Draupadi’s wail of distress, Duryodhan’s arrogant laughter, and even the twang of Arjuna’s bow, the Gandiva.

The epics and puranas epitomise our culture. The heroes and heroines set high standars of nobility, heroism, and chivalry. They have moulded the life and outlook of generations of Indians.

Smt. Kamala Subramaniam has left a priceless legacy for the young and the old.

The gifted author passed away on February 21, 1938.

Smt. Kamala was so self-effacing that she would not even permit her photograph to be printed on the jackets of her books. As a friend of hers wrote: as she wrote, she felt, as she felt, she lived in her invisible world and as she real for her and so it will grow for us when we read books.

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly known as "Rajaji" or "C.R" was a great patriot, astute politician, incisive thinker, great visionary and one of the greatest statesmen of all time. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, hailed as conscious- keeper of the Mahatma. As an ardent freedom-fighter, as Chief Minister of Madras, as Governor of West Bengal, as Home Minister of India and as the first Indian Governor-General of India he rendered yeoman service to the nation and left an indelible impress on our contemporary life.

Rajaji was closely associated with Kulapati Munshiji and he was among the distinguished founder-members of the Bhavan. The Bhavan had the privilege of publishing 18 books (see page ii) by him so far, the copyright of which he gifted to the Bhavan.

All of Rajaji's works, especially of Marcus Aurelius, the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads are popular. In Mahabharata, he has displayed his inimitable flair for story-telling and applying the moral of stories to the needs of modern times. In the present book Ramayana, Rajaji captures for us the pathos and beauty of Valmiki's magic in an inimitable manner. Written in homely style, the work is striking in its originality and beauty of expression. A fitting successor to Mahabharata.

Rajaji passed away in 1972 at the age of 94.

OVER 1.3 MILLION COPIES SOLD Originally published in the year 1951,the huge popularity of the book ,has resulted in the book being re-printed several times.Centuries ago, it was proclaimed of the Mahabharata: "What is not in it, is nowhere." But even now, we can use the same words about it. He who knows it not, knows not the heights and depths of the soul; he misses the trials and tragedy and the beauty and grandeur of life. More details: The Mahabharata is not a mere epic; it is a romance, telling the tale of heroic men and women, and of some who were divine; it is a whole literature in itself, containing a code of life, a philosophy of social and ethical relations, and speculative thought on human problems that is hard to rival; but, above all, it has for its core the Gita,which is, as the world is beginning to find out, the noblest of scriptures and the grandest of sagas in which the climax is reached in the wondrous apocalypse in the Eleventh Canto. The book's popularity is such taht it has run into Fifty Seven Reprints!!!.

The History and Culture of the Indian People: Volume 2. The Age of Imperial Unity

Beginning with a kaleidoscopic picture of the general condition of North India in the 6th century B.C., this second volume for the History and Culture of the Indian People depicts in full detail the growth of the Magadhan empire and the Persian and Macedonian invasions, and surveys the sway of the various dynasties like the Mauryas, the Sungas, the Yavanas, the Sakas, the Pahlavas, the Kushanas, the Saka Satraps, the Satavahanas, the Chedis and the Vakatakas. New light is thrown on interesting old problems such as the Kanishka era, the Vikrama and Saka Samvat. The history of South India and Ceylon during this period is treated at length. The special feature is the detailed treatment given to language and literature, political theory and administrative systems, law and legal institutions, social and economic conditions, education and architecture sculpture and fine arts. The rise of Buddhism, Jainism, Vaishnavaism, Saivism and minor religious sects and the evolution of the different philosophical system are adequately described. The history of the period is rounded off with a chapter on India and the Western World, and Colonial and Cultural Expansion.

