Author: Heinrich von Stietencron
Publisher: Orient Blackswan
ISBN: 9788178241227
Category : Civilization, Hindu
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
Drawing Upon Varions Sources And Currents Folk, Tribal, And The Multilayered Sanskritic Tradition The Author Offers In This Volume, Major Insights Into The Complex Cultural History Of Hindu Traditions.
Hindu Myth, Hindu History, Religion, Art, and Politics
Author: Heinrich von Stietencron
Publisher: Orient Blackswan
ISBN: 9788178241227
Category : Civilization, Hindu
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
Drawing Upon Varions Sources And Currents Folk, Tribal, And The Multilayered Sanskritic Tradition The Author Offers In This Volume, Major Insights Into The Complex Cultural History Of Hindu Traditions.
Publisher: Orient Blackswan
ISBN: 9788178241227
Category : Civilization, Hindu
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
Drawing Upon Varions Sources And Currents Folk, Tribal, And The Multilayered Sanskritic Tradition The Author Offers In This Volume, Major Insights Into The Complex Cultural History Of Hindu Traditions.
Cultural Identity in Hindi Plays
Author: Diana Dimitrova
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019286906X
Category : Group identity in literature
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
This book deals with the interface between identity, culture and literature. It aims at studying questions of cultural identity and gender in Hindi plays of the 19th- and 20th- centuries and the interplay of poetics and politics, as revealed in the work of several influential playwrights. The book explores questions related to the ways in which seven representative playwrights imagine India and its identity and the ways, in which this concept is revealed in the "narratives of the nation", its postcolonial contentions and the politics of identity, as revealed in the production of various cultural discourses. The chapters explore various aspects of the ongoing process of constructing and narrating culture, gender, the nation and identity. There has been no monograph on the questions of cultural identity in Hindi drama. This is a pioneering project and a desideratum in the field of Hindi literature, South Asian Studies, and broadly, in the study of theatre of India and of South Asian cultures and literatures.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019286906X
Category : Group identity in literature
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
This book deals with the interface between identity, culture and literature. It aims at studying questions of cultural identity and gender in Hindi plays of the 19th- and 20th- centuries and the interplay of poetics and politics, as revealed in the work of several influential playwrights. The book explores questions related to the ways in which seven representative playwrights imagine India and its identity and the ways, in which this concept is revealed in the "narratives of the nation", its postcolonial contentions and the politics of identity, as revealed in the production of various cultural discourses. The chapters explore various aspects of the ongoing process of constructing and narrating culture, gender, the nation and identity. There has been no monograph on the questions of cultural identity in Hindi drama. This is a pioneering project and a desideratum in the field of Hindi literature, South Asian Studies, and broadly, in the study of theatre of India and of South Asian cultures and literatures.
Religion in Literature and Film in South Asia
Author: Diana Dimitrova
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230105521
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 232
Book Description
This innovative, interdisciplinary collection of essays by scholars based in Europe and the United States offers stimulating approaches to the role played by religion in present-day South Asia.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230105521
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 232
Book Description
This innovative, interdisciplinary collection of essays by scholars based in Europe and the United States offers stimulating approaches to the role played by religion in present-day South Asia.
