No detailed description available for "Panini".

The considerable interest currently being expressed in women and religion has thrown down an important challenge; the need to see women not merely as the passive victims of an oppressive ideology but also perhaps primarily as the active agents of their own positive constructs. This book therefore aims to fill a notable gap in the literature. Twelve contributors study the role of women in Hindu religion by examining textual studies of the part played by women in a variety of religion rituals, both past and present, by exploring the socio-religious context of their various communites; and by using specialist material to draw on cross-cultural conclusions.

Kalikapurane Murtivinirdesah, ninth in the series of the Kalamulasastra programme is a compilation of about 550 verses from the Kalika Purana which give physical description of a number of gods, goddesses, and demi-gods etc. While some of them are simply conceptual, others are represented in stone and metallic sculptures.

In this study of the Nyaya Philosophy as propounded by Gautama and explained by Vatsyayana and Uddyotakara, the author has examined the empirical foundations of its theory of cognition and proof and the validity of the conclusions based on them. The analysis reveals that the Nyaya theory does not warrant the nature, career and destiny of the self (atman). The conceptual framework rests upon the questionable assumption that not only is the experience of the expert (apta) incorrigible but his communication of that experience is authentic. The framework can only be understood in its social context. The author maintains that Indian religious and philosophical thought must be judged not only in the light of criteria generally accepted in these fields but also in the broad perspective of the social and intellectual background of the thinkers usually regarded as rsis beyond the pale of society. The study is both a challenge to the traditional presentation of the Indian cultural heritage and a constructive hypothesis for further research and reappraisal on new lines.

Goddess worship has long been a significant aspect of Hinduism. In this book David Kinsley, author of The Sword and the Flute—Kali & Krsna: Dark Visions of the Terrible and the Sublime in Hindu Mythology, sorts out the rich yet often chaotic history of Hindu goddess worship.

This is a print on demand publication. This work deals with a topic to which philosophy, most notably analytic philosophy, has given considerable attention. Indian thinkers discuss the denotation of generic terms in a very sophisticated manner at a very early time. This book seeks to make these discussions available to philosophers today. Tables.

Despite the rapid spread of Buddhism the historical origins of Buddhsit thought and practice remain obscure.This work describes the genesis of the Tantric movement and in some ways an example of the feudalization of Indian society. Drawing on primary documents from sanskrit, prakrit, tibetan, Bengali, and chinese author shows how changes in medieval Indian society, including economic and patronage crises, a decline in women`s participation and the formation of large monastic orders led to the rise of the esoteric tradition in India.

The tantric Buddhist traditions emerged in India beginning in the seventh century CE and flourished there until the demise of Buddhism in India circa the fifteenth century. These traditions were disseminated to Central, East, and Southeast Asia, and continue to be practiced, most notably in Nepal, Tibet and Japan, as well as in the numerous Tibetan traditions disseminated around the world by Tibetan masters living in diaspora. The central scriptures for these traditions were generally designated by the term tantra. Tantras are works that purport to relate secret teachings of the buddhas that enable awakening in as short as one lifetime. As such they are understood by their advocates to be the inspired speech of a buddha, and hence worthy of inclusion in the canons of Buddhist traditions. Over the past twenty years there has been considerable growth in the study of tantras as well as translations of these works into Western languages. This volume provides a detailed introduction to the Buddhist tantras. It addresses their development in India, their dissemination to Central, East and Southeast Asia, and their reception in these contexts. It introduces the key teachings in the tantras, as well as the history of their interpretation, and their connection to traditions of ritual, and contemplative practices. It also introduces the classification of the tantras and their place in Buddhist scriptural canons. It concludes with a look at the transgressive rhetoric that characterizes many of the tantras, the impact this had on their dissemination and translation, and the ways in which Buddhists explained this. It suggests that transgressive rhetoric and practices served an important role in Buddhist tantric traditions, which may be why they persist despite the challenges they have presented to the dissemination of these traditions.