Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World (Set of 3 Volumes)

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The number of paths to the One Infinite is necessarily infinite, according to Hinduism, it is this recognition of many paths, each valid in itself, that gives to Hinduism its immense variety.

Hinduism is thus like a huge river with an innumerable tributaries. It Contains within it the influence of many cultures. The culture of the Aryans, Dravidian and the tribal peoples, the culture of the later invaders, the influence of Buddhism, Jainism, etc. (to which Hinduism gave birth) and of Islam and Christianity (which came from outside) can be traced at various stages of the evolution of Hindu thought. The Hindu scheme of life thus leaves a man free to think for himself while providing him with a background in the form of a long tradition hailing from the Vedic times. Many people would prefer to be guided by a flexible schemes of life which Hinduism represents, than by a seat of rigid, unalterable dogmas which lose their importance with the passing of time, Moreover, Hinduism is a Continuous process and is still in the making.

The Encyclopaedia embraces all the major subjects of the Hindu World, Chief of them being.

1. Religion and Mythology, Deities, Sects and Cults, Sacred Writings, Languages and Literatures, Scholars and Foreign Indologists, Concepts and Terms, Culture and Civilisation.

2. Vedic Hymn-seers, Rishis, Mystics, Saints and Reformers, Kings and Statesmen, Leaders and Martyrs, History and Polity, Education and Ethics, Races and Tribes, Their Customs and Festicals, Movements and Institutions.

3. Fasts and Festivals, Customs and Rites, Social Observances, Sacred Plants and Trees, Birds and Animals.

4. Pilgrim Centres and Temples, Ancient Geographical Names and Historical and Archaeological Sites, Greater India.

5. Philosophy and Yoga, Erotics and Tantras, Arts and Architecture, Ayurveda and Sciences, Poetics, Dance and Music, Dress and Diet, etc.

6. Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, etc.

7. Impact of Christianity and Islam and vice versa.

8. Non-Hindu Saints, Mystics, Reformers, Writers, Travellers, Martyrs, Freedom Fighters, Rulers, etc. Who have left their mark on the Hindu mind.

An internationally-known scholar, Dr. Ganga Ram Garg has several works to his credit including the Concise Oxfrord Companion to Hindi Literature, published by the Oxford University Press, 1963, An Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature (Sanskrit, Pali Prakrit, Apabharmsa, 1982), World Perspectives on Swami Dayananda Saraswati (1984); Encyclopaedia of World Hindi Literature (1986) and International Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature (1986), of which eight volumes have appeared so far.

Dr. Garg's monumental work, however, is ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF THE HINDU WORD, which is eventually to be covered in 40 volumes. Dr. Garg has also provided a 60-page Introduction to The Sacred Books & Early Literature of the East (14 Vols.) edited by Charles F. Home. Holding a doctorate from the Panjab University, Dr. Garg has been associated with Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalay, Hardwar for some 40 years where he worked as Professor, Registrar and Vice-Chancellor and was also its Senator. For his work on Dayananda, he was honoured by the Dayanaanda Nimand Samiti, Ajmer. His works carry Forewords by eminent scholars, e.g. Professor R. Stuart McGregor, University of Cambridge, Professor Juan Miguel de Mora, Mexico and Professor Kenneth W. Jones, America. Dr. Garg's books have been appreciatively reviewed in Hindustan, Tribune, Hindu Asia week, Choice, U.S.A. etc.

Born at Kohand (Panipat), some 18 works of his have been published; more, however are yet to come.

Concept announces the launching of its most ambitious and aspiring project: Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World, which is eventually to run into 40 volumes. An academic venture of vast dimen sions, it is a comprehensive and all-embracing project and is the first in its line. As at present, its first three volumes covering the alphabet 'A' are coming out. All its volumes according to the al- phabetical order are likely to be published by the end of the present century. The subject-wise in- dependent volumes of the Encyclopaedia may then be taken in hand.

Every major religion of the world has produced at least one set of Encyclopaedia as a reference tool. But Hindus having about 700 .nillion following and a hoary heritage going back to some 7,000 years and more sadly lacks such a comprehensive work. The present gigantic scheme is expected to fill in the gap by covering in details topics from the very beginning to the present times. The Encyclopaedia embraces all the major subjects of the Hindu World, chief of them being.

