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Index
Cover Image
Title Page
Note on the Transliteration of Sanskrit Terms
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part One: The Human Adventure
Chapter 1: Origins
The Dravidians
The Aryans
Chapter 2: The Religions of the Kali Yugä
Shaivism
The Return of Arihat
Gosâlä
Mahâvîrä
Gautamä Buddhä
The Religion of Nature and the Religion of the City
The Kali Yugä in the World
The Shaiva Revival
Lakulishä
Mahâyanä
Chapter 3: Rediscovered Tradition
Texts
Hindu Decadence
The West
India Today
Part Two: Shaiva Philosophy
Chapter 1: The Ways of Knowledge
Approaches (Darshanä)
Chapter 2: Vaïsheshikä and Nyâyä
Science and Logic
The Experimental Method (Vaïsheshikä)
Logic (Nyâyä)
Aphorisms of the Nyâyä
Chapter 3: The Sâmkhyä: The Study of the Macrocosm
The Quest for Constants (Aksharä)
The Texts of the Sâmkhyä
Concepts of the Sâmkhyä
Nature and Perception
The Three Tendencies of Prakriti, the Nature of Nature
The Definables (Tattvä): The Twenty-five Constituents of the World
The Plan (Purushä)
The World-Substance (Prakriti)
Cosmic Intelligence (Mahat)
The Principle of Individuality (Ahamkarä)
The Modes of Interaction of Matter (Tanmâträ)
The Principles of the Senses (Mahabhûtä)
The Powers of Perception and Action (Indriyä)
The Living Being
Chapter 4: The Exploration of Man's Inner Universe
The Being of Flesh and the Being of Knowledge
The Sexual Body (Lingä-Sharirä) or Transmittable Body
The Nature of the Transmigrant Body
Chapter 5: The Being of Knowledge
Universal Law (Sanâtanä Dharmä) and the Heritage of Knowledge
The Seers (Rishi)
The Sacred Books
Chapter 6: Yogä
Yogä: Study of the Microcosm
Method
The Structure of Living Beings
The Five Vital Energies (Prânä)
Magic Powers (Siddhi)
Reincarnation
Transubstantiation
Liberation (Mokshä)
Immortality
Yogä and Tantrism
Aryanized Yogä
Part Three: The Mîmânsâ: The Religious, Ritualistic, and Mystical Approach
Chapter 1: The Two Mîmânsâ
The Gods
Aspects of Maheshvarä
Shivä, Tamas
Sattvä, the Goddess, and Vishnu
Rajas, Prajâpati-Brahmâ
Symbols of the Gods
The Cult of the Lingä
The Assimilated Gods
Monotheism
Chapter 2: The Doctrine of the Pâshupatä
The Teaching of Lakulishä
Texts
Pashupati: Lord of the Animals
Pati: The Herder
Pashu: The Animal
Pâshä: The Snare
The Creative Power of the Sovereign Being (Ishvarä-Kartri-Vâdä)
The Cause (Kâranä)
The Work (Kâryä)
Divisibility (Kalâ)
Method (Vidhi)
Meritorious Deeds (Kriyâ)
The Temple
Union (Yogä)
The End of Suffering (Dukhântä)
Chapter 3: Communities and Monastic Orders
The Monastic Orders
The Black Faces (Kâlâmukhä)
The Skull-Bearers (Kâpâlikä)
Practices (Charyâ)
The Five M's
Malä and Muträ
Meat (Mansä) and Sacrifice (Medhä)
Human Sacrifice
Intoxicating Liquors (Madhyä)
Drugs
Sexual Rites (Maithunä)
Love and Death
The Great Vow (Mahâvratä)
Initiation of the Pâshupatä
Chapter 4: Preliminary Practices
Advice to a Mlecchä, by Sadhu Shambhudâsä
Part Four: Social Man
Chapter 1: The Individual and the Species
The Clan (Jâti)
Procreation
The Castes (Varnä)
The Lineage (Goträ)
The Popular Framework
Coexistence
Woman
The Family (Kulä)
The Servants of the Gods
The Third Nature (Tritîya Prakriti)
Chapter 2: The Transmission of Knowledge
The Master (Guru)
The Guru's Responsibilities
The Limits of Knowledge
The Choice of a Disciple
The Wanderers of the Path of Knowledge (Brahmächârî)
Part Five: The Theory of Cycles
Chapter 1: The Duration of the Universe
The Cycles of the Yugä
The Flood
Chapter 2: The Three Cities
The Ages (Yugä)
The Destruction of the Assurs
Part Six: Forestalling the End
Chapter 1: Predictions
Precursory Signs
The End of the World
Accidental or Induced Destruction (Naïmittikä Pralayä)
The Disappearance or Natural Death (Prâkritä Pralayä) of the World
Chapter 2: Forestalling the Final Day
The Return to Shaivism
Chapter 3: Conclusions
Appendix I: Language: Instrument for the Transmission of Knowledge
The Nature of Language
The Manifestation of Thought
Texts
The Maheshvarä Sûträ
The Nine Vowels
The Consonants
The Five Groups (Vargä)
The Tattvä
Creation by the Word
Monosyllabic Dictionaries
Magic Formulae (Manträ)
Elements of the Musical Vocabulary
The Various Forms of Language
Visual Languages
A Geometric Language (Yanträ)
The Swastika
Appendix II: Chronology of the Kali Yugä
Endnotes
Bibliography
Other Books by Alain Daniélou
About the Author
About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company
Books of Related Interest
Copyright & Permissions
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