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31 December 2013

Sankhya Aphorisms of Kapila - J.R. Ballantyne




Sankhya Philosophy is one of the six major schools of Hindu Philosophy (Shad Darshanas). Sage Kapila is traditionally considered to be the founder of the Sankhya school. It is regarded as one of the oldest philosophical systems in India.

This translation of aphorisms of Kapila by J.R. Ballantyne is so rendered as to make it possible for an average reader to understand the complex thought structure of Sankhya philosophy in a language that is easy and graspable. It will be of great help to those who are desirous of knowing not only the historical background of Indian thought, but also want to know as to how existential questions of life and death have been tackled by our ancestors.

Source of e-text: http://sacred-texts.com/

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An Introduction to Indian Philosophy




This is a primer on the nine philosophical systems of Indian origin, namely the Carvaka, Jaina, Bauddha, Nyaya, Vaisesika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta.

About Authors:
Satischandra Chatterjee Ph.D. formerly worked as Head of the Department of Philosophy, Calcutta University. Dhirendramohan Datta formerly worked as Professor Philosophy, Patna Colelge, Patna University.

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Patanjali Yoga Sutra - Sanskrit text with English Commentary by Swami Vivekananda




This book is a commentary on Patanjali Yoga Sutras by Swami Vivekananda. Original Sanskrit sutras, their transliteration and translation are also provided for the convenience of the readers.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2nd century BCE) is a foundational text of Yoga. In Indian philosophy, Yoga is the name of one of the six orthodox philosophical schools. Though brief, the Yoga Sutras are an enormously influential work on yoga philosophy and practice.

Patanjali divided his Yoga Sutras into 4 chapters or books (Sanskrit pada), containing in all 196 aphorisms, divided as follows:

1. Samadhi Pada - Concentration or Absorption (51 sutras)
2. Sadhana Pada - Practice or means to attain it (55 sutras)
3. Vibhuti Pada - Powers or Manifestations (56 sutras)
4. Kaivalya Pada - Isolation or Liberation (34 sutras)

Patanjali's Yoga is also called "ashtanga yoga" because of the eight "limbs" or steps of this Yoga prescribed in the second pada of the Yoga Sutras viz. Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

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Sri Narayana Guru - Complete Works - Malayalam




This book is a compilation of the complete works of Sri Narayana Guru(1854 - 1928), a great Indian seer of 20th century who visualized the ultimate reality in himself. The Guru was born in Chempazhanthi, Kerala in 1854. A great philosopher-poet of modern India, the Guru, and erudite scholar of Sanskrit, Malayalam and Tamil, belonged to the great Indian philosophical tradition of Advaita. As the force being the social reform movement, the Guru paved the way for a progressive Kerala society. Gurudevan, as he was fondly known to his followers, led a quiet but significant social revolution. The Guru was instrumental in setting the spiritual foundations for social reform in today's Kerala and was one of the most successful social reformers who tackled caste in India.

This book contains 57 works of the Guru in Malayalam, Sanskrit and Tamil. They are categorised into 5 sections:

1. Hymns of Gods and Goddesses
2. Moral & ethical teachings
3. Philosophical Works
4. Translations of Classics
5. Prose works

This volume brings together all the original writings of Narayana Guru in a digitised form for the first time. This work is in the free domain now.

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Sarva-darsana-sangraha of Madhavacharya



In this fourteenth century text 'A Compendium of all the Philosophical Systems' (of India) the author successively passes in review the sixteen philosophical systems current in India at the time, and gives what appeared to him to be their most important tenets, and the principal arguments by which their followers endeavoured to maintain them. In the course of his sketches, he frequently explains at some length obscure details in the different systems.

The systems are arranged from the Advaita-point of view. They form a gradually ascending scale-the first, the Charvaka and Buddha, being the lowest as the farthest removed from Advaita, and the last, Sankhya and Yoga being the highest as approaching most nearly to it.

The author, Madhavacharya or Madhava Vidyaranya (not to be confused with Madhvacharya, propounder of Dwaita philosophy)  was an exponent of the Advaita school of philosophy in Hinduism. He is said to be the brother of Sayanacharya who wrote a commentary on the four Vedas.

The present translation was originally published serially in the Banaras Pandit between 1874 and 1878 and was carefully revised and republished in book form later and a second edition was printed in 1894.

