vedams (20 risultati)

Hardcover. Condizione: Good. No Jacket. 2 books -- Beyond Anthropology : Society and the Other. Bernard McGrane. Columbia University Press.1989. 150p trade paperback, covers bumped/scuffed, binding tight, text clean/unmarked, creased prices blackout out half title page/back cover- + THE MAKING OF ANTHROPOLOGY, THE SEMIOTICS OF SELF AND OTHER IN THE WESTERN TRADITION, J. Pandian and S. Parman, Vedams, 2004, 308p, hc, no dj, bumped/scuffed boards, clean/tanning text, tight binding--7.00.

Condizione: New. pp. viii + 182 1st Edition.

Hardbound. Condizione: New. Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Problems of governance in colonial India : elite and subaltern responses. 3. Governing West Bengal, 1947-67. 4. The interregnum, 1967-77. 5. Governing West Bengal, 1977-96. 6. Conclusion. Select bibliography. Index. "India's problems of governance may be located in the disjunction between the Indian crowds, mobilized during the national liberation movement, and their post-independence political institutions. Reconstruction of the polity by India's elites after independence was, arguably, an extension of colonial arrangements of power and authority. Governing strategies that had emerged during India's national liberation movement, however, were more often than not equipped with visions of an alternative political system as these had evolved as subaltern movements at the level of the everyday material conditions of colonial repression. But emergent subaltern actors were either manipulated or subverted by India's nationalist elites whose imagination of the Indian state-nation was not comprehensively counter hegemonic. This was because their worldview was largely an extension of the Eurocentric colonial discourse. "This work argues that an appropriate level of popular support may be ensured by entrenchment of popular institutions with which their end-users can identify themselves. This is essential for the legitimacy of any political system. Any roadmap for further research in this area may incorporate the neoinstitutional model of analysis employed in this work to explain problems of governance in an era of globalization and the 123 pp.

Hardbound. Condizione: As New. Contents: Preface. I. Introduction: 1. Problem. 2. Case study of West Bengal. II. Social capital, democracy and governance: 1. Concept of social capital. 2. Neglect of the political. 3. Indian democracy as a puzzle. 4. Chhiber's counter argument. 5. Post-colonial context: democratic consciousness. 6. Building social capital in the colonial world. 7. Formation of social capital : colonial and post-colonial world. 8. Micro- level evidences of post-colonial associationalism: i. Communist movement in the district of Burdwan. ii. Co-operatives and associationalism: micro- level evidences. 9. Conclusion. III. Decentralisation and local democracy in India: 1. Asian context of decentralisation. 2. Factors for decentralisation in Asia. 3. Indian story. 4. Historical legacy of decentralisation in India. 5. Indian nationalist thought and decentralisation. 6. Tradition of local governance. 7. Constituent assembly and village governance. 8. Decentralisation in the Indian constitution. 9. State sponsored institutional measures. 10. Local government in India's federal polity. 11. Institutional mechanisms and accommodation of diversities. 12. Conclusion. IV. Local democracy, governance and empowerment in West Bengal: 1. Governance as a global agenda. 2. Governance and democracy. 3. Case of West Bengal's decentralisation and democracy. 4. Asia's most decentralised region? 5. A multi-cultural society. 6. Marxist approach to decentralisation. 7. History as a resource. 8. Decentralisation in West Bengal since 228 pp.

Hardcover. Condizione: New.

