Best Books on Hinduism (Grapevine edition)

Autobiography of a Yogi; The Song Celestial; Or Bhagavad-Gîtâ (from the Mahâbhârata); The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: The Book of the Spiritual Man; The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya; Autobiography of a Yogi is both a masterfully written memoir of a remarkable life and an insightful introduction to the age-old practise of yoga and meditation. The author lucidly discusses the subtle but definite laws that underlie both the commonplace occurrences of daily life and the spectacular occurrences known as miracles. So his fascinating life narrative serves as the backdrop for an insightful and compelling examination of the greatest riddles of human existence. The Song Celestial also known as Bhagavad-Gita (from the Mahabharata) is a dialogue between Arjuna the Indian prince and Krishna the Ultimate Being. By Sir Edwin Arnold from the Sanskrit Text We made an attempt to contribute to the preservation and repair of genuine great literature and the result is this book. A new translation of Patanjalis Yoga Sutras that includes exact commentary and word-for-word explanations. New understanding of the more complex forms of kriya yoga raja yoga and meditation. - a present from a renowned yogin. According to Hindu beliefs the learner cannot do much more than memorise the sacred scriptures without the aid of a number of additional works that belong to the Brahmans sacred literature in the strict sense of the word i.e. the Veda. All Vedic texts must initially be read along with running commentary in order to be comprehended such as Sâyanas commentaries on the Samhitâs and Brâhmanas and the Bhâshyas attributed to Sankara on the main Upanishads. But since they only explain the meaning of each isolated section without examining how it relates to other passages these commentaries do not by themselves contribute to a thorough grasp of the contents of the sacred scriptures.