Ramayana The Ramayana (Sanskrit: रामायणम्।, Rāmāyaṇam, pronounced [rɑːˈmɑːjəɳəm]) is one of the great Hindu epics. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu literature (smṛti), considered to be itihāasa.[1] The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of Hinduism, the other being the Mahabharata.[2] It depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal father, the ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife, and the ideal king. The name Ramayana is a tatpurusha compound of Rāma and ayana ("going, advancing"), translating to "Rama's Journey". The Ramayana consists of 24,000 verses in seven books (kāṇḍas) and 500 cantos (sargas),[3] and tells the story of Rama (an avatar of the Hindu supreme-god Vishnu), whose wife Sita is abducted by Ravana, the king of Lanka (current day Sri Lanka). Thematically, the Ramayana explores human values and the concept of dharma.[4] Textual history and structure[edit] Period[edit] Characters[edit]
Bhagavad Gita Major Hindu Scripture The Bhagavad Gita (; Sanskrit: भगवद्गीता, lit. '"God's Song"', IAST: bhagavad-gītā[a]), often referred to as the Gita (IAST: gītā), is a 700-verse Hindu scripture, which is part of the epic Mahabharata. It forms the chapters 23–40 of book 6 of the Mahabharata called the Bhishma Parva. The work is dated to the second half of the first millennium BCE.[2] The Bhagavad Gita is set in a narrative framework of dialogue between the Pandava prince Arjuna and his charioteer guide Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu. Per Hindu mythology, the Bhagavad Gita was written by the god Ganesha, as told to him by the sage Veda Vyasa. Etymology[edit] The gita in the title of the Bhagavad Gita means "song of the god". In India, its Sanskrit name is often written as Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, श्रीमद् भगवद् गीता (the latter two words often written as a single word भगवद्गीता), where the Shrimad prefix is used to denote a high degree of respect. Date and authorship[edit] Date[edit] Authorship[edit] J. V.
Indian Literature: How Kalidas Reached Germany Kalidasa, the greatest poet of old India, became known in Europe in the last decade of the 18th century. At that time the English colonial rulers set up a centralised tax, law and administrative apparatus in the areas controlled by the East India Company which they had won since 1700 in their wars against the indian princes and against the French who had previously been in control. These areas covered more than half of all India, and all higher offices were occupied by Enghshmen.*2 Sir William Jones, a cultured man and representative of the enlightened bourgeoisie, took over the post of judge in the Supreme Court of Bengal in 1783. that old India had known the drama, the stage play. But in 1791, as the Jacobins-the revolutionary democrats-began to extend the revolution against the big landowners and the big bourgeoisie in France, Georg Forster, the Mainz Jacobin, produced his German prose translation of Jones’ English version of “Sakuntala”. “What more pleasant could man wish ? 2.
Rana Ayyub Indian journalist and writer We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away. Hi, reader in Canada, it seems you use Wikipedia a lot; that's great! Thank you! Rana Ayyub is an Indian journalist and writer.[1] She is the author of the investigative book Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up.[2][3] Background and family Rana Ayyub at TimesLit Fest 2016, New Delhi. Rana Ayyub was born in Mumbai, India. Career Rana's worked for Tehelka (lit. At Tehelka, Rana worked as an investigative journalist and her big assignment was to carry out the sting operation upon which her book Gujarat Files was based. The Gujarat sting operation As an investigative journalist working with Tehelka, Rana Ayyub took up a project to conduct a prolonged sting operation aimed at snaring politicians and government officials of Gujarat and get them to reveal any potential cover-ups regarding the Gujarat riots of 2002. The book Dispute with Tehelka Critical appreciation Ramachandra Guha has called Ayyub's Gujarat Files "a brave book
Dharmaśāstra Dharmaśāstra became influential in modern colonial India history, when they were formulated by early British colonial administrators to be the law of the land for all non-Muslims (Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs) in India, after Sharia was already accepted as the law for Muslims in colonial India.[12][13][14] History[edit] Copy of a royal land grant, recorded on copper plate, made by Chalukya King Tribhuvana Malla Deva in 1083 The Dharmashastras are based on ancient Dharmasūtras texts, which themselves emerged from the literary tradition of the Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva) composed in 2nd millennium BCE to the early centuries of the 1st millennium BCE. These Vedic branches split into various other schools (shakhas) possibly for a variety of reasons such as geography, specialization and disputes. The Dharmasutras[edit] The Dharmasutras were numerous, but only four texts have survived into the modern era. Style of composition[edit] Authorship and dates[edit] Excellence Ācāra[edit]
