Book picks similar to
7 Secrets From Hindu Calendar Art by Devdutt Pattanaik


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Gitanjali


Rabindranath Tagore - 1910
    Among his expansive and impressive body of work, Gitanjali is regarded as one of his greatest achievements, and has been a perennial bestseller since it was first published in 1910.

Hindu Rites and Rituals: Origins and Meanings


K.V. Singh - 2015
    Often the age-old customs, whose relevance is lost to modern times, are dismissed as meaningless superstitions. The truth, however, is that these practices reveal the philosophical and scientific approach to life that has characterized Hindu thought since ancient times; it is important to revive their original meanings today. This handy book tells the fascinating stories and explains the science behind the Hindu rites and rituals that we sometimes follow blindly. It is essential reading for anyone interested in India's cultural tradition.

Mrs Funnybones


Twinkle Khanna - 2015
    and I am wide awake because the man of the house has decided that he needs to perform a series of complex manoeuvres that involve him balancing on his left elbow. When I fell asleep last night, there was a baby lying next to me. Her smelly diaper is still wedged on my head but aside from this rather damp clue, I can't seem to find her anywhere. I could ask my mother-in-law if she has seen the baby, but she may just tell me that I need to fast on alternate Mondays, and God will deliver the baby back to me . . . Full of wit and delicious observations, Mrs Funnybones captures the life of the modern Indian woman—a woman who organizes dinner each evening, even as she goes to work all day, who runs her own life but has to listen to her Mummyji, who worries about her weight and the state of the country. Based on Twinkle Khanna’s super-hit column, Mrs Funnybones marks the debut of one of our funniest, most original voices.

The Great Indian Novel


Shashi Tharoor - 1989
    Chronicling the Indian struggle for freedom and independence from Great Britain, Tharoor directs his hilarious satire as much against Indian foibles as the bumbling of the British rulers.

Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy


Sadhguru - 2016
    In fact, yoga is a sophisticated system of self-empowerment that is capable of harnessing and activating inner energies in such a way that your body and mind function at their optimal capacity. It is a means to create inner situations exactly the way you want them, turning you into the architect of your own joy.             A yogi lives life in this expansive state, and in this transformative book Sadhguru tells the story of his own awakening, from a boy with an unusual affinity for the natural world to a young daredevil who crossed the Indian continent on his motorcycle. He relates the moment of his enlightenment on a mountaintop in southern India, where time stood still and he emerged radically changed. Today, as the founder of Isha, an organization devoted to humanitarian causes, he lights the path for millions. The term guru, he notes, means “dispeller of darkness, someone who opens the door for you. . . . As a guru, I have no doctrine to teach, no philosophy to impart, no belief to propagate. And that is because the only solution for all the ills that plague humanity is self-transformation. Self-transformation means that nothing of the old remains. It is a dimensional shift in the way you perceive and experience life.” The wisdom distilled in this accessible, profound, and engaging book offers readers time-tested tools that are fresh, alive, and radiantly new. Inner Engineering presents a revolutionary way of thinking about our agency and our humanity and the opportunity to achieve nothing less than a life of joy. Praise for Sadhguru and Inner Engineering “Contrarian and consistent, ancient and contemporary, Inner Engineering is a loving invitation to live our best lives and a profound reassurance of why and how we can.”—Sir Ken Robinson, author of The Element, Finding Your Element, and Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative “I am inspired by Sadhguru’s capacity for joy, his exuberance for life, and the depth and breadth of his curiosity and knowledge. His book is filled with moments of wonder, awe, and intellectual challenge. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in self-transformation.”—Mark Hyman, M.D., director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, and New York Times bestselling author “Inner Engineering is a fascinating read of Sadhguru’s insights and his teachings. If you are ready, it is a tool to help awaken your own inner intelligence, the ultimate and supreme genius that mirrors the wisdom of the cosmos.”—Deepak ChopraFrom the Hardcover edition.

Vedic Physics: Scientific Origin of Hinduism


Raja Ram Mohan Roy - 1999
    We do not know much about the scientific achievements of our ancestors. Is it possible that there were highly advanced civilizations in past, whose technological achievements have been completely forgotten? Now there can be an objective verification, because Rigveda has been remarkably well preserved. Ancient Indians went to extreme lengths to preserve the Vedas. They are in the same form today, that they have been several thousand years earlier. The question is why? Why did generations of Indians go through so much trouble to preserve the Vedas, while the apparent meaning seems to be so mundane. The reason is that Vedas are coded, and once you understand that code, it has such a powerful message that is going to transform your perception of humanity. This book describes the scientific meaning of Vedas and other Hindu scriptures and compares them with currently accepted scientific wisdom.

The Bhagavad-Gita: Krishna's Counsel in Time of War


Barbara Stoler Miller - 1986
    One of the great classics of world literature, it has inspired such diverse thinkers as Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, and T.S. Eliot; most recently, it formed the core of Peter Brook's celebrated production of the Mahabharata.

The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow


Sanjay Patel - 2006
    The Little Book of Hindu Deities is chock-full of monsters, demons, noble warriors, and divine divas. Find out why Ganesha has an elephant’s head (his father cut his off!); why Kali, the goddess of time, is known as the “Black One” (she’s a bit goth); and what “Hare Krishna” really means.“Throw another ingredient in the American spirituality blender. Pop culture is veering into Hinduism.”—USA Today

Warrior of the Light


Paulo Coelho - 1997
    Every short passage invites us to live out our dreams, to embrace the uncertainty of life, and to rise to our own unique destiny. In his inimitable style, Paulo Coelho helps bring out the Warrior of the Light within each of us. He also shows readers how to embark upon the way of the Warrior: the one who appreciates the miracle of being alive, the one who accepts failure, and the one whose quest leads him to become the person he wants to be.Paulo Coelho is one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Now, in the long-awaited companion to his first novel, Coelho presents a collection of philosophical stories that will delight and guide seekers everywhere.