Hardcover. Condizione: New. Contents: Preface. Glossary of important terms used in the text. Historical period. Introduction. 1. The adoption of Hindu divinities in Japan. 2. Vaisravana, the heavenly king. 3. Laksmi, the Goddess of fortune. 4. Sarasvati, the Goddess of learning. 5. Yama, the Lord of death. 6. Mahakala, the great black deity. 7. Hariti, the protectress of children. 8. Indra, the king of heaven. 9. Ganapati, the elephant-head God. 10. Joint worship of the four heavenly kings. 11. Marici, the deity of rays. 12. Varuna, the God of waters. 13. Isana, the destroyer. 14. Brahma, the creator. 15. Prthivi, the earth deity. 16. Agni, the fire God. 17. Raksasa, the demon God. 18. Aditya, the sun God. 19. Candra, the moon God. 20. Vayu, the wind God. 21. Garuda, the divine bird. 22. Visnu, the Lord of universe. 23. Dakini, the demi-Goddess. Chinese characters of Japanese and Chinese expressions. Index. Buddhism introduced many Hindu Gods and Goddesses to the Japanese. The rulers were the first to be attracted to them. Historical records show that they earnestly believed in the miracles of these divinities promised in the sutras. Many miracle stories started appearing in popular literature as the divinities percolated down to the masses. The resulting naturalisation process in the case of some divinities went to the extent that they became an integral part of the native Shinto pantheon. Their popularity remains unabated even today. The Tantric Buddhist sects also played a vital role in propagating the divinities. They regularly worshipped the divinities in their temples where people thronged in large numbers. Many steps in these ceremonies, for instance, the homa ritual, are very familiar to the present-day Hindus. The monks have also produced a considerable volume of religious literature related to these divinities. Descriptions of many divinities show that they have not changed substantially over centuries. A study of these writings also shows that a large volume of Hindu myths and legends related to these deities were transmitted to Japan. These writings are also a testimony to the way the ancestors of the present-day Hindus thought about these deities, say, around the eighth or ninth century of the Christian era." (jacket).

Hardcover. Condizione: As New. Contents: Preface. I. Introduction: 1. Objectives and scope of this book: i). Goals of this study. ii). Mytholiminal rationality and supernaturalism. iii). The semiotics of supernaturalism. iv). Prophetism and transcultural supernaturalism. v). Organization of this book. 2. Religion, magic and supernaturalism: i). The Roman-Latin concept of Religio. ii). Definitions of religion. iii). Disciplinary domains in the study of religion. iv). Explanation and interpretation in the study of supernaturalism. v). The future of supernaturalism. II. Theories of supernaturalism: 3. Psychological theories of supernaturalism: i). Projection, anthropomorphism and supernaturalism. ii). The primitive mind and supernaturalism. iii). Projection, neurosis and the quest for protection. iv). Psychosocial theories of supernaturalism. 4. Sociological theories of supernaturalism: i). The social function of supernaturalism. ii). Theophagy and tribal identity. iii). Apotheosis and the worship of society. iv). Sociological racism. v). Social structure and supernaturalism. vi). Historical materialism and supernaturalism. 5. Ecological theories of supernaturalism: i). Culture and environment. ii). Cannibalism, the sacred cow and the polluted pig. iii). The sacred pig. iv). The quest for an ecological millennium. 6. Symbological theories of supernaturalism: i). Phenomenological and hermeneutic studies of supernaturalism. ii). Supernatural symbols and economic action. iii). Supernatural symbols and self-integration. iv). Supernatural symbols and cultural coherence. v). Supernatural symbols of Cosmos. vi). Symbols of supernatural autonomy. vii). Sacred symbols of supernaturalism. viii). Symbols of the liminal self. ix). The supernatural boundaries of self. III. Supernaturalism in myth and ritual: 7. Mythic beliefs and narratives of supernaturalism: i). Myth, mythic beliefs, mythic narratives and mythology. ii). The study of mythic narratives. iii). Mythic narratives of creation. iv). Mythic narratives of after-life. 8. Mythic symbols of supernatural powers and supernatural beings: i). The distinction between supernatural powers and supernatural beings. ii). Mythical symbols of supernatural power. iii). Mythic symbols of supernatural beings. iv). Mythic symbols of Goddesses. v). The conceptual category of the Mother Goddess in a South Indian village. vi). Totems and Guardian spirits. 9. Ritual communication with supernatural beings and ritual acquisition of supernatural power: i). The nature of ritual. ii). The mythology of rituals. iii). Ritual and liminality. iv). The universality of ritual inversion. v). Ritual inversions in North American Indian Societies. vi). Ritual inversion and supernaturalism. 10. Supernaturalism and the rituals of identity-transformation and social integration: i). Supernaturalization of identity-transformation. ii). Supernaturalization of male solidarity. iii). Supernaturalization of the body. iv). Supernaturalization of death. v). Supernaturalization of social solidarity. 11. Supernaturalism and the rituals of witchcraft, divination and healing: i). Supernatural worldview of witchcraft, divination and healing. ii). Rituals of divination: supernaturalization of knowledge. iii). Rituals of witchcraft and sorcery: Supernaturalization of causation. iv). Healing rituals: supernaturalization of health. IV. Icons of supernaturalism and the semiotics of prophetism: 12. Iconic integration of supernaturalism and cultural themes: i). Supernaturalism and iconicity. ii). Iconicity and prophetism. iii). Cultural icons of Hindu supernaturalism. iv). Cultural icons of Islamic supernaturalism. v). Cultural icons of Catholic supernaturalism. 13. Shamans, priests and prophets: i). The professionalization of supernatural mediation. ii). Discourse on the Shaman and Shamanism. iii). The typological characteristics of Shamans and Shamanism. iv). Shamanism in the Hindu tradition. v). The "Celestial journey" of the Shaman. vi). Priesthood and social hierarch.