From the pen of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy this small but wonderful volume is an essay in translation and exegesis in relation to the Vedas in which passages from the Rgveda and the Brhadaranyaka and Maitri Upanisads, dealing with cosmogony, ontology and teleology, have been interpreted in a new perception of the quite extraordinary depth of those ideas and their amazing psychological accuracy. According to Coomaraswamy no great extension of our present measure of understanding of the Vedas can be expected from philological research alone. Further progress in the interpretation of the difficult cycle of liturgies cannot be made until they are more profoundly explained from the viewpoint of the history of religion and translated in accordance with the true spirit of the textual contents. The passages translated and interpreted in this volume reflect their technical significance and at the same time a comparative approach. This has made the work exceptional in regard to quality, understanding and depth.


About the Author:- Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy, the greatest among the Indian Art-historians, was born in Colombo on August 22, 1887. after graduating from the University of London with honours in Geology in 1900, he became the director of the Mineralogical Survey of Ceylon. During his three-year's stay in Ceylon, he formed the Ceylon Social Reformation Society and led the University movement in which he initiated the national education, teaching of vernaculars in all school and revival of Indian culture. Between 1906 and 1917, when he joined as the Curator of Indian Art at the Boston Museum he was busy lecturing on Indian art. In 1938, he became the Chairman of National Committee for India's Freedom. His contributions on Indian Philosophy, religion, art and iconography, painting and literature are of the greatest importance as were his contributions on music, science and Islamic art. He died on September 9, 1947

Cover: Hard Cover
Edition : 2002
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publication Pvt.Ltd
ISBN : 8121506301
Language : English
Pages : 116

This expanded version of Professor Gonda's Jordan lectures, given at the School of Oriental and African Studies in the University of London in 1969, presents, not a regular account of the history of Visnuism and Sivaism, but rather a detailed discussion of some of those historical, doctrinal, ritual, and literary aspects of both religious currents which do not seem to have attracted the attention they deserve. Being comparative in character it is an attempt to delineate the main characteristics of each tradition and to reconsider some vexed problems relating to their origin and the history of their theological doctrines and practices. Special emphasis is laid upon their various interrelations, upon those many features which have their roots in the Vedic past, and upon the partly parallel and often divergent development of their rituals and philosophies.


About the Author: Late Dr. J. Gonda was Professor of Sanskrit and Indo-European Linguistics in the University of Utrecht. Preface THESE LECTURES were written in 1967 and 1968 and delivered, in an abridged form, in June 1969. My intention was to collect, in a small compass, some material illustrating the characters and interrelations of the great Hindu gods Visnu and Siva and to establish a comparison between their religions. The field surveyed is, however, so vast and our sources are so copious and manifold that inevitably many aspects are only briefly treated or even completely omitted. It gives me great pleasure to express my gratitude to the Governing Body of the School of Oriental and African Studies who invited me to write this book for publication in this series and to Mr L. A. van Daalen and Miss Y. B. W. Van Reck for supplying it with an index. CONTENTS The Character of Visnu and Rudra-Siva in the Veda and the Mahabharata The Gods' Rise to Superiority Theology Ritual The Mutual Relations of the Two Religious Siva and Visnu in Folklore, Myth and Literature

Cover: Hard Cover
Edition : 1996
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publication Pvt.Ltd
ISBN : 812150287X / 9788121502870
Language : English
Pages : 228

About the Book:

Yoga is one of the striking products of Indian mind and character. It has claims both as a system of practical discipline and a system of philosophical thought. The present book Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, with the Samkhya Pravacana commentary of Vachaspati Misra, with English translation by Rama Prasada and an introduction from Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu, forms one of the six Darsanas of ancient Indian philosophy. The main purpose of this book is to disclose the secret doctrines of Yoga, give the practical knowledge to the aspirant and guide him to the realization of the Individual Self to the realization of the Supreme Self.

Cover: Paperback
Edition : 2014
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publication Pvt.Ltd
ISBN : 9788121509640
Language : English
Pages : 334

Hindu Iconography reflects fully the Hindu mind in its religious and social aspects. Its study enables one to understand the mysterious India in the varied facets of her life and culture. Iconography means not merely the mechanical description and identification of an image, but also a study of the various processes, mental and social, which lead to the growth of a cult or of a particular iconic type. The present book by a reputed Indian specialist views the subject of the Hindu Iconography from the evolutionary standpoint and can claim to be a pioneer and authoritative work in this respect.

