Saivism and the Phallic World (2 Vols)

$102
Item Code: IHD52
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Author: B. Bhattacharya
Edition: 1993
ISBN: 21506182
Pages: 1112 (B & W Illus: 41)
Cover: Hardcover
Other Details 10.0" X 6.5"
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Book Description

About the Book:

The present work deals exclusively with an area of profound mystic enquiry of perpetual interest. The secrets of the sacred East which had so far succeeded n drawing only limited interest among interested scholars appears to have, of late, exploded a popular interest. Naturally, a study of the actual bases of Saivism involves a close study of man's preoccupations with the subject of se on the one hand, and of divine inspiration on the other. religions of East and West of the ancient and moderns which have left us absorbing and interesting records of man's dive into the ocean of divine mystery and which have never been found missing in claiming the supreme intellectual and spiritual applications of the human mind, have been placed under a scholarly scrutiny, which makes this work a remarkable contribution to the library of comparative religion. In fact to deal with Saivism is to deal with Hinduism in all its aspects; and to deal with the vexed subject of the worship of sex-organs is to enter into the very complex arena of primitive religions, and their traditional cultural forms. This popular misconception of equating Saivism with Phallicism compels us to make a thorough study of the subject on the basis of comparative religion.

About the Author:

B. Bhattacharya, born in 1910 in Varanasi, received his first education in traditional 'toles' in Sanskrit and further did M.A. (English) from Allahabad University. He has spent the best period of his life as an educationist in Guyana and Trinidad (West Indies). At present he lectures on comparative religion and Indian culture to Western audiences.

His work The World of Tantra is a unique contribution to Tantric traditions. Bhattacharya has been a reputed writer in Bengali prose and poetry, novels, stories, travelogues and belles-letters (in all 30 titles). His forthcoming works include Varanasi Rediscovered.

CONTENTS

 

Preface to the Second Edition xiii
Review by Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterji xv
Preface to the First Edition xviii
Introduction xxi
List of Plates xxxvii
Transliteration of Sanskrit Words xli
Volume One

 

  1. Phallic Adoration
    1. Religion and Fear
    2. The Cult of Fertility
    3. Religious Love and Hindu Catholicism
    4. East-West : An Arrogant Volte-face
    5. The Tamils and Siva Evolution
      References
1
  1. The Phallic Tradition, Gods and the Ancients
    1. Roots of Saivism
    2. Religion and Cult
    3. The Phallic World with the Antecedents
    4. Sex and Religious Fervour
    5. The Birth of Gods.
      References
68
  1. The Mystic Mother
    1. Western Erotic Traditions
    2. The Indigenous Indians
    3. Samkhya: Yoga: Vedanta
    4. The Tamil
    5. Beginning of Abstract Thinking
    6. The Mother
    7. The Mother for the Latins
    8. The One Becoming Many
    9. Forms of the Mother
      References
202
  1. Religion and the Hindu Systems
    1. Religion and Philosophy
    2. The Antecedents of Samkhya
    3. The Yoga
    4. Vedanta: God and Theological Need
    5. Monism and Dualism
    6. Hindu Polytheism and Siva
      References
318
  1. Bhakti
    1. Historical Forces on the Move
    2. Emergence of Bhakti
    3. Bhakti and Love
    4. Old Forms in New Religions
      References
470
Volume Two

 