Table of Contents

Preface
A Not on Romanization
The Sarva-darsana-sangraha
The Prologue
The Charvaka System (E. B. C.)
The Buddha System (A. E. G.)
The A rhata or Jaina System (E. B. C.)
The Ramanuja System (A. E. G.)
The Purna-prajna System (A. E. G.)
The Nakulisa-Pasupata System (A. E. G.)
The Saiva System (E. B. C.)
The Pratyabhijna or Recognitive System (A. E. G.)
The Resesvara or Mercurial System (A. E. G.)
The Vaiseshika or Anulukya System (E. B. C.)
The Akshapada or Nyaya System (E. B. C.)
The Jaiminy System (E. B. C.)
The Paniniya System (E. B. C.)
The Sankhy System (E. B. C.)
The Patanjala or Yoga System (E. B. C.)
The Vedanta or System
APPENDIX : On the Upadhi (E. B. C.)

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The Yoga Darsana - Yoga Sutras with Vyasa Bhashya - English by Ganganatha Jha



This book is an English Translation of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali & Vyasa's commentary on the sutras.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2nd century BCE) is a foundational text of Yoga. In Indian philosophy, Yoga is the name of one of the six orthodox philosophical schools. Though brief, the Yoga Sutras are an enormously influential work on yoga philosophy and practice.

Patanjali divided his Yoga Sutras into 4 chapters or books (Sanskrit pada), containing in all 196 aphorisms, divided as follows:

1. Samadhi Pada - Concentration or Absorption (51 sutras)
2. Sadhana Pada - Practice or means to attain it (55 sutras)
3. Vibhuti Pada - Powers or Manifestations (56 sutras)
4. Kaivalya Pada - Isolation or Liberation (34 sutras)

Patanjali's Yoga is also called "ashtanga yoga" because of the eight "limbs" or steps of this Yoga prescribed in the second pada of the Yoga Sutras viz. Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

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Sacred Books of the East - Complete Set - (50 volumes)



The Sacred Books of the East (SBE) Series, comprising fifty volumes, was issued by the Oxford University Press between 1879 and 1910. The series was edited by the famous linguist and scholar of comparative religion, Max Muller.

These volumes of the Sacred Books of the East series include translations of all the most important works of the seven non-Christian religions that have exercised a profound influence on the civilisations of the continent of Asia. The Vedic Brahmanic system (Hinduism) claims 21 volumes, Buddhism 10, and Jainism 2;8 volumes comprise Sacred Books of the Parsis (Zorastrians); 2 volumes represent Islam; and 6 the two main indigenous systems of China. Translated by twenty leading authorities in their respective fields, the Series has been edited by the late F. Max Muller.

1. BUDDHISM

Vol. 49: Buddhist Mahayana Texts (2 Parts); Vol. 11: Buddhist Sutras; Vol. 10: The Dhammapada and Sutta Nipata; Vol. 35 & 36: The Questions of King Milinda (2 Parts); Vol. 21: The Saddharma Pundarika or the Lotus of the True Law; Vol. 13,17 & 20: Vinaya Texts (3 Parts).

2. CHINESE

Vol. 19: The Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King; Vols. 3, 16, 27, 28, 39 & 40: The Sacred Books of China (6 Parts)

3. A GENERAL INDEX

Vol. 50: A General Index to the Names and Subject-matter of the Sacred Books of the East

4. ISLAM

Vol. 6 & 9: The Qur'an (2 Parts)

5. JAINISM

Vol. 22 & 45: The Jaina Sutras (2 Parts)

6. PARSIS (ZORASTRIANS)

Vol. 5,18, 24, 37 & 47: Pahlavi Texts (5 Parts); Vol. 4,23 & 31: The Zend-Avesta (3 Parts)

7. VEDIC-BRAHMANIC SYSTEM (HINDUISM)

Vol. 8: The Bhagavadgita with the Sanatsujatiya and the Anugita; Vols. 29 & 30: The Grihya-Sutra: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (2 Parts) Vol. 42: Hymns of the Atharva Veda together with Extracts from the Ritual Books and the Commentaries; Vol. 7: The Institutes of Vishnu; Vol. 25: The Laws of Manu; The Minor Law Books; Vols. 2 & 14: The Sacred Laws of the Aryas as Taught in the Schools of Apastamba, Gautama, Vasishtha and Baudhayana (2 Parts); Vols. 12, 26, 41, 43 & 44: The Satapatha Brahmana According to the text of the Madhyandina School (5 Parts); Vols. 1 & 15: The Upanishads (2 Parts); Vols. 34 & 38: The Vedanta Sutras (2 Parts); Vol. 48: The Vedanta-Sutras (With the commentary by Ramanuja) Vols. 32 & 46: Vedic Hymns (2 Parts).