The author has carefully marshaled all kinds of data - literary, epigraphic, numismatic, glyphic and sculptural - and presents his materials and different problems in a systematic manner so as to build up a logical and coherent picture of Hindu Iconography in its wide and varied scope. A special feature of the book lies in a discussion of early iconographic types even before the systematization of this branch of knowledge in the ancient Hindu texts. First published in 1941, the present edition has been completely revised and enlarged so as to serve as the most authoritative guide and reference work on this interesting subject.

Cover: Hard Cover
Edition : 3rd (2002)
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publication Pvt.Ltd
ISBN : 978-8121500692
Language : English
Pages : 692

About the Book:-

This book, Siva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening, isrevealed by the twentieth centurys great philosopher saint Swami Lakshmanjoo. This spiritual treasure, gifted by God to the sage Vasugupta for the upliftment of humankind, is considered to be one of Kashmir Shaivisms most important scriptures. Here, Swami Lakshmanjoo gives the reader a penetrating vision of the glorious journey of the Supreme Awakening: the traveling from limited individuality to absolute oneness with God. This secret teaching, contained with these pages, is revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo or the first time. Drawing on his own experience Swami Lakshmanjoo, basing his rendering on the esoteric commentary of Abhinavaguptas chief disciple Kshemaraja, shows us the way home.

Swami Lakshmanjoo was born in Srinagar, Kashmir on May 9, 1907. He was the last and the greatest of the saints and masters of the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. Having a deep understanding of the philosophy and practices of Kashmir Shaivism, he was like a splendid and rare jewel. Beginning from childhood he spent his whole life studying and practicing the teachings of this unique sacred tradition. Because of his intellectual power and strength of awareness, he realized both spiritually and intellectually the reality of its thought.

Cover: Hard Cover
Edition : 2010
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publication Pvt.Ltd
ISBN : 978-8121511841
Language : English
Pages : 348

From The Jacket :-

Hinduism is the term now used to summarize the religious aspirations of the majority of Indians. It includes a variety of highly intellectual, metaphysical and philosophical systems, as well as the naive demonology and magico-religious beliefs of the masses. Hinduism is also a synthesis of three, originally separate religious traditions: the Dravidian, the Aryan and the aboriginal.

Although many westerns regard Hinduism as polytheistic, this view does not take into consideration the sophisticated basis of the tradition as seen in the ancient Rgveda where a transcendental Oneness is perceived that manifests Itself only partially in this world to "create" apparent forces which appear to human beings as separate deities, thus there are as many gods as there are aspects of creation.

Many deities are depicted with a multiplicity of arms, heads, and emblems, so distinguishing them from ordinary mortals as well as pointing to the immense potentiality of the Divine that is forever beyond the comprehension of human beings.

About The Author :- Margaret Stutley has studied Buddhism and Hinduism for over fifty years, and has formed a large library of Indological works on which Hindu Deities: A Mythological Dictionary with Illustrations is based. Among her publications are: a Dictionary of Hinduism with her late husband, Ancient Indian Magic and Folklore, and the Illustrated Dictionary of Hindu Iconography. She is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society.

Cover: Hard Cover
Edition : 2006
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publication Pvt.Ltd
ISBN : 9788121511643
Language : English
Pages : 206

About the Book:

Mira Bai belonged to the royal family of the Ranas of Mewara and was a staunch devotee of Krishna, worshipping him in the madhurya bhava of Vaishnavism. In the earlier part of her life she was ill-treated by her brother-in-law who even tried various means to kill her, but Krishna was ever her protector. Fed up, she went away to Merata, her maternal home and from there to Vrindavana and then to Dvaraka, where, according to traditional belief, she merged with the image of Krishna.

Miras verses have a musical ring and a number of them have been recorded on discs and cassettes. There have been many recensions of her padas. This English verse translation of eighty-one of them aims at giving the best of these.

