Log In
Or create an account ->
Imperial Library
Home
About
News
Upload
Forum
Help
Login/SignUp
Index
Cover Image
Title Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Foreword
List of Illustrations
Note on Translation of the Sanskrit
Note on Pronunciation
Part One: Philosophy
Chapter 1: The Theory of Polytheism
The Language of Symbols
The Representation of the Transcendent
The Nondual Principle
Monotheism and Polytheism
Nondualism and Monism
The Equivalence of Religions
Chapter 2: The Nature of the Ultimat
The Origin of Existence
The Perceptible Continua: Space, Time, and Thought
The Three Modes of Being: the Substrata of Space, Time, and Consciousness
The "I" and the Self
The Realization of the Soul
Immensity (brahman), the Common Substratum
The Three Fundamental Qualities and the Trinity
The Three States of Experience
The Three Qualities and Manifestation
The Power-of-Illusion (māyā)
Illusion and Ignorance
Nature
The Living Individuality as the Power That Can Oppose Nature
The Power of Nature as the Obstacle to Knowledge
The Fundamental Duality
"God" (Īśvara) and the Illusion of Divine Unity
Life as the One Deity
The Relationship of "God" and the Universe
The Causal Word
Dangers of Applied Metaphysics
Chapter 3: The Cosmic Being
Macrocosm and Microcosm
Cosmic Duration
Cosmic Location
The Nature of Manifestation
The Appearance of the Universe
Cosmic Consciousness
The Personification and the Description of the Cosmic Being
Part Two: The Gods of the Vedas
Chapter 4: The Cosmic Sacrifice
Fire and Offering, Agni and Soma
The Relation of the Spheres
The Ritual of Sacrifice (yajña)
The Forms of the Sacrifice
The Technique of the Sacrifice
The Creation of Man
The Last Sacrifice
The Way of the Gods
The Way of the Fathers
Divinity as the Embodiment of the Sacrifice
The Image of the Sacrifice
The Inner Yajña of the Yogi
Chapter 5: The Thirty-Three Gods
The Three Spheres of Agni
The Three Aspects of Deities
The Number of the Gods
Chapter 6: The Spheres and Their Deities
The Eight Spheres of Existence, the Vasus
The Earth
Agni (Fire)
The Ten Forms of Fire
The Sphere of Space and the Lord-of-Wind (Vāyu)
The Sky (Dyaus)
The Sun (Sūrya)
The Image of the Sun
Dawn (Usas)
The Constellations (naksatra)
The Moon, the Cup-or-Offerings (Soma)
The Story of the Moon
Chapter 7: The Divinities of the Sphere of Space
The Divinities of Space and of Life, the Maruts and Rudras
The Maruts (Immortals)
A Legend of the Maruts
Indra, the Ruler of Heaven
Chapter 8: The Ādityas, the Sovereign Principles
Aditi (the Primordial Vastness), Source of the Ādityas
Mitra (Friendship), Solidarity
Aryaman (Chivalry)
Bhaga (the Inherited Share)
Varuna (the Coverer or Binder), the Mysterious Law of the Gods
Daksa (Ritual Skill)
Amśa (the Share of the Gods)
Tvastrṛ (the Shaper), Craftsmanship, the God of Industry
Pūsan (the Nourisher), Security, the Protector of Cattle
Vivasvat, the Ancestor, the Embodiment of Morality or Ancestral Law
Savitr (the Vivifier), the Magic Power of Words
Śakra (the Mighty), the Divinity of Courage and Outer Security
Visnu, the All-pervading Light of Knowledge, the Cosmic Law Pervading the Three Worlds
Chapter 9: Other Vedic Deities
The Aśvins, the Twin Horse-headed Gods of Agriculture and Physicians of the Gods
The Regents of the Directions
Yama (the Binder), the Lord of Death
Manifold-Secret (Citra-gupta), the Scribe of the Lord of Death
Kubera, the Lord of Riches
The Yaksas, Guardians of the Earth's Treasures
Misery (Nirrta)
Nirrti, the Goddess of Misery
Trita (the Third) or Āptya, the Water Deity
