This is a concise English version of the Tamil Saivite scripture Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam which was composed by Paranjyothi Munivar and it is one of the triad of Saivite Puranas in Tamil.This Puranam narrates 64 divine plays of Lord Shiva. The translator, Dr. T. N. Ramachandran, has translated this great legendary work into a powerful prose narrative, besides translating a few selected poems from each episode into English, preserving the original devotional and spiritual tenor.Sri S. Rajam, a renowned musician and an eminent artist, has brought out the divine players alive in his colourful paintings and sketches tracing the progress of events in each episode.

The present book throws new light on the gradual development of the concept of Rudra-Siva in his animal, phallic and human forms, since the days of the Harappa Civilization. It examines how Siva, the composite Aryan-non-Aryan Divinity, was not only admitted but was ultimately crowned with an exalted position in the Brahmanical pantheon; how the bull once identified with the deity, was regulated to the position of a vahana; how phallism was related to Saivism and also how Siva, in his different forms, was represented in early Indian Art and the Art of Further India. The wide range and depth of the author's research fills a vital gap in the subject and his treatment of the entire subject is unique. This methodical study on Siva also contains an exhaustive bibliography.

This is an attempt to understand the meaning of Shiva worship in our time exploring various pictorial images of Shiva iconography, taking us through Shaivite philosophy, beliefs, history, folklore and myth. Written in a simple narrative style , and interspersed with familiar and unfamiliar tales retold, the book reaches out to young and old alike. The highlights include lucid explanations and a pictorial key to numerous symbols associated with Shaivite rituals and festival practices, a map of India showing important Shiva temples including the twelve jyotirlingas, a list of 108 sacred names of Shiva with their meanings, a bibliography for those interested in learning more, and over 150 illustrations of which many are in colour.

A game-theoretical analysis of interactions between a human being and an omnipotent and omniscient godlike being highlights the inherent unknowability of the latter's superiority. In Divine Games, Steven Brams analyzes games that a human being might play with an omnipotent and omniscient godlike being. Drawing on game theory and his own theory of moves, Brams combines the analysis of thorny theological questions, suggested by Pascal's wager (which considers the rewards and penalties associated with belief or nonbelief in God) and Newcomb's problem (in which a godlike being has near omniscience) with the analysis of several stories from the Hebrew Bible. Almost all of these stories involve conflict between God or a surrogate and a human player; their representation as games raises fundamental questions about God's superiority. In some games God appears vulnerable (after Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit in defiance of His command), in other games his actions seem morally dubious (when He subjects Abraham and Job to extreme tests of their faith), and in still other games He has a propensity to hold grudges (in preventing Moses from entering the Promised Land and in undermining the kingship of Saul). If the behavior of a superior being is indistinguishable from that of an ordinary human being, his existence would appear undecidable, or inherently unknowable. Consequently, Brams argues that keeping an open mind about the existence of a superior being is an appropriate theological stance.

On Tiruviḷaiyāṭal (Sanskrit līlā) myths; from ancient to 18th century A.D.

The largest film industry in the world after Hollywood is celebrated in this updated and expanded edition of a now classic work of reference. Covering the full range of Indian film, this new revised edition of the Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema includes vastly expanded coverage of mainstream productions from the 1970s to the 1990s and, for the first time, a comprehensive name index. Illustrated throughout, there is no comparable guide to the incredible vitality and diversity of historical and contemporary Indian film.

Tamil Saivite canonical verse work.

Lord Shiva, one of the Trimoorties, is the Supreme Ascetic and Lord of the Universe. He is Ardh Nareeshwara, He is Neelakantha who drank poison to save the three worlds and yet, when crazed with grief at the death of Sati, set about destroying them. This truly makes Him an enigma for His devotees all over the world. Who is Shiva? What is the story behind the worship of the lingam? This book is an answer to various such questions which often haunt His devotees. He is believed to have revealed Himself to His devotees as flame or light or jyoti. the twelve ancient Jyotirlingams that find mention in the Shiva Purana are located in various places all over India. the five elements of Nature, namely Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Space, worshipped as Panch Bhoota Lingams, have shrines in different parts of South India. Replete with vivid description, the author presents in a simple and lucid style the essence of Hindu religion, especially Lord Shiva and his Jyotirlingams.

While the Bhagavad Gītā is an acknowledged treasure of world spiritual literature, few people know a parallel text, theĪśvara Gītā. This lesser-known work is also dedicated to a god, but in this case it is Śiva, rather than Kṛṣṇa, who is depicted as the omniscient creator of the world. Andrew J. Nicholson's Lord Śiva's Song makes this text available in English in an accessible new translation. A work of both poetry and philosophy, the Īśvara Gītā builds on the insights of Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra and foreshadows later developments in tantric yoga. It deals with the pluralistic religious environment of early medieval India through an exploration of the relationship between the gods Śiva and Viṣṇu. The work condemns sectarianism and violence and provides a strategy for accommodating conflicting religious claims in its own day and in our own.