Study of classical Hindu legal texts.

Eminent scholaars of Indian Liguistics have offered insightful articles in honor of Prof. George Cardona, a luminary in the field of Indo-European, Indo-Aryan, and Paninian Studies for the past four decades. Besides Cardona`s bibliography, the volume contains 23 papers in the following areas: 1. Sanskrit Grammatical Theory; 2. Karaka Studies; 3. Historical Studies in Grammatical Traditions; 4. Lexical Studies; 5. Studies in Culture; 6. Modern Indian Languages. This volume represents cutting-edge research in the field of Indian Linguistic and Culture.

In course of his studies in Sanskrit literature and research relating to various aspects of it, the author of the present work often felt the need of a vade mecum containing brief accounts of authors and works, information about the principal characters of Sanskrit plays, poems and prose works, the meaning of certain technical terms in common use, the common geographical names and the notable myths and legends. A Companion to Sanskrit Literature, the first work of its kind, covers a period of nearly 3500 years from the Vedic age down to the modern times. It seeks to acquaint the reader, within a brief compass, with the contents of outstanding works and authors in Sanskrit literature, followed by up-to-date bibliographies. Brief accounts of the important character in well-known poems, dramas and prose works have also been given. Important geographical names, with their modern identification as far as practicable, have also been laid down. Common technical terms, used in the different branches of Sanskrit literature, have been briefly explained, Prominent figures in myths and legends have been dealt with. In a number of appendices, various kinds of useful information about Sanskrit literature including sciences, sports and pastimes, etc. in ancient and medieval India have been set forth. It is an indispensable vade mecum for the general readers, the specialists and researchers. It is like a capsule taking the reader through the vast firmament of Sanskrit literature up to remote ages. -- Amazon.com.

The book is the first attempt to present within a sho~ compass, a systematic account of Dharma¬~astra comprising both original Smçti works and digests written in different regions of India. It de¬scribes the contents of the above works under the principal heads. viz. Acära (conduct and custom), PRAYASSCITTA (expiation). Vyavahara (secular law) and Rãjadhaflhla (politiCS and statecraft). The chapter Ofl Ethics deals with the eternal values of life, which will help the reconstruction of the present Indian societY passing through a crisis of values. In the chapter on Society, reflected in Dharmasastra, the reader will have an idea of ancient Indians about untouchabjlltY dalits slave~ women Sati daha euthanasia elements of socialism, etc. The book is a must for all those who are interested in Indian sociology.

This is the first scholarly book devoted to the study of the term dharma with in the broad scope of Indian cultural and religious history. Most generalizations about Indian culture and religion upon close scrutiny turn out to be inaccurate. An exception undoubtedly is the term dharma. This term and the notions underlying it clearly constitute the most central feature of Indian civilization down the centuries, irrespective of linguistic, sectarian, or regional differences. The nineteen papers included in this collection deal with many significant historical manifestations of the term dharma. These studies by some of the leading scholars in the respective fields will both present a more nuanced picture of the semantic history of dharma by putting contours onto the flat landscape we have inherited and spur further studies of this concept so central for understanding the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent.

The Āpaddharmaparvan, 'the book on conduct in times of distress', is an important section of the great Sanskrit epic the Mahābhārata which, despite its significance for Mahābhārata studies and for the history of Indian social and political thought, has received little attention in scholarly literature. This book places the Āpaddharmaparvan within its literary and ideological contexts. In so doing it explores the development of a conception of brahmanic kingship morally justifiable within the terms of a debate largely set by various alternative social movements of the period. This book further explores the implications for our understanding of the Mahābhārata that follow from the Āpaddharmaparvan's presentation as a poetically cohesive unit within itself and within the wider parameters of the Mahābhārata.