Thanks to Jimmy-t, an uploader at SCRIBD, all the 50 volumes of the Sacred Books of the East are now available in one place as scanned pdf files. One needs to register (free) at scribd.com in order to be able to download these books.

The twenty One volumes of Sacred Books of the East related to Hinduism are separately uploaded to www.mediafire.com for convenience of those who prefer to download these volumes only.

DOWNLOAD LINKS

DOWNLOAD Complete Set Of Sacred Books of the East - SCANNED PDFS
Complete Set Of Sacred Books of the East - HTML (FOR ONLINE READING)
DOWNLOAD Sacred Books of the East related to Hinduism (21 volumes) - in 4 zip files

Concordance Dictionary of Yoga Sutra by Bhagavan Das



This book is an alphabetic index cum comprehensive dictionary of the techinical terms from Patanajali Yoga and Vyasa' commentary on it. In this dictionary, Dr. Bhagavan Das, an eminent Sanskrit scholar and philosopher who has authored more than 30 books, has given all possible meanings of the Sanskrit words in English based on his study of the vast literature on Yoga.

Yoga is one of the six major darsanas of ancient India. Patanjali Yoga Sutra is a foundational text of Yoga darsana. Patanjali expounds Yoga darsana in 4 chapters consisting of 196 sutras. Yoga as expounded by Patanjali is also known as "ashtangayoga" since there are 8 limbs to this yoga. Vyasa's Bhashya is the most popular commentary on Patanjali's Sutras.

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Concordance Dictionary of Yoga Sutra by Bhagavan Das

Patanjali Yoga Sutra with Vyasa Bhashya by Ganganatha Jha

Sankara the Missionary - Biography of Adi Sankaracharya




Sankara the missionary is a biography of Adi Sankaracharya, the most renowned Indian philosopher, published by Chinmaya Mission. Sankaracharya was not only a thinker and the noblest of advaitic philosophers, but he was essentially an inspired champion of Hinduism and one of the most vigorous missionaries in our country. No single person could ever have achieved what he had achieved in his short span of life of 32 years.

He interpreted Brahmasutra of Badarayana and major Upanishads based on the philosophy of non-duality and composed many advaitic texts such as Upadesha Sahasri, Aparokshanubhuti, Viveka Chudamani, etc in addition to various devotional hymns.

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Stories of Indian Saints - Maha Bhakta Vijaya - Parts 1




This book is an English translation of Mahipati's Marathi text "Bhakta Vijaya" which records the legends of Indian saints, irrespective of their difference in caste, community, creed, language and place of origin. What little knowledge we have on the Saints of Maharashtra comes mostly from the two books, Bhakta Vijaya and Bhakta Lilamrita, written by Mahipati (1715 - 1790) who lived in Tharabad, about 35 miles from Ahmadnagar, Maharashtra.

"Bhakta Vijaya" contains soul-stirring stories of several saints including Jayadeva, Tulsidas, Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath, Jnaneshwar, Eknath, Tukaram, Namdev, Janabai, Gora, Kabir, Rohidas, Narsi Mehta, Ramdas, Sena, Mirabai, Bhanudas, et al. Bhakta Vijaya has been translated into almost all prominent Indian languages. It has been a source of inspiration to millions of devotees and has been used for daily reading and Harikatha all over India for more than 300 years.

Source: Digital Library of India, Bangalore - http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/index.html.en

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Stories of Indian Saints - Maha Bhakta Vijaya-Part 2




This book is an English translation of Mahipati's Marathi text "Bhakta Vijaya" which records the legends of Indian saints, irrespective of their difference in caste, community, creed, language and place of origin. What little knowledge we have on
the Saints of Maharashtra comes mostly from the two books, Bhakta Vijaya and Bhakta Lilamrita, written by Mahipati (1715 - 1790) who lived in Tharabad, about 35 miles from Ahmadnagar, Maharashtra.

