APPENDIX TWO

Hindu Scriptures

Agama Shastras	Scriptures for the formal worship of Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti
Agni Purana	Scripture that extols Agni, the god of fire
Atharva Veda	One of the four Vedas
Bhagavad Gita	Holy song; advice of Lord Krishna given to Arjuna on the battlefield
Bhagavad Purana	Purana that extols Krishna as the supreme incarnation of Vishnu
Brahmanda Purana	Purana in which is found the Lalitha Sahasranama
Brahma Vaivarta Purana	One of the Maha Puranas
Brighu Samhita	Scripture designated to the sage Brighu; gives the astrological details of all the future generations
Chandi	Popular name of the Devi Mahatmyam
Devi Bhagavatam	Maha Purana that describes all stories of Shakti; most famous Shakta literature
Devi Gita	Advice given by the goddess to Himavan in the Devi Bhagavatam
Devi Mahatmyam	Scripture that glorifies Durga and her killing of the various demons; most powerful of the Shakta literatures
Devi Purana	Another name for the Devi Bhagavatam
Devi Suktam	Rig Vedic hymn to the goddess
Durga Saptashati	Another name for the Devi Mahatmyam
Harivamsa	Purana glorifying Vishnu
Isavasya Upanishad	Most famous of the Upanishads
Kumarasambhava	Poem by Kalidasa on the advent of Kartikeya, son of Shiva
Lalitha Sahasranama	Thousand and one names of the goddess as Lalitha
Lalithopakhyana	Portion of the Brahmanda Purana that deals with the story of Lalitha
Mahabharata	The epic story of the Kuru dynasty by Vyasa
Mahanirvana Tantra	One of the Tantric scriptures
Maha Puranas	The great Puranas, eighteen in number, attributed to the sage Vyasa
Markandeya Purana	Purana in which the Devi Mahatmyam or Chandi is mentioned
Matsya Purana	One of the eighteen Maha Puranas
Narada Purana	One of the eighteen Maha Puranas
Pancharatra	Agama dealing with the worship of Vishnu and his incarnations
Ramayana	Epic poem by the sage Valmiki on the life of the avatara Rama
Rig Veda	The oldest of the four Vedas
Sama Veda	Rig Veda chanted musically
Savitri Upanishad	Upanishad in which the practice of the Gayatri mantra is given
Skanda Purana	Purana that deals with the exploits of Skanda or Kartikeya
Sri Suktam	Rig Vedic hymn to Lakshmi
Tripura Rahasya	Poem that extols Lalitha
Upanishads	End portion of all the Vedas; deals with highly spiritual and philosophical matters
Upa Puranas	Subsidiary Puranas, eighteen in number
Vajasaneyi Samhita	Part of the Rig Veda
Vamana Purana	Purana eulogizing the avatara of Vishnu as the dwarf
Vayu Purana	Purana pertaining to the wind god
Vedas	Most ancient sacred revelations known to humanity; four in number: Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva
Vishnu Purana	Maha Purana extolling Vishnu
Yajur Veda	One of the four Vedas
Yoga-Kundalini	Upanishad dealing with the nature and
Upanishad	practice of kundalini yoga