Hinduism EBooks

Shrimad Valmiki Ramayan - Sanskrit Text with Hindi Translation- DP Sharma 10 volumes

2011-07-12T21:03:00.002+05:30

The Ramayana is certainly one of the world's oldest legends. Modern scholars claim that it was first composed around 300 BC. The devout Hindu believes that Rama lived many hundred millennia ago, in the Treta Yuga, and that was also when Valmiki first told his immortal story. The epic is called the Adi Kavya, the world's first poem. The God Brahma himself is meant to have inspired Valmiki to create his classic, in twenty-four thousand slokas. The true purpose of the Ramayana is to awaken its reader spiritually, and to send him forth on the great journey that leads to Moksha, to God.

The poem is traditionally divided into several major kandas or books, that deal chronologically with the major events in the life of Rama -

1. Bala kanda
2. Ayodhya Kanda
3. Aranya Kanda
4. Kishkinda Kanda
5. Sundara Kanda
6. Yuddha Kanda and
7. Uttara Kanda.

The Bala Kanda describes the birth of Rama, his childhood and marriage to Sita. The Ayodhya Kanda describes the preparations for Rama's coronation and his exile into the forest. The third part, Aranya Kanda, describes the forest life of Rama and the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana. The fourth book, Kishkinda Kanda, describes the meeting of Hanuman with Rama, the destruction of the vanara king Vali and the coronation of his younger brother Sugriva to the throne of the kingdom of Kishkindha. The fifth book is Sundara Kanda, which narrates the heroism of Hanuman, his flight to Lanka and meeting with Sita. The sixth book, Yuddha Kanda, describes the battle between Rama's and Ravana's armies. The last book, Uttara Kanda, describes the birth of Lava and Kusha to Sita, their coronation to the throne of Ayodhya, and Rama's final departure from the world.

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Volume 01. Bala kanda
Volume 02. Ayodhya Kanda (Purvardh)
Volume 03. Ayodhya Kanda (Uttarardh)
Volume 04. Aranya Kanda
Volume 05. Kishkinda Kanda
Volume 06. Sundara Kanda
Volume 07. Yuddha Kanda (Purvardh)
Volume 08. Yuddha Kanda (Uttarardh)
Volume 09. Uttara Kanda (Purvardh)
Volume 10. Uttara Kanda (Uttarardh)

Complete Works of Swami Rama Tirtha - Hindi (28 Volumes)

2011-06-22T18:33:00.004+05:30

स्वामी रामतीर्थ ग्रन्थावली २८ भागों में
==========================
Described as “one of the greatest souls, not only of India, but of the whole world” by Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Rama Tirtha (1873-1906) was a living embodiment of the teachings of Advaita Vedanta. Swami Rama Tirtha visited the United States from 1902-1904 and was one of the first great Swamis to bring the message of Vedanta to the U.S., Japan and Egypt, following in the footsteps of Vivekananda.

Swami Rama Tirtha Granthavali is a complete collection of his writings and lectures in Hindi. In this 28 volumes work, Swami Rama Tirtha presents a practical and inspiring view of Vedanta and also discusses various topics such as God-realization, Vedanta, Christianity and Islam, war and peace, and India's destiny.

Download Complete Works of Swami Rama Tirtha - Hindi (28 Volumes)
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Volume 1                  Volume 9            Volume 16             Volume 24
Volume 2                  Volume 10          Volume 17 -18       Volume 25
Volume 3                  Volume 11          Volume 19             Volume 26
Volume 4                  Volume 12          Volume 20             Volume 27
Volume 5                  Volume 13          Volume 21             Volume 28
Volume 6                  Volume 14          Volume 22
Volume 7-9               Volume 15          Volume 23

Sri Madhwacharya - Biography - English

2011-04-29T13:54:00.003+05:30

Sri Madhvacarya, also known as Vasudeva, Ananda Tirtha and Purnaprajna, is one of India’s greatest theologians. He is the founder of dvaita philosophy, and is one of the most important commentators on the Upanisads, Bhagavad-gita and the Brahma-sutras. In addition, he wrote many original works that dealt with important aspects of his new doctrine. In all, he wrote 37 works. Not only did Madhvacarya’s powerful literary output help to establish his teachings during his own lifetime, it has inspired a vast literary tradition that continues to the present day.

His doctrine asserts that this world is real and that there is an eternal and immutable difference between the individual soul and God.

DOWNLOAD LINKS

1. Sri Madhwacharya - His life and Times - CNK Aiyar

2. The Life And Teachings of Sri Madhvacharyar - C.M. Padmanabha Char

Four Vedas - Sanskrit text with Hindi commentary by Jaydev Sharma

2011-03-27T13:47:00.010+05:30

The Vedas are the most ancient sacred texts of Hinduism. Each of the four Vedas consists of the metrical Mantra or Samhita' part and the prose 'Brahmana' part giving discussions and directions for the detail of the ceremonies at which the Mantras were to be used and explanations of the legends connected with the Mantras and rituals. Both these portions are termed shruti (which tradition says to have been heard but not composed or written down by men).

The Rig Veda commentary by Jaydev Sharma was first published in 1930 in 7 volumes along with 2 volumes of Yajur Veda, one volume of Sama Veda & 2 volumes of Atharva Veda. The author has taken care to make his commentary lucid and profound. His commentary is based on the commentaries of ancient sages like Sayana, Skandaswami, Venkatamadhava and also on the modern day sages like Swami Dayanand.

DOWNLOAD LINKS

Rig Ved sanhita Bhasha Bhashya -Jaydev Sharma Vol 1
Rig Ved sanhita Bhasha Bhashya -Jaydev Sharma Vol 2
Rig Ved sanhita Bhasha Bhashya -Jaydev Sharma Vol 3
Rig Ved sanhita Bhasha Bhashya -Jaydev Sharma Vol 4
Rig Ved sanhita Bhasha Bhashya -Jaydev Sharma Vol 5
Rig Ved sanhita Bhasha Bhashya -Jaydev Sharma Vol 6
Rig Ved sanhita Bhasha Bhashya -Jaydev Sharma Vol 7

Yajur Vedsanhita BhashaBhashya -JaydevSharma Vol 1
Yajur Vedsanhita BhashaBhashya -JaydevSharma Vol 2

Sama Ved sanhita Bhasha Bhashya -Jaydev Sharma1

AtharvVedsanhitaBhashaBhashya -JaydevSharma Vol 1
AtharvVedsanhitaBhashaBhashya -JaydevSharma Vol 2

(The above are direct links. To download, right click and the "save link as"...)

Rig Veda Sanskrit text & Hindi translation - RG Trivedi

Children's Illustrated Ramayanam - Vishnu B

2011-03-23T13:28:00.000+05:30

The Ramayana is one of the best-known epics in the world, the tale of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, who exiles himself to the forest for fourteen years to honour his father's word. In the forest, Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana meet new friends and strange foes, and each day brings new adventures. But their happy life is spoilt when Ravana of Lanka, the king of demons, abducts Sita. To rescue her Rama enlists the help of the monkey army. In that final battle, many heroes die and new ones are born.

In this vividly told, vibrant version for children, the ancient epic takes on a new life. The traditional ingredients are all there - adventure and excitement, love and war, and an infinite number of stories within stories; as are the traditional characters - monkeys who cross oceans and carry mountains, shape-changing demons and monsters. But it is rendered contemporary by the freshness and vitality of Vishnu's retelling, and by the beautiful and captivating illustrations by Vipin. K. Das.

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Message of the Vedas - GC Narang

2011-01-23T14:01:00.002+05:30

Today, an average Hindu is not familiar with the Vedas or any literature associated with them. Though the Vedas themselvesa are not so voluminous, they are rather too difficult for the inunitiated. The commentaries, on the other hand, to which one must naturally look for help to understand the Vedas, are so voluminous that they would actually break the back-bone of the student.

So, with a view to familiarise an average Hindu with the Vedas, Sir GC Narang, the author of Message of the Vedas, had compiled selected mantras from the Vedas with their English translation. It is a great blessing to the reader that the mantras are arranged according to their subjects. This book will help him to have a fairly good idea of the nature of the contents of the Vedas.

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DOWNLOAD E-BOOK Link 2

Principal Upanishads with Shankara Bhashya - English Translation - 5 Volumes

2010-11-21T11:29:00.005+05:30

The special feature of this five volumes set of Eight Principal Upanishads is the English translation of the commentaries of Shankara, the greatest exponent of the Advaita system of philosophy. This makes it possible for the English-reading public to appreciate the priceless teachings of the Upanishads, in the light of the interpretation of Sri Sankaracharya. The volumes 1, 2 & 5 were translated by S. Sitarama Sastri and volumes 3 &4 by Ganganatha Jha.

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Volume 1 - Isa, Kena & Mundaka Upanishads

Volume 2 - Katha & Prasna Upanishads

Volume 3 - Chandogya Upanishad - Part 1

Volume 4 - Chandogya Upanishad - Part 2

Volume 5 - Aitareya & Taittiriya Upanishads

Download Links for Mandukya & Brihadaranyaka Upanishads

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - Swami Madhavananda

Mandukya Upanishad & Karika - Swami Nikhilananda

Complete Works of Swami Rama Tirtha - In Woods Of God-Realization - 10 Volumes

2010-09-14T13:46:00.005+05:30

Described as “one of the greatest souls, not only of India, but of the whole world” by Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Rama Tirtha (1873-1906) was a living embodiment of the teachings of Advaita Vedanta. Swami Rama Tirtha visited the United States from 1902-1904 and was one of the first great Swamis to bring the message of Vedanta to the U.S., Japan and Egypt, following in the footsteps of Vivekananda.

In Woods of God Realization is a complete collection of his writings and lectures. In this ten volume work, Swami Rama Tirtha presents a practical and inspiring view of Vedanta and also discusses various topics such as God-realization, Vedanta, Christianity and Islam, war and peace, and India's destiny.

DOWNLOAD Volumes 1 to 10

DOWNLOAD EachVolume Separately

In woods of God-realization vol.1
In woods of God-realization vol.2
In woods of God-realization vol.3
In woods of God-realization vol.4
In woods of God-realization vol.5
In woods of God-realization vol.6
In woods of God-realization vol.7
In woods of God-realization vol.8
In woods of God-realization vol.9
In woods of God-realization vol.10

Download Free Books on Hinduism from Digital Library of India

2010-09-12T13:23:00.004+05:30

The Digital Library of India initiative has scanned and placed online, over 250,000 books on various subjects. They are available free of cost from two separate collections housed at IIIT and IISc. About 20,000 books touch upon Indology, Sanskrit literature and Hindu religious texts, including the Vedas and other scriptures. A lot of them are rare and not available elsewhere and come from many places like the TTD/RSVP Sanskrit university at Tirupati, Sringeri Math etc. But, accessing the books has been extremely hard due to the terrible catalog and reading features provided by the DLI’s servers. PR Labs has been providing free software to easily find and download rare books from the DLI. One click install- One click downloads. You can directly get neatly formatted Adobe PDF books using this program.

DLI Downloader developed by PR Labs uses a smart downloading engine and has a number of new optimization, data integrity and fault tolerance features in order to cope with the servers of both DLI sites.

For further details, visit http://dlidownloader.wordpress.com/ or http://www.dlidownloader.blogspot.com/

If you find any bugs, please email: dli.downloader[[at]]yahoo.com

Links to download DLI Downloader
www.sanskritdocuments.org/scannedbooks/dlidownloader OR from here

108 Upanishads with Sanskrit Commentary of Upanishad Brahma Yogin - 8 Volumes

2010-09-11T08:32:00.021+05:30

Upanishad Brahmayogin is the cognomen of Ramachandrendra Sarasvati, a great sannyasin and Advaitin who is credited with having written commentaries on all 108 upanishads of the Muktika canon. His works have been translated and published by the Adyar Library. He was born sivarama of Vadhula gotra in Brahmapuram, a village on the river Palar. This would date to the middle of the 18th century, based on tales of his association, as an older contemporary, with Tyagaraja (1767 1847 CE).

His sanyasa name was Ramachandrendra, but he came to be known for his scholarship by names such as Upanishad brahma yogi, Upanishad brahmendra and Upanishad brahman.
His commentaries on all 108 upanishads of the Muktika canon were the fulfilment of a wish of his father Sivakamesvara. Besides these, he was also the author of independent works such as the Paramadvaita siddhanta paribhasa and the Upeya nama viveka. A prolific author, he annotated the colophons of each of his works with the number of granthas contained in it, presumably to prevent interpolation. On this basis, his works amount to over 45,000 granthas.

Muktika Upanishad gives the list of 108 Upanishads. It is given as the teaching of the Divine Incarnation Sri Rama to his devotee Hanuman. It mentions the list in two places. In the first section (khanda) of adhyaya 1, verses 30 39, the 108 names are given in a metrical form. In the first adhy aya, second section (khanda), verses 1 5, is given the subsets of these Upanishads associated with the five Ved as namely Rigveda (10), Shukla Yajurveda (19), Krishna Yajurveda (32), Samaveda (16) and Atharvaveda (31). The text of Muktika Upanishad can be found in the book, “Samanya Vedanta Upanishads” published by Adyar Library, Adyar, Chennai.

