Hinduism Books

LECTURE I. THE NEED OF UNDERSTANDING THE FALSE RELIGIONS It is said that the very latest among the sciences is the Science of Religion. Without pausing to inquire how far it admits of scientific treatment, certain reasons which may be urged for the study of the existing religions of the world will be considered in this lecture. It must be admitted in the outset that those who have been the pioneers in... more...

Sankhya is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy that accept the authority of the Vedas (Sruti). The other schools are Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Vedanta, and Mimamsa. Sankhya is closely related to the Yoga school. The founder of the Sankhya school was Sage Kapila. Three canonical texts of this school are available today: Isvarakrishna's Sankhya Karika, Tattva Samasa, and the Sankhya Sutra of... more...

Yoga is one of the six classical schools of Hindu philosophy, collectively known as the Ṣaḍ-Darśanas. Like all other orthodox schools, Yoga upholds the authority of the Vedas. It is closely allied with Sāṅkhya philosophy and may, in many ways, be regarded as its practical counterpart. While Sāṅkhya presents a systematic metaphysical framework through theoretical exposition, Yoga guides the... more...

CHAPTER I. GENERAL REMARKS My dear children—When I was a little boy, my dear mother taught me, with the exception of the last line, the following prayer:"Now I lay me down to sleep,I pray the Lord my soul to keep;If I should die before I wake,I pray the Lord my soul to take;And this I ask for Jesus' sake." Though I am now more than fifty years old, I often like to say this prayer before... more...

Śrī Śrī Caṇḍī is a revered text among Śāktas, who follow Śaktism — a branch of Hinduism. It is read during the worship of Goddess Durgā and is especially popular in Eastern India, particularly in Bengal — a Śākta stronghold. Śrī Śrī Caṇḍī, also known as Devī Māhātmya or Durgā Saptaśatī, is an excerpt from the Mārkanḍeya Purāṇa, which is one of the 18... more...