  1. The Saiva Siddhantas
    1. Orthodox Southern Siddhanta
      1. The Siva Schools
        Religion and Philosophy
        The Three Branches of Saivism
        A Reassessment of the Hindu Approach to Religion
        Saivism and the 36 Tattvas
        Variations of the Siva-Theme
        Agamas: Sources and Propagation
        Siddhanta
        Pasa: Obstructions
        Gunas
        Hermaphrodites: Ardhanarisvara
        Three-in-one
        The Five Principles
        Incarnation
        The Pasu
        Maya and Visrsti
        The Pasa
        Fifteen Categories
        Other Evolutes and Panca-Kosa
      2. Siddhanta Principles
        Cognition: Bhogya-Kanda
        Bhuta and Tanmatra
        Ahamkara and Original Sin
        "The Subject" or Bhojyaitri: Kala-Niyati-Kala
        Mahakala
        The Time-dimension
        Hindu View of Karma
        The Ailing World and Yoga
        Panca-Kosa: The Five Sheaths
      3. Nada-Tattva or the Sound-System
        Nada-Bindu-Tattva: The Sound World
        Sphota and Realisation
        Yoga-Aim: Concentration
        Emergence of Saivism and Foreign Influx
      4. Pasa and the Hindu Concept of Sin
        Karma Pasa
        Maya
        Linga
        Hindu Polytheism
        God, the Formless
        Grace and Realisation
        The Five Powers of Siva
        Names of Siva
        Social Resistance to the Universal Concept of Siva
        The Two Trends: Saguna and Nirguna
        Introducting Pratyabhijna
        Abhasavada (Real-Unrealism)
        Siva-Sakti
        Peace and Eastern Religions
        Union and Doubt
        Ways of Removing Doubts
    2. The Kashmir System
      1. Trika
        History of Pratyabhijna
        Sources of Saivism: Agamas
        Pratyabhijna Explained
        Pratyabhijna - Vedanta and Samkracarya
        Mysticism in Kashmir-Saivism
        Universality of Mystic Realism
      2. Kashmir Saivism is Realistic-Idealism
        Pratybhijna
        Trika
        The Cultural Syncretism
        The Greek Influence
        Zarathustra
      3. The Stoics
        Plotinus and Neo-Platonism
        The 'Source' in Neo-Platonism
        Longing for the Beyond: Ascendance
        Advaita in the Arabic World
        The Cultural Syncretism: Arabia-Persia-Egypt-Greece
      4. Realized Prophets, and Reality
        Vimarsa: Abhasa: Spanda
        Five aspects of Conscious-Power
        Five Aspects of Siva
        Lila : The Cosmic Game
        The Concept of Original Sin in Trika
        Grace and Union
        Guru and the Knowledge of Yamala
        Upaya-Anupaya
        Doubt and Faith (Sattarka: Samvid)
        Four-Upayas
    3. Vira Saivism
      1. Mind and the Phenomenal World
        The Process of Knowing
        Sthala: The Original Cause, or Cit
        Eternity and Material Moment
        Consciousness and Ego
        The Lingam
      2. Minor Sects of Saivism
        1. Tantra: Magic and Mysticism
          Inadequacy of Anthropology
          Universality of Tantra
          Trance and Erotic Symbolism
          Antiquity of Tantra
          Tantra-Veda Controversy
          The Tantra Doctrine
          Anatryaga and Mantra
          Misuse of Tantra-Rites
          The M's Explained
        2. The Nathas
          Nada and Nadi
          Sex and the Nathas
        3. Siddhas: (Mahesvaras)
          Pre-Buddhist Tantra and the Three Siddhas
        4. Rasesvara
        5. Mahesvaras
        6. Vaikhanasas and the Pancaratras
        7. Pasupatas, Lakulisas or Nakulisas
          Saivism's Development
          The Two Saivas: Phallic and Idealistic
        References
549
  1. The Legends
    1. Nature of Myths
      Two Important Periods of History
    2. Vrtra-Angira and Tvasta
      Indra Insults Brhaspati
      Angira-Atharvans
      The Horse-Headed God
      Saranyu and Vivasan
      Dadhici: Trisira or Vrtra: Indra
    IIIA. Daksa's Sacrifice
    IIIB. Taraka-War
    Skanda, The Great
    IIIC. Kesi and Devasena
    IIID. Agni-Svaha-Skanda
    IVA. The Churning of the Ocean
    IVB. The Descent of the Ganges
    V. Ganapati or Ganesa
    VI. Visnu-Siva Rivalry and Lingam Legends
    Bhargu Curses Siva
    Siva Emasculates
    The Fiery Lingam
    VII. The Tripura Legend
    VIII. The Khandava Fire
    IX. Tantra-Empiricism and Occult Legends
    X. Popularity of Siva and the Outcastes
    XIA. Agni
    XIB. Agni and Atharvan (Angirasa)
    XII. The Sarasvati-Legends
    XIII. Sundry Other Myths and Chronicles
    XIV. The Anti-Deva Feuds
    References
769
  1. Hindu Iconography and Siva Forms
    1. Hindu Iconography and Western Misconceptions
      Reorientation of Art-Conventions
      Value of Symbols: The Five Symbols of Rituals
      Sri Yantra
      Images: Anthropomorphic Forms: Murtis
    2. The Abstract in Hindu Art
      Is There a Natural Art
      Limitations of Verisimilitude
      Basis of Hindu Images
      Evolution of Images
      Hindu Revivalism
      The Puranas and the Hindu Obscene Literature
      Anthropomorphic Siva Forms
    3. The Many-Formed Siva
      The Four Basic Strata of Saivic Development
      Names of Siva
      Rudra in the Vedas
      Agni: The Fire God
      Mahesvara: The importance of 'Logos', or Sound
      The Yogi and Samkara
      Astamurtti (The Eight-Formed One)
      The Siva Image
      Nandi, the Bull
    4. Are Images Gods?
      The 'Image' and Bhairavi Brahmani
      Nature of Revealed Expressions
      The Siva Sanctuaries
      The Images of Siva
      Requirements in a Siva-Worship Rite
      The Favored Siva-Flora
      References
878
Glossary 969
Additional Notes 1023
Index 1029


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