Hinduism and Hindi Theater
Author: Diana Dimitrova
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137599235
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 221
Book Description
This book explores the representation of Hinduism through myth and discourse in urban Hindi theatre in the period 1880-1960. It discusses representative works of seven influential playwrights and looks into the ways they have imagined and re-imagined Hindu traditions. Diana Dimitrova examines the intersections of Hinduism and Hindi theatre, emphasizing the important role that both myth and discourse play in the representation of Hindu traditions in the works of Bharatendu Harishcandra, Jayshankar Prasad, Lakshminarayan Mishra, Jagdishcandra Mathur, Bhuvaneshvar, Upendranath Ashk, and Mohan Rakesh. Dimitrova’a analysis suggests either a traditionalist or a more modernist stance toward religious issues. She emphasizes the absence of Hindi-speaking authors who deal with issues implicit to the Muslim or Sikh or Jain, etc. traditions. This prompts her to suggest that Hindi theatre of the period 1880-1960, as represented in the works of the seven dramatists discussed, should be seen as truly ‘Hindu-Hindi’ theatre.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137599235
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 221
Book Description
This book explores the representation of Hinduism through myth and discourse in urban Hindi theatre in the period 1880-1960. It discusses representative works of seven influential playwrights and looks into the ways they have imagined and re-imagined Hindu traditions. Diana Dimitrova examines the intersections of Hinduism and Hindi theatre, emphasizing the important role that both myth and discourse play in the representation of Hindu traditions in the works of Bharatendu Harishcandra, Jayshankar Prasad, Lakshminarayan Mishra, Jagdishcandra Mathur, Bhuvaneshvar, Upendranath Ashk, and Mohan Rakesh. Dimitrova’a analysis suggests either a traditionalist or a more modernist stance toward religious issues. She emphasizes the absence of Hindi-speaking authors who deal with issues implicit to the Muslim or Sikh or Jain, etc. traditions. This prompts her to suggest that Hindi theatre of the period 1880-1960, as represented in the works of the seven dramatists discussed, should be seen as truly ‘Hindu-Hindi’ theatre.
The Nay Science
Author: Vishwa Adluri
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199931356
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 513
Book Description
The Nay Science offers a new perspective on the problem of scientific method in the human sciences. Taking German Indological scholarship on the Mahabharata and the Bhagavadgita as their example, Adluri and Bagchee develop a critique of the modern valorization of method over truth in the humanities. The authors show how, from its origins in eighteenth-century Neo-Protestantism onwards, the critical method was used as a way of making theological claims against rival philosophical and/or religious traditions. Via discussions of German Romanticism, the pantheism controversy, scientific positivism, and empiricism, they show how theological concerns dominated German scholarship on the Indian texts. Indology functions as a test case for wider concerns: the rise of historicism, the displacement of philosophical concerns from thinking, and the belief in the ability of a technical method to produce truth. Based on the historical evidence of the first part of the book, Adluri and Bagchee make a case in the second part for going beyond both the critical pretensions of modern academic scholarship and the objections of its post-structuralist or post-Orientalist critics. By contrasting German Indology with Plato's concern for virtue and Gandhi's focus on praxis, the authors argue for a conception of the humanities as a dialogue between the ancients and moderns and between eastern and western cultures.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199931356
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 513
Book Description
The Nay Science offers a new perspective on the problem of scientific method in the human sciences. Taking German Indological scholarship on the Mahabharata and the Bhagavadgita as their example, Adluri and Bagchee develop a critique of the modern valorization of method over truth in the humanities. The authors show how, from its origins in eighteenth-century Neo-Protestantism onwards, the critical method was used as a way of making theological claims against rival philosophical and/or religious traditions. Via discussions of German Romanticism, the pantheism controversy, scientific positivism, and empiricism, they show how theological concerns dominated German scholarship on the Indian texts. Indology functions as a test case for wider concerns: the rise of historicism, the displacement of philosophical concerns from thinking, and the belief in the ability of a technical method to produce truth. Based on the historical evidence of the first part of the book, Adluri and Bagchee make a case in the second part for going beyond both the critical pretensions of modern academic scholarship and the objections of its post-structuralist or post-Orientalist critics. By contrasting German Indology with Plato's concern for virtue and Gandhi's focus on praxis, the authors argue for a conception of the humanities as a dialogue between the ancients and moderns and between eastern and western cultures.
Divine Descent and the Four World-Ages in the Mahābhārata – or, Why Does the Kṛṣṇa Avatāra Inaugurate the Worst Yuga?
