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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Hinduism
Most overviews of Hindu belief and practice follow a history from
the ancient Vedas to today. Such approaches privilege Brahmanical
traditions and create a sense of Hinduism as a homogenous system
and culture, and one which is largely unchanging and based solely
on sacred texts. In reality, modern Hindu faith and culture present
an extraordinary range of dynamic beliefs and practices.
'Contemporary Hinduism' aims to capture the full breadth of the
Hindu worldview as practised today, both in the sub-continent and
the diaspora. Global and regional faith, ritualised and everyday
practice, Brahmanical and non-Brahmanical belief, and ascetic and
devotional traditions are all discussed. Throughout, the discussion
is illustrated with detailed case material and images, whilst key
terms are highlighted and explained in a glossary. 'Contemporary
Hinduism' presents students with a lively and engaging survey of
Hinduism, offering an introduction to the oldest and one of the
most complex of world religions.
The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including dance, music,
performance, festival traditions, temples, myth, philosophy,
women's practices, and divine possession. The engaging narratives
are accompanied by contextual discussions and advice on such topics
as conducting fieldwork, colonialism, Hindu seasonal celebrations,
understanding deities, and aesthetics in Hinduism. All the entries
are accompanied by photographs and suggestions for further reading.
Too often textbooks and readers are concerned only with texts. This
work greatly embellishes the study of religion with first-hand,
first-person accounts of not only the living traditions, but the
research activity itself as it has transpired in real time. The
book would be a wonderful companion in a course on Hindu
traditions, or a course in Anthropology where field-work is
addressed.
In Indic religious traditions, a number of rituals and myths exist
in which the environment is revered. Despite this nature worship in
India, its natural resources are under heavy pressure with its
growing economy and exploding population. This has led several
scholars to raise questions about the role religious communities
can play in environmentalism. Does nature worship inspire Hindus to
act in an environmentally conscious way? This book explores the
above questions with three communities, the Swadhyaya movement, the
Bishnoi, and the Bhil communities. Presenting the texts of
Bishnois, their environmental history, and their contemporary
activism; investigating the Swadhyaya movement from an ecological
perspective; and exploring the Bhil communities and their Sacred
Groves, this book applies a non-Western hermeneutical model to
interpret the religious traditions of Indic communities. With a
foreword by Roger S Gottlieb.
This book is the crowning achievement of the remarkable scholar D.
Dennis Hudson, bringing together the results of a lifetime of
interdisciplinary study of south Indian Hinduism.
The book is a finely detailed examination of a virtually unstudied
Tamil Hindu temple, the Vaikuntha Perumal (ca. 770 C.E.). Hudson
offers a sustained reading of the temple as a coherent, organized,
minutely conceptualized mandala. Its iconography and structure can
be understood in the light of a ten-stanza poem by the Alvar poet
Tirumangai, and of the Bhagavata Purana and other major religious
texts, even as it in turn illuminates the meanings of those texts.
Hudson takes the reader step by step on a tour of the temple,
telling the stories suggested by each of the 56 sculpted panels and
showing how their relationship to one another brings out layers of
meaning. He correlates the stories with stages in the spiritual
growth of the king through the complex rituals that formed a
crucial dimension of the religion. The result is a tapestry of
interpretation that brings to life the richness of spiritual
understanding embodied in the temple.
Hudson's underlying assumption is that the temple itself
constitutes a summa theologica for the Pancharatra doctrines in the
Bhagavata tradition centered on Krishna as it had developed through
the eighth century. This tradition was already ancient and had
spread widely across South Asia and into Southeast Asia. By
interweaving history with artistic, liturgical, and textual
interpretation, Hudson makes a remarkable contribution to our
understanding of an Indian religious and cultural tradition.
The Bhagavad Gita is a unique literary creation but deciphering its
meaning and philosophy is not easy or simple. This careful study of
the Bhagavad Gita approaches the ancient text with a modern mind
and offers a unifying structure which is of a universal relevance.