Hardcover. Condizione: New. Contents Preface. Introduction. 1. The Rgveda Gods of sky and air. 2. The Rgveda Gods of earth demons and dead. 3. The mythology of the Brahmanas. 4. The great Gods of the epic. 5. Minor epic deities and the dead. 6. The mythology of the Puranas. 7. Buddhist mythology in India and Tibet. 8. The mythology of the Jains. 9. The mythology of modern Hinduism. Notes. Bibliography. The mythology of India claims unique interest by virtue of its unparalleled length of life. It is true that not even the discoveries at Boghaz Kyoi render it prudent for us to place the Rgveda at an earlier period than 1500 B.C. and in part at least that collection may come from three centuries later so that as contrasted with the dates of Egyptian and Babylonian records the earliest monument of Aryan mythology is comparatively recent. In mass of content and in value for mythology however these cannot compare with the Rgveda. Of still more importance is the fact that from the period of the Rgveda to the present day a space of some thirty five hundred years we have a mythology which is in constant but organic development. In India though foreign invasion has often swept over the north west of the land though Islam has annexed souls as well as territories though Christianity (especially in the south) has contributed elements to the faith of the people still it remains true that the religion and the mythology of the land are genuinely their own and for this reason have in themselves the constant potency of fresh growth. Moreover amidst the ceaseless change which is the heritage of human things there is relative stability in the simpler thoughts of the human mind and as in many parts of India the peasant still labours with the implements and in the mode of his ancestors in periods far remote so his mind frames the same hypotheses to account for those phenomena of nature which in India more than elsewhere determine irrevocably his weal or his woe. The rich variety of the mythology despite its attraction for the student of the history of myths renders the task of concise exposition one of peculiar difficulty. For the mythology of the present day available material is enormous each part of the vast area of India has its own abundant store of myth and tradition and to give detail for this period would be impossible. The same consideration applies with but slightly lessened force for the earlier epochs the Veda the epics the Puranas the literature of the Buddhists and of the Jains each present data in lavish abundance. It has been necessary therefore to circumscribe narrowly the scope of the subject by restricting the treatment to that mythology which stands in close connexion with religion and which conveys to us a conception of the manner in which the Indian pictured to himself the origin of the world and of life the destiny of the universe and of the souls of man the Gods and the evil spirits who supported or menaced his existence. Gods and demons were very present to the mind of the Indian then as they are today and they are inextricably involved in innumerable stories of folk lore of fairy tale and of speculation as to the origin of institutions and customs. 347 pp.

