A collection of true events, Song of the Free illustrates beautifully the life of Dattatreyaji, a monk, a syncretic deity, who is considered to be an incarnation of Trimurti, blessed with the qualities of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. An avatar and a wandering ascetic, Dattatreyaji's life stressed on the importance of learning. He taught us to recognise wisdom from even the smallest creature of nature, like the honey bee. The book gathers the profound cognisance of Dattatreyaji. The 24 gurus, as accepted by him, are individually described, each forming a chapter. The guru is a source of divinity and the true guru guides us to attain our divine attributes. The book portrays the supreme consciousness of Dattatreyaji as he acknowledged the true guru found in nature-animals, birds and humans. He emphasised that if you have the desire to learn you can derive inspiration from anything. Moreover, his teachings inspire us to be in harmony with nature and other elements of the environment. Song of the Free acts as a true guru who will lead you to wisdom, allowing youto thrive on your own. Influenced by spirituality and philosophy, the book is a guide to learning-learning to live and live with wisdom.

For over five hundred years, Muslim dynasties ruled parts of northern and central India, starting with the Ghurids in the 1190s through the fracturing of the Mughal Empire in the early eighteenth century. Scholars have long drawn upon works written in Persian and Arabic about this epoch, yet they have neglected the many histories that India’s learned elite wrote about Indo-Muslim rule in Sanskrit. These works span the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire and discuss Muslim-led kingdoms in the Deccan and even as far south as Tamil Nadu. They constitute a major archive for understanding significant cultural and political changes that shaped early modern India and the views of those who lived through this crucial period. Audrey Truschke offers a groundbreaking analysis of these Sanskrit texts that sheds light on both historical Muslim political leaders on the subcontinent and how premodern Sanskrit intellectuals perceived the “Muslim Other.” She analyzes and theorizes how Sanskrit historians used the tools of their literary tradition to document Muslim governance and, later, as Muslims became an integral part of Indian cultural and political worlds, Indo-Muslim rule. Truschke demonstrates how this new archive lends insight into formulations and expressions of premodern political, social, cultural, and religious identities. By elaborating the languages and identities at play in premodern Sanskrit historical works, this book expands our historical and conceptual resources for understanding premodern South Asia, Indian intellectual history, and the impact of Muslim peoples on non-Muslim societies. At a time when exclusionary Hindu nationalism, which often grounds its claims on fabricated visions of India’s premodernity, dominates the Indian public sphere, The Language of History shows the complexity and diversity of the subcontinent’s past.

All students of philosophy will relate to the concepts of selfhood, nature, karma and liberation. Here are views and answers to the most important questions. How is self identified? What are the causes and effects in nature? Are our actions determined? What is freedom for a human being? What happens after death? The Essence of Vedanta examines issues of existential philosophy from the viewpoint of the Veda, the most ancient and sacred of Indian scriptures, and also outlines the work of Sankara, the early medieval master of Vedanta's dominant form, Advaita. The foundation of all Vedic teaching lies in the universal truth that human nature reflects God (Brahman), who exists in every living thing. An individual needs no salvation therefore, because he or she is never lost, but merely living in ignorance of his or her true nature. Brian Hodgkinson offers readers insight into, and discussion of, the fundamental questions of the Vedic system concerning self-realization, such as knowledge versus ignorance, the self, consciousness, free will, nature, time, the mind, language, law and society. His fascinating appraisal reveals the profound nature of the Veda and its practices. With its tolerance of other faiths, and ultimately uplifting spiritual message, it is a discipline that chimes with our 21st century needs and preoccupations.

The OM Mala is a book (and a mala or a rosary) about just one word-OM. OM is one of the shortest Sanskrit words, and yet is perhaps the most powerful one, besides being a globally recognized mystic mantra. The OM Mala gives 84 names of OM from Sanskrit texts and explains their meanings in 109 sections or beads: 108 chanting beads and one 'sumeru' bead. Each bead offers the meaning(s), explanation, traditions, etymology, and quotations for one or more names of OM. The book covers rare names of OM like 'shrutipada' and 'rasa' as well as common names like 'om', 'udgitha', and 'pranava'. Popular meanings (like Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva) and rare meanings (like inhalation, holding the breath, and exhalation) are included. The book contains teachings and narratives related to OM from Veda-s, Upanishad-s, Smriti-s, Purana-s, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita, Yoga, Tantra, Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism. Pearls on OM from poems, plays, and works on music and Ayurveda are presented. The use of OM in Yogic breathing and meditation is explained and the explanations/relevance of OM in Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism is briefly touched upon. The OM Mala is a mini-encyclopaedia on OM and associated concepts in Indian religions and culture.