Combining the philosophical-theoretical with the ethical-practical,
Ithamar Theodor locates his study within comparative theology and
identifies the various layers of meaning. The full text of the
Bhagavad Gita is presented in new translation, divided into
sections, and accompanied by in-depth commentary. This book makes
the Bhagavad Gita accessible to a wide variety of readers, helping
to make sense of this great spiritual classic which is one of the
most important texts of religious Hinduism.
Winner, 2021 Joseph W. Elder Prize in the Indian Social Sciences
Winner, 2021 Ruth Benedict Prize, Association for Queer
Anthropology Hijras, one of India's third gendered or trans
populations, have been an enduring presence in the South Asian
imagination-in myth, in ritual, and in everyday life, often
associated in stigmatized forms with begging and sex work. In more
recent years hijras have seen a degree of political emergence as a
moral presence in Indian electoral politics, and with heightened
vulnerability within global health terms as a high-risk population
caught within the AIDS epidemic. Hijras, Lovers, Brothers recounts
two years living with a group of hijras in rural India. In this
riveting ethnography, Vaibhav Saria reveals not just a group of
stigmatized or marginalized others but a way of life composed of
laughter, struggles, and desires that trouble how we read
queerness, kinship, and the psyche. Against easy framings of hijras
that render them marginalized, Saria shows how hijras makes the
normative Indian family possible. The book also shows that
particular practices of hijras, such as refusing to use condoms or
comply with retroviral regimes, reflect not ignorance,
irresponsibility, or illiteracy but rather a specific idiom of
erotic asceticism arising in both Hindu and Islamic traditions.
This idiom suffuses the densely intertwined registers of erotics,
economics, and kinship that inform the everyday lives of hijras and
offer a repertoire of self-fashioning beyond the secular horizons
of public health or queer theory. Engrossingly written and full of
keen insights, the book moves from the small pleasures of the
everyday-laughter, flirting, teasing-to impossible longings,
kinship, and economies of property and substance in order to give a
fuller account of trans lives and of Indian society today.
The Encyclopedia of Hinduism contains over 900 entries
reflecting recent advances in scholarship which have raised new
theoretical and methodological issues as well as identifying new
areas of study which have not been addressed previously. The debate
over the term 'Hinduism' in the light of post-Orientalist critiques
is just one example of how once standard academic frameworks have
been called into question. Entries range from 150-word definitions
of terms and concepts to 5,000-word in-depth investigations of
major topics.
The Encyclopedia covers all aspects of Hinduism but departs from
other works in including more ethnographic and contemporary
material in contrast to an exclusively textual and historical
approach. It includes a broad range of subject matter such as:
historical developments (among them nineteenth and twentieth
century reform and revival); geographical distribution (especially
the diaspora); major and minor movements; philosophies and
theologies; scriptures; deities; temples and sacred sites;
pilgrimages; festivals; rites of passage; worship; religious arts
(sculpture, architecture, music, dance, etc.); religious sciences
(e.g. astrology); biographies of leading figures; local and
regional traditions; caste and untouchability; feminism and women's
religion; nationalism and the Hindu radical right; and new
religious movements. The history of study and the role of important
scholars past and present are also discussed.
Accessibility to all levels of reader has been a priority and no
previous knowledge is assumed. However, the in-depth larger entries
and the design of the work in line with the latest scholarly
advances means that the volume will be of considerable interest to
specialists.
The whole is cross-referenced and bibliographies attach to the
larger entries. There is a full index.