CLASSIFICATION OF 108 UPANISHADS
Dasopanishads
Īsha	Sukla Yajur Veda
Kena	Sama Veda
Katha	Krishna Yajur Veda
Prashna	Atharva Veda
Mundaka	Atharva Veda
Mandukya	Atharva Veda
Aitereya	Rig Veda
Taittiriya	Krishna Yajur Veda
Chhandogya	Sama Veda
Brahadaranyaka	Sukla Yajur Veda
Samnaya Vedanta Upanishads
Svetasvatara	Krishna Yajur Veda
Garbha	Krishna Yajur Veda
Maitrayani	Sama Veda
Kaushitaki	Rig Veda
Subala	Sukla Yajur Veda
Mantrika	Sukla Yajur Veda
Sarvasara	Krishna Yajur Veda
Niralamba	Sukla Yajur Veda
Sukarahasya	Krishna Yajur Veda
Vajrasuchi	Sama Veda
Atmabodha	Rig Veda
Skanda	Krishna Yajur Veda
Mudgala	Rig Veda
Paingala	Sukla Yajur Veda
Mahat	Sama Veda
Sariraka	Krishna Yajur Veda
Ekakshara	Krishna Yajur Veda
Annapurna	Atharva Veda
Surya	Atharva Veda
Akshi	Krishna Yajur Veda
Adhyatma	Sukla Yajur Veda
Savitri	Sama Veda
Atma	Atharva Veda
Pranaagnihotra	Krishna Yajur Veda
Muktika	Sukla Yajur Veda
Saiva Upanishads
Kaivalya	Krishna Yajur Veda
Atharvasira	Atharva Veda
Atharvasikha	Atharva Veda
Brahajjabala	Atharva Veda
Kaalagnirudra	Krishna Yajur Veda
Dakshinamurthi	Krishna Yajur Veda
Sarabha	Atharva Veda
Akshamaala	Rig Veda
Rudrahrudaya	Sama Veda
Bhasmajabala	Atharva Veda
Rudrakshajabala	Sama Veda
Ganapati	Atharva Veda
Panchabrahma	Krishna Yajur Veda
Jabali .	Sama Veda
Sakta Upanishads
Sita	Atharva Veda
Tripuratapini	Atharva Veda
Devi	Atharva Veda
Tripura	Rig Veda
Bhavana	Atharva Veda
Saubhagyalakshmi	Rig Veda
Sarasvatirahasya	Krishna Yajur Veda
Bahvrichi .	Rig Veda
Vishnava Upanishads
Narayana	Krishna Yajur Veda
Nrsimhatapini	Atharva Veda
Tripadvibhutimahanarayana	Atharva Veda
Ramarahasya	Atharva Veda
Ramatapini	Atharva Veda
Vasudeva	Sama Veda
Avyakta	Sama Veda
Tarasara	Sukla Yajur Veda
Gopalatapini	Atharva Veda
Krishna	Atharva Veda
Hayagriva	Atharva Veda
Dattatreya	Atharva Veda
Garuda	Atharva Veda
Kalisantarana	Krishna Yajur Veda
Sanyasa Upanishads
Brahma	Krishna Yajur Veda
Jabala	Sukla Yajur Veda
Arunika	Sama Veda
Paramahamsa	Sukla Yajur Veda
Maitreyi	Sama Veda
Nirvana	Rig Veda
Narada Parivrajaka	Atharva Veda
Bhikshuka	Sukla Yajur Veda
Turiyatita	Sukla Yajur Veda
Sanyasa	Sama Veda
Paramahamsaparivrajaka	Atharva Veda
Kundika	Sama Veda
Parabrahma	Atharva Veda
Avadhuta	Krishna Yajur Veda
Katharudra	Krishna Yajur Veda
Yajnavalkya	Sukla Yajur Veda
Satyayani .	Sukla Yajur Veda
Yoga Upanishads
Advayataraka	Sukla Yajur Veda
Trishikibrahmana	Sukla Yajur Veda
Brahmavidya	Krishna Yajur Veda
Yagatattva	Krishna Yajur Veda
Amrtanada	Krishna Yajur Veda
Darshana	Sama Veda
Mandalabrahmana	Sukla Yajur Veda
Yogashikha	Krishna Yajur Veda
Amrtabindu	Krishna Yajur Veda
Dhyanabindu	Krishna Yajur Veda
Mahavakya	Atharva Veda
Varaha	Krishna Yajur Veda
Kshurika	Krishna Yajur Veda
Pashupatabrahma	Atharva Veda
Yagakundali	Krishna Yajur Veda
Shandilya	Atharva Veda
Tejobindu	Krishna Yajur Veda
Nadabindu	Rig Veda
Yogachudamani	Sama Veda
Hamsa	Sukla Yajur Veda

DOWNLOAD LINKS
Download All Volumes In A Single PDF

Download Each Volume separately
Dasopanishads Vol 1
Dasopanishads Vol 2
Samanya Vedanta Upanishads
Saiva Upanishads
Sakta Upanishads
Vaishnava Upanishads
Sanyasa Upanishads
Yoga Upanishads

Srimad Bhagavad Gita Sankara Bhashya English A Mahadeva Sastri

2010-09-10T14:28:00.001+05:30

This book contains Sanskrit text of Srimad Bhagavad Gita with the commentary of Sri Adi Sankaracharya translated into English by Alladi Mahadeva Sastri. Adi Sankara's is probably the earliest extent commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. His commentary occupies a prominent place among the countless commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita by ancient and modern scholars and saints in various languages.

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Srimad Bhagavad Gita with 11 Sanskrit Commentaries - GS Sadhale 3 - Volumes

2010-09-06T18:32:00.011+05:30

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered sacred scriptures of Hinduism and is considered as one of the most important religious classics of the world.

All great Hindu acharyas of all times and from all parts of India have written commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita, most wellknown among them being the commentaries of Sri Sankara, Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhwa, to name a few.

Sri Gajanan Shambhu Sadhale Sastri compiled the major commentaries on the Gita into a single book. First edition of this book, Srimad Bhagavad Gita with Eleven Sanskrit Commentaries, edited and compiled by him was published (partially) in 1906. Later, this work was published completely as a 3 volume set in 1935.

This book contains the following commentaries.

01. Shankaracharya's Adwaita Bhashya
02. Anandagiri's Vyakhya
03. Ramanuja's Vishista adwaita Bhashya
04. Deshika's Tatparya chandrika
05. Madhva's Dwaita Bhashya,
06. Jayatirtha's Prameya deepika
07. Hanumat's Paishacha Bhashya
08. Venkatnatha's Brakmanandagiri
09. Vallabha's Tattva-deepika
10. Purushotama's Amrita tarangini
11. Nilakantha's Bhava-deepa
12. Yamuna muni's Artha-sangraha with Deshika's Raksha
13. Gita Mahatmya of each chapter

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VOLUME - 1

VOLUME - 2

VOLUME - 3

Complete Set in one file at megaupload (Thanks to Prabhuji)

Complete Set in one file at archive.org (Thanks to Prabhuji)

Sandilya Bhakti Sutra with Sanskrit & English Commentaries

2010-09-04T14:06:00.005+05:30

All systems of Hindu philosophy have sutra literature of their own like Brahma sutras, Sankhya Sutras, Yoga Sutras, etc. Some darshanas have more than one sutras. Though the sutras of Narada Maharshi are most popular Bhakti Sutras, the sutras of Sandilya are to the Bhakti doctrine, what Brahma Sutras are to the Vedanta philosophy. While Narada’s Sutras are Sadhana-oriented, those of Sandilya are more of academic and polemic nature.

Svapnesvara’s commentary, the earliest one on these Sutras, gives a nice exposition of the terse Sutras and also describes the dialectics involved in the Bhakti doctrine. It was published in for the first time in Sanskrit by BD Basu in 1861 and its English translation by EB Cowell was published first in 1878.

DOWNLOAD LINKS

Bhakti Aphorisms of Sandilya - Swapneswara's Commentary in English - EB Cowell

Bhakti Aphorisms of Sandilya - Swapneswara's Commentary in Sanskrit - BD Basu

Sandilya Bhakti Sutra with Sandkrit Text with English Commentary by Bhaktiprajnan Yati

Srimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya of Bal Gangadhar Tilak - English - 2 Volumes

2010-08-06T12:26:00.001+05:30

English version of Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak's classic and well-known work on Gita - "Srimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya".

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920), was a great patriot, philosopher, social reformer and freedom fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities infamously and derogatorily called the great leader as "Father of the Indian unrest". He was also conferred upon the honorary title of Lokmanya, which literally means "Accepted by the people (as their leader)". Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of "Swaraj" (self-rule) in Indian consciousness. His famous quote, "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it !" is well-remembered in India even today.

Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the author of this work, interprets Gita as the scripture of Karmayoga. Karmayoga is performing one's duty without having any desire for its fruits. According to Tilak Gita teaches selfless action as is said in Chatper 2, Verse 48:

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि संगं त्यक्त्वा धनन्जय।
सिध्यसिध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते॥

yogasthah kuru karmaani sangam tyaktvaa dhananjaya
siddhyasiddhyoh samo bhuutvaa samatvam yoga ucyate

Remaining steadfast in yoga, oh Dhananjaya (Arjuna), perform actions, abandoning attachment, remaining the same to success and failure alike. This evenness of mind is called yoga.

This book consists of two parts. The first part is the philosophical exposition and the second part consists of the Gita, its translation and the commentary.

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Complete Works of Sri Sankaracharya (Sanskrit) - 20 Volumes

2010-08-02T10:45:00.010+05:30

Adi Sankaracharya (788-821 CE) was a great saint & philosopher who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta, a sub-school of Vedanta. His teachings are based on the unity of the soul and Brahman, in which Brahman is viewed as without attributes. He hailed from Kalady of present day Kerala. Sankara travelled across India and other parts of South Asia to propagate his philosophy through discourses and debates with other thinkers. He founded four mathas (monasteries), which helped in the historical development, revival and spread of Advaita Vedanta. Adi Sankara is believed to be the organizer of the Dasanami monastic order and the founder of the Shanmata tradition of worship.

His works in Sanskrit concern themselves with establishing the doctrine of Advaita (Non-dualism). He also established the importance of monastic life as sanctioned in the Upanishads and Brahma Sutra, in a time when the Mimamsa school established strict ritualism and ridiculed monasticism. Sankara represented his works as elaborating on ideas found in the Upanishads, and he wrote copious commentaries on the Vedic Canon (Brahma Sutra, Principal Upanishads and Bhagavadgita) in support of his thesis. The main opponent in his work is the Mimamsa school of thought, though he also offers some arguments against the views of some other schools like Samkhya and certain schools of Buddhism that he was partly familiar with.

The Works of Sri Sankaracharya [Memorial Edition], 20 volumes published in 1910 by Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, remains to this day the standard collection of the complete works of Sri Sankaracharya. It includes Sri Sankaracharya's major commentaries as well as his other works, as given in the list below.

1. Brahmasutra-bhashya
2. Brahmasutra-bhashya
3. Brahmasutra-bhashya
4. Upanishad-bhashya, vol. 1: Isa, Kena [2], Katha, Prasna
5. Upanishad-bhashya, vol. 2: Mundaka, Mandukya, Aitareya
6. Upanishad-bhashya, vol. 3: Taittiriya, Chhandogya 1-3
7. Upanishad-bhashya, vol. 4: Chhandogya 4-8
8. Upanishad-bhashya, vol. 5: Brihadaranyaka 1-2
9. Upanishad-bhashya, vol. 6: Brihadaranyaka 3-4
10. Upanishad-bhashya, vol. 7: Brihadaranyaka 5-6, Nrisimhapurvatapani
11. Bhagavad-Gita-bhashya, vol. 1: chaps. 1-9
12. Bhagavad-Gita-bhashya, vol. 2: chaps. 10-18
13. Vishnusahasranama and Sanatsujatiya Bhashyas
14. Vivekachudamani, Upadeshasahasri
15. Miscellaneous Prakaranas vol. 1: Aparokshanubhuti, etc. [7 works]
16. Miscellaneous Prakaranas vol. 2: Prabodhasudhakara, etc. [25 works]
17. Stotras, vol. 1 [30 works]
18. Stotras, vol. 2 [35 works, plus Lalita Trisatistotra Bhashya]
19. Prapanchasara, vol. 1
20. Prapanchasara, vol. 2

There are thus a total of 118 works, counting the two Kena Upanishad bhashyas separately, in this collection. Both Indian and Western scholars agree that many of these works must have been written by later Sankaracharyas rather than the original or
Adi Sankaracharya. But there is no agreement on which ones are genuinely his. Moreover, there are many other texts attributed to Sankaracharya that are not found in this collection, some of which may have been written by Adi Sankaracharya. So it is not a definitive collection of his writings. Nor does it lay any claim to being a critical edition. Its readings can often be improved by comparison with other printed editions and manuscripts. It is
simply the standard collection we have at present.

A detailed article on the bibliography of "Collected Works of Sri Sankaracharya" is available at this web-page.

DOWNLOAD LINKS - Works of Sri Sankaracharya - 20 Volumes (1910 Edition)

Complete 20 Volume Set in a Single PDF

Or In Separate Volumes

Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 01
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 02
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 03
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 04
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 05
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 06
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 07
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 08
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 09
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 10
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 11
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 12
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 13
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 14
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 15
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 16
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 17
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 18
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 19
Works of Sri Sankaracharya Volume 20

The whole set is also available at www.archive.org

Srimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya - Bal Gangadhar Tilak - Hindi

2010-07-29T23:09:00.003+05:30

942 pages | 48 MB

This book is the Hindi translation of Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak's classic and well-known work Srimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920), was a great patriot, philosopher, social reformer and freedom fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities infamously and derogatorily called the great leader as "Father of the Indian unrest". He was also conferred upon the honorary title of Lokmanya, which literally means "Accepted by the people (as their leader)". Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of "Swaraj" (self-rule) in Indian consciousness. His famous quote, "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it !" is well-remembered in India even today.

Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the author of this work, interprets Gita as the scripture of Karmayoga. Karmayoga is the performnce of one's duty without nurturing any desire for its fruits. According to Tilak Gita teaches selfless action as is said in Chatper 2, Verse 48:

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि संगं त्यक्त्वा धनन्जय।
सिध्यसिध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते॥

yogasthah kuru karmaani sangam tyaktvaa dhananjaya
siddhyasiddhyoh samo bhuutvaa samatvam yoga ucyate

Remaining steadfast in yoga, oh Dhananjaya (Arjuna), perform actions, abandoning attachment, remaining the same to success and failure alike. This evenness of mind is called yoga.

This book consists of two parts. The first part is the philosophical exposition and the second part consists of the Gita, its translation and the commentary.

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Commentaries of Sadasiva Brahmendra on Brahmasutra & Yogasutra

2010-07-29T19:57:00.003+05:30

Sadasiva Brahmendra (also known as Sadasivendra Saraswati) was a great saint, a composer of Carnatic music and an Advaita philosopher who lived near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu during the 17th or 18th century CE. He composed mainly in Sanskrit. Only a few of his compositions have survived but they are recognised as great compositions of Carnatic Music. He was a unique blend of Jnanam & Bhakti.