Hardcover. Condizione: New. Contents: Note. 1. Shambhala, The Resplendent (Talai-Pho-Brang, 1928). 2. Treasure of the snows (Talai-Pho-Brang, 1928). 3. Buddhism in Tibet (Kampa Dzong, 1928). 4. Tibetan art (Shekar Dzong, 1928). 5. The Veils of death (Nagchu, 1927). 6. Obsession (Ulan Bator Khoto, 1927). 7. Chingiz-Khan (A Song). 8. Lakshmi, the Victorious. 9. The boundaries of the kingdom. 10. Hidden treasures. 11. Jalnik, the site of compassion. 12. Gayatri. 13. Dreams. 14. The desert cities. 15. Lyut, the giant. 16. Star of the mother of the world (Talai-Pho-Brang, 1924). 17. Praise to the enemies (Kashmir, 1925). 18. A letter (Ulan Bator Khoto, January, 1927). 19. Urusvati (Naggar, 1929). 20. Son of the King (Altai, 1926). 21. Subterranean dwellers (Tangoo, 1928). 22. Light in the desert (Gantok, 1928). 23. Gods of Kuluta (Naggar, 1929). 24. King Solomon (Talai-Pho-Brang, 1928). 25. The great mother (Talai-Pho-Brang, 1928). 26. Joy of creation (New York, 1929). 27. Guru the teacher. "For some, Shambhala is the truth; for others Shambhala is an Utopia. For some, the Lord of Shambhala is a Sage; for others the Lord of Shambhala is the manifestation of abundance. For some, the Lord of Shambhala is an adorned idol; for others the Lord of Shambhala is the guide of all planetary spirits. But we shall say the Lord of Shambhala is a Fiery Mover of Life and of the Fire of the Mother of the World. His breath glows with flame and his heart burns with the fire of the Silvery Lotus. The Lord of Shambhala lives and breathes in the heart of the Sun! All peoples know that the site of the holy men is on the mountains, upon the peaks. From the peaks comes revelation. In caves and upon the summits lived the Rishis. There where the rivers find their sources, where the eternal ice has preserved the purity of whirlwinds, where the dust of meteorites carries a purifying armour from the distant worlds, - there is the rising glow. Thither is directed the striving of the human spirit. In their very difficulty the mountain paths attract one. There the unexpected occurs. There the people s thought moves towards the ultimate. There each pass promises an unprecedented novelty, gives promise of the hewing of new facets of tremendous outline. Over the snowy peaks of the Himalayas burns a bright glow, brighter than stars and the fantastic flashes of lightning. Who has kindled those pillars of light, which march across the heavens? The polar and mid-night regions are not near. The northern lights cannot glimmer in the Himalayas. Not from the Northern scintillations are these pillars of light. They come from Shambhala; from the Tower of the Great Coming One.".

Hardcover. Condizione: As New. Contents: I. Introduction. II. Symbolic analysis of religious architecture. III. Indianization in Southeast Asia: lineage one: 1. Religious foundations. 2. Architecture. 3. Java. 4. Cambodia. 5. Champa. IV. Burma : lineage two: 1. Thai Era. 2. The lineages of stupa forms. V. The philosophical Indianization of Northeast Asia : the third lineage: 1. China. 2. Korea. 3. Japan. 4. Tibet. 5. Mongolia. 6. The Tibetan stupa. Bibliography. "This work seeks to explore the development of East Asian architecture based upon its borrowings from the Indian stupa. While most scholars agree that some features of East Asian religious architecture have been strongly influenced by the symbolic architecture of the stupa, this study specifically seeks to identify three distinct architectural "lineages" originating from India to East Asia. These lineages were inspired by the work of Liang Ssu-Ch eng who first identified several "families" of pagoda structures in Mainland China in the early part of the 20 century. However, here we extend our search to all the nations that have employed the stupa architecture outside India (and Nepal). These other lineages have been identified through careful analysis in archaeological, anthropological, historical, and religious studies. The first of these lineages extends through Indo-China and Indonesia. The second lineage is mainly found extending through Burma. Both lineages, one and two, meet together in later Thai architecture. The third lineage extends across Central Asia to the shores and nations of Far East Asia, such as Japan, Korea and China. As all the lineages are demonstrated to be imbued and propagated by the sacred and ancient symbolism of India, each chapter examines the history of Indian thought as it was introduced into a region and then discusses the features of the most well known structures of that region." (jacket).