Vedas Ancient scriptures of Hinduism The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the Atharvaveda. The Vedas (,[4] IAST: veda, Sanskrit: वेदः, lit. 'knowledge') are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda.[8][9] Each Veda has four subdivisions – the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge).[8][10][11] Some scholars add a fifth category – the Upasanas (worship). The Vedas have been orally transmitted since the 2nd millennium BCE with the help of elaborate mnemonic techniques. Etymology and usage The Sanskrit word véda "knowledge, wisdom" is derived from the root vid- "to know". Vedas are called Maṛai or Vaymoli in parts of South India. Rigveda
Shakuntala - Wikipedia Shakuntala writes to Dushyanta, painting by Raja Ravi Varma. Shakuntala despondent, painting by Raja Ravi Varma. In Hinduism Shakuntala (Sanskrit: Śakuntalā) is the wife of Dushyanta and the mother of Emperor Bharat. Her story is told in the Mahabharata and dramatized by many writers, the most famous adaption being Kalidasa's play Abhijñānaśākuntala (The Sign of Shakuntala).[1] Etymology[edit] Rishi Kanva found her in forest as a baby surrounded by Shakunta birds (Sanskrit: शकुन्त, śakunta). In the Adi Parva of Mahabharata, Kanva says: She was surrounded in the solitude of the wilderness by śakuntas, therefore, hath she been named by me Shakuntala (Shakunta-protected). Legend[edit] King Dushyanta first encountered Shakuntala while travelling through the forest with his army. Shakuntala spent much time dreaming of her new husband and was often distracted by her daydreams. Variants[edit] Adaptations[edit] Theatre, literature and music[edit] Kalidasa[edit] Opera[edit] Ballet[edit] Other music[edit]
Karan Thapar Early life and education[edit] He is an alumnus of The Doon School in Dehradun and the Stowe School. While at Doon, Thapar was the Editor-in-chief of the school magazine The Doon School Weekly.[3] He graduated with a degree in Economics and Political Philosophy from Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1977. In the same year, he was also President of the Cambridge Union. He subsequently obtained a doctorate in International Relations from St Antony's College, Oxford. Career[edit] He began his career in journalism with The Times in Lagos, Nigeria and later worked as their Lead Writer on the Indian subcontinent till 1981. Thapar is noted for his aggressive interviews with leading politicians and celebrities.[6] A few of his shows which have been much watched are Eyewitness, Tonight at 10, In Focus with Karan, Line of Fire, War of Words Devil's Advocate and The Last Word.[5] He also writes for The Indian Express, a leading Indian daily, as a columnist. Recently,[when?] Awards and accolades[edit]
Mīmāṃsā Mīmāṃsā is a Sanskrit word that means "reflection" or "critical investigation".[1][2] Also known as Pūrva-Mīmānsā or Karma-Mīmānsā,[3]) it is one of six orthodox (astika) schools of Hinduism. The school is known for its philosophical theories on the nature of dharma, based on hermeneutics of the Vedas.[4] The Mīmāṃsā school was foundational and influential for the vedāntic schools, which were also known as Uttara-Mīmāṃsā. The differences were that the Mīmāṃsā school developed and emphasized karmakāṇḍa, or the study of ritual actions, using the four early Vedas, while the Vedānta schools developed and emphasized jñanakāṇḍa, the study of knowledge and spirituality, using the later parts of Vedas like the Upaniṣads.[4] Mīmāṃsā has several sub-schools, each defined by its epistemology. The Mīmāṃsā school is a form of philosophical realism.[12] A key text of the Mīmāṃsā school is the Mīmāṃsā Sūtra of Jaimini.[3][13] Terminology[edit] Mīmāṃsā scholars are referred to as Mīmāṃsākas. Anumana[edit]
Upanishads Ancient Sanskrit religious and philosophical texts of Hinduism The Upanishads (;[1] Sanskrit: उपनिषद् Upaniṣad [ˈʊpɐnɪʂɐd]) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts of religious teaching and ideas still revered in Hinduism.[2][3][note 1][note 2] They are the most recent part of the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, the Vedas, that deal with meditation, philosophy, and ontological knowledge; other parts of the Vedas deal with mantras, benedictions, rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices.[6][7][8] Among the most important literature in the history of Indian religions and culture, the Upanishads played an important role in the development of spiritual ideas in ancient India, marking a transition from Vedic ritualism to new ideas and institutions. Of all Vedic literature, the Upanishads alone are widely known, and their central ideas are at the spiritual core of Hinduism.[2][10] With the translation of the Upanishads in the early 19th century they also started to attract attention from a Western audience.