Women's stories in India have been handed down from generation to generation, enriched and embroidered along the way. Political change and the arrival of print culture meant that storytelling was pushed into the background. But in more recent times, these voices have once again come centre-stage - confident, varied and complex. Spanning half a century, this collection covers many languages and cultures, and reflects the vast and complex cultures of the country and its diaspora. It offers a view of the changes that have taken place, both in terms of the subjects women choose to write about and their preferred way of writing about these subjects. From established names such as Mahashveta Devi to the newer generation of young authors, such as Tishani Doshi, Katha brings to the reader a vivid array of voices.

Pratyabhijñahrdayam, non-dual yoga and meditation teacher Joan Ruvinsky offers up a beautifully illustrated interpretive translation of one of the foundational texts of Kashmiri Shaivism -- twenty short verses that address fundamental and universal questions. Part poetry, part guidebook, part art, it conveys the richness and incandescence so characteristic of the lineage without losing sight of the last 400 years of philosophical inquiry, spiritual revelation, and scholarship. In the footsteps of the Tantric masters of the medieval period -- who were not only great yogis but also accomplished scholars, poets, musicians -- Ruvinsky embraces the body, mind, and senses as pathways to enlightenment. In her distinctly poetic and down-to-earth fashion Ruvinsky reminds us to live directly, moment to moment, in the mystery. You already have what you need. She intones, All contemplations are valid. There are no right answers, no dead ends, only pathways in the infinite.

Unique in its combination of scriptural erudition and experiential wisdom, this book makes accessible the true philosophy of Tantra and Kashmir Shaivism for dedicated students of yoga and Eastern philosophy.

The public sphere can undermine liberal democracy, law, and morality. But it also liberates us from the bondages of private life and fosters a vital aesthetic experience.

Andor Weer, a 36-year-old writer, lives in a small apartment with his reclusive mother, Rebeka, who was once among the most celebrated stage actresses in Budapest. Unable to withstand her maniacal tyranny but afraid to leave her alone, he finds himself caught in a web of bitter interdependence which spirals into a Sartrian hell of hatred, lies and appeasement. Tranquility is a living seismograph of the internal quakes and ruptures of a mother and son trapped within an Oedipal nightmare amidst the suffocating totalitarian embrace of Communist Hungary. A masterwork.

This book is about the power of the Word conceived as the main and most effective aspect of divine energy. It is the only systematic study in English of notions concerning the Word (Vac) as these are expounded in the shaiva tantras of Kashmir and in related texts. Padoux first describes the Vedic origins of these notions, then their development in texts of different tantric traditions. He shows how different levels of the Word abide in humans, how these levels are linked to the kun, and how they develop into articulate speech and discursive thought. He also describes how the universe is created out of the letters of the alphabet. The last two chapters explain the powers of mantras as sacred ritual utterances. These powers are described as magical as well as religious, because they can achieve supernatural results as well as lead to salvation. Their uses are linked to yogic mental and bodily practices.

This book presents the historical account of its teachers. To make the reading easy and intelligible its technical terms are explained. The book also explains how Pratyabhijna system was formulated and developed by the great teachers. It contain also essence of Ksemaraja's book Pratyabhijna-hrdaya which explains both the philiosophy and ways of Siva realisation and even a layman can understand what Pratyabhijna is. The book also presents a brief survey of the argument and explains the relevance of Pratyabhijna. The book contains a glossary of technical terms and bibliography to make the reading comprehensive.

This eleventh century Sanskrit text of Kshemaraja epitomizes the teaching of the Kashmir Saiva philosophy, and was meant to aid aspirants to higher consciousness who were untrained in intellectual and dialectical excercises.