Told from the perspective of the queen, Sita, it explores ideas of right vs. wrong, compassion, loyalty, trust, honor and the terrible price that war exacts from women, children, animals and the natural world.After Sita, Rama and his brother are banished from their kingdom, Sita is captured by the arrogant King Ravana and imprisoned in a garden across the ocean. Ravana tries to convince Sita to be his wife, but she steadfastly refuses his advances. Eventually, Rama comes to her rescue with the help of the monkey Hanuman and his army, magic animals and gods. But Rama is unable to trust Sita and forces her to undergo an ordeal by fire to prove herself to be true and pure . . .The Ramayana was first written in Sanskrit by the poet Valmiki around 300 B.C. It contains important Hindu teachings and has had great influence on Indian life and culture over the centuries.

    Jha argues against the historical sanctity of the cow in India, in an illuminating response to the prevailing attitudes about beef that have been fiercely supported by the current Hindu right-wing government and the fundamentalist groups backing it.

    With The Subtle Body Practice Manual, she offers an equally valuable resource: a practical instruction manual for putting energy healing into action. Filled with lucid information, step-by-step guidance, diagrams, and key insights, here is an expansive how-to manual that covers practices from a vast range of holistic healing and energy medicine traditions, including:The six core energy techniques that every healer should know• Energetic diagnosis practices to determine which kind of modality will be most effective for specific health issues• Setting strong and flexible energetic boundaries, with special guidance for those in the healing professions• Techniques for working with the subtle aspects of the body, emotions, and the subconscious mind• Dozens of practices for healing through the chakras, the meridians, chi, breathwork, auric fields, sacred geometry, acupressure, music, and much moreAs Cyndi Dale writes, all medicine is energy medicine—which is why subtle energy practices can be used to complement and enhance any approach to healing or self-care. Presented with Cyndi Dale's thorough scholarship and clear writing style, The Subtle Body Practice Manual provides professionals and laypersons alike with an indispensible resource on the many varieties and applications of energetic care—so you can begin using these powerful practices in your own life.

    "Darsan, " a Sanskrit word that means "seeing," is an aid to our vision, a book of ideas to help us read, think, and look at Hindu images with appreciation and imagination.

    It is then that Krishna, the Cosmic Lord, comes to counsel him. Arjuna represents the human soul seated in the chariot of the body and Krishna is the inner Spirit, the God within, who is there to consel him. Today we see humanity divided against itself and threatened with nuclear war and mutual destruction. No political means are adequate to deal with this problem, and many are driven to despair. It is then that the message of the Gita comes to teach us that it is only when we rise above human schemes and calculations and awake to the presence of the indwelling Spirit that we can hope to find the answer to our need.

    Introductions and interpretive commentaries are provided.

    India is very close to becoming the second largest consumer market in the world, with a buying middle class numbering over half a billion. The Indian economy is already the fourth largest in terms of purchasing power parity. It is in the top ten in overall GNP. Yet at least 200 million Indians remain desperately poor. Illiteracy rates are high. Communal violence is widespread; corruption endemic. Brides are still tortured and burnt for dowries; female infanticide is common. The caste system has lost little of its power and none of its brutality How are we to make sense of these apparently contradictory pictures of India today? And how can we overcome the many misconceptions about India that are fed by western stereotypes and Indians' own myths about themselves. Pavan Varma turns a sharply observant gaze on his fellow countrymen to examine what really makes Indians tick. How, for example, does the indifference of most middle-class Indians to the suffering of the poor square with their enthusiasm for parliamentary democracy? How can a people who so supported Mahatma Gandhi's strategy of non-violence during the struggle for independence burn young brides for their dowries and beat domestic servants to near-death? Why do Indians have a reputation for being spiritual and 'other-wordly' when their traditions so exalt the pursuit of material well-being as a principal goal of life? Drawing on sources as diverse as ancient Sanskrit treatises and Bollywood lyrics, Pavan Varma creates a vivid and compelling portrait of India and its people. Being Indian is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand Indians, and for Indians who wish to understand themselves.

    Based on 5,000 years of practice and observation and popularized in part in the works of Deepak Chopra, "ayurveda" translates into "the science of life" and takes into account the spiritual, mental, and physcial aspects of health. After a brief definition of ayurveda and the basic elements, ESSENTIAL AYURVEDA outlines the practical steps any person can take to become healthier.According to the author, "ayurveda" is a verb. The book is set up with simple suggestions to get readers started on the path to good health. As Shubhra writes, "attack your goal of great health in bite-sized chunks, and you’ll get there without ever overstepping your comfort zone. In concrete terms, to "do" Ayurveda is to make healthy choices in daily life. These choices can be as simple as choosing fresh fruit over a donut, choosing a health magazine over a horror novel, choosing to sleep instead of watching late night television."

