Books

his book is of particular interest because it shows the presence of the Yogãcara (Mind Only) school in Tibet. It is well known that the Madhyamaka school flourished in Tibet, but less well known that Yogacara doctrines were also studied and practiced. The former school stresses the inexpressible ultimate; the latter, the natural luminosity of mind. This is probably the best introduction to the distinctive eight consciousness systems of Yogãcara. It also makes understandable the different meanings of (he profound älaya-vijnana) (the storehouse consciousness, or basis of all) that is the pivotal eighth consciousness in their system.

Yoga is the science of liberation for the Soul. It is not only the science of liberation but also is the path to achieve physical and mental health as well as peace of mind. Aphorisms of seer Patanjali teach the path of overall physical, mental and spiritual development for the human beings.

Today people in the East and west have lost faith in the mainstream religions and yet continue to understand that their life is not meaningless. Naturally they turn to the Philosophy of Yoga to unravel the power of their internal realm. The philosophy of Yoga deals with the mysteries of Creation, Universe and the life on the planet earth. It encourages a seeker to explore as to where we came from purpose of our existence and the problems of survival since the beginning of time.

This book presents the oral teaching of the twentieth century’s great Kashmir Shaivite master. The last of his long lineages, Swami Lakshmanjoo preserved, as did his predecessors, the oral knowledge that illuminates this ancient philosophy – that clarifies the often deliberately obscure tantric texts.

Siva is the deity that is worshipped all over the country by all classes of people; and the literature on Siva, Saiva Agama and Saiva pantheon is immense, and there are also numerous shrines in India where Siva is worshipped in one form (or aspect) or another. The available matter therefore justifies two volumes on the subject. We hope the scholars and students interested in Indian Culture Would welcome this publication.

There is hardly a Hindu devotee who has not heard of Sri-chakra, seen one or held it in reverence. Despite this popularity, however, few are acquainted with details of this diagram or its symbolism, and fewer still with the philosophical foundations of its worship. There is a wide-spread interest in the subject, but no book had appeared till now to deal with it comprehensively. Here is a book of this description, written by a well-known scholar and author, drawing the material from original and mostly unpublished sources. The cult of Sri chakra has been explained here in a lucid manner, dealing with the diagrammatic symbolism, methods of preparation and varieties of the yantra, the details of the panchadasi and shodashi mantras and their philosophical import, and the cultic ideology (tantra).

Sun-worship in ancient India has been significant from many points of view. The continuity of Sun-worship from the prehistoric times to the present day and its universality and popularity among all classes of human society make its study as one of the most illuminating topics of Indology. The Gayatri hymn dedicated to Savitr- the Sun-god in his aspect of stimulation, enjoyed to every twice born Hindu and practiced by many everyday from Tgvedic to modern times, is a positive proof of the continuity and universality of Sun-worship in its elevated and spiritual aspect. Likewise the practice of Arghya to the solar orb in many domestic as well as funeral rites of every Hindu even after the lapse of thousand of years after its beginning in the Vedic age is symptomatic of the vitality, strength and vigour of Sun-worship in India.

  The Brhat  Jataka  of  Varaha   Mihira  is generally considered all over India as one of the best and most authoritative treatises on the science of Hindu Horoscopy. In fact,  Varaha   Mihira  is recognised as the greatest of the Indian Astrologers. There are four commentaries on this work. The well-known is that of  Bhatta   Utpala ; another is known as  Subodhini ; the third is  Mudraksari , and the fourth is known as  Sripatiyam . The commentary of  Bhatta   Utpala  is followed in this work.

Ganesa’s popularity is manifold. He is the favourite god of the masses. He is also the favourite subject for curio-hunters and collectors of icons. Painters and sculptors have revelled in depicting this god in a varity of forms and postures. The Tantrik practitioners have found in him a beneficent poer, quick to acquire and enduring in nature. Literature about Ganesh is remarkable, varied and large. Works in Sanskrit, which appear to have provided the main source material for all of them, are themselves large in number and varied in nature. An attempt has been made here to present a comprehensive picture of Ganesa that is of interest to an Indian mind. The picture assumes the Vedic origin of Ganesa and the Smrti and the Tantric involvements of the deity. It recognizes the primal importance ogiven to this god in the daily life of millions of Indians. It seeks to provide authentic information about Ganesh from texts.

This is first time that English translation with Sanskrit text is being published. The translation is based on M.N. Dutta, which is very lucid and accurate according to the Sanskrit text. It was translated according to that time available text of Kolkata edition. However, this text is not available now and we have arranged it through the text of Chitrashala Press, Pune, which is an authentic and complete text of the Mahabharata. And according to this, sometimes, we do not find the translation of many slokas, that translation has been completed by the editors.

In general the life span of a person is divided into four stages i.e. Asramas : Brahmacarya, in which studentship is covered: Grhasthasrama, in which household life is covered; Vanaprasth- asrama, in which the renunciation is prescribed with meditation and worship and, Sanyasasrama, in which the throwing away of Worldly bondages and unity with God is expected. Paramatman is worshipped in different ways in each of the Asramas, which is related to Asramadharma. There is another classification of human beings: The fourfold system of Cestes-Brahmana, Ksatriva, Vaisya and Sudra. The three qualities of primordial Nature (Prakrti) are Sattva, Raja and Tama. Pure sattva quality is not present in human beings unless they reach Godhood. More quantity of Sattva and less of the other two is the nature of Brahmana; Sattva and Raja are normally equal in the nature of Ksatriva. Rajas is more prominent than the other two in the nature of Vaisya and Tama is greater than the other two in the nature of Sudra. Each person acts according to his nature. These Upasanas vary to the capacity and nature of a person in Varnasramadharma. This book discusses the diversity of Upasana : Worship and tries to trace out the concept of Upasana: Worship in Sanskrit literature.