He renounced the home at the time of his child-bride attaining puberty. He wandered about as an Avaduta, sleeping on the ground with hand as the pillow. He moved about near Trichy. He used to argue with scholars in his younger days. On being admonished by his guru, he became silent and observed mouna for the rest of his life. Several miracles are attributed to him. A few are mentioned by Paramahansa Yogananda in his classic 'Autobiography of a Yogi'. He was honored by princes whenever he was found, especially by Raja of Pudukottai. His samadhi is in Nerur,near Trichy.

His works include "Brahma Tatva Prakasika, Yoga Sudhakaram, Atma Vidya Vilasam, Sivayogadipika and Siva Manasa Puja" in addition to popular kirtans like "sarvam brahmamayam and piba re ramarasam".

His vrittis (commentaries) on Brahmasutra of Badarayana (named Brahma Tatva Prakasika) and on Yogasutra of Patanjali (named Yoga Sudhakaram) were published in Sanskrit by Sri Vani Vilas Press many decades back. It is not known if these texts have been translated into English.

For a detailed list of the works of this great saint, visit http://www.bharathagnana.in/2009/02/sadashiva-brahmendra-biography.html

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Brahma Tatva Prakashika (Vritti on Brahmasutra)
Yogasudhakaram (Vritii on Yogasutras)

Complete Yoga Vasishtha in Hindi

2010-07-20T13:32:00.005+05:30

Yoga Vasishtha or Vasishtha Maha Ramayana is the earliest work in Sanskrit on Vedanta of the highest order. This monumental work is one without a second in Sanskrit literature. Rishi Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana, compiled this remarkable book. He related the whole of Yoga Vasishtha to Rishi Bharadwaja as it passed between Sri Rama and sage Vasishtha. Vasishtha, the great sage, taught the principles of Vedanta to his royal pupil, Sri Rama, the victor of Ravana and hero of the epic, Ramayana. He narrated beautiful and interesting stories to illustrate the principles. The book is written in the language of Valmiki.

A study of this book raises a man to the lofty heights of divine splendour and bliss. It is really a vast store of wisdom. Those who practise Atma Chintana or Brahma Abhyasa or Vedantic meditation will find a priceless treasure in this marvellous book. He who studies the book with great interest and one-pointedness of mind cannot go without attaining Self-realisation. The practical hints on Sadhana are unique. Even the most worldly-minded man will become dispassionate and will attain peace of mind, solace and consolation.

The name of this book is derived from the sage Vasishtha. Though the book is called Yoga Vasishtha, it treats of Jnana only. Practical Yoga is dealt with in two stories. The word "Yoga" is used in the title of this work in its generic sense. It is known by the name Jnana Vasishtham also. (Introduction to Yogavasishtha in the words of Swami Sivanandaji taken with courtesy from: www.dlshq.org/religions/yogavasishtha.htm)

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Swami Ramathirtha - Hindi Biography by Narayan Swami

2010-07-18T12:28:00.005+05:30

This book is a comprehensive biography of Swami Rama Tirtha (1873 - 1906) in Hindi by Srimannarayana Swami who was a direct disciple of the saint. Narayana Swami had the good fortune of being closely associated with the saint for many years.

Swami Rama Tirtha was one of the greatest exponents of Advaita Vedanta. He was among the first notable teachers of Hinduism to lecture in the United States, traveling there in 1902. During his American tours Swami Rama Tirtha spoke frequently on the concept of 'practical Vedanta' and on education of Indian youth. He proposed bringing young Indians to American universities, and helped establish several scholarships for Indian students.

His discourses and other works are compiled in "In Woods of God Realization" in 7 volumes.

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Concordance Dictionary of Yoga Sutra by Bhagavan Das

2010-07-13T11:15:00.001+05:30

This book is an alphabetic index cum comprehensive dictionary of the techinical terms from Patanajali Yoga and Vyasa' commentary on it. In this dictionary, Dr. Bhagavan Das, an eminent Sanskrit scholar and philosopher who has authored more than 30 books, has given all possible meanings of the Sanskrit words in English based on his study of the vast literature on Yoga.

Yoga is one of the six major darsanas of ancient India. Patanjali Yoga Sutra is a foundational text of Yoga darsana. Patanjali expounds Yoga darsana in 4 chapters consisting of 196 sutras. Yoga as expounded by Patanjali is also known as "ashtangayoga" since there are 8 limbs to this yoga. Vyasa's Bhashya is the most popular commentary on Patanjali's Sutras.

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Concordance Dictionary of Yoga Sutra by Bhagavan Das

Patanjali Yoga Sutra with Vyasa Bhashya by Ganganatha Jha

In Quest of God by Swami Ramdas

2010-06-28T12:50:00.001+05:30

"In Quest of God is an autobiographical account of Swami Ramdas’ unique experiences during the first year of his itinerant life all over India as a God-intoxicated Sadhu, culminating in his spiritual enlightenment.

After receiving the initiation of Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram from his father, Swami Ramdas, then known as Vittal Rao, renounced the worldly life in 1922 and wandered as a mendicant sadhu all over India and the Himalayas, in various states of God-intoxication, with Ramnam ever on his tongue, and heart as his only refuge.

His path of complete surrender to the Will of God is joyfully rendered in a most inspiring way. After over a decade of wandering in a God realized state of liberation he returned to Southwestern India, and founded Anandashram, near Kanhangad, with the help and support of his foremost disciple, Mother (Mataji) Krishnabai, also a self-realized being.

In Quest of God is the first book in a trilogy chronicling Swami Ramdas' pilgrimage to God-realization. The next two books, In the Vision of God, vol. 1--The Continuing Saga of an Extraordinary Pilgrimage and In the Vision of God, vol.2--The Conclusion to the Saga of an Extraordinary Pilgrimage complete the series. Many readers find themselves in a lifelong love affair with this illuminating and transformational story.

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In Quest of God OCR PDF
In Quest of God Scanned PDF 1952 edn

In the Vision of God DJVU file

Sayings of Ramdas PDF
Sayings of Ramdas DJVU file

Katha Saritsagara Of Somadeva Bhatta - Sanskrit Text and English Translation in 10 volumes

2010-06-24T11:47:00.001+05:30

Kathasaritsagara (Ocean of rivers of stories) is a famous 11th century collection of Indian legends, fairy tales and folk tales as retold by a Saivite Brahmin named Somadeva. Nothing is known about the author other than that his father's name was Ramadevabatta. The work was compiled for the entertainment of the queen Suryamati, wife of king Anantadeva of Kashmir (CE 1063-81).

It consists of 18 books of 124 chapters and more than 21,000 verses in addition to prose sections. The principal tale is the narrative of the adventures of Naravahanadatta, son of the legendary king Udayana. A large number of tales are built around this central story, making it the largest existing collection of Indian tales. It notably also contains the Vetalapanchavimsati, or Baital Pachisi, in its twelfth book.

The Katha-sarit-sagara is generally believed to derive from Gunadhya's Brhat-katha, written in Paisachi dialect from the south of India. But the Kashmirian Brhat-katha from which Somadeva took inspiration may be quite different from the Paisachi one as there were two versions of the Brhat-katha extant in Kashmir, as well as the related Brhatkatha-sloka-samgraha of Buddhasvamin from Nepal. Like the Panchatantra, tales from this (or its main source book the Brhat-katha) travelled to many parts of the world.

The only complete translation into English is by C. H. Tawney (1837–1922), published in two volumes (1300 pages in all) in 1880. This was greatly expanded, with additional notes and remarks comparing stories from different cultures, by N. M. Penzer, and published in ten volumes ("privately printed for subscribers only") in 1924.

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Sanskrit Text only

English Translation by C. H. Tawney in 2 volumes:

Volume 1, Volume 2

English Translation by N. M. Penzer in 10 volumes

Volume 01,
Volume 02,
Volume 03,
Volume 04,
Volume 05
Volume 06,
Volume 07,
Volume 08,
Volume 09,
Volume 10

The Purusha Sukta - Sanskrit text with English commentary by BVK Aiyar

2010-06-18T10:56:00.003+05:30

The Purusha Sukta is a most commonly used Vedic Sanskrit hymn. It is recited in almost all Vedic rituals and ceremonies. It is often used during the worship of the Deity of Vishnu or Narayana in the temple, installation and fire ceremonies, or during the daily recitation of Sanskrit literature or for one's meditation.

The Purusha Sukta is an important part of the Rig-veda (10.7.90.1-16). It also appears in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (3.12,13), the Vajasaneyi Samhita (31.1-6), the Sama-veda Samhita (6.4), and the Atharva-veda Samhita (19.6). An explanation of parts of it can also be found in the Shatapatha Brahman, the Taittiriya Brahmana, and the Shvetashvatara Upanishad. The Mudgalopanishad gives a nice summary of the entire Purusha Sukta. The contents of the Sukta have also been reflected and elaborated in the Bhagavata Purana (2.5.35 to 2.6.1-29) and in the Mahabharata (Mokshadharma Parva 351 and 352).

The most commonly used portion of the Sukta contains 24 mantras or stanzas. The first 18 mantras are designated as the Purvanarayana, and the rest as the Uttaranarayana. Sometimes 6 more mantras are added. This part is called the Vaishnavanuvaka since it has been taken from another well known hymn called the Vishnusukta, a part of the Rig-veda Samhita. Though the mantras of the Uttaranarayana and the Vaishnavanuvaka do not seem to have any coherence with the 16 mantras of the Rig-veda Samhita, tradition has somehow tied them together.

The Purusha Sukta is a rather difficult text to explain in a modern way. This is primarily because of the archaic language that cannot always lend itself to interpretations based on the classical Sanskrit, and that many of the words can be taken in several different ways, both literal and symbolic.

Nonetheless, the Purusha Sukta gives us the essence of the philosophy of Vedanta, the Vedic tradition, as well as the Bhagavad-gita and Bhagavat Purana. It incorporates the principles of meditation (upasana), knowledge (jnana), devotion (bhakti), and rituals and duties (dharma and karma). This is why it is highly regarded and extensively used today as much as thousands of years ago.

(Introduction to Purusha Sukta with Courtsey from: http://www.stephen-knapp.com/)

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Avadhuta Gita - Sanskrit text with English translation

2010-06-10T10:34:00.004+05:30

Avadhuta Gita means the song of the Avadhuta, an ascetic who has renounced all worldly attachments and connections, one who has attained the Self-realisation. This book is a compilation of his utterances. The Avadhuta's message is for those who have a strong desire for liberation from sorrow. This Gita, containing 288 verses in 8 chapters, is a spontaneous outpouring of the Truth Divine in the most eloquent language flowing out in its perfections from the divine lips of the Avadhuta.

The E-book of Avadhuta Gita - Sanskrit text with English translation was prepared from the material provided at http://sanskrit-texts.blogspot.com/2006/06/avadhoota-gita.html

I found a copy of Avadhuta Gita translated into English by Kanoo Mal and published in 1920, containing a long introduction and a biography of Dattatreya, who Kanoo Mal assumes to be the Avadhuta. This book is in the public domain and is a very scholarly work. Its only shortcoming is that it doesn't contain Sanskrit text of the Avadhuta Gita.

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1. Avadhuta Gita - Sanskrit text with English translation
2. Avadhuta Gita - English Translation by Kanoo Mal

The Bhagavad-Gita for Beginners and Children - Dr. Ramananda Prasad

2010-05-06T18:20:00.001+05:30

This book is a simplified version of Gita for the use of beginners and children, in English in the form of a dialogue between a child and his grandmother. To make the dialogue interesting for children, the author has made use of 26 stories which will also help them understand the teachings of Gita better.

The Bhagavad Gita (Song of God) is one of the most revered sacred scriptures of Hinduism and is considered as one of the most important religious classics of the world.

A verse from the Gita Mahatmya (Glory of Gita) says, "All the Upanishads are the cows, the one who milks the cows is Krishna, Arjuna (Partha) is the calf. Men of purified intellect are the beneficiaries; the cow's milk is the great nectar of the Gita". So, it is believed that the Gita contains the quintessence of all the Vedic scriptures.

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Valmiki Ramayana English Prose Translation in 7 volumes - Manmatha Nath Dutt

2010-05-06T16:03:00.002+05:30

This book is a translation into English Prose of all the complete Valmiki Ramayana by Shri Manmatha Nath Dutt.

The Ramayana is certainly one of the world's oldest legends. Modern scholars claim that it was first composed around 300 BC. The devout Hindu believes that Rama lived many hundred millennia ago, in the treta yuga, and that was also when Valmiki first told his immortal story. The epic is called the Adi Kavya, the world's first poem. The God Brahma himself is meant to have inspired Valmiki to create his classic, in twenty-four thousand slokas. The true purpose of the Ramayana is to awaken its reader spiritually, and to send him forth on the great journey that leads to Moksha, to God.

The poem is traditionally divided into several major kandas or books, that deal chronologically with the major events in the life of Rama -

1. Bala kanda
2. Ayodhya Kanda
3. Aranya Kanda
4. Kishkinda Kanda
5. Sundara Kanda
6. Yuddha Kanda and
7. Uttara Kanda.

The Bala Kanda describes the birth of Rama, his childhood and marriage to Sita. The Ayodhya Kanda describes the preparations for Rama's coronation and his exile into the forest. The third part, Aranya Kanda, describes the forest life of Rama and the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana. The fourth book, Kishkinda Kanda, describes the meeting of Hanuman with Rama, the destruction of the vanara king Vali and the coronation of his younger brother Sugriva to the throne of the kingdom of Kishkindha. The fifth book is Sundara Kanda, which narrates the heroism of Hanuman, his flight to Lanka and meeting with Sita. The sixth book, Yuddha Kanda, describes the battle between Rama's and Ravana's armies. The last book, Uttara Kanda, describes the birth of Lava and Kusha to Sita, their coronation to the throne of Ayodhya, and Rama's final departure from the world.