It is hoped that Miras verses, along with the detailed introduction giving her life and times and her art, will create renewed interest in this renowned saint-poet.

About the Author:

Krishna P. Bahadur was born in 1924 at Allahabad and took his Master's degree in English from the Allahabad University. He served in the Indian Administrative Service in various assignments and retired in 1982 with the rant of a Commissioner.
A prolific writer, Bahadur has authored over fifty books covering various subjects including philosophy, history, biography, sociology, fiction, humour, and juveniles. His writings include the Wisdom of India Series, 7 vols., History of Indian Civilization, 7 Vols., History of the Indian Freedom Movement, 5 Vols., Tribes and Cultures of India, 7 Vols., A Source Book of Indian Philosophy, and The Definitive Gita. He took part in the World Seminar on the Gita and contributed to Major World Writers.
He is a biographer of various prestigious publications published in USA, Great Britain and Italy, and has received several honorary awards including Vidya Visharada and Vidya Ratnakara. He has published also six translations in the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.

Cover: Hard Cover
Edition : 2002
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publication Pvt.Ltd
ISBN : 81-215-0786-3
Language : English
Pages : 135

From the Jacket:-

The Dasam Granth connotes "The Book of the Tenth Guru" of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Gobind Singh, a great reformer, litterateur, spiritual leader and unparalleled warrior, who traced his lineage to Lord Rama. After the compilation of the Dasam Granth by the Tenth Guru, it was called Chhotta Granth (the Younger Book) as compared to the Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib) which was called Wadda Granth (The Elder Book). Dasam Granth consists of religious compositions in the first part and the other part mostly comprises of mythological compositions. The work has an original, forceful and fearless expression and a social and political consciousness as the Guru wants to instill such noble qualities in man, which can make him individually great and also a very healthy constituent of the society.

About the Author:-

Dr. Surindar Singh Kohli (1920-2003) was the very first Professor of Punjabi literature in the world. He became Professor and Head of the Department of Punjabi at Punjab University, Chandigarh in 1962 and retired in 1979. During this period the created forty-nine successful Ph.D. research scholars under his guidance. He has not only made a significant contribution to the field of Punjabi literature, research and guidance, but has done an outstanding service in the realm of comparative religion in general and Sikh religion in particular. He was an authority on Sikh scriptures and has made their analytical and thorough study in a dispassionate and scholarly manner. His works are marked by clarity, brevity and profound scholarship.

Cover: Hard Cover
Edition : 2005
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publication Pvt.Ltd
ISBN : 8121510449
Language : English
Pages : 643

About the Book:-

Sakti’s Revolution: Origins and Historiography of Indic Fierce Goddesses chronicles the historical evolution of Hindu and Buddhist fierce, Kali-like goddesses and their devotees, from the Indus Valley civilization, c. third millennium BCE, to the present. The author or documents and analyzes the undercurrents of misogyny, greed, and violence-the demonic forces against which Sakti wages warfare-that have formed the historiography of fierce goddesses in India.

About the Author :-

Donna Jordan is an independent writer/researcher and organic gardener in Northern California. Despite her advanced academic degrees in religion, literature, and biomedical sciences [Ph D, Philosophy and Religion, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco; Masters (MA), English literature, University of California, Los Angeles; Masters (MPH), Public Health, University of California, Berkeley], she remains an open-minded free-thinker.

Cover: Hard Cover
Edition : 2012
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publication Pvt.Ltd
ISBN : 9788121511956
Language : English
Pages : 515 (11 color and B/W Illustrations)

Preface to the Third Revised Edition:- The second edition of this book went out of print in 2007. Taking into consideration this heavy demand of this book by students and research scholars, and availability of funds made by the UGC to subsidize its publication, it was decided to bring out the third edition, revised. In this third edition, the map has been divided into two parts making it more rational. The portion of the map covering Majjhimadesa, where the Buddha was active, has been given separately as part two. The first part covers the rest of Jambudipa.