Author: Simon Brodbeck
Publisher: Cardiff University Press
ISBN: 1911653431
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 212
Book Description
This monograph approaches the Mahābhārata as a single work of literature, and the method is that of close textual study. Key verses are quoted in the original Sanskrit and in English translation. The title problem has been recognised before, but no detailed solution has been forthcoming. The monograph’s objective is to try to articulate a Mahābhārata theology of time. In Chapter 1, the monograph’s argument and synchronic methodology are summarised. In Chapter 2, the cycle of four yugas (world-ages) is outlined and discussed on the basis of the textual evidence. Each yuga is shorter and less moral than the last, and between them they constitute a repeating 12,000-year cycle. In Chapter 3, the Mahābhārata war is shown to be located at the junction between the third and fourth yugas. The idea of God Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa descending to improve the world is introduced, and the title question is properly posed: Why does God’s descent as Kṛṣṇa (to make the Mahābhārata war happen) inaugurate the worst yuga? In Chapter 4, the various descents (avatāras, ‘crossings-down’) of God Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa are discussed. Also discussed is a theory suggesting that the passage between yugas always requires a divine descent to effect it. The limitations of this theory are described and an alternative sketched. In Chapter 5, two general functions of divine descent are identified: to improve the world morally by killing demons, and to help the personified Earth by reducing the human weight upon her. These two functions are correlated with the two extremities of the four-yuga cycle, between which time oscillates. But the Mahābhārata war is not located at either extremity. Central to the monograph is a survey and discussion of the reasons given for this particular descent. These passages combine the two functions of divine descent, neither of which is entirely appropriate to this moment. It is argued that the descent here represents what happens over the course of the whole cycle. The discussion draws on Vedic literature, touches on gender issues, and shows how the two functions play out in the story of the war. In Chapter 6, the progress of the fourth yuga is tracked through the Mahābhārata’s various characters and then the ancient audience, who would anticipate the start of the next cycle. It is hypothesised that this was to occur through the long-term action of the Mahābhārata, as more and more people would put into practice the teachings presented by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavadgītā. The Kṛṣṇa avatāra would thus inaugurate the worst yuga because the seed planted there takes time to ripen. Chapter 7 reflects summarily upon the monograph’s explorations, the theory of divine descent, and the text’s theology of time. By employing a resolutely synchronic methodology the monograph makes a significant contribution on an important and latterly overlooked issue.
Publisher: Cardiff University Press
ISBN: 1911653431
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 212
Book Description
This monograph approaches the Mahābhārata as a single work of literature, and the method is that of close textual study. Key verses are quoted in the original Sanskrit and in English translation. The title problem has been recognised before, but no detailed solution has been forthcoming. The monograph’s objective is to try to articulate a Mahābhārata theology of time. In Chapter 1, the monograph’s argument and synchronic methodology are summarised. In Chapter 2, the cycle of four yugas (world-ages) is outlined and discussed on the basis of the textual evidence. Each yuga is shorter and less moral than the last, and between them they constitute a repeating 12,000-year cycle. In Chapter 3, the Mahābhārata war is shown to be located at the junction between the third and fourth yugas. The idea of God Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa descending to improve the world is introduced, and the title question is properly posed: Why does God’s descent as Kṛṣṇa (to make the Mahābhārata war happen) inaugurate the worst yuga? In Chapter 4, the various descents (avatāras, ‘crossings-down’) of God Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa are discussed. Also discussed is a theory suggesting that the passage between yugas always requires a divine descent to effect it. The limitations of this theory are described and an alternative sketched. In Chapter 5, two general functions of divine descent are identified: to improve the world morally by killing demons, and to help the personified Earth by reducing the human weight upon her. These two functions are correlated with the two extremities of the four-yuga cycle, between which time oscillates. But the Mahābhārata war is not located at either extremity. Central to the monograph is a survey and discussion of the reasons given for this particular descent. These passages combine the two functions of divine descent, neither of which is entirely appropriate to this moment. It is argued that the descent here represents what happens over the course of the whole cycle. The discussion draws on Vedic literature, touches on gender issues, and shows how the two functions play out in the story of the war. In Chapter 6, the progress of the fourth yuga is tracked through the Mahābhārata’s various characters and then the ancient audience, who would anticipate the start of the next cycle. It is hypothesised that this was to occur through the long-term action of the Mahābhārata, as more and more people would put into practice the teachings presented by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavadgītā. The Kṛṣṇa avatāra would thus inaugurate the worst yuga because the seed planted there takes time to ripen. Chapter 7 reflects summarily upon the monograph’s explorations, the theory of divine descent, and the text’s theology of time. By employing a resolutely synchronic methodology the monograph makes a significant contribution on an important and latterly overlooked issue.