"Bhakta Vijaya" contains soul-stirring stories of several saints including Jayadeva, Tulsidas, Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath, Jnaneshwar, Eknath, Tukaram, Namdev, Janabai, Gora, Kabir, Rohidas, Narsi Mehta, Ramdas, Sena, Mirabai, Bhanudas, et al
Bhakta Vijaya has been translated into almost all prominent Indian languages. It has been a source of inspiration to millions of devotees and has been used for daily reading and Harikatha all over India for more than 300 years.

Source: Digital Library of India, Bangalore - http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/index.html.en

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Glimpses of Swami Dayananda (Biography)




Biography of Swami Dayananda Saraswati (स्‍वामी दयानन्‍द सरस्‍वती) (1824-1883), one of the greatest leaders of Hindu revivalism and the founder of the Arya Samaj. He was a renowned Vedic scholar who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas.

Among Swami Dayananda's immense contributions is his championing of the equal rights of women - such as their right to education and reading of Indian scriptures - and his translation of the Vedas from Sanskrit to Hindi so that the common man may be able to read the Vedas. The Arya Samaj is rare in Hinduism in its acceptance of women as leaders in prayer meetings and preaching. Considering his contributions to the reformation and revival of Hinduism, all Hindus are indebted to this great soul forever.

He was also the first to proclaim India for Indians. His book SATYARTH PRAKASH contributed to the freedom struggle by inspiring the freedom fighters. On the basis of these facts some believe that Swami Dayanand rightfully deserves to be called as Grandfather of the Indian Nation.

To read Satyarth Prakash or Light of Truth in various languages, visit http://www.satyarthprakash.com/

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The life and teaching of Tukaram by J. N. Fraser & J. F. Edwards





Sant Tukaram, a prominent Maharashtrian saint and religious poet, was born and lived most of his life in Dehu, a town close to Pune in 17th century CE. Tukaram was a devotee of Lord Vittala (or Vithobā) - an incarnation of Lord Krishna, who in turn, is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is quite renowned for his contribution to the Bhakti Movement of Maharashtra.

Like Namdev, Janabai, and Eknath, Tukaram wrote in archaic Marathi a large number of devotional poems identified in Marathi as abhang (अभंग). A collection of 4,500 abhang known as the Gāthā is attributed to Tukaram. It is believed that he was a contemporary of Shivaji Maharaj.

Tukaram puts bhakti at the centre of his spiritual life. In one of his verses, he declares that Bhaktimarg is "the only way to God in this age". Another provides a succinct statement of his philosophy of religion: "God has no form, nor any name, nor any place where he can be seen; but wherever you go, you see God."

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The Story of Swami Rama Tirtha




Biography of Swami Rama Tirtha (1873 - 1906), one of the greatest exponents of Advaita Vedanta. He was among the first notable teachers of Hinduism to lecture in the United States, traveling there in 1902. During his American tours Swami Rama Tirtha spoke frequently on the concept of 'practical Vedanta' and on education of Indian youth. He proposed bringing young Indians to American universities, and helped established several scholarships for Indian students.

His discourses and other works are compiled in "In Woods of God Realization" in 7 volumes.
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How I became a Hindu - David Frawley




David Frawley, who is now known as Vamadeva Shastri is perhaps the first American to get recognition in India as an Acharya of Hindu Dharma. In this book he describes how and why he was attracted to Hinduism and eventually embraced it.

David Frawley (Vāmadeva Śāstrī) is an author on Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda, and the founder and director of the American Institute for Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which offers courses on Yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, and Hindu astrology. He is also a Professor of Vedic Astrology and Ayurveda at the International Vedic Hindu University (IVHU). He is a Vaidya (Ayurvedic doctor), and a Jyotishi (Vedic astrologer).

To know about his life and work, visit http://www.vedanet.com/

Source of etext: www.hindubooks.org

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Ganapati Muni - A Biography




This book is an adaptation by Dr. G. Krishna from the original Telugu biography of Ganapati Muni by Gunturu Lakshmikantam.

Vasistha Ganapati Muni (1878-1936), famed as Kavyakantha, and popularly addressed as Nayana, was the foremost disciple of the great saint, Ramana Maharshi. Ganapati Muni as a mighty spiritual personality in his own right and had a large following of illustrious disciples. It is a standing testimony to his spiritual sincerity, humility, and intellectual honesty that he recognized the uniqueness of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi's teaching, accepted Him as his Guru, and proclaimed him as the Maharshi to the whole world.