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1. Bala kanda
2. Ayodhya Kanda
3. Aranya Kanda
4. Kishkinda Kanda
5. Sundara Kanda
6. Yuddha Kanda
7. Uttara Kanda

To Read Online Complete Valmiki Ramayana Sanskrit Text and English Prose Translation

Sacred Books of the East - Complete Set - (50 volumes)

2010-05-06T09:47:00.037+05:30

The Sacred Books of the East (SBE) Series, comprising fifty volumes, was issued by the Oxford University Press between 1879 and 1910. The series was edited by the famous linguist and scholar of comparative religion, Max Muller.

These volumes of the Sacred Books of the East series include translations of all the most important works of the seven non-Christian religions that have exercised a profound influence on the civilisations of the continent of Asia. The Vedic Brahmanic system (Hinduism) claims 21 volumes, Buddhism 10, and Jainism 2;8 volumes comprise Sacred Books of the Parsis (Zorastrians); 2 volumes represent Islam; and 6 the two main indigenous systems of China. Translated by twenty leading authorities in their respective fields, the Series has been edited by the late F. Max Muller.

1. BUDDHISM

Vol. 49: Buddhist Mahayana Texts (2 Parts); Vol. 11: Buddhist Sutras; Vol. 10: The Dhammapada and Sutta Nipata; Vol. 35 & 36: The Questions of King Milinda (2 Parts); Vol. 21: The Saddharma Pundarika or the Lotus of the True Law; Vol. 13,17 & 20: Vinaya Texts (3 Parts).

2. CHINESE

Vol. 19: The Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King; Vols. 3, 16, 27, 28, 39 & 40: The Sacred Books of China (6 Parts)

3. A GENERAL INDEX

Vol. 50: A General Index to the Names and Subject-matter of the Sacred Books of the East

4. ISLAM

Vol. 6 & 9: The Qur'an (2 Parts)

5. JAINISM

Vol. 22 & 45: The Jaina Sutras (2 Parts)

6. PARSIS (ZORASTRIANS)

Vol. 5,18, 24, 37 & 47: Pahlavi Texts (5 Parts); Vol. 4,23 & 31: The Zend-Avesta (3 Parts)

7. VEDIC-BRAHMANIC SYSTEM (HINDUISM)

Vol. 8: The Bhagavadgita with the Sanatsujatiya and the Anugita; Vols. 29 & 30: The Grihya-Sutra: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (2 Parts) Vol. 42: Hymns of the Atharva Veda together with Extracts from the Ritual Books and the Commentaries; Vol. 7: The Institutes of Vishnu; Vol. 25: The Laws of Manu; The Minor Law Books; Vols. 2 & 14: The Sacred Laws of the Aryas as Taught in the Schools of Apastamba, Gautama, Vasishtha and Baudhayana (2 Parts); Vols. 12, 26, 41, 43 & 44: The Satapatha Brahmana According to the text of the Madhyandina School (5 Parts); Vols. 1 & 15: The Upanishads (2 Parts); Vols. 34 & 38: The Vedanta Sutras (2 Parts); Vol. 48: The Vedanta-Sutras (With the commentary by Ramanuja) Vols. 32 & 46: Vedic Hymns (2 Parts).

Thanks to Jimmy-t, an uploader at SCRIBD, all the 50 volumes of the Sacred Books of the East are now available in one place as scanned pdf files. One needs to register (free) at scribd.com in order to be able to download these books.

The twenty One volumes of Sacred Books of the East related to Hinduism are separately uploaded to www.mediafire.com for convenience of those who prefer to download these volumes only.

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DOWNLOAD Complete Set Of Sacred Books of the East - SCANNED PDFS
Complete Set Of Sacred Books of the East - HTML (FOR ONLINE READING)
DOWNLOAD Sacred Books of the East related to Hinduism (21 volumes) - in 4 zip files

The Yoga Darsana - Yoga Sutras with Vyasa Bhashya - English by Ganganatha Jha

2010-05-04T19:24:00.000+05:30

This book is an English Translation of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali & Vyasa's commentary on the sutras.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2nd century BCE) is a foundational text of Yoga. In Indian philosophy, Yoga is the name of one of the six orthodox philosophical schools. Though brief, the Yoga Sutras are an enormously influential work on yoga philosophy and practice.

Patanjali divided his Yoga Sutras into 4 chapters or books (Sanskrit pada), containing in all 196 aphorisms, divided as follows:

1. Samadhi Pada - Concentration or Absorption (51 sutras)
2. Sadhana Pada - Practice or means to attain it (55 sutras)
3. Vibhuti Pada - Powers or Manifestations (56 sutras)
4. Kaivalya Pada - Isolation or Liberation (34 sutras)

Patanjali's Yoga is also called "ashtanga yoga" because of the eight "limbs" or steps of this Yoga prescribed in the second pada of the Yoga Sutras viz. Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

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Siva Samhita Sanskrit text with English translation - Srisa Chandra Vasu

2010-05-04T13:11:00.002+05:30

Siva Samhita is a Sanskrit an ancient text on yoga, addressed by the Hindu god Shiva to his consort Parvati. It is one of three major surviving classical treatises on hatha yoga, the other two being Gheranda Samhita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika. It deals with abstract yogic philosophy but also includes clear instructions for performing asanas, breathing techniques, mudras, tantric practices, and meditation. The Siva Samhita is considered the most comprehensive and the most democratic treatise on hatha yoga.

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Chanakya Sutrani - Skt Text with Hindi Translation & Commentary

2010-05-01T20:58:00.005+05:30

Next to the heros of the Puranas, no name is more familiar to Indians than that of Chanakya (4th century BCE) or as he is otherwise known, Kautilya or Visnugupta. Throughout the whole of India, nitis or wise sayings attributed to him, are even now taught to students. The very fact that this universal adoration is paid to his memory, shows that Kautilya was in his own days regarded as a master, whose worldly wisdom and foresight gained for him the veneration of his comtemporaries.

This book is a Hindi Translation and commentary on aphorisms of Chanakya by Sri Ramavatar Vidyabhaskar. There are 571 aphorisms in six chapters.

Chanakya begins the text with a prayer to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Usually Sanskrit texts begin with "Mangalacharanam" - a prayer to Guru, Ganesa or ones Ishta Devata for the auspicious completion of the book. We can see that Chanakya does not conform to this tradition. The first sutra, is perhaps, an explanation why he directed his prayer to Lakshmi. It says, "Wealth is the root cause of Dharma (Righteousness). The last sutra says, "Control of senses is the cause for success in all matters". Thus, through his aphorisms, Chanakya teaches that a country can progress only imbibing values such as righteousness and self-control and by acquisition of wealth through good governance.

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Drops of Nectar - Swami Ramsukhdasji

2010-05-01T15:18:00.000+05:30

Drops of Nectar is a collection of one thousand nectarine teachings of Swami Ramsukhdasji.

Poojya Swami Ramsukhdasji (1902-2004) was an enlightened sage whose life was fully dedicated for the propagation of the teachings of Gita among the masses. He has authored more than 50 books on Gita and other spiritual topics. His books have been translated into English and also in all prominent Indian languages.

Most of his books in Hindi and English are available online for reading at http://swamiramsukhdasji.org/swamijibooks/index.htm

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Dialogues from Upanishads - Swami Sivananda

2010-05-01T12:19:00.001+05:30

This book is a collection of the most sublime and thrilling portions of the Upanishads, that deal with Self-knowledge. The author has explained in a lucid manner the abtruse and intricate passages from principal Upanisahads such as the dialogues between Uddalaka and Swetaketu in Chandogya Upanishad, Yajnavalkya and Janaka in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Pippalada and his disciples in Prasnopanishad, Yama and Nachiketus in Kathopanishad and Bhrigu and Varuna in Taittiriya Upanishad.

This book is bound to be a valuable companion to the aspirants who thirst for Knolwledge and Self-Realisation.

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Brihat Stotra Ratnakarah (Sanskrit)

2010-05-01T00:02:00.001+05:30

As the title mentions, this book might perhaps be the largest collection of stotras (hymns) of Hindus. It contains 182 Sanskrit stotras of Ganesa, Vishnu, Siva, Surya, Devi, Datta, Avataras, Rama, Maruti, Krishna and of various holy rivers in addition to Vedanta stotras such as "Atmabodha" and "Sadhanapanchakam".

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Select Works Of Sri Sankaracharya with English Translation

2010-04-30T22:48:00.001+05:30

This book presents, in simple English, some of the works of Sri Sankaracharya in which he tries to expound, in a popular style, the philosophy of the Advaita Vedanta.

The juxtaposition of the Sanskrit text and the English translation will serve the object of enabling the student of Sanskrit to understand the text better. The translation is fresh and powerful in expression, but also lyrical and soulful, delivering a masterful work which does full justice to the original.

This book comprises of the following works in addition to a few minor hymns.

1. Haristutih
2. Dasasloki
3. Dakshinamurti Stotram
4. Aparokshanubhuti
5. Satasloki
6. Atmabodhah
7. Vakyavrittih
8. Swatmanirupanam

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In the Woods of God Realization - Swami Rama Tirtha - Volume 4 - 1913 edn

2010-04-13T13:54:00.005+05:30

This is the fourth volume of Complete Works of Swami Rama Tirtha that has been compiled in 7 volumes.

Described as “one of the greatest souls, not only of India, but of the whole world” by Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Rama Tirtha (1873-1906) was a living embodiment of the teachings of Advaita Vedanta. One of the greatest saints and philosophers of India, Rama Tirtha brought the message of yoga and Vedanta to Japan, Egypt, and the U.S. In the Woods of God Realization is a complete collection of his writings and lectures. In this seven volume work Rama Tirtha presents a practical and inspiring view of Vedanta and also discusses timely topics such as married life and God-realization, Vedanta, Christianity and Islam, war and peace, and India's destiny.

A Note on Digitization of this E-book: With this post, the work of digitization of the first four volumes of the complete works of Swami Rama Tirtha is complete. I consider this as a humble tribute to the great sage. The rest of the volumes were compiled and published at a much later date (may be after 1950). So, I assume that they are not yet in public domain and therefore, cannot be published as e-books.

In this volume, Swami Rama Tirtha has made use of Urdu words and verses frequently. I could not include them in this e-book due my ignorance of Urdu. I have just left them and mentioned the fact then and there.

If someone well versed in Urdu language is willing to type these Urdu words and verses using Unicode fonts, I would be much obliged to him. Anyone interested in this voluntary work is requested to contact me by email.

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A Vedic Concordance - An alphabetic index of the Vedas - Maurice Bloomfield

2009-12-01T08:30:00.006+05:30

A Vedic Concordance by the famous American Sanskritist Maurice Bloomfield was published during the years 1892-1906.

It is an alphabetic index to every line of every stanza of the published Vedic Literature and to the Liturgical formulas thereof, that is an index to the Vedic Mantras, together with an account of their variations in the different Vedic Books.

It affords primarily an easy and ready means of ascertaining the following things:

1. Where a given mantra occurs if it occurs but once
2. Whether it occurs elsewhere either with or without variants and in what places
3. If it occurs with variants, what those variants are.

One hundred and nineteen texts in all have been drawn upon for contributions to the concordance comprising .The concordance also includes a very considerable amount of material not yet published. This books is equally useful to a Vedic scholar and a beginner studying the Vedas.

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Sarva-darsana-sangraha of Madhavacharya

2009-11-25T19:06:00.001+05:30

In this fourteenth century text 'A Compendium of all the Philosophical Systems' (of India) the author successively passes in review the sixteen philosophical systems current in India at the time, and gives what appeared to him to be their most important tenets, and the principal arguments by which their followers endeavoured to maintain them. In the course of his sketches, he frequently explains at some length obscure details in the different systems.

The systems are arranged from the Advaita-point of view. They form a gradually ascending scale-the first, the Charvaka and Buddha, being the lowest as the farthest removed from Advaita, and the last, Sankhya and Yoga being the highest as approaching most nearly to it.

The author, Madhavacharya or Madhava Vidyaranya (not to be confused with Madhvacharya, propounder of Dwaita philosophy) was an exponent of the Advaita school of philosophy in Hinduism. He is said to be the brother of Sayanacharya who wrote a commentary on the four Vedas.

The present translation was originally published serially in the Banaras Pandit between 1874 and 1878 and was carefully revised and republished in book form later and a second edition was printed in 1894.

Table of Contents

Preface
A Not on Romanization
The Sarva-darsana-sangraha
The Prologue
The Charvaka System (E. B. C.)
The Buddha System (A. E. G.)
The A rhata or Jaina System (E. B. C.)
The Ramanuja System (A. E. G.)
The Purna-prajna System (A. E. G.)
The Nakulisa-Pasupata System (A. E. G.)
The Saiva System (E. B. C.)
The Pratyabhijna or Recognitive System (A. E. G.)
The Resesvara or Mercurial System (A. E. G.)
The Vaiseshika or Anulukya System (E. B. C.)
The Akshapada or Nyaya System (E. B. C.)
The Jaiminy System (E. B. C.)
The Paniniya System (E. B. C.)
The Sankhy System (E. B. C.)
The Patanjala or Yoga System (E. B. C.)
The Vedanta or System
APPENDIX : On the Upadhi (E. B. C.)

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India my love: Fragments of a Golden Past - Osho

2009-11-25T12:14:00.011+05:30

India My Love is a mystery tour. Our guide on this journey is Osho, a man with an extraordinarygift of storytelling and a mystic who brings a uniquely contemporary freshness to the tales fo India's golden past. He introduces us to beggars and kings, wise men and fools, lovers and warriors, artists and scholars - and they come alive on the page, animating the enchanted landscape of an India that even today continues to intrigue and attract the seeker and adventurer with us all.

Osho says, "India is not just geography or history, it is not only a nation, a country, a mere peice of land. It is something more: it is a metaphor, poetry, something invisible but very tangible. It is vibrating with certain energy fields which no other country can claim..’’