Chapter 10: Gods and Antigods
The Antigods (asura)
The Gods of Pre-Vedic India
Description of the Antigods
Different Kinds of Asuras
The Gods (sura) or the Resplendent-Ones (deva)
The Age and the Felicity of the Gods
Part Three: The Trinity
Chapter 11: Visnu, the Pervader
Sattva, the Cohesive Tendency
The Name Visnu
The Nature of Visnu
The State of Dream
All Religion Is of Visnu
The Names of Visnu
Chapter 12: The Image of Visnu
The Four Arms
The Twenty-Four Icons of Visnu
The Conch
The Discus
The Lotus
The Bow, Arrows, and Quiver
The Mace
The Jewel Treasure of the Ocean
The Lock of Hair Beloved of Fortune
The Garland of the Forest
The Earrings, the Armlets, and the Crown
The Yellow Veil and the Sacred Thread
The Chariot
The Dark Color
The Whisk, the Fan, the Flag, and the Parasol
The Sword and Sheath
The Bird Wings of Speech
The Serpent Remainder
The Attendants of Visnu
Chapter 13: The Avatars, or Incarnations, of Visnu
The Planets
The Incarnations of the First Age, the Satya Yuga (Age of Truth)
The Incarnations of the Second Age, the Tretā Yuga
Krsna, the Incarnation of the Third Age
The Incarnations of the Fourth or Present Age, the Kali Yuga (Age of Strife)
Chapter 14: The Minor Incarnations of Visnu
Nara and Nārāyana, Devotion
Kapila, Philosophy
Dattātreya, Magic
Yajña (Ritual Sacrifice)
Rsabha (the Bull), Morality
Dhanvantari, Medical Science
Hayaśīrsa (the Horse-headed), Protector of the Scripture
Vyāsa, the Compiler of the Scripture
Prthu, the First King — Agriculture and Social Order
Dhruva (the Immovable), Will Power
Visnu as Rescuer of the Elephant-King in Response to His Faith
Mohinī (the Enchantress), Lust
Nārada, Music
Chapter 15: Śiva, the Lord of Sleep
The Origin of Śaivism
The Tendency toward Disintegration (tamas)
The Many Aspects of Śiva
The Fearful and Auspicious God
Rudra, the Lord of Tears, the Destroyer
Śiva, the Auspicious, the Lord of Sleep
Chapter 16: The Forms of Rudra-Śiva
The Elemental Forms of Rudra
The Five Components (kalā) of Śiva and the Manifestation of Speech
The Ruler of Space, the Five-faced
Chapter 17: The Image of Śiva
The White Color
The Three Eyes
The Moon
The Ganges
The Matted Hair
The Tiger Skin
The Four Arms
The Trident
The Spear Pāśupata
The Ax, the Bow (Pināka), and the Club Khatvānga
The Serpent
The Noose and the Garland of Skulls
The Ashes
The Hourglass-shaped Drum, the Ḍamaru
The Bull
The Lion
Kāśī, the Resplendent City
Chapter 18: The Linga
The Linga Is the Universe
TheYoni
The Union of the Principles
The Divine Lust
The Father, Owner of the Liṅga
Bīja, the Seed
The Worship of the Liṅga
Different Forms of Liṅga
The Phallic Image
The Triangle
Chapter 19: Brahmā, the Immense Being
Brahmā, the Space-Time or Revolving Principle
The Names of Brahmā
The Worship of Brahmā
The Tales of Brahmā
The Brahmā Icon
The Golden Embryo, Hiranyagarbha
The Lord-of-Progeny (Prajā-pati)
The Creation of the World
The Myth of Creation
The Creation of Man
The Creation of the Ritual Sacrifice
The Opening of the Cosmic Egg
The Duration of the Universe
Part Four: The Divine Power (Śakti) as the Goddess
Chapter 20: Śakti, the All-pervading Energy
Power as Divinity
Origin and Worship of the Goddess
Chapter 21: The Consorts of the Three Gods
The Progenitors of the Gods
The Flowing-One (Saras-vati), the Divinity of Knowledge
The Divinity of Speech, Vāc
The Goddess of Fortune, Laksmī
Destiny or Transcendent Fortune, Mahā-Laksmī
Success (Rādhā), the Personification of Devotion
The Powers of Procreation, Development, and Destruction, Pārvatī, Śakti, and Kālī
