Hinduism Book Recommendations

[Onkara]

Vasishta Maha Ramayana or Yoga Vasishta is the most ancient work in Sanskrit on the Vedic Principle. This monumental work is definitely one without a second in Sanskrit literature. Sage Vasishta, is teaching principles of Vedanta to his royal pupil, Sri Rama, the conqueror of Ravana and hero of the ancient epic, Ramayana. He talks through beautiful and interesting stories to illustrate the principles. The book is written in the language of Valmiki.

It is undoubtedly, the crest-jewel of all the works on Vedanta. A study of the book raises a man to the lofty heights of divine splendor and bliss. It is really a vast storehouse of wisdom. Those who are bent to the ways of knowledge will find a priceless treasure in this marvelous book. He who studies the book with great interest and one-pointedness of mind cannot go without attaining Self-Realization.

Full text:
http://homepage.mac.com/dbhill/.Public/Yoga Vasistha.pdf

The Essence of Yoga Vasishta ----Yoga Vasishta Sara
http://www.advaitin.net/Discussion Topics/Yoga Vasishta Sara.pdf

http://www.advaita.org.uk/reading/free_scriptures.htm

Thanks AR
The dedication in the first book is quite something

I dedicate this work to THIS;
beyond which there isn’t, without which we aren’t,
and within which the self-luminous Absolute
appears as the diversity.
This work is dedicated to the Guru,
who teaches us
through silence, service, grace and reverence
that our very being is the supracausal divine presence.
This work is dedicated to true love, serenity and delight,
that spontaneously emerges
when one is steady in the inner contentment.​

​

 

[Doodlebug02]

Is "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism, 2nd Edition" any good?

 

[Madhuri]

Is "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism, 2nd Edition" any good?

Cant say Ive read it but those types of books tend to lack context and depth. It isn't the best way to go about learning the religion but it might offer an initial insight.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Avie Marie,

Is "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism, 2nd Edition" any good?

Have not read the book, so can not comment on it or its contents.
The book is written by a westerner who has been to India and has studied it.
since you too are a westerner, it may be a good starting point as the authors language will be more in tune with yours.
Suggest before you buy the book, just go through the thread and you will find many free downloads of books on Sanatan Dharma [hinduism] mentioned. Kindly start with one and allow it to sink. Then the next.

Love & rgds

 

[Metempsychosis]

Found a huge collection of scriptures here
A Personal Library of Hindu Sanskrit Texts and Translations :: Forums @ KanchiForum.org

And here Sanderson Beck Translation of some of the scriptures
Vedas and Upanishads by Sanderson Beck


Kashmir Shaivism ----Vijnana Bhairava
The Vijnana Bhairava is one chapter from the ancient Rudrayamala Tantra.As a Bhairava Agama(Agama -- an enormous collection of Sanskrit scriptures ) it is a purely monistic teaching where Bhairavi (Parvati) asks Bhairava (Lord Shiva) to reveal the essence of the way one has to tread on the path to the realization of the highest reality – the state of Bhairava. In his answer Bhairava describes 112 ways to enter into the universal and transcendental state of consciousness.

Traditionally regarded as a manual for masters, the Vijnana Bhairava is a comprehensive aid to students of meditation from any tradition since it deals with the most profound underlying principles of spiritual practice. Because it contains a vast library of techniques, from the most elementary to the most advanced, the Vijnana Bhairava is relevant to aspirants at every stage of spiritual development.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/10050600/Vijnana-Bhairava-English-Translation

 

[Metempsychosis]

The Upanishads are the most sacred scriptures of the Hindus. The word, which means inner or mystic teaching, has been derived from 'Upa' which means near, 'Ni' or down and 'Shad' or to sit. This must refer to the ancient custom of groups of pupils sitting down near their teacher to learn the secret doctrine.

The Upanishads provide both spiritual vision and philosophical argument. They describe the core of spiritual experience which is incommunicable except by a way of life. The way to Ultimate Truth lies in personal efforts and the realization that the soul is one with all things of the Universe.

108 Upanishads are known to the contemporary world. The most famous of these are the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, Chandogya Upanishad, Aitareya Upanishad and Taittiriya Upanishad.They forn the eleven "principal" (mukhya) Upanishads commented upon by Shankara, and accepted as shruti by most Hindus.

Each is associated with one of the four Vedas (Rigveda (ṚV), Samaveda (SV), Yajurveda (YV), Atharvaveda (AV)); It forms the Jnana-Kanda of the Vedas.The Upanishads are considered the very essence of Vedanta (the end of Veda), because they offer the ultimate commentary on the Vedic philosophy. The greatest features of the Upanishads are their universal applicability and the total absence of dogmatism.