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Sri Aurobindo - A Biography




An exhaustive biography of Sri Aurobindo (1872 - 1950) who was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, poet, philosopher, and yogi. He joined the movement for India's freedom from British rule and for a duration (1905-1910), became one of its most important leaders, before turning to developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and a spiritual path which he termed Integral Yoga. He wrote over a hundred poems, many plays and several
books.

In his famous Uttarapara speech, he proclaimed, "I say no longer that nationalism is a creed, a religion, a faith;I say that it is the Sanatana Dharma which for us is nationalism. This Hindu nation was born with the Sanatana Dharma, with it it moves and with it it grows. When the Sanatana Dharma declines, then the nation declines, and if the Sanatana Dharma were capable of perishing, with the Sanatana Dharma it would perish.The Sanatana Dharma, that is nationalism. This is the message that I have to speak to you".

Of India's future Sri Aurobindo prophesied : "India of the ages is not dead nor has She spoken Her last creative word. And that which She must seek now to awake, is not an anglicised oriental people, docile pupil of the West and doomed to repeat the cycle of the Occident's success and failure, but still the ancient immemorial Shakti recovering Her deepest self, lifting Her head higher towards the supreme source of light and strength and turning to discover the complete meaning and vaster form of Her Dharma".

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Eknath - Biography




Eknāth (1533-1599) was a great saint and prominent Marāthi religious poet in the Hindu tradition in India.

Saint Eknath is believed to be the first person in Middle-age Maharastra who have abolished concept of Untouchability by his actions. His well described poems advocate soft corner and equal treatment among all living beings even with animals.

For his spiritual development in his youth, Eknath had accepted the discipleship of a Guru named Janārdan Swāmi- a saint and scholar and highly ranked minister in the kingdom of Devgarh.

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Sri Ramanujacharya - A biography




Ramanuja (11th Century CE), also known as Ramanujacharya, was a theologian, philosopher, and scriptural exegete. He is seen by Sri Vaishnavas as the third and most important teacher (Acharya) of their tradition (after Nathamuni and Yamunacharya), and by Hindus in general as the leading expounder of Visishtadvaita, one of the classical interpretations of the dominant Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy.

Ramanuja may have written 9 books. They are also referred to as the nine precious gems, the Navarathnas.

1. His most famous work is known as the Sri Bhasya or Brahma Sutra Bhasya. It is a commentary on the Brahma Sutras.

2-4. Gadhya Thrayam (three prose hymns). All three are: Vaikunta Gadyam describing in great detail Vaikuntha, Sriranga Gadyam, a prayer of surrender to the feet of Ranganatha, Saranagati Gadyam, an imagined dialogue between Ramanuja and Shri (Lakshmi) and Narayana where he petitions Lakshmi to recommend Narayana to give him

5. Vedartha Sangraha (a resume of Vedanta). It sets out Ramanuja’s philosophy, which is theistic (it affirms a morally perfect, omniscient and omnipotent God) and

6. Vedanta Saara (essence of Vedanta) an appendix to Sri Bhasya

7. Vedanta Deepa (the light of Vedanta), another

8. Gita Bhashya ( his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita)

9. Nithya Grantham (About the day to day activities to be performed by all Sri

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In Quest of God by Swami Ramdas


"In Quest of God is an autobiographical account of Swami Ramdas’ unique experiences during the first year of his itinerant life all over India as a God-intoxicated Sadhu, culminating in his spiritual enlightenment.

After receiving the initiation of Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram from his father, Swami Ramdas, then known as Vittal Rao, renounced the worldly life in 1922 and wandered as a mendicant sadhu all over India and the Himalayas, in various states of God-intoxication, with Ramnam ever on his tongue, and heart as his only refuge. 

His path of complete surrender to the Will of God is joyfully rendered in a most inspiring way. After over a decade of wandering in a God realized state of liberation he returned to Southwestern India, and founded Anandashram, near Kanhangad, with the help and support of his foremost disciple, Mother (Mataji) Krishnabai, also a self-realized being.

In Quest of God is the first book in a trilogy chronicling Swami Ramdas' pilgrimage to God-realization. The next two books, In the Vision of God, vol. 1--The Continuing Saga of an Extraordinary Pilgrimage and In the Vision of God, vol.2--The Conclusion to the Saga of an Extraordinary Pilgrimage complete the series. Many readers find themselves in a lifelong love affair with this illuminating and transformational story. 

