Hindu Scriptures - by Dominic Goodall (Paperback)

About the Book

"The Veda, the Upanishads, the Gita, the Dharma books, Tantra, and the Bhagavata Purana--these are the texts many Hindus would name as forming the core of their tradition. Here they are, at last, between two covers."--Jack Hawley, Director, South Asian Institute, Columbia University

Book Synopsis

The scriptures revered by Hindus are enormously varied, and R. C. Zaehner's anthology has long been considered invaluable for its breadth and diversity. Now Dominic Goodall expands Zaehner's work with three fresh translations, including one work that appears for the first time in English. Spanning more than two thousand years, the range of selections in this book include arcane hymns of the ancient Aryans, prescriptions governing every aspect of the daily life of the orthodox, and sensual poetry.

From the Back Cover

With the addition of three fresh translations, including one work which appears for the first time in English, this new and expanded edition of Zaehner's invaluable anthology now spans more than twenty centuries and ranges from arcane hymns of the ancient Aryans and prescriptions that govern every aspect of the daily life of the orthodox, to rich poetry that describes with heady sensuality the dalliance of Krsna and the cowherd women of Vraja on the nights of the autumn moon.

Review Quotes

"Good has significantly revised R. C. Zaehner's book on Hindu scriptures by deleting some parts and adding the Yajnavalkya-Smrti (a work on conduct, legal proceedings, and penitential rites), the first seven chapters of the Kirana-Tantra (a work on initiation into the Saiva Siddhanta cult), and the Bhagavat-Purana (a work expressing popular devotionalism). . . . The book provides fresh translations of portions of the Rig and Athavara Vedas, some Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita."--"Library Journal

About the Author

Dominic Goodall was educated at Ampleforth College and at Pembroke College, Oxford. He is now attached to the Institute Français de Pondichèry in South India and is working on the manuscript collection there.