Contents:

Introduction

The Universal Dream

The Flame of Awareness

Golden Spires of Consciousness

Fragrance of the East

Songs in Silence: Sutras in Stone

A Bolt of Lightning in the Dark Night

Praise for India My Love

"Few people have understood India like Osho. It was an understanding at many levels. The philosophical, the historic, the purely emotional - and even the political and the literary, the wanton and the spiritual. His was a holistic understanding, an understanding that went beyond words, into the uncharted terrain of true love." - Pritish Nandy, Journalist and TV personality

Visit www.oshoworld.com, to read online and download complete works of Osho and to listen to and watch his audio and video discourse in Hindi & English.

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Chanakya Niti Malayalam - ചാണക്യനീതി അര്‍ത്ഥസഹിതം

2009-11-20T08:49:00.002+05:30

Complete text and translation of "Chanakya Niti" in Malayalam. This book contains nearly 340 verses on Niti (right conduct) in 17 chapters. Chanakya was an adviser and a prime minister to the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta, and was the chief architect of his rise to power. Kautilya and Vishnugupta, the names by which the ancient Indian political treatise called the Arthaśāstra identifies its author, are traditionally identified with Chanakya.

Though most of these verses deal with Raja Niti, i.e. how a king should deal with his duty of ruling the kingdom, this book is also useful to common man as Chanakya instructs how a man should conduct is various life situations.

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The Scientific Dating of the Mahabharata War

2009-11-12T14:18:00.004+05:30

Quite a number of efforts have been made by various scholars to find the date of the Mahabharata War. Various methods have been used, using historical references in the Puranas, language conditions, archaeological findings etc. A few have used astronomical methods to determine the time of the Mahabharata. It is possible to determine the date of an astronomical reference by considering the movements of the planets including the Sun and the Moon in the various constellations of the sky, the movement of the Earth with its axis inclined to the ecliptic and the precession and nutation of this axis as well as the seasonal changes referred to in the text.

Dr. P. V. Vartak from Pune carefully studied the astronomical references in the Mahabharata and corroborated the same with historical and archeological evidences. All in all, it is possible to state that the dates as derived by Dr. P.V. Vartak are more accurate than the various other dates propounded by other scholars who have been carried away by the statements made by Western scholars. They have been prejudiced against the richness of the Indian Civilization in the past and have always tried to attribute much later dates and consequently lo denigrate the glorious past of India.

Dr. Vartak has derived the date of the initiation of the Mahabharata War to be 16th October 5562 B.C. This proposed date has been examined by a few scholars and has been verified. This may prove to be a break-through in deciding the chronology of the events in the history of India (and probably the World). Dr. Vartak has also derived the dates of Ramayana and the Vedas which has also been published as a book.

Address for Communication:
Dr. P.V. Vartak, 521, Saniwar Peth, Pune

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The Scientific Dating of the Ramayana and the Vedas

2009-11-12T13:59:00.007+05:30

Quite a number of efforts have been made by various scholars to determine the dates of the Mahabharata, Ramayana and the Vedas. Various methods have been used, using historical references in the Puranas, language conditions, archaeological findings etc. A few have used astronomical methods to determine the time of the Mahabharata. It is possible to determine the date of an astronomical reference by considering the movements of the planets including the Sun and the Moon in the various constellations of the sky, the movement of the Earth with its axis inclined to the ecliptic and the precession and nutation of this axis as well as the seasonal changes referred to in the text.

Dr. P. V. Vartak from Pune carefully studied the astronomical references in these texts and corroborated the same with historical and archeological evidences. All in all, it is possible to state that the dates as derived by Dr. P.V. Vartak are more accurate than the various other dates propounded by other scholars who have been carried away by the statements made by Western scholars who have been prejudiced against the richness of the Indian Civilization in the past and have always tried to attribute much later dates and consequently to denigrate the glorious past of India.

Dr. Vartak concludes that Ramayan must have occurred 9600 years ago, which is 7600 B.C.E. approximately and that the earliest portions of Rig Veda were composed in 23720 B.C.E. This may prove to be a break-through in deciding the chronology of the events in the history of Bharat (and probably the World). Dr. Vartak has also derived the date of Mahabharata war which has also been published as a book.

Address for Communication:
Dr. P.V. Vartak, 521, Saniwar Peth, Pune

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Samskrita Vyavahara Sahasri - 1000 Sanskrit Sentences - Malayalam

2009-10-22T17:35:00.003+05:30

This booklet is the Malayalam transliteration & translation of one thousand Sanskrit sentences that will be much useful to those who wish to learn to speak in Sanskrit.

This booklet contains the those sentences and words that are frequently used in different places and contexts such as school, market, kitchen, movie house, office, etc, etc.

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Purnamadah Purnamidam - A Commentary by Swami Dayananda

2009-09-13T00:25:00.006+05:30

A commentary on the Upanishadic Shanti Mantra "Puranamadah Purnamidam..." by renowned Vedantic teacher Swami Dayananda Saraswati. "Puranamadah Purnamidam..." is the Shanti Patha of Isavasya Upanishad, one the most prominent ten Upanishads. Swami Dayananda explains that this santi mantra contains the essense of the Upanishadic teaching - "All is Brahman".

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In Woods of God Realization - Swami Rama Tirtha - Volume 3 - 1913 Edn

2009-09-11T00:30:00.003+05:30

This is the third volume of Complete Works of Swami Rama Tirtha that has been compiled in 7 volumes.

Described as “one of the greatest souls, not only of India, but of the whole world” by Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Rama Tirtha (1873-1906) was a living embodiment of the teachings of Vedanta. One of the greatest saints and philosophers of India, Rama Tirtha brought the message of yoga and Vedanta to Japan, Egypt, and the U.S. In the Woods of God Realization is a complete collection of his writings and lectures. In this seven volume work Rama Tirtha presents a practical and inspiring view of Vedanta and also discusses timely topics such as married life and God-realization, Vedanta, Christianity and Islam, war and peace, and India's destiny.

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Bhagavad Gita Malayalam - Text & Translation

2009-08-29T12:45:00.013+05:30

Srimad Bhagavad Gita in Malayalam with meaning of all 700 slokas and of Geeta Dhyanam and Geeta Mahatmyam. Bhagavad Gita is the most popular Hindu scripture. It is said in Gita Mahatmya that Gita is the essence of Vedas.

"All the Upanishads are the cows, the one who milks the cows is Krishna, Arjuna (Partha) is the calf. Men of purified intellect are the beneficiaries; the cow's milk is the great nectar of the Gita".

Famous Quotes on Bhagavad Gita

Adi Sankara: From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals of human existence become fulfilled. Bhagavad-Gita is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures.

Aldous Huxley: The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity.

Carl Jung: The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have been current in by gone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is provided by Plato in his Timaeus in which it states..." behold we are not an earthly but a heavenly plant." This correlation can be discerned by what Krishna expresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad-Gita.

Sri Aurobindo: The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race a living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a new meaning for every civilization.

Note: I express my heartfelt gratitude to my friend, Ramachandra PS (Ramu Vedanta) who was of great help in digitising Bhagavad Gita translation.

Those who are interested in MS Word 2007 version of the "Bhagavad Gita Malayalam text & translation" may download it from http://www.mediafire.com/?owmrlzh3m53

The font used is 'rachana' which can be downloaded freely from many sources on the internet. One download link for 'rachana' font is given below.

http://www.chintha.com/malayalam_font_installation

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In Woods of God Realisation - Swami RamaTirtha - Volume 2

2009-08-18T07:19:00.005+05:30

This is the second volume of Complete Works of Swami Rama Tirtha that has been compiled in 7 volumes.

Described as “one of the greatest souls, not only of India, but of the whole world” by Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Rama Tirtha (1873-1906) was a living embodiment of the teachings of Vedanta. One of the greatest saints and philosophers of India, Rama Tirtha brought the message of yoga and Vedanta to Japan, Egypt, and the U.S. In the Woods of God Realization is a complete collection of his writings and lectures. In this seven volume work Rama Tirtha presents a practical and inspiring view of Vedanta and also discusses timely topics such as married life and realization, Christianity and Islam, war and peace, and patriotism.

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Kristumata Chedanam - Sri Chattampi Swamikal - English Translatlion

2009-08-05T12:54:00.007+05:30

English translation of Kristumata Chedanam, a Hindu critique of Christianity, written in Malayalam by H H Chattampi Swamikal, a great saint and scholar of last century from Kerala, South India, as a rejoinder to many Christian Missionary books slandering Hindu Gods, scriptures, in the year 1890 when Indian intellectuals did not dare criticize Christianity.

The author examines Christianity from Hindu point of view and points out logical fallacies in christian concepts of "God in Heaven", "Episode of Garden of Eden", "Jesus' Resurrection", "Eternal Heaven and Hell" and "Last Day" and "Judging all humanity on the basis of One Scripture".

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Upanishad Vakya Kosa – A Concordance of the Principal Upanishads & Bhagavadgita

2009-08-04T21:04:00.003+05:30

One of the major difficulties in appreciating the various commentaries on Vedanta Sutras and other ancient Indian philosophical texts is that numerous citations from the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita are found in them without any exact authenticated reference to the original source. With a view to overcoming this difficulty by providing relevant cross-references, as also to furnishing useful material to students of philology and lexicography, Col. G. A. Jacob has compiled this book. This volume owes its existence to a pressing sense of need.

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Sri Ramanujacharya - A biography

2009-08-02T12:26:00.004+05:30

Ramanuja (11th Century CE), also known as Ramanujacharya, was a theologian, philosopher, and scriptural exegete. He is seen by Sri Vaishnavas as the third and most important teacher (Acharya) of their tradition (after Nathamuni and Yamunacharya), and by Hindus in general as the leading expounder of Visishtadvaita, one of the classical interpretations of the dominant Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy.

Ramanuja may have written 9 books. They are also referred to as the nine precious gems, the Navarathnas.

1. His most famous work is known as the Sri Bhasya or Brahma Sutra Bhasya. It is a commentary on the Brahma Sutras.

2-4. Gadhya Thrayam (three prose hymns). All three are: Vaikunta Gadyam describing in great detail Vaikuntha, Sriranga Gadyam, a prayer of surrender to the feet of Ranganatha, Saranagati Gadyam, an imagined dialogue between Ramanuja and Shri (Lakshmi) and Narayana where he petitions Lakshmi to recommend Narayana to give him

5. Vedartha Sangraha (a resume of Vedanta). It sets out Ramanuja’s philosophy, which is theistic (it affirms a morally perfect, omniscient and omnipotent God) and

6. Vedanta Saara (essence of Vedanta) an appendix to Sri Bhasya

7. Vedanta Deepa (the light of Vedanta), another

8. Gita Bhashya ( his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita)

9. Nithya Grantham (About the day to day activities to be performed by all Sri

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Eknath - Biography

2009-08-02T11:44:00.004+05:30

Eknāth (1533-1599) was a great saint and prominent Marāthi religious poet in the Hindu tradition in India.

Saint Eknath is believed to be the first person in Middle-age Maharastra who have abolished concept of Untouchability by his actions. His well described poems advocate soft corner and equal treatment among all living beings even with animals.

For his spiritual development in his youth, Eknath had accepted the discipleship of a Guru named Janārdan Swāmi- a saint and scholar and highly ranked minister in the kingdom of Devgarh.

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Vijnana Bhairava Tantra - Sanskrit Text with English Translation

2009-07-28T13:47:00.005+05:30

Vijnana Bhirava, one of the basic Agamas, is a chapter from Rudrayamala Tantra that contains teachings on Advaita (to be differentiated from Adviata Vedanta). Vijnana Bhairava means "the mystic knowledge of the Ultimate Reality". This text is in the form of a dialogue between the God Siva and Parvati, his divine consort.

Vijnana Bhirava expounds 112 techniques of meditation (Dharanas) or of Union with the Divine. We find in this book an incredible variety of spiritual practices and ways of discovering pure consciousness in all kinds of conditions and circumstances.

Siva says, "If one is established in any of these 112 ways of meditation, one becomes the Bhairava (Divine) himself".

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Ashtavakra Gita - Sanskrit text with English transliteration & translation

2009-07-22T20:07:00.003+05:30

The Ashtavakra Gita or the Song of Ashtavakra, also known as Ashtavakra Samhita is an Advaita Vedanta scripture which documents a dialogue between the sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka.

Ashtavakra Gita presents the traditional teachings of Advaita Vedanta with a clarity and power very rarely matched. The work was known, appreciated and quoted by Ramakrishna and his disciple Vivekananda, as well as by Ramana Maharshi.

Ashtavakra Gita states that there is no such thing as existence or non existence, right or wrong, or moral or immoral. In the eyes of the Ashtavakra, one's true identity can be found by simply recognizing oneself as Pure Existence and that as individuals we are the Awareness of all things.

The Ashtavakra Gita teaches that one is already free once one realises one is free. It advocates non-action, the loss of desire and severing of worldly attachments. To free oneself from the cycle of life and death one should withdraw from all Earthly desires, worries and cares. To continue indulging in Earthly things even after one has realised their true nature is said to be foolish and time wasting. Instead it paints a picture of The Master as someone who continues to keep up their responsibilities in the world, not because they believe they have to or due to any worldy attachments, but simply that it is in their nature to do so. To avoid misinterpretation in this regard teachers traditionally recommend that Ashtavakra Gita be pursued by only those who have already advanced on the spiritual path.

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Sri Narayana Guru - Complete Works - Malayalam

2009-07-14T19:26:00.007+05:30

This book is a compilation of the complete works of Sri Narayana Guru(1854 - 1928), a great Indian seer of 20th century who visualized the ultimate reality in himself. The Guru was born in Chempazhanthi, Kerala in 1854. A great philosopher-poet of modern India, the Guru, and erudite scholar of Sanskrit, Malayalam and Tamil, belonged to the great Indian philosophical tradition of Advaita. As the force being the social reform movement, the Guru paved the way for a progressive Kerala society. Gurudevan, as he was fondly known to his followers, led a quiet but significant social revolution. The Guru was instrumental in setting the spiritual foundations for social reform in today's Kerala and was one of the most successful social reformers who tackled caste in India.

