Dating back some five thousand years, Hinduism is the dominant faith of India and an increasingly powerful spiritual force in the West. But it is an unusually diverse religion--one divided by caste, community, language, and region--and is thus quite difficult for outsiders to grasp. Now, in Hinduism, Vasudha Narayanan offers an illuminating, compact introduction to this highly complex and ancient religion. Attractively illustrated with many full-color photographs, this informative guide takes readers through the most important aspects of Hinduism--its divinities, sacred places, ethical teachings, and sacred texts, as well as aspects of Hindu culture such as yoga. Readers learn that, though Hindus are monotheistic, there are the many manifestations of divinity, from Vishnu ("All-Pervasive"), Shiva ("Auspicious One"), and Shakti ("Energy"), to Shri-Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth and good fortune, whose picture graces millions of homes, shops, and businesses) and the elephant-headed Ganesha. Narayanan explores the sacred texts, from the earliest writings known collectively as Veda, which emphasized the role of sacrifice, to later works such as the Upanishads, which sought liberation from the cycle of life and death and introduced the notion of immortality. She examines the concept of "dharma" (a word with multiple layers of meaning, including "righteous behavior," "truth," "duty," and "law") and "karma" (the result of good or bad deeds, which can determine the quality of life both now and in later births) and she also includes brief but insightful discussion of Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism, all of which have their roots in Hinduism. Engaging, informative, and richly illustrated, this book offers a balanced approach to Hinduism that illuminates one of the great world religions.

Hinduism

History

Narayanan, Vasudha

World

Oxford University Press

The Tamil Veda: Pillan's Interpretation of the Tiruvaymoli

In this multifaceted work, John Carman and Vasudha Narayanan clarify historical developments in South Asian religion and make important contributions to the methodology of textual interpretation and the comparative study of world religions.

Religion & Spirituality

Carman, John

University of Chicago Press

The Life of Hinduism brings together a series of essays―many recognized as classics in the field―that present Hinduism as a vibrant, truly “lived” religion. Celebrating the diversity for which Hinduism is known, this volume begins its journey in the “new India” of Bangalore, India’s Silicon Valley, where global connections and local traditions rub shoulders daily. Readers are then offered a glimpse into the multifaceted world of Hindu worship, life-cycle rites, festivals, performances, gurus, and castes. The book’s final sections deal with the Hinduism that is emerging in diasporic North America and with issues of identity that face Hindus in India and around the world: militancy versus tolerance and the struggle between owning one’s own religion and sharing it with others. Contributors: Andrew Abbott, Michael Burawoy, Patricia Hill Collins, Barbara Ehrenreich, Evelyn Nakano Glenn, Sharon Hays, Douglas Massey, Joya Misra, Orlando Patterson, Frances Fox Piven, Lynn Smith-Lovin, Judith Stacey, Arthur Stinchcombe, Alain Touraine, Immanuel Wallerstein, William Julius Wilson, Robert Zussman

The Life of Hinduism (The Life of Religion) (Volume 3)

Hawley, John Stratton

Asia

University of California Press

The vernacular Veda explores the centrality of a tenth-century Tamil poem, the Tiruvaymoti (TVM), to the daily worship of south India s Hindu Srivaisnava community. A work of extraordinary significance in Hindu Literature, the TVM was the first common language text to be included in domestic and temple liturgy, and it continues to be enacted in worship services today. In addition, parts of the TVM are sung on Indian radio stations, performed on television, and recorded for mass distribution. Vasudha Narayanan s comprehensive study profiles the author of the Veda and reveals the Srivaisnava community s passionate involvement with the TVM and the impact this single poem has had on the lives of community members for more than one thousand years. Narayanan researched the TVM s role in Hindu society by interviewing temple servants and by attending temple performance throughout south India. From these observations she draws conclusions about the pride the Srivaisnava community places in the accessibility of the TVM; unlike the Sanskrit Vedas, it can be recited by both males and females of all social stations. Narayanan identifies the Hindu cultural norms collectively challenged by the TVN and she highlights the ways in which the TVM differs from other texts included in the Tamil devotional canon. In the final section of the book, Narayanan translates 143 of the TVM s most widely recited verses, marking the Temple TVM s first publication in English.