I am grateful to Prof. Bhikshu Satyapala and Prof. Anita Sharma for taking keen interest in the publication of this paperback edition. I am also grateful to Dr S.M. Haldhar, Dr A.K. Singh, Dr Krishna Murari, Dr Sanjay Kumar Singh, and Shri Anmol Jha for doing various odd jobs relating to the publication of this edition. I owe thanks to the University Grants commission for a grant which partly defrayed the publication cost. In the end, I am immensely grateful to Shri Ashok Jain of Munshiram Manoharlal
Publications for bringing out this edition in a record time.

Preface to the Second Edition:- The first edition of this book was published in 1990 and has been out of print for about ten years. During the last fifteen years, I had the
opportunity of doing some work on a couple of the settlements which had remained unidentified so far. As a result, I have added Kammasadhamma and Thullakotthita to the list of identified settlements in this edition, besides, an extra appendix (no. III) has also been added. Now better fonts as well as programs to print letters with diacritical marks have become available on the computers. This has helped in removing many of the printer’s devils that had crept into the first edition.
Dr Anita Sharma helped with the updating of the bibliography. In the preparation of the index as well as the map, I have received help from Dr S.M. Haldhar, Dr A.K. ingh, Dr Krishna Murari, Dr Sanjay Kumar Singh, Mr A.K. Jha, Mr Dilip Kumar Thakur, and Mr Saurabh Jha. Mr B.N. Tiwari of Vidyanidhi Prakashan helped in brining out this edition in the shortest possible time. I extend my sincere thanks to all of them.

Preface to the First Edition:- In 1985, I was awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship to do PhD in Oriental Studies at University of Cambridge. This book represents about two – thirds of my doctoral dissertation that I submitted to the University of Cambridge in May 1989 through Clare hall, Churchill College, and the Faculty of Oriental Studies. I wish to express my deep sense of gratitude to Prof. F.R. Allchin, my supervisor, for his valuable guidance and constructive criticism. I would also like to thank Dr B.R. Allchin for her encouragement from time to time. I am grateful to the members of the faculty of oriental studies in

particular Prof. K.R. Norman for many acts of kindness and Dr J.D. Smith for lending me a program on diacritical marks. I should like to express my deep gratitude to my former teachers Dr D.K. Chakrabarti (Dhaka), Prof. Sanghasena Singh (Delhi), and the late Prof. D. Devahuti (Delhi), who took special interest in my work. My special thanks are due to Prof. B.G. Gokhale (Winston – Salem), Dr Makkhan Lal (Aligarh), Prof. Amalia Pezzali (Bologna), and Dr George Erdosy (Cambridge) for valuable criticism of various portions of the rough draft.

I am indebted to the staff of the oriental faculty library, University Library, Haddon Library, and the Ancient India and Iran Trust Library, and the India House Library (all at London) for lending me books and other assistance. I am very considerably indebted to Dr N.S. Pradhan, Principal, K.M. College (Delhi University) for granting me three – year study leave. I am most grateful to the commonwealth commission (London), the Association of commonwealth Universities (London), and the Ministry of Education (Government of India) for the award of Commonwealth Scholarship, which mainly financed my study and stay in the United Kingdom. I am also grateful to the Ancient India and Iran Trust (Cambridge), the Charles Wallace Trust, the Leche Trust, the British Council, and the Association of Commonwealth Universities (all at London) for partly contributing towards the expenses of a field – trip in India and attendance at conferences at Hamburg (W. Germany), Berkeley (USA), and Leiden (Holland).

I am also indebted to Sunita, Neha, and Nidhi for constant source of strength and encouragement during the study. I also wish to thank all my professional friends especially Anita Sharma (Delhi University), Anamika Roy, Gyanesh Kudaisya, Indivar Kamtekar, and Medha Malik (all of Churchill College, Cambridge) for various kinds of support.

Cover: Paperback
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publication Pvt.Ltd
ISBN : 9788121512237
Language : English
Pages : 256