This book contains 57 works of the Guru in Malayalam, Sanskrit and Tamil. They are categorised into 5 sections:

1. Hymns of Gods and Goddesses
2. Moral & ethical teachings
3. Philosophical Works
4. Translations of Classics
5. Prose works

This volume brings together all the original writings of Narayana Guru in a digitised form for the first time. This work is in the free domain now.

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Patanjali Yoga Sutra - Sanskrit text with English Commentary by Swami Vivekananda

2009-07-03T22:37:00.004+05:30

This book is a commentary on Patanjali Yoga Sutras by Swami Vivekananda. Original Sanskrit sutras, their transliteration and translation are also provided for the convenience of the readers.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2nd century BCE) is a foundational text of Yoga. In Indian philosophy, Yoga is the name of one of the six orthodox philosophical schools. Though brief, the Yoga Sutras are an enormously influential work on yoga philosophy and practice.

Patanjali divided his Yoga Sutras into 4 chapters or books (Sanskrit pada), containing in all 196 aphorisms, divided as follows:

1. Samadhi Pada - Concentration or Absorption (51 sutras)
2. Sadhana Pada - Practice or means to attain it (55 sutras)
3. Vibhuti Pada - Powers or Manifestations (56 sutras)
4. Kaivalya Pada - Isolation or Liberation (34 sutras)

Patanjali's Yoga is also called "ashtanga yoga" because of the eight "limbs" or steps of this Yoga prescribed in the second pada of the Yoga Sutras viz. Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

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Sri Aurobindo - A Biography

2009-06-30T20:47:00.002+05:30

An exhaustive biography of Sri Aurobindo (1872 - 1950) who was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, poet, philosopher, and yogi. He joined the movement for India's freedom from British rule and for a duration (1905-1910), became one of its most important leaders, before turning to developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and a spiritual path which he termed Integral Yoga. He wrote over a hundred poems, many plays and several
books.

In his famous Uttarapara speech, he proclaimed, "I say no longer that nationalism is a creed, a religion, a faith;I say that it is the Sanatana Dharma which for us is nationalism. This Hindu nation was born with the Sanatana Dharma, with it it moves and with it it grows. When the Sanatana Dharma declines, then the nation declines, and if the Sanatana Dharma were capable of perishing, with the Sanatana Dharma it would perish.The Sanatana Dharma, that is nationalism. This is the message that I have to speak to you".

Of India's future Sri Aurobindo prophesied : "India of the ages is not dead nor has She spoken Her last creative word. And that which She must seek now to awake, is not an anglicised oriental people, docile pupil of the West and doomed to repeat the cycle of the Occident's success and failure, but still the ancient immemorial Shakti recovering Her deepest self, lifting Her head higher towards the supreme source of light and strength and turning to discover the complete meaning and vaster form of Her Dharma".

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Ganapati Muni - A Biography

2009-06-30T20:42:00.002+05:30

This book is an adaptation by Dr. G. Krishna from the original Telugu biography of Ganapati Muni by Gunturu Lakshmikantam.

Vasistha Ganapati Muni (1878-1936), famed as Kavyakantha, and popularly addressed as Nayana, was the foremost disciple of the great saint, Ramana Maharshi. Ganapati Muni as a mighty spiritual personality in his own right and had a large following of illustrious disciples. It is a standing testimony to his spiritual sincerity, humility, and intellectual honesty that he recognized the uniqueness of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi's teaching, accepted Him as his Guru, and proclaimed him as the Maharshi to the whole world.

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Shri Guru Granth Sahib

2009-06-28T13:36:00.004+05:30

The Guru Granth Sahib is the holy scripture and the final Guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous collection of hymns or bhajans, which describe what God is like and the right way to live, compiled and composed from 1469 to 1708 by the Sikh Gurus. Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the tenth of the Sikh Gurus, affirmed the sacred text Adi Granth as his successor, terminating the line of human Gurus, and elevating the text to Guru Granth Sahib.

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Source of e-text: http://www.sacred-texts.com/

Stories on Guru-disciple relationship

2009-06-27T22:44:00.003+05:30

A compilation of inspiring stories of Guru-disciple relationships, culled from Puranas, Itihasas and lives of saints. There are stories of Janaka and Suka, Dhaumya and Upamanyu and Aruni, Kabir and Kamal, Namdeo and Vishobha Khechar, Guru Arjan and Bhai Manjh and King Janaka and Ashtavakra to cite a few.

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An Introduction to Indian Philosophy

2009-06-27T22:41:00.002+05:30

This is a primer on the nine philosophical systems of Indian origin, namely the Carvaka, Jaina, Bauddha, Nyaya, Vaisesika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta.

About Authors:
Satischandra Chatterjee Ph.D. formerly worked as Head of the Department of Philosophy, Calcutta University. Dhirendramohan Datta formerly worked as Professor Philosophy, Patna Colelge, Patna University.

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Guru Gita Malayalam ഗുരുഗീത അര്‍ത്ഥസഹിതം

2009-06-26T12:23:00.005+05:30

ശ്രീവേദവ്യാസരചിതമായ സ്കന്ദപുരാണാന്തര്‍ഗതമായ ഗുരുഗീത ശിവപാര്‍വതീസംവാദരൂപത്തിലാണ് അവതരിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. ശ്രീ പാര്‍വ്വതിയുടെ ചോദ്യങ്ങള്‍ക്കുത്തരമായി ശ്രീ പരമേശ്വരന്‍ ഇതില്‍ ഗുരുതത്വവും, ഗുരുപൂജാവിധികളും, ഒരു ശിഷ്യന് അവശ്യം വേണ്ട സദ്ഗുണങ്ങളും വിശദമായി വര്‍ണ്ണിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. ഗുരുഭക്തരായ സാധകര്‍ക്ക് ഗുരുതത്വമറിഞ്ഞ് സദ്ഗുരുവിനെ സേവിക്കുവാനും, ഗുരുഗീത നിത്യം പാരായണം ചെയ്യുവാനും ഈ പുസ്തകം വളരെയധികം പ്രയോജനപ്പെടും.

ഗുരുര്‍ബ്രഹ്മാ ഗുരുര്‍വിഷ്ണുഃ ഗുരുര്‍ദേവോ മഹേശ്വരഃ
ഗുരുസ്സാക്ഷാത് പരംബ്രഹ്മ തസ്മൈ ശ്രീ ഗുരവേ നമഃ

അജ്ഞാനതിമിരാന്ധസ്യ ജ്ഞാനാഞ്ജനശലാകയാ
ചക്ഷുരുന്മീലിതം യേന തസ്മൈ ശ്രീ ഗുരവേ നമഃ

എന്നാരംഭിക്കുന്ന സുപ്രസിദ്ധമായ ഗുരുസ്തോത്രം ഗുരുഗീതയില്‍ നിന്നുള്ളതാണ്.

ഡൗണ്‍ലോഡ്

Hatha Yoga Pradipika - Sanskrit Text With English Translatlion and Notes

2009-06-25T21:21:00.004+05:30

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a classic manual on Hatha Yoga, written by Yogi Svatmarama (15th century CE), a sadhu belonging to Gorakh panth. Said to be the oldest surviving text on the Hatha Yoga, it is one of the three classic texts of Hatha Yoga, the other two being the Gheranda Samhita and the Shiva Samhita.

This book is divided into four chapters (called Upadeshas). In chapter 1, Svatmarama describes fifteen asanas, and recommends dietary habits. In chapter 2, he establishes the connections between breath, mind, life, nadis, and prana, then describes the six karmas and the eight kumbhakas. In chapter 3, Svatmarama says what mudras are for, then describes the ten mudras. In chapter 4, he discusses samadhi, laya, nada, two mudras, and the four stages of Yoga.

It is dedicated to Lord Adinath (Lord Shiva) who is believed to have imparted the secret of Hatha Yoga to his divine consort Parvati.

Eight Sample Verses excerpted from this book:

1. Yoga succeeds by these six: enthusiasm, openness, courage, knowledge of the truth, determination, and solitude.

2. Success is achieved neither by wearing the right clothes nor by talking about it. Practice alone brings success. This is the truth, without a doubt.

3. When the breath is unsteady, the mind is unsteady. When the breath is steady, the mind is steady, and the yogi becomes steady. Therefore one should restrain the breath.

4. As salt and water become one when mixed, so the unity of self and mind is called samadhi.

5. He who binds the breath, binds the mind. He who binds the mind, binds the breath.

6. Center the self in space and space in the self. Make everything space, then don't think of anything.

7. Empty within, empty without, empty like a pot in space. Full within, full without, full like a pot in the ocean.

8. Don't think of external things and don't think of internal things. Abandon all thoughts, then don't think of anything.

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Tirukkural of Tiruvalluvar - English Translation

2009-06-21T00:01:00.003+05:30

Thirukkural, written by Sri Thiruvalluvar (1st century BCE) is one of the greatest works on ethical livingwas written in Tamil. It consists of 133 athikarams or chapters. Each athikaram consists of 10 kurals (rhyming Tamil couplets) thus making 1330 kurals in total.

Thirukkural is divided into three sections. Section one deals with Aram doing things, with conscience and honor, for the good of the less fortunate, the second discusses Porul realities or facts of life, and the third dwells on Inbam the pleasures that a man and a woman experience in the course of their relationship. It is claimed that this division of Thirukkural is based on the canonical dharma, artha & kama (trivarga) articulated in the Sanskritic classical texts.

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Narada Bhakti Sutra - Sanskrit text with English translation

2009-06-18T23:53:00.004+05:30

An English translation of Narada Bhakti Sutras by Y. Subramanya Sharma.

Narada Bhakti Sutra is the manual of Bhakti Yoga. Bhakti-yoga is the art of attaining the Divine through pure love. And there is no greater teacher than the Vedic sage Narada to impart the lessons of Divine Love.

Narada's 84 jewellike aphorisms on devotion, known as the Narada-bhakti-sutra, reveal the secrets of love of God - what it is, and isn't; what its effects are; what helps or hinders our progress along the path; and much more. For the sincere seeker of life's ultimate goal, the Narada-bhakti-sutra is essential.

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Sankhya Aphorisms of Kapila - J.R. Ballantyne

2009-06-13T18:35:00.004+05:30

Sankhya Philosophy is one of the six major schools of Hindu Philosophy (Shad Darshanas). Sage Kapila is traditionally considered to be the founder of the Sankhya school. It is regarded as one of the oldest philosophical systems in India.

This translation of aphorisms of Kapila by J.R. Ballantyne is so rendered as to make it possible for an average reader to understand the complex thought structure of Sankhya philosophy in a language that is easy and graspable. It will be of great help to those who are desirous of knowing not only the historical background of Indian thought, but also want to know as to how existential questions of life and death have been tackled by our ancestors.

Source of e-text: http://sacred-texts.com/

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Sri Ram Charit Manas - Hindi Text with English Translation

2009-06-12T20:09:00.008+05:30

Sri Ramcharitmanas is a great Hindu scripture and poetic classic written by Goswami Tulsidas (16th Century CE). This poem is also known as Tulsi-krita Ramayana, or "The Ramayana of Tulsidas".

Today, Sri Ram Charit Manas is considered one of the greatest works of Hindi literature, and with its composition the story of Ramayana was available for the first time to the common man to sing and perform, and over time this gave birth to the tradition of Ramlila, dramatic enactment of the text.

Sri Ramcharitmanas bestows upon its readers the gifts of Devotion (bhakti), Divine Knowledge (Gyan) and Salvation (Mukti).

Source of E-text:

http://www.gitapress.org/ & http://www.ramcharitmanas.in/

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Srimad Bhagavad Gita - Malayalam

2009-06-11T23:03:00.014+05:30

Srimad Bhagavad Gita in Malayalam with Geeta Dhyanam and Geeta Mahatmyam. Bhagavad Gita is the most popular Hindu scripture. It is said in Gita Mahatmya that Gita is the essence of Vedas.

सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः ।
पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥

"All the Upanishads are the cows, the one who milks the cows is Krishna, Arjuna (Partha) is the calf. Men of purified intellect are the beneficiaries; the cow's milk is the great nectar of the Gita".

Famous Quotes on Bhagavad Gita

Adi Sankara: From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals of human existence become fulfilled. Bhagavad-Gita is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures.

Aldous Huxley: The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity.

Carl Jung: The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have been current in by gone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is provided by Plato in his Timaeus in which it states..." behold we are not an earthly but a heavenly plant." This correlation can be discerned by what Krishna expresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad-Gita.

Sri Aurobindo: The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race a living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a new meaning for every civilization.

Source of sanskrit e-text :www.sanskritdocumetns.or g

Note: Sanskrit Gita text was converted into Malayalam using girgit (girgit.chitthajagat.in/ ). It took me 8-10 hours to correct the errors in the converted text. Still, it was much easier than typing the whole Gita anew.

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Saundarya Lahari - Sanskrit Text + English Commentary

2009-06-10T20:18:00.007+05:30

This book contains the Sanskrit text, English transliteration, translation, commentary, diagrams and an appendix on prayoga (application) of "The Saundarya Lahari"of Adi Shankara by S.S. Sastri and T.R.S. Ayyangar. "Saundarya Lahari" meaning "Waves Of Beauty" is one of the most famous Sanskrit hymns of Devi (Goddess). Its hundred and three shlokas (verses) eulogize the beauty, grace and munificence of Goddess Parvati, consort of Shiva.

The Saundarya Lahari is not only a poem. It is a tantra textbook, giving instructions on puja and offerings, many yantras, almost one to each shloka; describes tantric ways of performing devotion connected to each specific shloka; and details the results ensuing therefrom. There are many interpretations and commentaries but best of these are arguably those that provide word-to-word translations, as also the yantras, the devotion to be performed and the results of the devotion.

The Saundarya Lahari is often viewed as being composed of two parts.

Verses 1 - 41 describe the mystical experience of the union of Shiva and Shakti and related phenomena. In fact, it opens with the assertion that Only when Shiva is united with Shakti does he have the power to create.

This part of the text is often referred to, quite appropriately, as the Ananda Lahari, the wave of bliss.

Verses 42 to 100 are more straightforward---they describe the physical beauty of the Goddess and are sometimes referred to as the Saundarya Lahari itself. Many scholars, however, refer to the entire text with one name, namely, Saundarya Lahari.