Recent years have seen the emergence of a virulent version of Hindu
communalism and cultural chauvinism on the Indian political scene
and of the groups of xenophobes who have obfuscated and mystified
the notion of Hindu identity and have reinforced its stereotypic
images. This book identifies some of the stereotypes about Hinduism
and shows them to be deeply flawed and having no basis in
historical evidence. It debunks the view that India (called
?Bh?rata?) is timeless, that the first man was born here and that
its people were the authors of the first human civilisation, and
argues that the word ?Bh?rata? in the sense of a country is absent
from the entire Vedic literature and that India as a country
evolved over a long period. The formation of its identity had much
to do with the perceptions of the people who migrated into the
subcontinent at different times, and Indian nationalism developed
mostly as a response to Western imperialism. Contrary to the belief
popularized by the Hindu jingoists, it has been shown that Hinduism
is neither timeless nor monolithic; it is a colonial construct
covering large clusters of religious beliefs and practices and thus
represents almost a baffling plurality of traditions. The
stereotyping of Hinduism as a tolerant religion has also been
contested and massive evidence has been adduced to show that, like
other religions, it was intolerant, gave no space to dissent and
converted members of other faiths. Hindu sects developed ascetic
military orders from the early medieval period onwards and fought
among themselves much before the appearance of Islam on the Indian
scene. The book challenges the sacredness' of cow as a community
identity of the Hindus and shows that the animal has not been all
that sacrosanct and inviolable in the past. A melange of evidence
has been marshalled to show that the killing of the cow for the
Vedic gods was de rigueur much before the arrival in India of
Muslims who are stereotyped as kine killers, that its flesh was
very much a part of the ancient Indian food regimen and dietary
traditions, and continues to remain so even today in some sections
of Hindu society. Even so the Indian religious texts project a
polymorphic image of the cow and show that its story through the
millennia is full of inconsistencies, thus rendering its supposed
holiness elusive, indeed as elusive as Hindu identity itself. Based
on the authors unquestionable grasp of the primary evidence and
written in a riveting style the essays in the book are an antidote
to the Hindu religious fundamentalist mythomania and will certainly
be of value to those interested in the construction of Hinduism and
the politics of Hindu identity in cotemporary India.
The Book of Liberation is perhaps the most enigmatic
philosophical text from ancient India. Presented as the teachings
of Bhishma as he lies dying on the battlefield, after the epic war
between the P ndavas and K uravas, it was composed by unknown
authors in the last centuries BCE, during the early period of
world-renunciation, when peripatetic sages meditated under trees
and practiced austerities in forest groves, and wandering sophists
debated in the towns and cities. There has been no time like it
before or since: such freedom of thought and expression is
unparalleled in the history of the world. The freedom enjoyed by
these ancient thinkers was not an end in itself. Above all this
animated work is the record of philosophers seeking liberation
(moksha) from a world they believed unsatisfactory. The speculation
herein is but a means to an end, for its authors believed they
could attain freedom from the world by knowing philosophical
truths.
Bhakti Yoga explores one of the eight 'limbs' of yoga. In the
simplest terms, bhakti yoga is the practice of devotion, which is
the essential heart of yoga and of Hinduism in general. In recent
times, the term has come to be used in a rather simplistic way to
refer to the increasingly popular practice of kirtan, or chanting
in a group or at large gatherings. But bhakti yoga is far more
complex and ancient than today's growing kirtan audiences are
aware, and embraces many strands and practices. Edwin F. Bryant
focuses on one famous and important school of bhakti and explores
it in depth to show what bhakti is and how it is expressed. And he
supplies his own renderings of central texts from that tradition in
the form of 'tales and teachings' from an important work called the
Bhagavata Purana, or 'The Beautiful Legend of God.' This clarifying
work establishes a baseline for understanding, and will be welcomed
by all serious students of the spiritual heritage of India.
Explaining the origins, beliefs, scriptures and philosophies of
this ancient religion, Klaus K. Klostermaier succeeds in capturing
the rich diversity of rituals and gods that comprise Hinduism,
while keeping the tone both engaging and informative. Covering
contemporary issues such as the relationship between Hinduism and
modern Western ideas, and imminent challenges the religion faces,
this sweeping exploration of a fascinating and long-lasting belief
system is essential reading for students, followers, and interested
readers alike.
In this book Paramahansa Yogananda offers prayers and affirmations
that beginners and experienced meditators alike can use to awaken
the boundless joy, peace, and inner freedom of the soul.
Includes introductory instructions on how to meditate. An
encouraging guide that teaches us through our own experience how to
spiritually enrich our everyday life.
