Devī

Devī PDF

Author: John Stratton Hawley

Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 9788120814912

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The monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have severely limited the portrayal of the divine as feminine. But in Hinduism "God" very often means "Goddess." This extraordinary collection explores twelve different Hindu goddesses, all of whom are in some way related to Devi, the Great Goddess. They range from the liquid goddess-energy of the River Ganges to the possessing, entrancing heat of Bhagavati and Seranvali. They are local, like Vindhyavasini, and global, like Kali; ancient, like Saranyu, and modern, like "Mother India." The collection combines analysis of texts with intensive fieldwork, allowing the reader to see how goddesses are worshiped in everyday life. In these compelling essays, the divine feminine in Hinduism is revealed as never before--fascinating, contradictory, powerful.

The Eternal Food

The Eternal Food PDF

Author: R. S. Khare

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 1992-08-25

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 1438408919

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The interdisciplinary approaches presented here investigate food in India and Sri Lanka for its wide ranging cultural meaning and uses. The authors examine food in religious and literary contexts, where saints, ritualists, poets, and the divine often provide grounds for a practically inexhaustible hermeneutics. The Eternal Food focuses on reflexive cultural expressions and personal experiences that food elicits in the region. Concerned with food as an "essence" and as an essential experience, the authors give special attention to Hindu saints for whom food, firmly grounded in moral ideals and practice, represents a cosmic divine principle at one level, and a most immediate and intimate material reality at another. In the cultural diversity of India, the authors work with several conceptual models and meanings of food. They demonstrate how it reflects common social understandings about social caste, the cure and prevention of ailments, its ability to alter moods and motivations, or affect innate personal dispositions, personal spiritual pursuits and attainments. In its sweep and depth, food presents a powerful cultural lens for seeing how practical, ritual, and spiritual spheres of life conjoin.

The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena

The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena PDF

Author: J Gordon Melton

Publisher: Visible Ink Press

Published: 2007-09-01

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 1578592593

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From sacred mountains and places of pilgrimage to visions and out-of-body travel, this reference explores unusual and unexplained physical events, apparitions, and other phenomena rooted in religious beliefs. Each entry features a balanced presentation and includes a description of the phenomenon, the religious claims surrounding the occurrence, and a scientific response. Touring the world and history, this comprehensive reference includes entries on angels, comets, Marian apparitions, and religious figures such as Jesus, Mohammad, and Lao Tzu.

Hinduism & Its Military Ethos

Hinduism & Its Military Ethos PDF

Author: Air Marshal RK Nehra

Publisher: Lancer Publishers LLC

Published:

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 193550147X

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What is (real) Hinduism? The simple answer is that there is no ‘simple answer’. We know Hinduism as the most ancient, complex and fascinating religion of humankind. It may also be the least understood due to bewildering variety of its thought processes, which are both original and sublime. An attempt has been made in the book to present a short and simplified, yet comprehensive view of Hinduism – its culture and civilization. The vast range of Hindu gods and goddesses is fully explored. It is considered that after going through the book, aam admi (layman) would be greatly informed about Hinduism; and Hindus will feel empowered about their religion. The book will be of special interest to NRIs, especially of the second generation, in search of their roots. For everyone else, including the foreigners, there is a fascinating story waiting to be discovered. The second half of the book relates to study of the Hindu military value system from the earliest times of mythology to the present times. Issues of Hindu military mindset and 750 years of unending slavery are covered in detail. The causes for the Hindu military defeats are analyzed with an extraordinary degree of candor; the conclusions reached shatter many a prevalent myth. The causes for Hindu military defeats lay in their mind, rather than in their muscle.

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