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In Quest of God OCR PDF 
In Quest of God Scanned PDF 1952 edn

In the Vision of God DJVU file

Sayings of Ramdas PDF
Sayings of Ramdas DJVU file

Swami Ramathirtha - Hindi Biography by Narayan Swami



This book is a comprehensive biography of Swami Rama Tirtha (1873 - 1906) in Hindi by Srimannarayana Swami who was a direct disciple of the saint. Narayana Swami had the good fortune of being closely associated with the saint for many years.

Swami Rama Tirtha was one of the greatest exponents of Advaita Vedanta. He was among the first notable teachers of Hinduism to lecture in the United States, traveling there in 1902. During his American tours Swami Rama Tirtha spoke frequently on the concept of 'practical Vedanta' and on education of Indian youth. He proposed bringing young Indians to American universities, and helped establish several scholarships for Indian students.

His discourses and other works are compiled in "In Woods of God Realization" in 7 volumes.

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Sri Madhwacharya - Biography - English



Sri Madhvacarya, also known as Vasudeva, Ananda Tirtha and Purnaprajna, is one of India’s greatest theologians. He is the founder of dvaita philosophy, and is one of the most important commentators on the Upanisads, Bhagavad-gita and the Brahma-sutras. In addition, he wrote many original works that dealt with important aspects of his new doctrine. In all, he wrote 37 works. Not only did Madhvacarya’s powerful literary output help to establish his teachings during his own lifetime, it has inspired a vast literary tradition that continues to the present day.

His doctrine asserts that this world is real and that there is an eternal and immutable difference between the individual soul and God.

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1. Sri Madhwacharya - His life and Times - CNK Aiyar

2. The Life And Teachings of Sri Madhvacharyar - C.M. Padmanabha Char

Srimad Bhagavad Gita - Swami Swarupananda Sanskrit verses with word by word english meaning




Swami Swarupananda's translation of the Bhagavad Gita has been used by students of Gita for nearly a century. This book containing Bhagavad Gita slokas in Sanskrit, Word-for-Word Translations, English Rendering, Comments, and Index is really useful especially for those who are educated in english but have no advanced knowledge of Sanskrit language. For a begineer in the study of Gita, this book is a blessing.

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Stories of Indian Saints - Maha Bhakta Vijaya - Parts 1




This book is an English translation of Mahipati's Marathi text "Bhakta Vijaya" which records the legends of Indian saints, irrespective of their difference in caste, community, creed, language and place of origin. What little knowledge we have on the Saints of Maharashtra comes mostly from the two books, Bhakta Vijaya and Bhakta Lilamrita, written by Mahipati (1715 - 1790) who lived in Tharabad, about 35 miles from Ahmadnagar, Maharashtra.

"Bhakta Vijaya" contains soul-stirring stories of several saints including Jayadeva, Tulsidas, Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath, Jnaneshwar, Eknath, Tukaram, Namdev, Janabai, Gora, Kabir, Rohidas, Narsi Mehta, Ramdas, Sena, Mirabai, Bhanudas, et al. Bhakta Vijaya has been translated into almost all prominent Indian languages. It has been a source of inspiration to millions of devotees and has been used for daily reading and Harikatha all over India for more than 300 years.

Source: Digital Library of India, Bangalore - http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/index.html.en

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Stories of Indian Saints - Maha Bhakta Vijaya-Part 2




This book is an English translation of Mahipati's Marathi text "Bhakta Vijaya" which records the legends of Indian saints, irrespective of their difference in caste, community, creed, language and place of origin. What little knowledge we have on
the Saints of Maharashtra comes mostly from the two books, Bhakta Vijaya and Bhakta Lilamrita, written by Mahipati (1715 - 1790) who lived in Tharabad, about 35 miles from Ahmadnagar, Maharashtra.

"Bhakta Vijaya" contains soul-stirring stories of several saints including Jayadeva, Tulsidas, Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath, Jnaneshwar, Eknath, Tukaram, Namdev, Janabai, Gora, Kabir, Rohidas, Narsi Mehta, Ramdas, Sena, Mirabai, Bhanudas, et al
Bhakta Vijaya has been translated into almost all prominent Indian languages. It has been a source of inspiration to millions of devotees and has been used for daily reading and Harikatha all over India for more than 300 years.