The older Upanishads, which probably date back to the 6th century BC, are usually part of a particular Veda, through a Brahmin or Aranyaka.The oldest of upanishads i.e Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya were compiled around 900-800 BCE. The later Upanishads are said to belong to the time of Buddha or after.

Major Upanishads: (in pdf) --- 11

Major Upanishads.rar

Minor Upanishads: (in pdf) ---- 97

Minor Upanishads.rar

 

[Metempsychosis]

The Uttara Gita, as its name implies, and as the first few lines of Chapter I explain,is the subsequent instruction, coming after that set forth in the Bhagavad-Gita,.

ARJUNA, after the successful issue of the battle of Kuruksetra, amidst the pleasures of rank, riches, and prosperity, had forgotten the priceless instructions imparted to him by Sri Krishna, on the eve of that memorable battle. He now asks Sri Krishna again to propound to him the secrets of the Brahma-jnana.

Uttara Gita

or

Uttara Gita

 

[Riverwolf]

The Uttara Gita, as its name implies, and as the first few lines of Chapter I explain,is the subsequent instruction, coming after that set forth in the Bhagavad-Gita,.

ARJUNA, after the successful issue of the battle of Kuruksetra, amidst the pleasures of rank, riches, and prosperity, had forgotten the priceless instructions imparted to him by Sri Krishna, on the eve of that memorable battle. He now asks Sri Krishna again to propound to him the secrets of the Brahma-jnana.

Uttara Gita

or

Uttara Gita

Is it a bit more well organized, since there isn't an impending battle going on?

 

[Metempsychosis]

Is it a bit more well organized, since there isn't an impending battle going on?

IMHO,The Bhagavat Gita has less information on Yoga , Chakras and Kundalini techniques,The Uttara Gita provides detailed information on this.It is just like another small upanishad.It is not as big as The Bhagavat Gita .It is a short Yoga Gita.

 

[Riverwolf]

IMHO,The Bhagavat Gita has less information on Yoga , Chakras and Kundalini techniques,The Uttara Gita provides detailed information on this.It is just like another small upanishad.It is not as big as The Bhagavat Gita .It is a short Yoga Gita.

So the Bhagavad-Gita is the core teaching, and the Uttara Gita is a supplement, in a sense?

 

[Metempsychosis]

So the Bhagavad-Gita is the core teaching, and the Uttara Gita is a supplement, in a sense?

Yes....Interestingly it gives a yogic interpretation of the great banyan tree(probably the tree of life ) with its roots upwards ..

Susumnã is a fine nerve that passes between the Idã and Pingalã. From this Susumnã all the Jnãna-Nãdis (sensory nerves) take their birth: hence it is called the Jnãna-Nãdi.
As various Nãdis have sprung up from the Susumnã, the receptacle of the Inner soul of all Jîvas - and are stretched out in all directions of the physical body, therefore it is considered like a huge tree reversed. The Tattva-Jnãnins alone are able to walk on every branch of this tree by the help of Prãna-Vãyu.

And much of the content leans towards Advaita(or no soul concept of Buddhism )

He that contemplates the Atman as No-thing above, No-thing below, No-thing in the middle, and No-thing all round, his state is called the state of Samãdhi. (That is Nirãlamba, non-supported or self-supported samãdhi) The Yogî who thus realizes the No-thingness of the Atman becomes free from all virtues and vice.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Brahma Sutra / Vedanta Sutra

Those who wish to study the philosophy of Vedanta should study the Ten Classical Upanishads ,Bhagavat Gita and the Brahma Sutras. The Upanishads seem to be full of contradictions at first. They do not contain consistent system of thought. Sri Vyasa systematised the thoughts or philosophy of the Upanishads in his Brahma Sutras. The Sutras reconcile the conflicting statements of the Upanishads. In reality there are no conflicts for the thinker.All Acharyas have commented on Brahma Sutras. If any Acharya wishes to establish his own cult or sect or school of thought, he will have to write a commentary of his own on Brahma Sutras. Then only it will be recognised.


The different Acharyas (founders of different schools of thought) have given their own interpretations of the Sutras to establish their own doctrines. The Bhashya of Sri Sankara on Brahma Sutras is known as Sareeraka Bhashya. His school of thought is Kevala Adwaita(Uncompromising Non-dualism). The Bhashya of Sri Ramanuja who founded the Visishtadwaita school is called Sri Bhashya. The commentary of Sri Nimbarkacharya is known as Vedanta Parijata Saurabha. Sri Vallabhacharya expounded his system of philosophy known as Suddhadwaita (pure monism) and his commentary on the Brahma Sutras is known as Anu Bhashya.