The Vernacular Veda: Revelation, Recitation, and Ritual (Studies in Comparative Religion)

University of South Carolina Press

The way and the goal: Expressions of devotion in the early Śrī Vaiṣṇava community

Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University

Dating back some five thousand years, Hinduism is the dominant faith of India and an increasingly powerful spiritual force in the West. But it is an unusually diverse religion--one divided by caste, community, language, and region--and is thus quite difficult for outsiders to grasp. Now, in Hinduism, Vasudha Narayanan offers an illuminating, compact introduction to this highly complex and ancient religion. Attractively illustrated with many full-color photographs, this informative guide takes readers through the most important aspects of Hinduism--its divinities, sacred places, ethical teachings, and sacred texts, as well as aspects of Hindu culture such as yoga. Readers learn that, though Hindus are monotheistic, there are the many manifestations of divinity, from Vishnu ("All-Pervasive"), Shiva ("Auspicious One"), and Shakti ("Energy"), to Shri-Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth and good fortune, whose picture graces millions of homes, shops, and businesses) and the elephant-headed Ganesha. Narayanan explores the sacred texts, from the earliest writings known collectively as Veda, which emphasized the role of sacrifice, to later works such as the Upanishads, which sought liberation from the cycle of life and death and introduced the notion of immortality. She examines the concept of "dharma" (a word with multiple layers of meaning, including "righteous behavior," "truth," "duty," and "law") and "karma" (the result of good or bad deeds, which can determine the quality of life both now and in later births) and she also includes brief but insightful discussion of Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism, all of which have their roots in Hinduism. Engaging, informative, and richlyillustrated, this book offers a balanced approach to Hinduism that illuminates one of the great world religions.

Hinduism (Understanding Religions)

Teen & Young Adult

Rosen Pub. Group

Understanding Hinduism : Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places

Duncan Baird Publishers

'Understanding Hinduism' is an accessible and illustrated introduction to the key themes of Hinduism, from its many gods and goddesses, including Vishnu, Shiva and Lakshmi; ancient rituals and ceremonies; sacred architecture; epic poetry; and karma and rebirth.

Understanding Hinduism: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places

Self-Help

Watkins Publishing

Merton and Hinduism is the first book to thoroughly and definitively trace the lasting influence of Yoga and Hindu traditions on the life and writings of renowned author Thomas Merton, Catholic Priest and Trappist Monk, and pioneer of inter-religious dialogue. Informative and original essays by leading scholars highlight specific points of contact between Merton and various aspects of the Hindu and Yoga traditions, such as Merton and Gandhi, Merton and the Bhagavad Gita, and Merton's dialogue and friendship with key Indian intellectuals such as A.K. Coomaraswamy, among many others. Approximately half of the book collects Merton's own writings on Hinduism and Yoga, and many essays are published here for the first time. These essays portray Merton as teacher and novice master, cultural commentator, and contemplative practitioner interested in the mutually enriching dialogue among Catholic Christianity, Hinduism, and Yoga traditions.

Merton & Hinduism: The Yoga of the Heart (The Fons Vitae Thomas Merton Series)

McDermott, Rachel Fell

Rosen, Steven J.

Lipsey, Roger

Quenon, Paul

Apel PhD, William

Buchanan PhD, William

Cattoi PhD, Thomas

Chapple PhD, Christopher Key

Clooney PhD, Francis X.

Croghan PhD, Richard V.

Dekar PhD, Paul R.

Matus PhD, Thomas

O'Connell PhD, Patrick F.

Thangaraj PhD, M. Thomas

White PhD, David Gordon

Christian Books & Bibles

Fons Vitae

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