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Hinduism
Vedas, Upanishads, the Gita & epics
90 entries · 17 sections
The Vedas
There are four Vedas, the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism. They also had a vast influence on Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Traditionally the text of the Vedas was coeval with the universe. Scholars have determined that the Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, was composed about 1500 B.C., and codified about 600 B.C. It is unknown when it was finally committed to writing, but this probably was at some point after 300 B.C.
Rig Veda
The Rig-VedaRalph Griffith, 1896 — A complete English translation of the Rig Veda.Rig-Veda (Sanskrit)The complete Rig Veda in Sanskrit, in Unicode Devanagari script and standard romanization.Vedic Hymns, Part I (SBE 32)F. Max Müller, 1891 — A masterpiece of linguistics and comparative mythology: translations and deep analysis of the Vedic Hymns to the Storm Gods.Vedic Hymns, Part II (SBE 46)Hermann Oldenberg, 1897 — The Vedic Hymns to Agni.A Vedic Reader for StudentsA.A. Macdonell, 1917 — An introduction to the Dramatis Personæ of the Rig Veda.
Sama Veda
Yajur Veda
Atharva Veda
The Atharva Veda also contains material from the Rig Veda, but of interest are the numerous incantations and metaphysical texts, which this anthology (part of the Sacred Books of the East series) collects and categorizes. The Atharva Veda was written down much later than the rest of the Vedas, about 200 B.C.; it may have been composed about 1000 B.C.
Upanishads
The Upanishads (Sacred Books of the East, vols. 1 and 15):
The Upanishads, Part I (SBE 1)Max Müller, 1879 — The Chandogya, Talavakara, Aitreya-Aranyaka, the Kaushitaki-Brahmana, and the Vajasaneyi Samhita UpanishadsThe Upanishads, Part II (SBE 15)Max Müller, 1884 — Katha, Mundaka, Taittirîyaka, Brihadâranyaka, Svetâsvatara, Prasña, and Maitrâyana Brâhmana Upanishads.Thirty Minor UpanishadsK. Narayanasvami Aiyar, 1914 — Thirty shorter Upanishads, principally dealing with Yogic thought and practice.From the UpanishadsCharles Johnston, 1889 — Translations from the Katha, Prasna and Chhandogya Upanishads.
Puranas
The Puranas are post-Vedic texts which typically contain a complete narrative of the history of the Universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of the kings, heroes and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology and geography. There are 17 or 18 canonical Puranas, divided into three categories, each named after a deity: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. There are also many other works termed Purana, known as 'Upapuranas.'
The Vishnu PuranaH.H. Wilson, 1840 — A primary text of the Vaishnava branch of Hinduism, and one of the canonical Puranas of the Vishnu category.The Garuda PuranaErnest Wood, 1911 — A Vishnu Purana with Dantesque descriptions of the afterlife, and details of Hindu funeral rites.The S'rimad Devî BhâgawatamSwami Vijnanananda, 1921 — One of the Upapuranas, devoted to the Devi (Goddess).The Devî GitaSwami Vijnanananda, 1921 — The Song of the Goddess.The Prem SagurLallu Lal, 1848 — English translation of a popular Hindi retelling of the Krishna cycleThe Transmigration of the Seven BrahmansHenry David Thoreau, 1931 — An excerpt from the Harivamsa, a Puranic text, translated by the American transcendentalist philosopher.Kundalini: The Mother of the UniverseRishi Singh Gherwal, 1930 — Includes an English translation of the Lalita Sahasranama, the 'Thousand Names of the Goddess,' from the Brahmanda Purana.
Other Primary Texts
The Laws of ManuGeorge Bühler, 1886 — Manu was the legendary first man, the Adam of the Hindus. This is a collection of laws attributed to Manu.The Sacred Laws of the Âryas, Part I (SBE 2)George Bühler, 1879 — Hindu law books written by the sages Âpastamba and GautamaThe Sacred Laws of the Âryas, Part II (SBE 14)George Bühler, 1879 — Hindu law books written by the sages Vasishtha and BaudhâyanaThe Institutes of Vishnu (SBE 7)Julius Jolly, 1880 — This Hindu law book contains descriptions of yogic practises, and a moving hymn to the Goddess Prajapati.The Minor Law Books (SBE 33)Julius Jolly, 1880 — Later Hindu law books written by Narada and Brihaspati about 600 CE.Satapatha Brahmana, Part I (SBE12)Satapatha Brahmana, Part II (SBE26)Satapatha Brahmana, Part III (SBE41)Satapatha Brahmana, Part IV (SBE43)Satapatha Brahmana, Part V (SBE44)The Grihya Sutras, Part 1 (SBE 29)Hermann Oldenberg, 1886The Grihya Sutras, Part 2 (SBE 30)Hermann Oldenberg, 1892 — Ancient Hindu household rites, including fertility, marriage, purity, initiations, and funerals.