1. Religion and Mythology, Deities, Sects and Cults, Sacred Writings, Languages and Litera tures, Scholars and Foreign Indologists, Concepts and Terms, Culture and Civilisation.

2. Vedic Hymn-seers, Rishis, Mystics, Saints and Reformers, Kings and Statesmen, Leaders and Martyrs, History and Polity, Education and Ethics, Races and Tribes, Their Customs and Festivals, Movements and Institutions.

3. Fasts and Festivals, Customs and Rites, Social Observances, Sacred Plants and Trees, Birds and Animals.

4. Pilgrim Centres and Temples, Ancient Geographical Names and Historical and Ar- chacological Sites, Greater India.

5. Philosophy and Yoga, Erotics and Tantras, Arts and Architecture, Ayurveda and Sciences, Poetics, Dance and Music, Dress and Diet, etc.

6. Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, etc. 7. Impact of Christianity and Islam and vice versa.

8. Non-Hindu Saints, Mystics, Reformers, Writers, Travellers, Martyrs, Freedom Fighters, Rulers, etc. who have left their mark on the Hindu mind.

When Shri Naurang Rai, of the Concept suggested in early 1982 (at the time of release of my 'Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature') that I should prepare the blue-print of a 100-volume Hindu Encyclopaedia, I did not take it seriously. In 1983 when I was preparing World Perspectives on Swami Dayananda Saraswati' ou the occasion of Swamiji's Nirvan Centenary, I came across a remark of Swamiji which he made in Lucknow that he (Swamiji) did not want to cut himself off like the Brahmo Samaj from the Hindu (Arya) society but to reform it by remaining in it.

The Introduction serves as a preamble of the Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World. Full cog- nisance has been taken of both the recorded and unrecorded drama that has been played since days immemorial on this part of our planet. The Old Stone Age and the discovery of caves in Madhya Pradeśa has taken our heritage as far back as 10000 B.C. or more. Hindu Dharma (or Hinduism, a term intro- duced by the English writers in 1830s) is based on the Vedas. About the age of the Vedas, scholars hold divergent views but there is aunanimity on this point that the Reveda is the carliest work in the library of mankind. The Hindu tradition legitimately and on valid grounds too, has considered the Vedas as "revealed" and does not regard them the creation of any man. Traditionally, the seventh Manu or Manu Vaivasvata saved humanity from the Deluge and scholars are unanimous that several countries were engulfed by the Deluge around 3102 B.C. From this Manu sprang the two renowned Solar and Lunar dynasties. Earlier, there flourished the first Manu, whose grandson, Dhruva is a cele- brated name as a child-devotee in the Hindu homes. This first Manu or Svayambhuva Manu was the author of the Smrti entitled Svayam- bhuvafastra. From the Ninukta, it is learnt that Svayambhuva Manu in his Dharma-sastra had ordained that the sons and daughters should have an equal share in their father's property. Smrtis are written after there has been a long tradition of Śruti. Thus we are lost in the corridors of seemingly incredible past. Surely, on this ground alone, the Vedas can safely be dated as very ancient. Affirming that "no na- tion on earth can vie with the Hindus in respect of the antiquity of their civilisations and the antiquity of their religion", Count Bjornstjerne's (1832-1910) Theogony of the Hindus concludingly remarks: "But if it be true that the Hindus, more than 3,000 years before Christ, according to Baily's calculation, had at- tained so high a degree of astronomical and geometrical learning, how many centuries ear- lier must the commencement of their culture have been, since the human mind advances only step by step in the path of science"! Thus the Rgveda, undoubtedly the world's oldest monument, was produced at a time when the great, old world civilisations lay in the wombs of distant futurity. Standing quite by them- selves, "high up on an isolated peak of remote antiquity, its hymns are older than the literary fragments from Egypt, older than the Avesta-the scriptures of the ancient Persians or Iranians! Research is still in the embryonic stage and it would not be surprising if the ear- liest Stone Age period is pushed back further. That the Vedas were very well-known to the Semitic and Sumerian people long before the Christian era, there is ample documentary evidence incontrovertible. That the Vedas ex- isted not less than 17 centuries before the Christian era and full 12 centuries before Alexander the Great, is corroborated by the discovery of ancient documents from ancient Mecca now lying at the Cairo Museum.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages