Hanuman

Hanuman
Author: M. Venkataraman
Publisher: Venkataraman M
Total Pages: 73
Release: 2022-05-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Hanuman is a well-known god in Hinduism. He is known as a monkey-god, and can be seen in temples throughout India. He is depicted in various forms. In some temples his image is set up alone standing with a mace in his hand. In some other places, he is seen with folded hands. In some other temples he is depicted sitting in a devotional posture before the images of Rama and Sita. He is the greatest devotee of Rama. Rama loves him the most. He is the god of power and strength. He remained a celibate and is stated to be an immortal. It is believed that he is present wherever the story of Rama is recited or spoken. This book contains some of the stories connected to him.

A Brief Summary of the Yajurveda Brahma Yagnam

A Brief Summary of the Yajurveda Brahma Yagnam
Author: M. Venkataraman
Publisher: Venkataraman M
Total Pages: 65
Release: 2022-06-20
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN:

Brahma Yagnam is one of the important daily rituals to be performed by those following the Sanatana Dharma particularly those belonging to the brahmin community. It is a very simple process and would involve approximately 10 to 15 minutes daily. As is well known, the Vedas have been classified into four groups by Sage Veda Vyasa as Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharvana Veda. Hinduism prescribes the learning, preserving and propagation of the Vedas particularly by the brahmin community. So, everyday after the Sandhyavandana in the afternoon, the learning process of the Vedas is required to be done. As a prelude to this process, the first mantra from each of the four Vedas is recited. While doing so, other important deities are worshipped in brief and tarpana, which may be called as oblations in English, is given to the Devas, Rishis and Pitrus. This is the Brahma Yagnam. A brief summary of the various mantras contained in Brahma Yagnam relating to the Yajurveda followers is given in this book along with the mantras. There is also an addendum consisting of the Sandhyavandhanam mantras.

The Bhagawat Gita

The Bhagawat Gita
Author: M. Venkataraman
Publisher: Venkataraman M
Total Pages: 88
Release: 2022-05-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

The Bhagavat Gita is one of the main religious literature in the Hindu way of life. It contains about 700 verses divided into 18 cantos. It is the essence of the philosophy contained in the Upanishads and is a part of the Mahabharata which describes the story of the Pandavas and the Kouravas. The development of the various incidents in the life of the Pandavas and the Kouravas ultimately leads to the war in Kurukshetra wherein the Pandavas finally win the battle. When Arjuna, the great warrior of the Pandava brothers sees the Kourava army in the battlefield, he is overwhelmed with concern because they are all his kinsmen. He gets terrified. Not because of fear of battle but because of emotions. Krishna who is the incarnation of the Almighty God was acting as his charioteer. Arjuna tells Krishna, ‘My limbs give way. My mouth is getting parched. I feel shaky. My bow slips from my hand. My skin burns all over. My mind is whirling as though I cannot hold on to myself. I see evil portends.’ A conversation ensues between Krishna and Arjuna and this conversation is the Bhagawat Gita. This book contains a brief synopsis of the Bhagawat Gita. The author has also published an audio book in three parts which is available with the audio booksellers.

GANESHA

GANESHA
Author: M. Venkataraman
Publisher: Venkataraman M
Total Pages: 75
Release: 2022-04-25
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN:

Ganesha is a cute little god of Hinduism. He has an elephant face and a pot belly. His vehicle is a mouse. He likes a sweet known as Modakam. There are a number of interesting stories about this god. This book gives a few of these stories. Children, in particular, will love and enjoy these stories. Read and enjoy.

ALWARS

ALWARS
Author: M. Venkataraman
Publisher: Venkataraman M
Total Pages: 56
Release: 2022-05-31
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

The Alwars are a group of twelve ancient Vaishnava saints who lived in Tamil Nadu in the eighth and ninth centuries. They are famous for their poetry in praise of Lord Vishnu. The collection of their 4000 poems is known as the ‘Naalaayira Divya Prabhandam’. Among the Alwars, the first in the line up is Poigai Alwar, Bhudat Alwar and Pei Alwar. They are collectively called as "Mudhal Alwars" (the first Alwars) and belong to the same period of time. The other Alwars are Perialwar, Andal, Nammalwar, Madhura kavi Alwar, Tirumazhisai Alwar, Thondaridipodi Alwar, Tirumangai Alwar, Tiruppan Alwar and Kulasekara Alwar. This book gives a brief account of these twelve great saints.

The Anthropology of the Future

The Anthropology of the Future
Author: Rebecca Bryant
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2019-03-28
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1108386342

Study of the future is an important new field in anthropology. Building on a philosophical tradition running from Aristotle through Heidegger to Schatzki, this book presents the concept of 'orientations' as a way to study everyday life. It analyses six main orientations - anticipation, expectation, speculation, potentiality, hope, and destiny - which represent different ways in which the future may affect our present. While orientations entail planning towards and imagining the future, they also often involve the collapse or exhaustion of those efforts: moments where hope may turn to apathy, frustrated planning to disillusion, and imagination to fatigue. By examining these orientations at different points, the authors argue for an anthropology that takes fuller account of the teleologies of action.

A few gods and goddesses of Hinduism

A few gods and goddesses of Hinduism
Author: M. Venkataraman
Publisher: Venkataraman M
Total Pages: 88
Release: 2022-06-03
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN:

The foundations of Hinduism are the eternal and supersensuous truths discovered by ancient Indian sages. These revealed Divine Truths are called the Vedas. According to the teachings of the Vedas, God is the One without a second — the absolute, formless, and only Reality. God is referred to as Brahman, the Supreme Universal Soul. It is said in the Vedas that by His mere will, Brahman manifests Himself as this universe. Hence, creation, preservation and dissolution of this world are the three aspects of God. These three basic aspects of God are represented by the Trinity called as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. There are also other deities in Hinduism to personify the various other endless powers and aspects of God. These are the gods and goddesses of Hinduism. A brief idea about a few important gods and goddesses of Hinduism are given in this book.

Utopia

Utopia
Author: Keith McNair
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Total Pages: 550
Release: 2012-03-16
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1469154676

Robert Digby, a young engineer, manages a factory manufacturing robots. Searching for a higher level of artificial intelligence he meets Carla Rossi who has care of four illegally cloned human brains. The pair save the brains from destruction and equip them with robot bodies. The free brains have no organs for sight hearing or speech and develop communications with each other and with Carla by mental telepathy. Robert and Carla adapt or invent mechanical and electronic systems to provide the free brains for a semblance of human life. It all has to be done in secret. In the process, advances in medical science including the replication of human organs to repair or replace failing natural organs result. One of the four cloned brains bears the genes that produce autism. Another has a penchant for speaking in rhyme a third becomes an accomplished pianist and guitar player. The fourth, Utopia, is a universally loved and vivacious adolescent girl growing up in unnatural circumstances as a fashion model.

A Brief Summary of John Keat’s ‘Ode to a Nightingale’

A Brief Summary of John Keat’s ‘Ode to a Nightingale’
Author: M. Venkataraman
Publisher: Venkataraman M
Total Pages: 24
Release: 2022-06-20
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN:

The "Ode to a Nightingale" is one of the beautiful poems of John Keats. One day in a forest area the poet hears a beautiful song of the nightingale bird. This provokes him to ponder over the matters relating to human mortality, the nature of the world, human sufferings etc. The poem explores the relationship between two different types of life. On the one hand, there is the human life. It is filled with sorrow. On the other hand, there is nature represented by the nightingale. The opposition between two different types of life is outlined from the very beginning of the poem. The poet perceives the song of the bird as a kind of eternal perfection, a beauty created by nature that humankind, for all its efforts and strife, struggles to match. It appears as though the poem seeks to question whether nature—represented by the nightingale and its song—represents a kind of beauty greater than anything that humans can make, a beauty that is more pure and eternal. The poet weighs up the possible beauty of poetry against the overwhelming natural beauty of the nightingale’s song but could not find a satisfactory answer.

Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood

Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood
Author: William Wordsworth
Publisher: Venkataraman M
Total Pages: 30
Release: 2022-06-18
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN:

William Wordsworth is one of the greatest poets of English Literature. This poem 'Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood' is often considered as one of Wordsworth's greatest masterpieces. Here, he explores some of the themes that always inspired him, namely his childhood, the memories, the beauties of nature, and the human soul. · In this book, the author has analysed the poem and given an annotation with relevant quotations from the original text. · The main poem has also been given.