Hardcover. Condizione: New. Contents: Preface. I. Introduction: 1. Folkloric background. 2. Historical background. 3. Traditional uses. 4. Current status. II. Cultivation: 1. Occurrence and distribution. 2. Cultivation of ginger. 3. Protection of plant from pests and fungal diseases. 4. Storage. 5. Processing of rhizomes. 6. Varieties of dried ginger. 7. Types of commercial ginger. III.Identification: 1. Vernacular names. 2. Description. 3. Pharmacognostic characteristics. 4. Properties. 5. General tests for identification. 6. Adulterants. IV. Medicinal uses: 1. Parts used. 2. Medicinal uses. 3. Ayurvedic properties. 4. Ayurvedic uses. 5. Homeopathic uses. 6. Unani uses. 7. Tribal uses. 8. Veterinary uses. 9. Recommended dosages. 10. Side effects and toxicity. 11. Precautions. V. Home remedies and other uses: 1. Home remedies. 2. Other uses. VI. Pharmacological actions: 1. Pharmacological actions. 2. Combination drugs. VII. Phytochemistry: 1. Phytochemical constituents. 2. Synthesis of Gingerols and related compounds. 3. Biogenesis of Gingerols and the Diarylheptanones. 4. Structure pungency relationship. VIII. Bibliography: 1. Books and monographs. 2. Journals. IX. Appendix: 1. Selected patents. 2. Contents of patents. 3. Glossary of medical terms. 4. Index (for the text). "Ginger, valued as a spice since antiquity has been used through ages in almost all systems of medicine against many a maladies. It is now accepted as a drug of choice for nausea and vomiting even in severe pregnancy related morning sickness. A natural pain reliever and an anti-inflammatory agent, ginger 170 pp.

Hardcover. Condizione: New. Dust Jacket Included. Dedication. Acknowledgements. List of tables. List of figures. 1. Introduction. 2. Aspects of pilgrimage. 3. The city and Empire of Vijayanagara. 4. South Indian temples. 5. Vijayanagara inscriptions as history and archaeology. 6. Spatial organization of temples and pilgrimage. 7. Food production and social relations. 8. Conclusion. References. Appendix: Grinding stone and ceramic data."Pilgrimage is deeply rooted in human spirituality and charged with emotional and symbolic meanings, yet its economic, social, and political consequences have been little studied. In this book Alexandra Mack explores these themes with an archaeological perspective focused on Vijayanagara. The city, which served as the capital of an empire that dominated South India from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries, had ritual connections for centuries before the city was established, and several large Hindu temple complexes were constructed during the imperial period. Mack argues that pilgrimage reinforces feelings of group identity while at the same time preserving existing social boundaries. Multiple lines of evidence, including literary texts, ethnographic data, inscriptions from the temples, maps of Vijayanagara, and ceramic and grinding stone data create a holistic perspective of both the material and experiential aspects of pilgrimage." (jacket)[Alexandra Mack received her PhD. In Anthropology (Archaeology Subdiscipline) from Arizona State University, Tempe. She has traveled throughout India and spent several seasons on site at Vijayanagara. She currently resides in Massachusetts.] 227 pp.

