Hinduism :

Originally published: as A short introduction to Hinduism. 1998.

1. Origins of Hinduism -- Sources of Hinduism -- India : the holy land of Hinduism -- Is there a religion called Hinduism - - 2. The scripture of Hinduism : the Veda -- �Sruti : the Veda as revelation -- Sm�rti : sacred tradition -- Other authoritative literature -- Pram�a�na : interpretation of sacred texts -- The power of the revealed word -- 3. The Vedic ordering of life -- A day in the life of a Hindu -- The four stages of life -- The four var�nas : castes and sub-cates -- 4. Vedic ritual -- The vedic sacrifice -- The Hindu sacraments -- The meaning of karma -- Revival of vedic ritual -- 5. The heart of Hinduism -- The Pur�a�nas : the bibles of Hinduism -- The Mah�abh�arata : the great epic of India -- The R�am�aya�na : the Hindus' favorite book -- The Bhagavadg�it�a -- 6. Lord Vi�s�nu -- Vi�s�nu avat�aras -- Image worship and its rationale - Vai�s�nava sa�mprad�ayas -- 7. �Siva means grace -- The sources of later �Saivism -- �Saiva schools of thought -- �Saiva asceticism -- �Siva in art -- 8. The goddess and her worshippers -- Goddess myths and celebrations -- Tantras and yantras -- The renewal of Goddess worship -- The making of new goddesses -- 9. The wisdom of the Upani�sads -- The four stages of knowledge -- The self and the all : �atman and brahman -- Liberation from rebirth : mok�sa -- The great sayings -- 10. The philosophy of yoga -- The s�a�mkhya system -- The yogas�utras of Pata�njali -- The eightfold practice of yoga -- Reaching kaivalya -- 11. �Sa�nkara and his advaita ved�anta -- The life and achievement of �Sa�nkara -- Advaita ved�anta as philosophy -- Advaita Ved�anta as religion -- 12. Vai�s�nava theistic ved�anta -- The �Ac�aryas of �Sr�ia�ngam -- Vi�si�s�t�advaita : the teachings of R�am�anuja -- Anti-Advaita polemics -- Madhva's dvaita ved�anta -- Vallabha's Pu�s�tim�arga -- A trend towards devotionalism -- 13. Hinduism welcomes modern western ideas - The first stirrings of Hindu reform : Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833) and the Brahmo Sa�aj -- An unwilling patron saint of a Hindu missionary movement : Ramakrishna (1834-1886) -- The first modern Hindu monk : Vivekananda (1863-1903) -- A Hindu political saint : Mahatma Gandhi -- 14. Hinduism rejects the modern West -- Dayananda Saraswati's �Arya-Sam�aj -- The first Hindu political party -- Militant Hinduism : the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -- The Vishwa Hindu Parishad -- 15. New faces of Hinduism -- Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) -- Aurobindo Ghose (1872-1950) -- Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1977) -- A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1896-1977) -- �Sr�i Krishnaprem Vair�agi (1898-1965) -- B�ab�as and M�as -- S�athya S�a�i B�ab�a (1926- ) -- �Anandamay�i M�a (1896-1983) -- M�a J�n�an�ananda (1931- ) -- 16. Hinduism and the challenges of today.