The Making of a Modern Temple and a Hindu City
Author: Deonnie Moodie
Publisher: Paperbackshop UK Import
ISBN: 0190885262
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
"Middle-class Hindus have worked to modernize Kālīghāṭ - the most famous Hindu temple in Kolkata - over the past long century. Rather than being rejected with the onslaught of European modernity, the temple became a facet through which Hindus could produce and publicize their modernity, as well as their cities' and their nation's"--
Publisher: Paperbackshop UK Import
ISBN: 0190885262
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
"Middle-class Hindus have worked to modernize Kālīghāṭ - the most famous Hindu temple in Kolkata - over the past long century. Rather than being rejected with the onslaught of European modernity, the temple became a facet through which Hindus could produce and publicize their modernity, as well as their cities' and their nation's"--
Hindu Mysteries of Vedic India
Author: Henry Romano
Publisher: DTTV PUBLICATIONS
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 187
Book Description
The Hinduism of today is a vast and diverse religion, but its roots can be traced back thousands of years to the Vedas. The Rig Veda is an ancient text that outlines the beliefs of early Hindus, including their pantheon of deities. There are many different types of gods in the Hindu tradition (more than 330 million). Still, some hold special significance in the ancient texts: Rudra, Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva are just some examples. The word "Hinduism" is derived from Sindhu, which means river. The Indus River flows through Pakistan and the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. The religion is also called Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Law) or Bhagavata Dharma (Divine Faith). Hinduism is the world's oldest living major religion. Ancient India's first civilization developed around 2200 B.C., with its roots in Vedic civilization dating back to 1500 B.C. It has no founder, but various sages have written many religious texts over some time, including Vedas (the hymns), Upanishads (philosophical treatises), Puranas(mythology), Ramayana, and Mahabharata epics, as well as treatises on ethics like Manusmriti. The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas and one of India's most important ancient texts. It is a collection of over 10,000 Sanskrit hymns that many different poets wrote. The hymns are dedicated to the gods and goddesses of ancient India, including Indra, Agni (the God of fire), Ushas (Dawn), Sarasvati (Goddess of wisdom), Soma (Moon), and Varuna (God). There are many deities in Hinduism, but they can be broadly categorized into two main groups: Devas (gods) and Asuras (demons). The Devas represent the forces of good, while the Asuras represent the forces of evil; however, there is often an overlap between these two categories. Some well-known Devas include Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), Shiva/Rudra/Pashupati (the Destroyer), Indra/Agni (king of gods who controls rain and thunderstorms), etc. Some well-known Asuras include Vritra ("dragon"), Hiranyaksha ("golden arm"), and Hiranyakashipu ("lord with golden arms"). The names of these deities may vary from region to region depending on which text you reference; for example, Vishnu may also be known as Narayana or Hari among some communities within South India.
