Subjects

Hinduism in the Context of Manusmriti, Vedas, and Bhagavad Gita

R. Ramachandran, Vitasta Pub, 2010, xiv, 366 p, ISBN : 8189766498, $30.00 (Includes free airmail shipping)

Hinduism in the Context of Manusmriti, Vedas, and Bhagavad Gita/R. Ramachandran

Contents: Preface. Introduction. I. Hindu religion: 1. Nature of Hinduism. 2. Evolution of Hinduism. 3. Introduction to Rigveda. 4. Opening verses of Rigveda. 5. Closing verses of Rigveda. 6. Vedic religion. 7. The Bhagavad Gita: Jnana Yoga. 8. The Bhagavad Gita: Karma Yoga. 9. The Bhagavad Gita: Bhakti Yoga. 10. The Bhagavad Gita: Tatva Yoga. 11. Time perspective in Hinduism. 12. Bhaja Govindam: a review. II. Hindu society: 13. Land and people. 14. Manusmriti: Varna Ashrama Dharma. 15. Manusmriti: Raja Dharma. 16. Manusmriti: Varna Samkara. 17. The caste system. 18. Janma, Karma and Bhaga. 19. Society, religion and science. 20. Common beliefs among Hindus. 21. Hindu defined. 22. Conclusion: the message. Glossary. References. Index.  

"Hinduism is often difficult to comprehend due to its ancient origin, multifariousness, vastness and absence of one authority. No book on Hinduism, therefore, can be complete. This book, however, tries to attempt a well-documented and holistic view of Hinduism from historical and sociological perspectives. It intends to serve as a basic introductory text.

The presentation is based on a first-hand reading of Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit combined with knowledge of social sciences. The emphasis is on three major Hindu scriptures: the Bhagavad Gita, the Manusmriti and the Vedas, particularly the Rigveda. These three texts constitute the basic framework of Hinduism. This book provides adequate information about the three scriptures and discusses in detail terms such as gotra, jati, varna and dharma. It also discusses the issue of divine punishment for violating the dharma.

The book provides a detailed history of the origin of the culture and religion that flourished along the Indo-Gangetic Plains. It discusses migrations, their impact and the emergent civilizations. The objective is to understand how the religion evolved with people.

It also studies the recent developments, particularly the impact of science and technology with regards to the Hindu society. Whether the Rigvedic values are relevant today have also been explored." (jacket)

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