    Pattabhi Jois is at the heart of it. One of the great yoga figures of our time, Jois brought Ashtanga yoga to the West a quarter of a century ago and has been the driving force behind its worldwide dissemination. Based on flowing, energetic movement, Ashtanga and the many forms of vinyasa yoga that grow directly out of it--have become the most widespread and influential styles of practice in the United States today. Mala means "garland" in Sanskrit, and Yoga Mala--a "garland of yoga practice"--is Jois's distillation of Ashtanga. He first outlines the ethical principles and philosophy underlying the discipline and explains its important terms and concepts. Next he guides the reader through Ashtanga's versions of the Sun Salutation and its subsequent sequence of forty-two asanas, or poses, precisely describing how to execute each position and what benefits each provides. Brought into English by Eddie Stern, a student of Jois's for twelve years and director of the Patanjali Yoga Shala in New York City, Yoga Mala will be an indispensable handbook for students and teachers of yoga for years to come.

    Compiled in the second or third century CE, the Yoga-Sutra is a road map of human consciousness—and a particularly helpful guide to the mind states one encounters in meditation, yoga, and other spiritual practices. It expresses the truths of the human condition with great eloquence: how we know what we know, why we suffer, and how we can discover the way out of suffering. Chip Hartranft's fresh translation and extensive, lucid commentary bring the text beautifully to life. He also provides useful auxiliary materials, including an afterword on the legacy of the Yoga-Sutra and its relevance for us today.

    For generations, all enterprises in India have been launched with an invocation of His name. He is called the Vinayak - God of Endeavors, Vighneshwar - the Remover of Obstacles. Perhaps the most adored of all in the Indian Pantheon, Ganesha is the God that best represents India - benevolent, wise and noble. Come with us on a journey to witness the origins of a God, a timeless tale of an inanimate golem crafted from primordial clay by Uma, the all-mother. His innocent bravado in defying Shiva, the mightiest of the Gods and even giving up his life to uphold a simple promise he made to his mother, the twist of fate that intertwines his destiny with another and the 'rebirth' of the two as they become one.

    Are you looking to uncover the immense natural energy you possess to miraculously heal yourself and people around you?Do you find yourself looking for a path that can help you unlock the secrets to happiness and wellbeing?Are you looking for this complete guide and the power that ensures ample healing energy that runs through your hands and helps you ease physical pain as well as mental stress?This book is intelligently made for you. It contains the specifics and essentials of Reiki, its principles, and advantages for anyone who wants a complete guide to energy and wellbeing, success and healing.This book will give you a clear understanding on how reiki will provide you with the ability to become your own spiritual doctor and hence work your own miracles.This book is all about bringing healing through compassion and unconditional love.Reiki practitioners use the five principles of Reiki in order to act as channels for healing energies. This healing energy typically flows through the practitioner’s body, hands and then into the body where their hands are touching to help eradicate disease and misery using the power of unconditional love. The best part – practitioners can treat themselves too!By simply using the power of unconditional love that allows healing energies to flow through their hands.Excited to know and discover more?Let’s get started…. After downloading this book you will learn What is ReikiAdvantages of using Reki as a system of HealingThe Five Reiki PrinciplesThe Three Pillars of ReikiReiki AttunementsThe Seven Chakras and ReikiMeditation and ReikiHand Positions for HealingUsing the Power of Reiki to Attract Anything you WantAnd Much MoreDownload your copy today

    Hundreds and thousands of our warriors won battles and many fought until their last breath defending the motherland.Indian History text books have hardly glorified these real warriors of the soil. We have grown up reading more about the glories of our invaders. A nation’s citizens, who are ignorant about the brave feats of their ancestors, tend to deviate away from their roots, historicity, and their sense of belongingness for the motherland. Saffron Swords that contains 52 tales of valor, is a tribute to the unsung warriors of India, both men and women, from the last 1300 years. This book is the first in its series.

    Yoga is from the Sanskrit root meaning “union,” and a sutra is a thread or aphoristic verse. The basic questions “Who am I?” “Where am I going?” “What is the purpose of life?” are asked by each new generation, and Patanjali’s answers form one of the oldest and most vibrant spiritual texts in the world. He explains what yoga is, how it works, and exactly how to purify the mind and let it settle into absolute stillness. This stillness is our own Self. It is the indispensable ground for Enlightenment, which is the ultimate goal of all our aspirations.Alistair Shearer’s lucid introduction and superb translation, fully preserving Patanjali’s jewel-like style, bring these ancient but vital teachings to those who seek the path of self-knowledge today.Bell Tower’s series, Sacred Teachings, offers essential spiritual classics from all traditions. May each book become a trusted companion on the way of truth, encouraging readers to study the wisdom of the ages and put it into practice each day.

    The Sacred Books of the East series, comprising 50 volumes, has translations of key sacred texts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism & Islam. The series was edited by the famous linguist Max Muller, who also produced many of the translations & were the foundational documents for the new discipline known as the comparative science of religions. This volume contains The Laws of Manu.