Publisher: DTTV PUBLICATIONS
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 187
Book Description
The Hinduism of today is a vast and diverse religion, but its roots can be traced back thousands of years to the Vedas. The Rig Veda is an ancient text that outlines the beliefs of early Hindus, including their pantheon of deities. There are many different types of gods in the Hindu tradition (more than 330 million). Still, some hold special significance in the ancient texts: Rudra, Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva are just some examples. The word "Hinduism" is derived from Sindhu, which means river. The Indus River flows through Pakistan and the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. The religion is also called Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Law) or Bhagavata Dharma (Divine Faith). Hinduism is the world's oldest living major religion. Ancient India's first civilization developed around 2200 B.C., with its roots in Vedic civilization dating back to 1500 B.C. It has no founder, but various sages have written many religious texts over some time, including Vedas (the hymns), Upanishads (philosophical treatises), Puranas(mythology), Ramayana, and Mahabharata epics, as well as treatises on ethics like Manusmriti. The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas and one of India's most important ancient texts. It is a collection of over 10,000 Sanskrit hymns that many different poets wrote. The hymns are dedicated to the gods and goddesses of ancient India, including Indra, Agni (the God of fire), Ushas (Dawn), Sarasvati (Goddess of wisdom), Soma (Moon), and Varuna (God). There are many deities in Hinduism, but they can be broadly categorized into two main groups: Devas (gods) and Asuras (demons). The Devas represent the forces of good, while the Asuras represent the forces of evil; however, there is often an overlap between these two categories. Some well-known Devas include Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), Shiva/Rudra/Pashupati (the Destroyer), Indra/Agni (king of gods who controls rain and thunderstorms), etc. Some well-known Asuras include Vritra ("dragon"), Hiranyaksha ("golden arm"), and Hiranyakashipu ("lord with golden arms"). The names of these deities may vary from region to region depending on which text you reference; for example, Vishnu may also be known as Narayana or Hari among some communities within South India.
Change, Continuity and Complexity
Author: Jae-Eun Shin
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429831021
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
The Mahāvidyās are the representative Tantric feminine pantheon consisting of ten goddesses. It is formed by divergent religious strands and elements: the mātṛ and yoginī worship, the cult of Kālī and Tripurasundarī, Vajrayāna Buddhism, Jain Vidyādevīs, Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava faith, Śrīvidyā, the Brahmanical strand of Puranic traditions, etc. This volume is the first attempt to explore the historical process, through which these traditions culminated in the Mahāvidyā cult and the goddesses with different origins and contradictory attributes were brought into a cluster, with special reference to socio-political changes in the lower Gaṅgā and Brahmaputra Valley between the 9th and 15th centuries CE. Based on a close analysis of Purāṇas, Tantras and inscriptional evidence, and on extensive field research on archaeological remains as well as sacred sites, Jae-Eun Shin discusses the two trajectories of the Mahāvidyās in eastern Śākta traditions. Each led to the systematization of Daśamahāvidyās in a specific way: one, as ten manifestations of Durgā upholding dharma in the cosmic dimension, and the other, as ten mandalic goddesses bearing magical powers in the actual sacred site. Their attributes and characteristics have neither been static nor monolithic, and the mode of worship prescribed for them has changed in a dialectical religious process between Brahmanical and Tantric traditions of the region. This is the definitive work for anyone seeking to understand goddess cults of South Asia in general and the history of eastern Śākta traditions in particular. To aid study, the volume includes images, diagrams and maps. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429831021
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
The Mahāvidyās are the representative Tantric feminine pantheon consisting of ten goddesses. It is formed by divergent religious strands and elements: the mātṛ and yoginī worship, the cult of Kālī and Tripurasundarī, Vajrayāna Buddhism, Jain Vidyādevīs, Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava faith, Śrīvidyā, the Brahmanical strand of Puranic traditions, etc. This volume is the first attempt to explore the historical process, through which these traditions culminated in the Mahāvidyā cult and the goddesses with different origins and contradictory attributes were brought into a cluster, with special reference to socio-political changes in the lower Gaṅgā and Brahmaputra Valley between the 9th and 15th centuries CE. Based on a close analysis of Purāṇas, Tantras and inscriptional evidence, and on extensive field research on archaeological remains as well as sacred sites, Jae-Eun Shin discusses the two trajectories of the Mahāvidyās in eastern Śākta traditions. Each led to the systematization of Daśamahāvidyās in a specific way: one, as ten manifestations of Durgā upholding dharma in the cosmic dimension, and the other, as ten mandalic goddesses bearing magical powers in the actual sacred site. Their attributes and characteristics have neither been static nor monolithic, and the mode of worship prescribed for them has changed in a dialectical religious process between Brahmanical and Tantric traditions of the region. This is the definitive work for anyone seeking to understand goddess cults of South Asia in general and the history of eastern Śākta traditions in particular. To aid study, the volume includes images, diagrams and maps. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Hinduism