The Epics
The Mahabharata and Ramayana are the national epics of India. They are probably the longest poems in any language. The Mahabharata, attributed to the sage Vyasa, was written down from 540 to 300 B.C. The Mahabharata tells the legends of the Bharatas, a Vedic Aryan group. The Ramayana, attributed to the poet Valmiki, was written down during the first century A.D., although it is based on oral traditions that go back six or seven centuries earlier. The Ramayana is a moving love story with moral and spiritual themes that has deep appeal in India to this day.
Mahabharata
The Ramayana
Abridged Versions
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita, usually considered part of the sixth book of the Mahabharata (dating from about 400 or 300 B.C.), is a central text of Hinduism, a philosphical dialog between the god Krishna and the warrior Arjuna. This is one of the most popular and accessible of all Hindu scriptures, required reading for anyone interested in Hinduism. The Gita discusses selflessness, duty, devotion, and meditation, integrating many different threads of Hindu philosophy.
The Bhagavadgîtâ (SBE 8)Kâshinâth Trimbak Telang, 1882 — A scholarly prose translation of the Bhagavad GitaThe Bhagavad Gita in SanskritA Unicode presentation of the Gita in Romanized Sanskrit.Srimad-Bhagavad-GitaSwami Swarupananda, 1909 — A modern English prose translation of the Gita with commentary.The Bhagavad GitaInternational Gita Society — A modern prose translation of the GitaThe Bhagavad GitaEdwin Arnold, 1885 — A classic poetic version of the Gita.
Vedanta
The Vedântâ-Sûtras (SBE 48)Râmânuja, 1904The Vedântâ-Sûtras Part I (SBE 34)Sankarâkârya, 1890The Vedântâ-Sûtras Part II (SBE 38)Sankarâkârya, 1896The Crest-Jewel of WisdomŚankarâchârya, 1946Brahma-KnowledgeL.D. Barnett, 1911 — A short exposition of the Hindu Vedanta philosophy.Select Works of Sri SankaracharyaS. Venkataramanan, 1921 — A selection of works by the non-dualist Vedanta philosopher.
Later Texts
The Yoga Sutras of PatanjaliCharles Johnston, 1912 — This concise work describes an early stage in the philosophy and practise of Yoga.The Yoga Sutras of PatanjaliAnother translation of this classic text of Yoga.The Hatha Yoga PradipikaPancham Sinh, 1914 — The oldest extant work about Hatha Yoga, including the full Sanskrit text.Dakshinamurti StotraAlladi Mahadeva Sastri, 1920 — Comparing Hindu schools of thought on the nature of reality.The Sánkhya Aphorisms of KapilaJames R. Ballantyne, 1885Kalidasa: Translations of Shakuntala and Other WorksKalidasa, 1914 — The master dramas of the 'Shakespeare of India,' including Shakuntala.The Little Clay CartShudraka, 1905 — The earliest Indian drama, a screwball comedy of manners, with a cast of courtesans, kings and scoundrels.Verses of VemanaVemana, 1829 — Verses of devotion by a Dravidian South Indian poet.Black MarigoldsBilhana, 1919 — A free verse translation of Bilhana, an 11th century Kashmiri poet.Vikram and the VampireRichard Burton, 1870 — Tales of a Vampire Scheherazade.Hymns of the Tamil Saivite SaintsF. Kingsbury, 1829 — Popular Tamil Hindu devotional poetry by worshippers of the god Shiva.Songs of KabîrKabir, 1915 — Kabir's mystical and devotional poetry has been found inspirational by people of many different faiths.Yoga Vashisht or Heaven FoundRishi Singh Gherwal, 1930 — Excerpts from the shorter Yoga Vasishta
Modern Books
Relax with YogaArthur Liebers, 1960 — An introduction to modern Raja Yoga, with photos of asanas.Great Systems of YogaErnest Wood, 1954 — A review of the Yogic systems.Old Deccan DaysMary Frere, 1868Ramakrishna, His Life and SayingsF. Max Müller, 1898 — The collected words of the Hindu sage from a humble background who transcended arbitrary religious boundaries.The Gospel of RamakrishnaMahendra Nath Gupta, 1907 — First-hand accounts of the Bengali holy man who preached the unity of religions.Hindu Mythology, Vedic and PuranicW.J. Wilkins, 1900 — A detailed walkthrough of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses.How To Be A YogiSwâmi Abhedânanda, 1902 — A road-map of the Yogic schools.Twenty-two GoblinsArthur W. Ryder, 1912Indian Fairy TalesJoseph Jacobs, 1912Indian Myth and LegendDonald A. Mackenzie, 1913 — Hindu mythology from the earliest times through the Mahabharata and Rayamaya.Karma-YogaSwami Vivekananda, 1921 — Can work be holy?Hindu MysticismS.N. Dasgupta, 1927Writings of Sister Nivedita (Margaret E. Noble)Kali the MotherSister Nivedita, 1900 — Sister Nivedita's devotional writings to the Mother goddess Kali.The Web of Indian LifeSister Nivedita, 1904Studies from an Eastern HomeSister Nivedita, 1913Writings of Rabindranath TagoreGitanjali1913Saddhana, The Realisation of Life1915The Crescent Moon1916Fruit-Gathering1916Stray Birds1916The Home and the World1915Thought Relics1921The Indian Stories of F.W. Bain
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