The Brahma Sutra without any commentary(Bhashya) :

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?jz1nnottajh

Advaita School Sareeraka Bhashya:

It has been consolidated by Swami Sivananda:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?4qzotowjzy2

Sankara's Original work is present here:

http://www.bharatadesam.com/spiritual/brahma_sutra/brahma_sutra_sankara_index.php


Vishishta Advaita (Qualified Non-duality ) by Ramanujacharya Sri Bhashsya:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?iuwzjxmjdz0


Acentya Bheda Abheda (Gaudhiya Vaishnava ) Govinda Bhashya:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?qhmmnmzyywm

 

[lmanzo]

I've put out 10 episodes of the "Mahabharata Podcast". These are mp3 files with an RSS feed. I'm trying to find people who are interested in this to check it out! You can find it at iTunes (Search "Mahabharata podcast"), and I have a blog-- mahabharatapodcast.com. If you want an in-depth overview of the epic story while on the go, please check it out! It's all free of course. I'd love any feedback.

-Lawrence

 

[Last Donut]

great thread!!!

I know it's been over a year since the last person posted here but maybe we can revive this thread a bit.

I will add some links as soon as I get over my 15 post restriction.

 

[atanu]

A dear friend of mine created a personal library of Hindu scriptures and general books. It is astounding. He has given a copy to me that is installed on my computer.

The link below isis astounding.

A Personal Library of Hindu Sanskrit Texts Translations - Hindu Dharma Forums

The above list is not very easy to use. But any one can own the library (that has a HTML start page) on one's hard disk as below:

Hindu Dharma Forums - View Single Post - A Personal Library of Hindu Sanskrit Texts Translations

Hope the links are found useful.

 

[Last Donut]

wow those are nice links lol

I may have to go join that website as well.

After doing a search on there I found a nice link for the Upanishads with multiple commentaries to select

"w w w. v e d a n t a. i i t k . a c . i n /" ;... you have to use Internet Explorer for it to work it seems

5 more posts to go before I can post real links lol

 

[ChristineES]

I have found that what I have learned about Hinduism, being written by non-Hindus, were rather biased and gave information that was, to be blunt, wrong. So I am going to start reading some of these books. Thanks, Madhuri for starting and giving me the link to this thread.

 

[YmirGF]

I have a very high respect for the teaching of Parmahamsa Yogananda and recommend his books Divine Romance and Man's Eternal Quest (and perhaps in the future, Autobiography of a Yogi).

I certainly agree with your choice of Yogananda. Several of his books have graced my bookshelf for well over 30 years. I can't really tell folks the impact his writings had on me so many years ago, but that impact was profound. (I have always been enchanted by the stories about Lahiri Mahasaya, Babaji and Mataji).

And yes, the Bhagavad-Gita is a must read.

I have found that what I have learned about Hinduism, being written by non-Hindus, were rather biased and gave information that was, to be blunt, wrong. So I am going to start reading some of these books. Thanks, Madhuri for starting and giving me the link to this thread.

Definitely pickup Autobiography of a Yogi, Christine. You will not be disappointed.

I'll stop here, lest I start babbling...

 

[Vinayaka]

I have found that what I have learned about Hinduism, being written by non-Hindus, were rather biased and gave information that was, to be blunt, wrong. So I am going to start reading some of these books. Thanks, Madhuri for starting and giving me the link to this thread.

To take this a step further, there are also Indian born Hindu gurus who wrote for the west, and realised that this was a different audience. You know how good speakers can switch the way they speak, according to audience? Same principle. Generally, because they realised they were speaking to a primarily Christian audience, a lot of universalism, or comparing creeps in, especially in commentaries sections.

 

[Satyamavejayanti]

Please visit this site below if you require Vedas, specifically Swami Dayanada translations, also other Books.

Vedic Books - Books on India, Its Culture and Heritage.

and try

YAJURVEDA ( English )
Author :
Devi Chand

SAMVEDA ( English )
Author :
Pt.Dharam Dev

RIGVEDA (5 VOLS) ( English )
Author :
Maharishi Dayanand

VEDIC CONCEPT OF GOD ( English )
Author :
Swami Vidyanand Saraswati

VEDIC PHILOSOPHY ( English )
Author :
Dr. Satyapal Arya

ARYAVRATA (The original habitat of the Aryans) ( English )
Author :
Swami Vidyanand Saraswati

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (9 vols) ( English )
Author :
Swami Bodhasarananda

An Introduction to the Commentary on the VEDAS (Rigvedadi Bhashya Bhumika) ( English )
Author :
by Pt. Ghasi Ram A VEDIC SCHOLAR

The Light of Truth (Revised Edition) ( English )
Author :
Swami Dayananda Saraswati, English translation by Pt. Ganga Prasad Upadhyaya


And i refer evryone to my fav site for more on Vedic Darmha.


Agniveer - Self-Help | Motivation | Spiritualism | Rationalism | Behavioral Repatterning | Vedas | Hinduism | Anti-Casteism | Women Rights

 

[DanielR]

hello, could somebody tell me where I can find the Tantras? thank you