The Power-of-Enjoyment (āhlādinī-Śakti)
The Amorous, Lalitā
The Divinity of Lust, Kāmeśvarī
The Names of the Goddess
Chapter 22: The Ten Objects-of-Transcendent-Knowledge (maha-vidya)
THE FIRST OBJECT OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
THE SECOND OBJECT OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
THE THIRD OBJECT OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
THE FOURTH OBJECT OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
THE FIFTH OBJECT OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
THE SIXTH OBJECT OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
THE SEVENTH OBJECT OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
THE EIGHTH OBJECT OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
THE NINTH OBJECT OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
THE TENTH OBJECT OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
Chapter 23: Some Other Aspects of the Goddess
Umā
The Unborn or the She-Goat (Ajā)
The Destroyer-of-the-Genii (Cāmundā)
The Coiled-Energy (Kundalinī)
The Mother (Ambikā)
The Seven-Mothers (Sapta-Mātrkās)
Indrānī
The Destroyer of the Buffalo-Demon (Mahisa-asura-mardinī)
Minor Forms of the Goddess: Yoginīs, Dākinīs, Grahīs, Bhairavīs, and Śākinīs
Part Five: Secondary Gods
Chapter 24: The Sons of Śiva
Ganapati or Ganeśa, the Lord of Categories
Kumāra, the Adolescent
Chapter 25: Minor Gods and Genii
The Attendants of Śiva
The Realized (Siddhas)
The Skillful-Craftsmen (Rbhus)
The Bearers-of-Wisdom (Vidyā-dharas)
The Essences (apsaras)
The Fragrances (gandharva)
The Wanderers (cārana)
The Heavenly-Humans (kinnara)
The Village-Angels (grāma-devatā) and Village-Goddesses (grāma-kālī)
The Ancestors (pitr)
Genii (daitya and dānava)
The Serpents or Dragons, the Ever-moving (nāga)
The Night-Wanderers (rāksasa)
The Eaters-of-Raw-Flesh (piśāca)
The Sorcerers (yātu or yātudhāna)
The Vampires (vetāla)
The Ghosts (preta)
The Wandering-Souls (bhūta)
The Fearful-Spirits (bhairava)
Chapter 26: Other Deities
Kāma (Eros), the Divinity of Lust
The Seed-of-Lust (Kāma-bīja)
The Architect-of-the-Universe (Viśva-karman)
The Architect-of-the-Antigods (Maya)
The Seizer (Rāhu)
The Cow
The Seers (rsī)
Bṛhaspati (the Great Master), the Teacher of the Gods
Śukra, the Teacher of the Genii
Prthu, the First King
Manu, the Lawgiver
Part Six: The Representation and the Worship of Deities
Chapter 27: The Representation of Deities
The Worship of the Manifest Forms
The Representation of Deities
Chapter 28: The Thought-Forms, or Mantras
The Basic-Thought-Forms (bīja-mantra)
Other Kinds of Mantras
The Chief Basic Thought-Forms, or Seed Mantras
Other Seed Mantras
The Seed Mantras of the Elements
The Expanded Mantras
Chapter 29: The Yantras, or Magic Diagrams
The Constituent Elements of the Yantras
The Principal Yantras
Chapter 30: The Images (mūrti) of Deities
The Principal Elements of the Images of Deities
The Purpose of the Images
The Forms of the Images
Image Worship
Chapter 31: The Worship of Deities
The Object of Worship
The Kinds of Worship
The Stages of Worship
Chapter 32: Ritual
Life as a Ritual
The Rituals of Worship
The Technique of Worship
The Place of Worship
The Main Features of Individual-Worship (pūjana)1
The Accessories of Worship
Right-and Left-hand Ways
Footnotes
Selective Bibliography
A. SANSKRIT TEXTS
B. MODERN WORKS
About the Author
About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company
Books of Related Interest
Copyright & Permissions
← Prev
Back
Next →
← Prev
Back
Next →