The Law Code of Manu is the most authoritative and the best-known legal text of ancient India. Famous for fifteen centuries it still generates controversy, with Manu's verses being cited in support of the oppression of women and members of the lower castes. A seminal Hindu text, the Law Code is important for its classic description of so many social institutions that have come to be identified with Indian society. It deals with the relationships between social and ethnic groups, between men and women, the organization of the state and the judicial system, reincarnation, the workings of karma, and all aspects of the law. Patrick Olivelle's lucid translation is the first to be based on his critically edited text, and it incorporates the most recent scholarship on ancient Indian history, law, society, and religion.

The Law Code of Manu (Oxford World's Classics)

Literature & Fiction

OLIVELLE, PATRICK

History & Criticism

Oxford University Press

In the first major English translation of the ancient Upanisads for over half a century, Olivelle's work incorporates the most recent historical and philological scholarship on these central scriptures of Hinduism. Composed at a time of great social, economic, and religious change, the Upanisads document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions. The introduction and detailed notes make this edition ideal for the non-specialist as well as for students of Indian religions.

Upanisads (The ^AWorld's Classics)

Religion & Spirituality

Hinduism

The Pancatantra is the most famous collection of fables in India and was one of the earliest Indian books to be translated into Western languages. No other work of Indian literature has had a greater influence on world literature, and no other collection of stories has become as popular in India itself. Patrick Olivelle presents the Pancatantra in all its complexity and rich ambivalence, examining central elements of political and moral philosophy alongside the many controversial issues surrounding its history. This new translation vividly reveals the story-telling powers of the original author, while detailed notes illuminate aspects of ancient Indian society and religion to the non-specialist reader.

Pancatantra: The Book of India's Folk Wisdom (The ^AWorld's Classics)

Upanisads (Oxford World's Classics)

Christian Books & Bibles

The Pancatantra is the most famous collection of fables in India and was one of the earliest Indian books to be translated into Western languages. No other work of Indian literature has had a greater influence on world literature, and no other collection of stories has become as popular in India itself. Patrick Olivelle presents the Pancatantra in all its complexity and rich ambivalence, examining central elements of political and moral philosophy alongside the many controversial issues surrounding its history. This new translation vividly reveals the story-telling powers of the original author, while detailed notes illuminate aspects of ancient Indian society and religion to the non-specialist reader.

Pancatantra: The Book of India's Folk Wisdom (Oxford World's Classics)

Short Stories & Anthologies

The Samnyasa Upanisads: Hindu Scriptures on Asceticism and Renunciation

The first readable and accurate translation of twenty of the most authoritative Hindu documents pertaining to ascetic ideals and the ascetic way of life, this text opens to students a major source for the study of the Hindu ascetical institutions and of the historical changes they underwent during a period of a thousand years or more. Beginning with an analysis of the historical context that gave rise to Indian ascetical institutions and ideologies, Patrick Olivelle moves on to elucidate the meaning of renunciation-the central institution of holiness in most Hindu traditions-and the function and significance of the various elements that constitute the rite of renunciation. The Samnyasa Upanisads will be an unparalleled source of information and insight for students of Hinduism and Indian asceticism, mysticism, and holiness.

History

Asia

The lesser known and explored of the two pillars of Hinduism--=a?rama and var.na--=a?rama is the name given to a system of four distinct and legitimate ways of leading a religious life: as a celibate student, a married householder, a forest hermit, and a world renouncer. In this, the first full-length study of the =a?rama system, Olivelle uncovers its origin and traces its subsequent history. He examines in depth its relationship to other institutional and doctrinal aspects of the Brahmanical world and its position within Brahmanical theology, and assesses its significance within the history of Indian religion. Throughout, he argues that the =a?rama system is primarily a theological construct and that the system and its history should be carefully distinguished from the socio-religious institutions comprehended by the system and from their respective histories.

The Āśrama System: The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Institution

Manu's Code of Law is one of the most important texts in the Sanskrit canon, indeed one of the most important surviving texts from any classical civilization. It paints an astoundingly detailed picture of ancient Indian life-covering everything from the constitution of the king's cabinet to the price of a ferry trip for a pregnant woman-and its doctrines have been central to Indian thought and practice for 2000 years. Despite its importance, however, until now no one has produced a critical edition of this text. As a result, for centuries scholars have been forced to accept clearly inferior editions of Sanskrit texts and to use those unreliable editions as the basis for constructing the history of classical India. In this volume, Patrick Olivelle has assembled the critical text of Manu, including a critical apparatus containing all the significant manuscript variants, along with a reliable and readable translation, copious explanatory notes, and a comprehensive introduction on the structure, content, and socio-political context of the treatise. The result is an outstanding scholarly achievement that will be an essential tool for any serious student of India.

Manu's Code of Law: A Critical Edition and Translation of the M-anava-Dharmaś-astra (South Asia Research)

This volume explores on the material, social, and ideological aspects of Asoka's reign in light of advances made in archaeology, epigraphy, and numismatics. Thematically divided into three parts, the first to pillars and rocks, which bear his inscriptions. The second part examines the interconnectedness of the edicts, their monumentality, and the different concept of kingship they conveyed. The third part analyses the making of the cultural memory of Asoka and raises pertinent questions crucial for understanding the relationship between the past and the present. The essays outline the importance of Asoka not only for the Indian nation-state but also for the entire Buddhist world of South and South-east Asia. Moving away from conventional periodization of Indian history, it raises important questions on the beginning of history and archaeology in the modern period. The book examines the extent to which nineteenth century initiatives have affected the study of Asoka and his reign. This book will be important for scholars and students of ancient Indian history, particularly those concerned with Asoka and the Mauryas. It will also interest archaeologists and scholars of Buddhist studies.

Reimagining Asoka Memory and History

Ray, Himanshu Prabha

Leoshko, Janice

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Books by OLIVELLE, PATRICK

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by OLIVELLE, PATRICK. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Law Code of Manu (Oxford World's Classics)

Upanisads (The ^AWorld's Classics)

Pancatantra: The Book of India's Folk Wisdom (The ^AWorld's Classics)

Upanisads (Oxford World's Classics)

Pancatantra: The Book of India's Folk Wisdom (Oxford World's Classics)

The Samnyasa Upanisads: Hindu Scriptures on Asceticism and Renunciation

The Samnyasa Upanisads: Hindu Scriptures on Asceticism and Renunciation

The Āśrama System: The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Institution

Manu's Code of Law: A Critical Edition and Translation of the M-anava-Dharmaś-astra (South Asia Research)

Reimagining Asoka Memory and History