Living with the Himalayan Masters


Swami Rama - 1899
    He is a young boy, full of mischief. He is a teenager, full of curiosity and adventurous zeal. He is a seeker, with certain strengths and weaknesses. Just like us, he sometimes fails to distinguish the fake gurus from genuine masters, mistaking magic for spiritual achievement.Living with the Himalayan Masters is one of those rare books that contains the seeds of transformation within its pages--sowing those seeds in the heart of the reader, and creating the potential for true spiritual upliftment. These stories record Swami Rama's personal quest for truth and enlightenment--inspiring, illuminating, entertaining, mystifying, and often droll and humorous.This life-changing book will bring you face-to-face with some great twentieth-century masters, including Mataji of Assam, a ninety-six-year-old sage who never slept; Gudari Baba, who taught Swami Rama the value of direct experience; Yogi Sri Aurobindo, who integrated meditation with action; Uria Baba, who demonstrated that every human being has the potential for healing; and Mahatma Gandhi.Read the humbling story of the man who founded the Himalayan Institute, and the great teachers who molded him into a Himalayan Master.

Bhagavad Gita and Its Message


Sri Aurobindo - 1979
    With text, translation, and Sri Aurobindo's commentary, this is probably the finest translation and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita that we have seen.

Narasimha


Kevin Missal - 2019
    But a familiar face from his past seeks his help to stop the tyranny of the blind usurper Andhaka. If Narasimha refuses, the world might just end. What will he do? And why did he leave the war in the first place? Prahlad, the interim king of Kashyapuri, is torn between the ideals of his unrighteous father and his love for Lord Vishnu. Whom will he choose? Hiranyakashyap, the ruler of the Asura Empire, wants to avenge the death of his wife. To do that, he must go through the Trials and get the ultimate weapon - the Brahmastra. But the Trials have sent so many others to their death. Can Hiranyakashyap survive?

Rise of the Sun Prince


Shubha Vilas - 2013
    Epics like the Ramayana have been recounted infinite times. Is there a need for another chronicle in the presence of so many? How is this one different? And is it relevant to our ever-changing modern lives? Yes, there is a need, yes this is different and yes, it is relevant. This new series of books, each following one khand of the Ramayana, decodes the eternal wisdom of that poetic scripture through gripping narrative and thought-provoking instruction. In the time-honored custom of spreading wisdom through tales, every fascinating story in the epic is retold here and every character unfolded to captivate your heart and open your mind to life's deepest questions.The narrative closely follows Valmiki's Ramayana, gently weaving in folk tales as well as the beautiful analogies of the Kamba Ramayana. The first of this six-volume series, Rise of the Sun Prince, takes you through the divine story of Lord Rama from His birth up to His marriage. Through these pages are revealed the tales of Dasaratha's leadership, Vishwamitra's quest for power and the intriguing story of a little-known stone maiden. Ramayana: The Game of Life has all of this and much more - food for contemporary thought drawn from an enduring masterpiece.

A Little History of Religion


Richard Holloway - 2016
    Richard Holloway retells the entire history of religion—from the dawn of religious belief to the twenty-first century—with deepest respect and a keen commitment to accuracy. Writing for those with faith and those without, and especially for young readers, he encourages curiosity and tolerance, accentuates nuance and mystery, and calmly restores a sense of the value of faith. Ranging far beyond the major world religions of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism, Holloway also examines where religious belief comes from, the search for meaning throughout history, today’s fascinations with Scientology and creationism, religiously motivated violence, hostilities between religious people and secularists, and more. Holloway proves an empathic yet discerning guide to the enduring significance of faith and its power from ancient times to our own.

Epic Adventure of Shiva, the Destroyer of Tripura (Book 1 of ANCIENTS Series)


M. Vizhakat - 1899
    Legendary order of spiritual knights known as ‘Bheeshma’ is the final hope of Devarth federation, as they face imminent invasion and subjugation by Daityan empire. In order to wield the ancient weapon 'Pinaka' against central seat of Daityan power (the indestructible citadels of Tripura), warrior monk Haŕa (Shiva) needs to undertake an arduous and dangerous journey to the mysterious Mount Kailash. Battling his grief over a personal tragedy as well as many self-doubts and fears, he must cross the barrier of death itself and face the spiritual personae of Lord Rudŕa…Traversing through many exotic ancient places like Amaravati, the capital city of Dev Lok and Atalantpuri, the capital of Atala (Atlantis), this epic adventure story also attempts to unfold the philosophy of Yoga and Vedanta.Background Theme of the Book:-While it’s not an exact retelling, this story takes inspiration from ancient scriptures of India, especially about Lord Shiva’s role as Tripurantaka - destroyer of the triple cities of Tripura. The scripture known as Shiva-Puran actually describe Tripura to be built on large mobile platforms high up among the clouds. Highly advanced in terms of technology, these city structures defied gravity and could even fly across the skies around the planet, like orbiting space stations. It’s said that the prosperous occupants of these sky-cities had eventually degenerated to decadence, greed, arrogance and violence, which led to their destruction by Shiva. In many ways, the story of ‘Tripura’ from Indian mythology is also similar to that of ‘Atlantis’ from Greek mythology.