Tantric Revisionings presents stimulating new perspectives on Hindu
and Buddhist religion, particularly their Tantric versions, in
India, Tibet or in modern Western societies. Geoffrey Samuel adopts
an historically and textually informed anthropological approach,
seeking to locate and understand religion in its social and
cultural context. The question of the relation between 'popular'
(folk, domestic, village, 'shamanic') religion and elite (literary,
textual, monastic) religion forms a recurring theme through these
studies. Six chapters have not been previously published; the
previously published studies included are in publications which are
difficult to locate outside major specialist libraries.
'Defining Hinduism' focuses on what Hinduism is, what it has been,
and what some have argued it should be. The oldest of the world
religions, Hinduism presents a complex pantheon and system of
beliefs. Far from being unchanging, Hinduism has, like any faith of
duration, evolved in response to changing cultural, political and
ideological demands. The book brings together some of the leading
scholars working on South Asian religions today.
This book offers new translations of the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar
Tirumoli, composed by the ninth-century Tamil mystic and poetess
Kotai. Two of the most significant compositions by a female mystic,
the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli give expression to her
powerful experiences through the use of a vibrant and bold
sensuality, in which Visnu is her awesome, mesmerizing, and
sometimes cruel lover. Kotai's poetry is characterized by a
richness of language in which words are imbued with polyvalence and
even the most mundane experiences are infused with the spirit of
the divine. Her Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli are garlands of
words, redolent with meanings waiting to be discovered. Today Kotai
is revered as a goddess, and as a testament to the enduring
relevance of her poetry, her Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli
continue to be celebrated in South Indian ritual, music, dance, and
the visual arts.
This book aims to capture the lyricism, beauty, and power of
Kotai's original works. In addition, detailed notes based on
traditional commentaries, and discussions of the ritual and
performative lives of the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli
highlight the importance of this ninth-century poet and her two
poems over the past one thousand years.
The Bodo (or Boros) are one of the indigenous tribal peoples of
Assam. During colonial times they resisted Christianization and in
recent decades they have been involved both in interethnic violence
and separatist insurgencies. Much research has gone into
understanding the Boros and their aspirations but an issue has been
that earlier accounts of this once-animist people are meagre and
date from the colonial period. The rediscovery and publication of
the ethnographic material based on fieldwork carried out by Halfdan
Siiger among the Boros in 1949 - 50 is thus hugely important.
Siiger's manuscript is unique, offering detailed descriptions of
the social and ritual life of the Boros and new insights into the
traditions and myths as they were told in the village he studied
before the transformation of religious life in recent decades.
Thanks to Siiger's diligent translation and interpretation, the
manuscript also preserves a number of ritual formulas and songs in
the Boro language. Siiger's manuscript is given even greater
relevance by the inclusion of more recent material contributed by
the editors and other contemporary scholars. In addition, his
original photos are augmented by new photos from the village and by
rare images from the collections of the National Museum of Denmark.
A richly diverse collection of classical Indian terms for
expressing the many moods and subtleties of emotional experience
Words for the Heart is a captivating treasury of emotion terms
drawn from some of India's earliest classical languages. Inspired
by the traditional Indian genre of a "treasury"-a wordbook or
anthology of short texts or poems-this collection features 177
jewel-like entries evoking the kinds of phenomena English speakers
have variously referred to as emotions, passions, sentiments,
moods, affects, and dispositions. These entries serve as beautiful
literary and philosophical vignettes that convey the delightful
texture of Indian thought and the sheer multiplicity of
conversations about emotions in Indian texts. An indispensable
reference, Words for the Heart reveals how Indian ways of
interpreting human experience can challenge our assumptions about
emotions and enrich our lives. Brings to light a rich lexicon of
emotion from ancient India Uses the Indian genre of a "treasury,"
or wordbook, to explore the contours of classical Indian thought in
three of the subcontinent's earliest languages-Sanskrit, Pali, and
Prakrit Features 177 alphabetical entries, from abhaya
("fearlessness") to yoga ("the discipline of calm") Draws on a
wealth of literary, religious, and philosophical writings from
classical India Includes synonyms, antonyms, related words, and
suggestions for further reading Invites readers to engage in the
cross-cultural study of emotions Reveals the many different ways of
naming and interpreting human experience
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