Source: Digital Library of India, Bangalore - http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/index.html.en

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Srimad Devi Bhagavata Purana English Complete




This is an English translation of Devi Bhagavata by Swami Vijnanananda. Devi Bhagavata Purana (देवी भागवतपुराण) is one of the most important work in Shaktism, the veneration in Hinduism of the divine feminine, next to Devi Mahatmya.

This Purana describes the Devi, the Goddess, as the substratum of the universe and as identical with Brahman, the Supreme Being. As the divine mother, she reveals her virat rupa (universal form) (Book 7, Chapter 33) and describes the proper ways for
worshipping her: especially the practice of Yoga, Meditation (Book 7, Chapter 35), and Ritual (Book 7, Chapter 39). The Devi-Bhagavata Purana also deals with topics like spiritual knowledge, social and personal ethics, and holy places.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/

DOWNLOAD SCANNED PDF of Devi Bhagavata Part 2 - 4.3 MB

DOWNLOAD SCANNED PDF of Devi Bhagavata Part 3 - 20 MB

DOWNLOAD OCR PDF of Devi Bhagavata Parts 1 to 3 - 4.7 MB

Bhagavad Gita Dictionary




The Bhagavad Gita (भगवद् गीता - "Song of God") is one of the most revered sacred scriptures of Hinduism and is considered as one of the most important religious classics of the world.

This dictionary of Bhagavad Gita comprises of transliteration, simple translation and sloka and chapter index of almost every word from all 18 chapters of Gita, arranged alphabetically. This Gita dictionary will come in very handy for a beginner in studying the Gita.

Source of e-text: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advaitin/


Bhagavad Gita Dictionary - 


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Hindu Fasts & Festivals - Swami Sivananda




A hand-book explaining the spirit and significance of all major Hindu fasts and festivals.

All Hindu festivals have a deep spiritual import or high religious significance. All great Hindu festivals have religious, social and hygienic elements in them. In every festival there is bathing in the morning before sunrise in the river or tank or well. Every individual will have to do some Japa, prayer, Kirtan, recitation of Sanskrit verses and meditation.

Man gets tired on account of hard work or monotonous actions. He wants some change or variety. He wants relaxation. He wants something to cheer him up. These festivals make him cheerful and happy, and give him rest and peace.

In this book, the author has explained the significance and the philosophy of many of the important Hindu fasts and festivals like Deepavali, Shivaratri, Navaratri, Ram Navami, Krishna Jayanti, Makar Sankranti, etc.

For more free books by Swami Sivananda, visit http://www.SivanandaDlshq.org/

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Vishnu Purana - English Translation by_Manmatha_Nath_Dutt




The Vishnu Purana is one of eighteen Maha Puranas. It is considered one of the most important Puranas and has been given the name Puranaratna (gem of Puranas). Presented as a dialogue between Parashara and his disciple Maitreya and divided into six parts, the major topics discussed include creation of the universe, stories of the avatars (divine descents) of Vishnu, etc.

Conforming to the Puranic tradition, Vishnu Purana also expounds the most sublime Vedantic truths through stories.

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The life and teaching of Tukaram by J. N. Fraser & J. F. Edwards





Sant Tukaram, a prominent Maharashtrian saint and religious poet, was born and lived most of his life in Dehu, a town close to Pune in 17th century CE. Tukaram was a devotee of Lord Vittala (or Vithobā) - an incarnation of Lord Krishna, who in turn, is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is quite renowned for his contribution to the Bhakti Movement of Maharashtra.

Like Namdev, Janabai, and Eknath, Tukaram wrote in archaic Marathi a large number of devotional poems identified in Marathi as abhang (अभंग). A collection of 4,500 abhang known as the Gāthā is attributed to Tukaram. It is believed that he was a contemporary of Shivaji Maharaj.

Tukaram puts bhakti at the centre of his spiritual life. In one of his verses, he declares that Bhaktimarg is "the only way to God in this age". Another provides a succinct statement of his philosophy of religion: "God has no form, nor any name, nor any place where he can be seen; but wherever you go, you see God."

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Sri Lalita Sahasranama Stotram - Malayalam




Lalita sahasranama is the most popular and sacred hymn for the worshippers of the Goddess Lalita Devi, i.e. the Divine Mother, in the form of her and the male gods' feminine power, Shakti. Etymologically, "Lalita" means "She Who Plays". It is supposedly one of the most complete stotras, one need only recite it to gain 'Moksha'.