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How I became a Hindu - David Frawley

2009-06-05T08:42:00.005+05:30

David Frawley, who is now known as Vamadeva Shastri is perhaps the first American to get recognition in India as an Acharya of Hindu Dharma. In this book he describes how and why he was attracted to Hinduism and eventually embraced it.

David Frawley (Vāmadeva Śāstrī) is an author on Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda, and the founder and director of the American Institute for Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which offers courses on Yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, and Hindu astrology. He is also a Professor of Vedic Astrology and Ayurveda at the International Vedic Hindu University (IVHU). He is a Vaidya (Ayurvedic doctor), and a Jyotishi (Vedic astrologer).

To know about his life and work, visit http://www.vedanet.com/

Source of etext: www.hindubooks.org

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Parables of Rama - Swami Rama Tirtha

2009-06-04T23:36:00.007+05:30

265 thought provoking parables culled from the complete works of Swami Rama Tirtha (In Woods of God Realisation Volumes 1 to 8).

While going through the Complete Works of Swami Rama, “In Woods of God Realization” one is struck with the vast number of simple stories, so profusely used by Swami Rama to illustrate the highest teaching of Vedanta. The most difficult and intricate problems of philosophy and abstract truths, which may very well tax the brains of the most intellectual, are thus made not only simple and easy to understand but also brought home to us in a concrete form in such an interesting and attractive style that even a dullard or a child finds delight and pleasure in reading them and can easily apply their truths in daily life and practice.

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Puranic Encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani

2009-06-03T17:53:00.006+05:30

The Puranas and great Epics – the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian and life and culture. The various episodes therein are of very great significance. Sages and saints who wrote them were gifted with the rare power of anticipation of events to occur. A study of Epics, Puranas kindles hope in a person to hold up to God’s feet and obtain his guidance and help to enjoy a smooth journey through life. But it is to be noted that the great eighteen Mahapuranas alone consist of 3,71,000 Sanskrit verses approximately. The Epics Ramayana and Mahabharata consist of 24000 and one lakh Sanskrit verses respectively.

To go through in to such a vast ocean of knowledge is not possible for a knowledge seeker or a layman. Hence Vettam Mani’s Puranic Encyclopaedia is a boon to all the people of the world. It took him five years for him to compile this great encyclopaedia. To provide such a Comprehensive and well-nigh exhaustive book of study and reference with regard to episodes,
incidents, characters occurring in the many Puranas and such other work in Sanskrit are a monumental task.Vettam Mani has successfully achieved his goal.

The book in A4 size runs to 921 pages. All the subjects are arranged alphabetically. Culling out various facts from different Puranas, each subject is justified fully for its contents. Deep, extensive and exhaustive study, patient and untiring research are so very patent on every page of the book. Starting from ‘A’ one may go in for any subject he wants to refer to. Arjuna, Brahma, Abhimanyu, Cyavana, Dhanurveda, Drona, Duryodhana, Ekavira, Ganapati, Hariscandra, Iravan, Jambavan ,Rama, Krishna, Viswamitra, Vyasa, etc. The book covers well over 6000 topics. This is a must for all the libraries of the world.Every lover of learning and knowledge everywhere owes an eternal debt of gratitude to the compiler Vettam Mani. The book is published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, Delhi, India

Review coutesy: Santhanam Nagarajan

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Adhyathm Raramayanam - Malayalam - Tunchathu Ezhuthachan

2009-06-01T16:04:00.007+05:30

Adhyathma Ramayanam is the Malayalam version of Ramayana written by Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan in the early 17th Century. Ezhuthachan is considered as the Father of the Malayalam language. The speciality of his version of Ramayana is that it is full of devotion. It has been so popular in Kerala that it has been sued for daily chanting in all Hindu homes in Kerala for more than 300 years. Keralites celebrate mid-July to mid-August as Ramayana Masam (Ramayana Month) every year.

This ebook comprises of 6 kandas:

1. Bala Kanda
2. Ayodhya Kanda
3. Aranya Kanda
4. Kishkindha Kanda
5. Sundara Kanda
6. Yuddha Kanda

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The Yoga Upanishads Sanskrit Text & English Translation

2009-05-29T12:33:00.013+05:30

English translation of 20 Yoga Upanishads. The translator, G Srinivasa Ayyangar, has closely followed the Sanskrit commentaries of Sri Upanishad-Brahman-Yogin who is the only one so far known to have achieved the unique distinction of having written a commentary on all the 108 Upanishads.

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Srimad Bhagavad Gita - "Sadhak Sanjivani' Hindi Commentary by Swami Ramsukhdas

2009-05-27T11:28:00.005+05:30

An exhaustive Hindi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita by one of the greatest scholars of Gita in 20th century.

Poojya Swami Ramsukhdasji (1902-2004) was an enlightened sage whose life was fully dedicated for the propagation of the teachings of Gita among the masses. He has authored morethan 50 books on Gita and other spiritual topics. His books have been translated into English and also in all prominent Indian languages. The famous "Sadhak Sanjivani", his
masterpiece, contains Sanskrit slokas of Gita, meaning of each word in the slokas and meaning & commentary upon the slokas (verses).

His discourses in Hindi and books in several languages are available for online viewing and download at http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org/

Source of e-text: http://www.gitapress.org/

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In Woods of God Realization - Swami Rama Tirtha - Volume 1

2009-05-24T23:20:00.003+05:30

This is the first of 7 volumes of Complete Works of Swami Rama Tirtha.

Described as “one of the greatest souls, not only of India, but of the whole world” by Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Rama Tirtha (1873-1906) was a living embodiment of the teachings of Vedanta. One of the greatest saints and philosophers of India, Rama Tirtha brought the message of yoga and Vedanta to Japan, Egypt, and the U.S. In the Woods of God Realization is a complete collection of his writings and lectures. In this seven volume work Rama Tirtha presents a practical and inspiring view of Vedanta and also discusses timely topics such as married life and realization, Christianity and Islam, war and peace, and patriotism.

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Sri Lalita Ashtotharam Sanskrit Text, Transliteration and English Translation

2009-05-23T20:50:00.004+05:30

108 names of Divine Mother (Sri Lalita) - Sanskrit Text, English Transliteration and Translation.

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Sri Lalita Sahasranama Stotram - Malayalam

2009-05-22T12:53:00.006+05:30

Lalita sahasranama is the most popular and sacred hymn for the worshippers of the Goddess Lalita Devi, i.e. the Divine Mother, in the form of her and the male gods' feminine power, Shakti. Etymologically, "Lalita" means "She Who Plays". It is supposedly one of the most complete stotras, one need only recite it to gain 'Moksha'.

The thousnad names of the divine Mother are organised as in a hymn, i.e. in the way of stotras. This hymn occurs in the Brahmanda Purana. It is a dialogue between Hayagriva, an (avatara) of MahaVishnu and the great sage Agastya. Lalitha sahasranama was composed by 8 vaag devis (vaag devathas) upon the command of Devi Sri Lalitha.

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Vidura Niti - Sanskrit Text with English Translation

2009-05-10T17:46:00.005+05:30

Vidura Niti comprises of maxims of Vidura on "right conduct" in the form of a dialogue with King Dhritarashtra. This text, containing more than 500 slokas, is found in chapters 33 to 40 of Udyoga Parva of Maha Bharata of Sage Vyasa.

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The Story of Swami Rama Tirtha

2009-05-08T09:33:00.005+05:30

Biography of Swami Rama Tirtha (1873 - 1906), one of the greatest exponents of Advaita Vedanta. He was among the first notable teachers of Hinduism to lecture in the United States, traveling there in 1902. During his American tours Swami Rama Tirtha spoke frequently on the concept of 'practical Vedanta' and on education of Indian youth. He proposed bringing young Indians to American universities, and helped established several scholarships for Indian students.

His discourses and other works are compiled in "In Woods of God Realization" in 7 volumes.
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Yaksha Prasna Sanskrit Text + English Translation

2009-05-07T09:59:00.005+05:30

Yaksha Prasna is an episode taken from Mahabharata. It is a dialogue between Yudhishthira and Yama, the lord of Death who disguises as a Yaksha. In this Yudhishthira gives amazing and enlightening answers to very difficult questions asked by Yama.

During the time when the Pandavas were living in the forest, a deer took away the stick used to make fire from the sage’s home in the forest in its antlers. The saint tried to recover it but could not. He then requested the Pandavas (sons of Pandu) to trace the deer by its hoof marks and recover it. The Pandavas followed the hoof marks of the deer throughout the day and reached deep in the forest. Dharma Puthra the eldest of the Pandavas became very tired and wanted to drink some water before carrying on the chase any further. Sahadeva the youngest brother volunteered to bring the water. He spotted a lake near by. The lake was bare of any living beings except a crane. When Sahadeva tried to drink water from the lake, the crane spoke to him, Oh Sahadeva, the water of this lake is poisonous, if you drink it without answering my questions. Sahadeva did not bother and drank the water from the lake and died. After some time Nakula came in search. And was surprised at seeing the dead Sahadeva. He too decided to drink water and was warned by the crane and he too died on drinking the water. The same thing happened to Arjuna and Bheema. Seeing that all his four brothers are missing, Dharma Puthra came in search. Since he was very thirsty, he too tried to drink the water from the lake. But when the crane warned him, he decided to answer the questions of the crane. Before asking questions, the crane revealed himself as a Yaksha. All the questions asked by the Yaksha were answered by Dharma Puthra to the Yaksha’s satisfaction. Then the Yaksha gave a boon to Dharma Puthra to bring back alive one of his dead brothers. Dharma wanted, Nakula to be made alive. The surprised Yaksha asked him, Oh king, why did you choose Nakula, when you could have chosen Bheema and Arjuna? Dharma Puthra replied, I am alive and so my mother Kunthi has one son. I wanted my other mother Madhri also to have a son alive, The Yaksha was very much pleased and gave life back to all the Pandavas. Given below are the pointed questions asked by the Yaksha and the pithy and very direct replies given by Dharma Puthra. These are a store house of knowledge and termed as Yaksha Prasna (Questions of Yaksha).

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Gheranda Samhita - A Treatise on Hatha Yoga (Sanskrit English) by Srisa Chandra Vasu

2009-04-23T11:57:00.005+05:30

Gheranda Samhita is one of the three classic texts of hatha yoga (the other two being the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Shiva Samhita). It is a late 17th century text and is considered to be the most encyclopedic of the three classic texts on hatha yoga. Gheranda Samhita is a manual of yoga taught by Gheranda to Chanda Kapali. Unlike other hatha yoga texts, the Gheranda Samhita speaks of a sevenfold yoga:

1. Shatkarma for purification
2. Asana for strengthening
3. Mudra for steadying
4. Pratyahara for calming
5. Pranayama for lightness
6. Dhyana for perception
7. Samadhi for isolation

The text itself follows this division in seven chapters, and has a focus upon the shatkarmas, thus this text is sometimes said to describe ghatastha yoga. For nstance, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describes an eightfold path (yama and niyama instead of shatkarma and mudra, and addition of dharana). The closing stanzas on samadhi teach different methods than those described by Patanjali.

Srisa Chandra Vasu was a great scholar of Hindu Scriptures and had authored and interpreted various sacred texts of Hinduism such as Upanishads, Ashtadhyayi, Siva Samhita, etc.

Download Gheranda Samhita - Sanskrit English by Srisa Chandra Vasu

Arthashastra of Chanakya - English

2009-04-22T16:07:00.003+05:30

The Arthashastra is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military trategy authored by Chanakya (350-283 BCE).

Chanakya, also known as Kautilya or Vishnugupta, was an adviser and a prime minister to the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta, and architect of his rise to power. Other important works of Chanakya are 'Chanakya Sutras' and 'Chanakya Niti Darpanam'.

R. P. Kangle defines Arthashastra as "science of politics," a treatise to help a king in "the acquisition and protection of the earth". This text is divided into 15 books:

01 Concerning Discipline
02 The Duties of Government Superintendents
03 Concerning Law
04 The Removal of Thorns
05 The Conduct of Courtiers
06 The Source of Sovereign States
07 The End of the Six-Fold Policy
09 The Work of an Invader
10 Relating to War
12 Concerning a Powerful Enemy
13 Strategic Means to Capture a Fortress
14 Secret Means
15 The Plan of a Treatise

source of e-text: www.bharatadesam.com

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Four Vedas - English Translation

2009-04-22T00:06:00.006+05:30

English Translation of all four Vedas - Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda & Atharva Veda.

The Vedas (वेद - knowledge) are a large body of texts that originated in Ancient India. Vedas form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism. Each of the four Vedas consists of the metrical Mantra or Samhita' part and the prose 'Brahmana' part giving discussions and directions
for the detail of the ceremonies at which the Mantras were to be used and explanations of the legends connected with the Mantras and rituals. Both these portions are termed shruti (which tradition says to have been heard but not composed or written down by men)

This ebook has an exhaustive table of contents that makes it easier for the readers to navigate from one chapter of the book to another.

Translations of all four Vedas are from 'Sacred Texts of the East' series.

E-text Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com

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The life and teaching of Tukaram by J. N. Fraser & J. F. Edwards

2009-04-21T12:13:00.006+05:30

Sant Tukaram, a prominent Maharashtrian saint and religious poet, was born and lived most of his life in Dehu, a town close to Pune in 17th century CE. Tukaram was a devotee of Lord Vittala (or Vithobā) - an incarnation of Lord Krishna, who in turn, is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is quite renowned for his contribution to the Bhakti Movement of Maharashtra.

Like Namdev, Janabai, and Eknath, Tukaram wrote in archaic Marathi a large number of devotional poems identified in Marathi as abhang (अभंग). A collection of 4,500 abhang known as the Gāthā is attributed to Tukaram. It is believed that he was a contemporary of Shivaji Maharaj.

Tukaram puts bhakti at the centre of his spiritual life. In one of his verses, he declares that Bhaktimarg is "the only way to God in this age". Another provides a succinct statement of his philosophy of religion: "God has no form, nor any name, nor any place where he can be seen; but wherever you go, you see God."