Along with his commentary on the Brahma Sutras his commentary on the Bhagavata Purana (subodhini) and other Vallabhacharya (c. 1479-1531) wrote by way of practical help on the path of devotional for his disciples and followers sixteen Verse-treatises (Sodasagranthah). This volume presents both translation and interpretation based upon traditional and contemporary commentaries of these verse treatises. It is the first such presentation in a western Language. These short treatises may be characterized as the practical theology of Vallabhacahrya's path of Grace (pustimarga). For the wrote most of them in response to the question of specific disciples about central topics of the path of loving devotion to lord Krishna such as worship (seva) of the Lord the path of grace and the other paths initiation to this path of worship and grace worries about worship refuge in and surrender to Lord Krishna commands given by the Lord or one's guru how love of the Lord grows stronger whether renunciation (samnyasa) might help or hinder that love the constraint (nirodha) by which reward of such worship among other topics.

The beautiful rock-cut  Siva  temple on Elephanta Island in Bombay harbour is one of the finest monuments of Indian religion and art. Until now, interpretation of its magnificent sculptured scenes has been neglected. In this book, Collins systematically surveys the pertinent Vedic, Epic and early Puranic literature as well as the contributions of India’s foremost poet and dramatist, Kalidasa, to reveal sources for and interpretation of the subjects of the relief sculptures. This surveys shows strong associations with are as formerly controlled by the classical Gupta dynasty in northern India. This book provides the first detailing of this link, intimated by others before, which helps to explain the grandeur of style found in the colossal reliefs.

Rudraksha has fascinated people across the world due to its mystical properties. It is amazing that a seed of a fruit grown on trees has gone on to receive so much attention and created so much interest worldwide. Apart from Hindu religious saints, its users and worshippers vary from artisans, housewives, academicians to businessmen.

The first chapter provides a detailed explanation of super conscious states and the various ways by which they may be realized. Kriya yoga lifestyle regimens and meditation practices are explained in the second chapter. In the third chapter, exceptional powers of perception and extraordinary abilities that one can use to nurture spiritual growth are described. The means by which soul capacities are actualized and indications of stages of spiritual awakening are presented in the fourth chapter.

The  Shiva  Sutras is a manual of Yoga. It is divided into three Unmesas, each treating of one particular means, Upaya, for reaching independence Svacchanda. The first is the Shambhavopaya, the specific Shaiva discipline and corresponds to the Jnanamarga of the Vedantins, and what is called in the Bhagvad Gita, the jnanayoga of the Sankhyas, also the avyaktagatih. The second, the Shaktopaya is the same as Shakta discipline and consist in the use of mantras and attainment of knowledge by their means. The third called the Anavopaya is the Astanga Yoga of  Patanjali . The three Upayas are treated in the order of their worth; the Shamb hava being the first and most excellent, and the Anava being the least worthy and not recognized by Vasugupta in his Spandakarika.

The Puranas are considered to be the pillars of the Vedic dharma comprising of Sruti. Smrti and Puranas. The Siva-Mahapurana is a famous one amongst the eighteen Mahapuranas. Relatively bigger in size. This Purana is primarily of a religious tone, dedicated mainly to the glory, various forms, their importance and valour of lord Siva. There had been certain deities, who after once appearing over the Indian Religious horizon, never lost their importance and continue here even to the present times, facing all the political, religions and other adversities. Lord Siva comes under this category, because his following never disappeared from the Indian scence after he attained the position of adoration and worship. Lord Siva has always remained important among all the gods starting from the oldest scriptures- Vedas, Brahmana literatures and Upanisads to the late poets and writers of Kasmira, he has been always the mainframe of these literatures. Even various philosophies emerged in the past among the followers of lord Siva.

This books explores one of the most explicit and sophisticated theoretical formulations of Tantric yoga. It explains Abhinavagupta’s teaching about the nature of ultimate reality about the methods for experiencing this ultimate reality and about the nature of the state of realization a condition of embedded enlightenment. The author uncovers the conceptual matriz surrounding the practices of the kaula linerge of Kashmir Shaivism. The primary textual basis for the book is provided by Abhinavagupta’s Parastrisika laghuvrtti a short meditation manual that centers on the symbolism of the heart mantra Sauh.

Siva worshiped as a column standing erect which generally rises out of a yoni or a pitha that serves as a pedestal in the temples dedicated to Siva. Etymologically speaking the word linga of Pratima Laksanam and Suprabhedagama highlights the same idea rather more elaborately thus: All animate and inanimate world gets absorbed in the time of cosmic dissolution the true function of this power is associated with Mahesvara which brings the final residue and becomes instrumental of recreation as well.

Vishnu Purana is one of the oldest Purana in the Hindu scriptures that is split into six parts and contains 7,000 versus. The Purana reveals some interesting details and is of high importance in Hindu religion. One of the foremost Purana in the Hindu scriptures is the Vishnu Purana, which is a constituent of the eighteen great Puranas. The text of this Purana today contains 7,000 verses though it is thought to have 23,000 verses in its original form.