The thousnad names of the divine Mother are organised as in a hymn, i.e. in the way of stotras. This hymn occurs in the Brahmanda Purana. It is a dialogue between Hayagriva, an (avatara) of MahaVishnu and the great sage Agastya. Lalitha sahasranama was composed by 8 vaag devis (vaag devathas) upon the command of Devi Sri Lalitha.

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Sri Lalita Ashtotharam Sanskrit Text, Transliteration and English Translation




108 names of Divine Mother (Sri Lalita) - Sanskrit Text, English Transliteration and Translation.

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Srimad Bhagavad Gita - "Sadhak Sanjivani' Hindi Commentary by Swami Ramsukhdas




An exhaustive Hindi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita by one of the greatest scholars of Gita in 20th century.

Poojya Swami Ramsukhdasji (1902-2004) was an enlightened sage whose life was fully dedicated for the propagation of the teachings of Gita among the masses. He has authored morethan 50 books on Gita and other spiritual topics. His books have been translated into English and also in all prominent Indian languages. The famous "Sadhak Sanjivani", his
masterpiece, contains Sanskrit slokas of Gita, meaning of each word in the slokas and meaning & commentary upon the slokas (verses).

His discourses in Hindi and books in several languages are available for online viewing and download at http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org/

Source of e-text: http://www.gitapress.org/

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Adhyathm Raramayanam - Malayalam - Tunchathu Ezhuthachan




Adhyathma Ramayanam is the Malayalam version of Ramayana written by Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan in the early 17th Century. Ezhuthachan is considered as the Father of the Malayalam language. The speciality of his version of Ramayana is that it is full of devotion. It has been so popular in Kerala that it has been sued for daily chanting in all Hindu homes in Kerala for more than 300 years. Keralites celebrate mid-July to mid-August as Ramayana Masam (Ramayana Month) every year.

This ebook comprises of 6 kandas:

1. Bala Kanda
2. Ayodhya Kanda
3. Aranya Kanda
4. Kishkindha Kanda
5. Sundara Kanda
6. Yuddha Kanda

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Saundarya Lahari - Sanskrit Text + English Commentary




This book contains the Sanskrit text, English transliteration, translation, commentary, diagrams and an appendix on prayoga (application) of "The Saundarya Lahari"of Adi Shankara by S.S. Sastri and T.R.S. Ayyangar. "Saundarya Lahari" meaning "Waves Of Beauty" is one of the most famous Sanskrit hymns of Devi (Goddess). Its hundred and three shlokas (verses) eulogize the beauty, grace and munificence of Goddess Parvati, consort of Shiva.

The Saundarya Lahari is not only a poem. It is a tantra textbook, giving instructions on puja and offerings, many yantras, almost one to each shloka; describes tantric ways of performing devotion connected to each specific shloka; and details the results ensuing therefrom. There are many interpretations and commentaries but best of these are arguably those that provide word-to-word translations, as also the yantras, the devotion to be performed and the results of the devotion.

The Saundarya Lahari is often viewed as being composed of two parts.

Verses 1 - 41 describe the mystical experience of the union of Shiva and Shakti and related phenomena. In fact, it opens with the assertion that Only when Shiva is united with Shakti does he have the power to create.

This part of the text is often referred to, quite appropriately, as the Ananda Lahari, the wave of bliss.

Verses 42 to 100 are more straightforward---they describe the physical beauty of the Goddess and are sometimes referred to as the Saundarya Lahari itself. Many scholars, however, refer to the entire text with one name, namely, Saundarya Lahari.


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Sri Ram Charit Manas - Hindi Text with English Translation




Sri Ramcharitmanas is a great Hindu scripture and poetic classic written by Goswami Tulsidas (16th Century CE). This poem is also known as Tulsi-krita Ramayana, or "The Ramayana of Tulsidas".

Today, Sri Ram Charit Manas is considered one of the greatest works of Hindi literature, and with its composition the story of Ramayana was available for the first time to the common man to sing and perform, and over time this gave birth to the tradition of Ramlila, dramatic enactment of the text.

Sri Ramcharitmanas bestows upon its readers the gifts of Devotion (bhakti), Divine Knowledge (Gyan) and Salvation (Mukti).

Source of E-text:

http://www.gitapress.org/ & http://www.ramcharitmanas.in/

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