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Vishnu Purana - English Translation by_Manmatha_Nath_Dutt

2009-04-20T23:49:00.007+05:30

The Vishnu Purana is one of eighteen Maha Puranas. It is considered one of the most important Puranas and has been given the name Puranaratna (gem of Puranas). Presented as a dialogue between Parashara and his disciple Maitreya and divided into six parts, the major topics discussed include creation of the universe, stories of the avatars (divine descents) of Vishnu, etc.

Conforming to the Puranic tradition, Vishnu Purana also expounds the most sublime Vedantic truths through stories.

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Brahma Sutra by Swami Sivananda

2009-04-20T12:04:00.007+05:30

An English Commentary on Brahma Sutra with Sanskrit text, word by word meaning and running translation by Swami Sivananda.

Brahmasutra by Vyasa (Badarayana) is one of the three pillars of Vedanta known as 'Prasthana Traya'. Knowledge of Brahmasutra is considered essential for a proper understanding of Vedanta.

Over the centuries, there have been many commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, but either they are too short and in sufficient to be useful for a comprehensive study of the Sutras, or are extremely tough and abstruse to be utilized by men of ordi nary understanding. This work of Swami Sivananda is of a unique type in it self, unrivalled by any other. This commentary is neither too short to be useless, nor too verbose to be unintelligible, but follows a via media course, use ful to one and all, mainly the spiritual aspirants.

An elaborate introduction precedes the work in addition to a short introduction and a summary of the different Adhikaranas preced ing each Pada. These are all a boon to the student of the Brahma Sutras for which the author has to be eulogised. Each Sutra also contains a word-by-word meaning and a running translation.

The text of the Brahma Sutras has been included herein to enable the readers to do Svadhyaya and get them by heart for purpose of meditation.

For more free books of Swami Sivananda, visit http://www.SivanandaDlshq.org/

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Hindu Fasts & Festivals - Swami Sivananda

2009-04-20T11:40:00.007+05:30

A hand-book explaining the spirit and significance of all major Hindu fasts and festivals.

All Hindu festivals have a deep spiritual import or high religious significance. All great Hindu festivals have religious, social and hygienic elements in them. In every festival there is bathing in the morning before sunrise in the river or tank or well. Every individual will have to do some Japa, prayer, Kirtan, recitation of Sanskrit verses and meditation.

Man gets tired on account of hard work or monotonous actions. He wants some change or variety. He wants relaxation. He wants something to cheer him up. These festivals make him cheerful and happy, and give him rest and peace.

In this book, the author has explained the significance and the philosophy of many of the important Hindu fasts and festivals like Deepavali, Shivaratri, Navaratri, Ram Navami, Krishna Jayanti, Makar Sankranti, etc.

For more free books by Swami Sivananda, visit http://www.SivanandaDlshq.org/

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Manu Smriti - English (with extracts from 8 commentaries)

2009-04-18T19:53:00.013+05:30

This book is an English translation of Manusmriti, with extracts from eight different commentaries, by Buhler.

Manusmṛti ( मनुस्मृति) is the most important and earliest metrical work of the Dharmaśāstra textual tradition of Hinduism. Generally known in English as the Laws of Manu, it was first translated into English in 1794 by Sir William Jones. The text presents itself as a discourse given by the sage called Manu to a group of seers, or rishis, who beseech him to tell them the "law of all the social classes".

Since Manu Smriti is the most misunderstood and most criticized Hindu scripture, one would be surprised to read the following comment of great thinker Friedrich Neitzsche on this text in his famous book "Anti-Christ".

It is with an opposite feeling that I read the law of Manu, an incomparably spiritual and superior work: even to mention it in the same breath with the Bible would be a sin against the spirit. One guesses immediately: there is a real philosophy behind it, in it, not merely an ill-smelling Judaine of rabbinism and superstition—it offers even the most spoiled psychologist something to chew on. Not to forget the main point, the basic difference from every kind of Bible: here the noble classes, the philosophers and the warriors, stand above the mass; noble values everywhere, a feeling of perfection, an affirmation of life, a triumphant delight in oneself and in life—the sun shines on the whole book — all the things on which Christianity vents its unfathomable meanness—procreation, for example, woman, marriage—are here treated seriously, with respect, with love and trust".

Here is verse from this book for those who brand Manu as an oppressor of women which shows they are presenting only one side of the story.

"Women must be honored and adorned by their fathers, brothers , husbands and brothers-in-law, who desire their own welfare.Where women are honored, the Gods are pleased , but where they are not honored, no sacred rite yields rewards"
Manu Smriti ch.3 verse 55

The present ebook has active hyperlinks, which makes it easy to navigate from one chapter to another.

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Vichar Sagar of Nischal Das - Hindi Text & English Translation

2009-04-18T16:24:00.009+05:30

An English translation of popular Vedantic text "Vichar Sagar" (Hindi) of Nishchal Dasji (1791-1863), by Lala Sreeram.

The English translation is titled "Metaphysics of the Upanishads". Vichar Sagar has been so popular in northern parts of country that it has been used for daily reading for more than centuries by common man who did not have access to Sanskrit scriptures of Vedanta.

Nischal Dasji, who was a Dadu panthi sadhu, had authored many books dealing with Vedanta. Vichara Sagara is the most popular among them. This book is very useful for understanding various prakriyas of Vedanta.

DOWNLOAD Sri Vichar Sagar of Sadhu Nischaldas with Hindi Tika by Pitambara 1917

DOWNLOAD Vichar Sagar English Translation by Lala Sreeram

Sakuntala of Kalidasa - English Translation

2009-04-18T14:00:00.006+05:30

English Prose Translation of "Abhijnaana Saakuntalam of Kalidasa" by Sir Monier Williams (1819–1899).

The term Shakuntala means one who is brought up by birds (Shakun). There are references stating that Shakuntala was found by Rishi Kanva in a forest as a baby surrounded by or as some believe being fed by birds, after being left by her mother, Menaka. In Hindu mythology Sakuntala is the mother of Emperor Bharata and the wife of Dushyanta who was the founder of the Paurav Dynasty. Her story is told in the Mahabarata, Adi Parva and was dramatized by Kalidasa in his play Abhijnaana Saakuntalam (The Recognition of Sakuntala).

Kalidāsa is widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language. His place in Sanskrit literature is akin to that of Shakespeare in English. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu mythology and philosophy.

E-text from: www.gutenberg.org

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Bhagavad Gita Dictionary

2009-04-18T11:33:00.007+05:30

The Bhagavad Gita (भगवद् गीता - "Song of God") is one of the most revered sacred scriptures of Hinduism and is considered as one of the most important religious classics of the world.

This dictionary of Bhagavad Gita comprises of transliteration, simple translation and sloka and chapter index of almost every word from all 18 chapters of Gita, arranged alphabetically. This Gita dictionary will come in very handy for a beginner in studying the Gita.

Source of e-text: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advaitin/

Bhagavad Gita Dictionary -

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Panchatantra - English - Arthur W. Ryder

2009-04-16T23:30:00.005+05:30

A complete English translation of Panchatantra - A vivid retelling of India's most famous collection of fables.

According to Indian tradition, the Panchatantra was written around 200 BCE by Pandit Vishnu Sarma, a sage. However, based as it is on older oral traditions, its antecedents among storytellers probably hark back to the origins of language. One of the most influential Sanskrit contributions to world literature, it is "certainly the most frequently translated literary product of India" and there are over 200 versions in more than 50 languages.

In the Indian tradition, the Panchatantra is a nitisastra, a treatise on political science and human conduct, or niti. It is said that Vishnu Sarma's objective was to instruct three dull and ignorant princes in the principles of polity, by means of stories. Panchatantra consists of five books, which are called:

1. Mitra Bhedha (The Loss of Friends)
2. Mitra Laabha also called Mitra Samprapti (Gaining Friends)
3. Kakolukiyam (Crows and Owls)
4. Labdhapranasam (Loss Of Gains)
5. Aparikshitakaraka (Ill-Considered Action / Rash deeds)

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Thirty Minor Upanishads - English Translation K. Narayanasvami Aiyar

2009-04-15T23:55:00.008+05:30

English translation of 30 Vedanta and Yoga Upanishads.

Among the Hindu Scriptures, the Vedas hold the pre-eminent place. The Upanishads which are culled from the Aranyaka-portions of the Vedas - so-called because they were read in the Aranya (forest) after the learner had given up the life of the world - are regarded as the Vedanta, or the end or final crown of the Vedas. Vedanta is also the end of all knowledge, since the word Veda means according to its derivation 'knowledge'. Rightly were the Upanishads so considered, since their knowledge led a person to Atma, the goal of life.

The study of Indian philosophy cannot be complete without the study of Upanishads.

K. Narayanasvami Aiyar was a great scholar of Hindu scriptures. He has authored many books including the scholarly translation of "Laghu Yoga Vasishtha".

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A Vedic Reader - Arthur Anthony Macdonell

2009-04-15T23:49:00.005+05:30

A 296-page reader containing Devanagari text, transliteration and translation of thirty Rgvedic hymns, with exhaustive introductory and grammatical notes for each hymn. It has, in addition, an excellent glossary (with Indo-European cognates) and index.

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The Vedic Literature Collection at mum.edu

2009-04-15T11:05:00.012+05:30

The Vedic Literature Collection at Maharshi University of Management site is perhaps the largest collection of Hindu scriptures available on the world wide web. This collection comprises of more than 300 Hindu scriptures with original Sanskrit texts (there is no translation) in pdf format. Since almost all the texts are digitized, the whole collection is only around 1GB in size (sizes of some of the texts are less than 100 KB). As you can see in the image given above, the collection contains all the vedas, upavedas, vedangas, six darshanas, 18 puranas and upapuranas, stotras, etc.

Vedic Literature Main Page

Index of Vedic Literature

The Aryabhatiya of Aryabhata - English

2009-04-13T19:59:00.009+05:30

The Aryabhatiya of Aryabhata (CE 476–5500 is one of the most important texts in the history of Indian mathematics and astronomy. He composed this work at the age of 23.

Here are some of his noted achievements that are found in Aryabhatiya:

1. Aryabhata asserted that the Moon and planets shine by reflected sunlight and that the orbits of the planets are ellipses.

2. He also correctly explained the causes of eclipses of the Sun and the Moon.

3. His value for the length of the sidereal year at 365 days 6 hours 12 minutes 30 seconds is only 3 minutes 20 seconds longer than the true value of 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes 10 seconds.

4. He estimated the value of 'Pi' as : "Add four to one hundred, multiply by eight and then add sixty-two thousand. The result is approximately the circumference of a circle of diameter twenty thousand. By this rule the relation of the circumference to diameter is given." In other words, Pi=62832/20000 = 3.1416, correct to four rounded-off decimal places.

5. Aryabhata accurately calculated the Earth's circumference as 24,835 miles, which was only 0.2% smaller than the actual value of 24,902 miles. This approximation remained the most accurate for over a thousand years.

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Tripura Rahasya - English Translation

2009-04-10T10:39:00.004+05:30

English Translation of Tripura Rahasya,an ancient prime text on Advaita (Non-Duality) in Sanskrit.

Tripura Rahasy was highly commended by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi for study by seekers. Through fascinating stories and analogies the entire spectrum of spiritual pursuit and attainment is laid out in clear terms for the aspirant.

In Sutra Bhasya (the commentary on Brahma Sutras), Sri Sankara has quoted the story of Samvarta as found in Tripura Rahasya, in his commentary on "Apicha Smaryate" (Suutra), with approval.

To download similar books and also books by Ramana Maharshi, visit

http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/bookstall/downloadbooks.html
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In Search of Truth - Swami Akhandanandaji

2009-04-08T22:09:00.016+05:30

English Translation of "Satya Ki Khoj Me" by Swami Akhandananda Saraswati Maharaj of Vrindavan.

Anantshri Swami Akhandanandji Saraswati (known as "Maharajshri" to his followers) (1911-1987), was an exponent of Shrimad Bhagvata and a scholar of Vedanta and Bhakti Shastras. He authored over 180 books which cover Shrimad Bhagwat, Gita, Ram Charit Manas, and Upnishads of the Vedanta.

This book will help us clear many of our doubts and confusions regarding spirituality in general and Hindu Culture in particular.

For more E-books in English by Swami Akhanadanandaji please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AnandVrindavan/files/E-Books/

To know more about Swami Akhandanandji (Maharajji) visit http://anandvrindavan.org/

To listen to Maharajji's Hindi discourses on Gita, Upanishads, Brahmasutra, Bhagavat, etc visit http://maharajshri.net/

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Chidakasha_Gita - Bhagavan Nityananda

2009-04-07T22:57:00.008+05:30

This books is a compilation of teachings of Bhagawan Nityananda of Vajreswari

Bhagawan Nityananda (1897-1961) was a great siddha who was born in Quilandy (Pandalayini), Kerala South India and later lived at Vajreswari near Mumbai. "Chidakash Gita" is the only book that contains the teachings of this great sage in his own words.
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Glimpses of Swami Dayananda (Biography)

2009-04-07T14:01:00.004+05:30

Biography of Swami Dayananda Saraswati (स्‍वामी दयानन्‍द सरस्‍वती) (1824-1883), one of the greatest leaders of Hindu revivalism and the founder of the Arya Samaj. He was a renowned Vedic scholar who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas.

Among Swami Dayananda's immense contributions is his championing of the equal rights of women - such as their right to education and reading of Indian scriptures - and his translation of the Vedas from Sanskrit to Hindi so that the common man may be able to read the Vedas. The Arya Samaj is rare in Hinduism in its acceptance of women as leaders in prayer meetings and preaching. Considering his contributions to the reformation and revival of Hinduism, all Hindus are indebted to this great soul forever.

He was also the first to proclaim India for Indians. His book SATYARTH PRAKASH contributed to the freedom struggle by inspiring the freedom fighters. On the basis of these facts some believe that Swami Dayanand rightfully deserves to be called as Grandfather of the Indian Nation.

To read Satyarth Prakash or Light of Truth in various languages, visit http://www.satyarthprakash.com/

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