Author: Gavin Flood
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119144868
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 660
Book Description
An accessible and up-to-date survey of scholarly thinking about Hinduism, perfect for courses on Hinduism or world religions The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Hinduism examines the historical trajectories that have led to the modern religion of Hinduism. Covering main themes such as philosophy, practice, society, and science, this comprehensive volume brings together a variety of approaches and perspectives in Hindu Studies to help readers better appreciate the richness, complexity, and diversity of Hinduism. Essays by acknowledged experts in the field present historical accounts of all major traditions, analyze key texts, engage with Hindu theology and philosophy, address contemporary questions of colonialism and identity, and more. Throughout the text, the authors highlight the links, common threads, and issues that reoccur in the history of Hinduism. Fully revised and updated, the second edition of the Companion incorporates the most recent scholarship and reflects the trend away from essentialist understandings of Hinduism. New chapters examine the Goddess tradition, Hindu diaspora, Hinduism and inter-religious comparison, Hindu philosophy, and Indian astronomy, medicine, language, and mathematics. This edition places further emphasis on the importance of region-specific studies in analyzing Hinduism, discusses important theoretical issues, and offers fresh perspectives on current discourse in Hindu society and politics. Provides a thorough overview of major texts, their histories, and the traditions that preserve them Describes the major textual traditions in Sanskrit with examples in different Indian vernacular languages Addresses major issues and contemporary debates about the nature and study of Hinduism Discusses the importance of systematic, rational thinking in Indian sciences, philosophy, and theology Examines key socio-political themes in Hinduism that are of particular relevance to the modern world The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Hinduism, Second Edition is an excellent text for undergraduate courses on Hinduism in Religious Studies and Philosophy departments, and an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers in Hindu Studies.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119144868
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 660
Book Description
An accessible and up-to-date survey of scholarly thinking about Hinduism, perfect for courses on Hinduism or world religions The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Hinduism examines the historical trajectories that have led to the modern religion of Hinduism. Covering main themes such as philosophy, practice, society, and science, this comprehensive volume brings together a variety of approaches and perspectives in Hindu Studies to help readers better appreciate the richness, complexity, and diversity of Hinduism. Essays by acknowledged experts in the field present historical accounts of all major traditions, analyze key texts, engage with Hindu theology and philosophy, address contemporary questions of colonialism and identity, and more. Throughout the text, the authors highlight the links, common threads, and issues that reoccur in the history of Hinduism. Fully revised and updated, the second edition of the Companion incorporates the most recent scholarship and reflects the trend away from essentialist understandings of Hinduism. New chapters examine the Goddess tradition, Hindu diaspora, Hinduism and inter-religious comparison, Hindu philosophy, and Indian astronomy, medicine, language, and mathematics. This edition places further emphasis on the importance of region-specific studies in analyzing Hinduism, discusses important theoretical issues, and offers fresh perspectives on current discourse in Hindu society and politics. Provides a thorough overview of major texts, their histories, and the traditions that preserve them Describes the major textual traditions in Sanskrit with examples in different Indian vernacular languages Addresses major issues and contemporary debates about the nature and study of Hinduism Discusses the importance of systematic, rational thinking in Indian sciences, philosophy, and theology Examines key socio-political themes in Hinduism that are of particular relevance to the modern world The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Hinduism, Second Edition is an excellent text for undergraduate courses on Hinduism in Religious Studies and Philosophy departments, and an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers in Hindu Studies.