Hardcover. Condizione: As New. Reprint. First published in 1931-1933 in 3 single volumes "The Journal of the Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute (U.J.) represents the multi-layered perceptions of the Roerichs, who sought new integration of cultural patterns and scientific frontiers in ever- expanding horizons. "Every volume contains a contribution on archaeology as a science to reveal how nations became powerful and why they fell. They are a lesson for the governments of today who "must act upon them" (Sir Flinders Petrie, UJ.1.11). The art of excavation by Count du Buisson (UJ.1.13) links the art of archaeology with the technique of medicine: for all scientific methods are observing facts, experimentation, and manifestation.His excavations at Qatna show the guiding principles, methodology and discoveries of excavation. The second volume of the Journal carries a report of the important discoveries in Indian archaeology at Taxila, Mohenjo-daro, Stein explorations in Baluchistan and Waziristan, and so on. The third volume relates some outstanding discoveries in Baluchistan, Taxila, Mohenjo-daro, Sarnath, Nalanda, Paharpur, Nagarjunakonda, Pagan and Afghanistan. They have changed the historiography of India and today they bring back the thrill of discovery as we read them seventy years after their reportage in this Journal in 1933. George Roerich (1.27f) himself writes on the problems of Tibetan archaeology and the several desiderata in this terra incognita in his day. In the second volume the diary of the 1931 expedition to Western Tibet of Dr. W.N. Koelz is vivid account of the region in its prime simplicity." 534 pp.

Hardcover. Condizione: As New. Contents: Preface. Introduction. 1. The Derge Kanjur and Tanjur. 2. Places where the Derge Kanjur and/or the Tanjur can be found (A synopsis). 3. Synoptic tables of the Derge Kanjur and Tanjur in the possession of the Library of the Oriental Institute in Prague. 4. The Derge Kanjur and Tanjur: select bibliography. I. Texts of the legends: 1. The Kanjur. 2. The Tanjur. 3. Index-volumes. II. Illustrations: 1. The Kanjur. 2. The Tanjur. 3. Index-volumes. Index of names. "The Iconography of the Derge Kanjur and Tanjur reproduces 648 illustrations from the Derge edition of the Tibetan Canon, and carries an introduction by Prof. Josef Kolmas of the Oriental Institute of Prague (Czech Republic). The illustrations are of the same size as the originals and have been photographed by a specialist Mr. Frantisek Petivoky. Derge was a first rate center of spiritual life and learning from the 18 century. It was renowned for the skill of its carvers, artists and printers. The carving of the Derge Canon began in 1729 and was completed by 1744. This rich pantheon pictures Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Tantric deities, Arhats or Apostles, great gurus, outstanding figures in Indian and Tibetan history as well as Buddhist philosophers and masters. It helps us to enlarge the horizons of the iconographic analysis of Buddhism. Prof. Kolmas presents in this volume an impressive array of xylographed sketches of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in their serenity, Gods and Goddesses in their charm, teachers and historic personages who appear in the 316 volumes of the Tibetan Canon xylographed at Derge. They open up new avenues of research. Conscious of their distinctive value, Prof. Kolmas has applied scientific acumen and meticulous care to the work which is new for historians of art. Herein are a few hundred illustrations which are not to be seen in published pantheons. The versified legends under each illustration have been deciphered, and the historic content of the Derge Canon has been clarified. It provides a new and rich source for historians of Buddhist art and will be an impressive aid to identify the deities on painted scrolls. As the world comes to admire and appreciate the eloquent art heritage of Tibet, this basic work will be of interest and aid to students and amateurs of the rich partrimony of the sacred art of Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan and of other Lamaist regions." (jacket) Prof. Lokesh Chandra is a renowned scholar of Tibetan, Mongolian and Sino-Japanese Buddhism. He has over 360 works and text editions. His books include Buddhist Iconography of Tibet, Dictionary of Buddhist Iconography, Mudras in Japan and Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary. Presently he is Director, International Academy of Indian Culture, New Delhi.

Hardcover. Condizione: New. Mudras in Japan by Lokesh Chandra and his late wife Sharada Rani is a collection of symbolic hand postures used in the rituals of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism of the Shingon denomination. The mudras have been an integral part of Buddhist iconography as well as of ritual. In Tantric rituals, the recitation of a mantra was accompanied by a mudra, and a ritual action. In the Mahavairocana sutra mudras are vital constituents of worship and meditation. Japan has the earliest manuscript of the mudras. The most ancient scroll is from the pen of Subhakarasimha of Nalanda, who lived from 637 to 735. The copy at the Onjoji monastery is dated 855. Another manuscript dated 864 has mudras of the susiddhi-tantra.