Preface The period commencing about the end of the 19th century till the end of the 20th century marked the 'golden era' of 'gharandaj/gharanedar khayal gayaki'(traditional 'khayal gayaki'). The south-west region of India which was then known as Bombay Presidency comprised of the princely states of Kolhapur, Sangli, Miraj Senior, Miraj Junior, Kurundwad Senior, Kurundwad Junior, Jamkhandi, Mudhol and Ramdurg. Only exceptional performers of outstanding caliber were appointed as 'darbar gayaks' (or 'state musicians') of these prestigious princely states. "Proudh Gandharva" Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav and his illustrious sons namely, "Gantapasvi" Pandit Baburao alias B.V. Jadhav, "Swara-Ratna" Pandit Rajaram alias Pandit R.V.Jadhav and "Ganrasila" Pandit Pandurang alias P.V. Jadhav, were reputed 'darbar gayaks' and distinguished direct disciples of "Sangeetratna" Ustad Abdul Karim Khan who pioneered the prolifi c 'Kirana gharana' 'khayal' vocal tradition of this golden era. They all gained individual recognition and fame and are still legendary. The visionary and benevolent ruler of the erstwhile Kolhapur State, Shrimant Chhatrapati Maharaja "Rajarshi" Shahu ("the "saintly king") honoured Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav by offi cially appointing him as the 'darbar gayak' of Kolhapur State. Later the enlightened ruler "Nalwadi" Maharaja Krishnaraj Wodaiyar of Mysore State bestowed upon Pandit Vishwnathbuwa Jadhav the coveted title "Proudh Gandhava" ('a seasoned mature celestial singer'). The virtuous ruler of Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Maharaja Rajaram-III accorded "Proudh Gandharva" and his acclaimed vocalist sons the sobriquet "The Gandharva Parivar of Karveer Nagar". ("The Family of Celestial Singers of Karveer Nagar") or Kolhapur. Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav was offi cially also instated as 'Rajgayak' ('principal state-musician' of Sangli State by Shrimant Rajasaheb Chintamanrao Dhundirajrao ('Appasaheb-II') Patwardhan of Sangli State. As 'darbar gayak' he also received the patronage of Shrimant Rajasaheb Ganpatrao Madhavrao ('Bapusaheb') Patwardhan of Kurundwad State. In appreciation of Panditji's lifetime contribution to 'Hindustani shastriya sangeet', Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav was duly felicitated in Delhi by the fi rst President of India-Dr. Rajendra Prasadji. The "Proudh Gandharva" legacy continued to be perpetuated by Pandit B. V. Jadhav, Pandit R.V. Jadhav, Pandit P.V. Jadhav and "Proudh Gandharva"-'s disciple and daughter-in-law Smt. Shakuntalaraje (née Patwardhan) Jadhav, all of whom were extraordinary performer-pedagogues of the 'Kirana gharandaj khayal gayaki' in their own rights. - A. R. Jadhav

This book, Geography of Mah?bh?rata, spans two volumes. It is the final part of the geochronological trilogy of ?gveda, R?m?ya?a and Mah?bh?rata, connecting them into a single whole like the pearls of a chain! It shows Hanumat, Para?u R?ma, and others mentioned in R?m?ya?a and Mah?bh?rata in a never-imagined new light! It details the geography and chronology of the P???ava Era and analyses the entire 1995 Adhy?yas and 18 Parvas of Mah?bh?rata without missing any events in the life of the P???avas! It covers the sub-narratives of Nala, S?vitr? and a short R?m?ya?a embedded into Mah?bh?rata! It has the realistic age of the P???avas, Bh??ma, Dro?a, Vy?sa, and others and solves numerous puzzles and riddles of Mah?bh?rata. At last, here was a scientist capable of penetrating this jungle of literary data! To the gods belongs the glory of this enlightening development, to Jijith the realisation of the insights involved, and to us, readers fall the fruit of his labour. – Dr Koenraad Elst, Indologist, Belgium. Jijith’s book represents a fresh wave of writing that revisits Bh?rat?ya epics through the lens of historicity. This is a welcome departure from the Orientalist treatment of relegating them to the status of “mythology”. - J. Sai Deepak Iyer, Author, India -Bharat Series; Sr Advocate - Supreme Court of India & High Court of Delhi. This book constitutes a laudable addition to our scholarly discourse, promising enduring reference value. I sincerely wish the author continued success in scholarly endeavours. - Dr Raj Vedam, Visiting Faculty, Hindu University of America, Houston, Texas, USA This book helps establish a credible chronology and is an essential foundation for more detailed future research on specific topics. - Vishal Agarwal, President, Hindu Heritage Foundation of America. Within Jijith's groundbreaking work, 'Geography of Mah?bh?rata,' lies a trove of untapped insights awaiting future scholars. This isn't merely a book; it's a reservoir of wisdom.- Ajay Chaturvedi, Founder KFN, HarVa; Author, The Lost Wisdom of Swastika. Jijith’s colossal work on this subject, presenting a unified Vedic-Aitih?sic geography and chronology in detail of ancient Bh?rat, is eye-opening. Hope this book reaches the masses. - Manoshi Sinha, Author & History Researcher.

Choosing A Name For Your Child Has Never Been Easier The Penguin Book Of Hindu Names Has Sold Over 50,000 Copies Since It Was Published Almost A Decade Ago. The Product Of Several Years Of Research, It Is An Exhaustive And User-Friendly Compilation, With Information On Sources And Usage. For The First Time, This Classic Work Is Available In A Two-Volume Set, Divided Into Names For Boys And Those For Girls, Making It More Accessible. Including Modern Names And Those Which Are Popular, The Penguin Book Of Hindu Names For Boys Serves As A Practical Guide For Choosing The Perfect Name For Your Son. It Is Also A Precise And Invaluable Sourcebook For Scholars And Lay Readers Alike Who Would Like To Know What Familiar (And Not So Familiar) Hindu Names Actually Mean.

Sanskrit classical epic translated into English.

Herein are 39 Kalmyk-Mongolian children’s fairy and folktales which are Mongolian in origin. Herein you wind stories like: The Saga Of The Well-And-Wise-Walking Khan The Woman Who Sought Her Husband In The Palace Of Erlik-Khan The Gold-Spitting Prince Five To One The Fortunes Of Shrikantha The Use Of Magic Language The Wife Who Loved Butter Bhîxu Life The Saga Of Ardschi-Bordschi And Vikramâditja’s Throne The Boy-King Schalû the Wolf-boy Vikramâditja acquires another Kingdom The Voice-charmer How Naran Gerel swore falsely and yet told the Truth ….plus many, many more. Kalmyk folklore, fairy tales, omens and sayings are a little-researched genre of folklore. Since early times the Kalmyk people, surveyed nature, animals, and the birds around them, from which they created tales, legends, myths, songs, proverbs, and sayings that are notable for their keen observation, which, over time, have been infused with a healthy dose of deep wisdom, which is highly complementary to their commonly held practise of Tengric Bhuddism, or Mongolian Buddhism. The Kalmyk people are members of the Oirat clan which is Mongolian in origin. The Kalmyks (also spelled Kalmouk) migrated 3,700km/2,300miles from the steppes of southern Siberia on the banks of the Irtysh River to the Lower Volga region, bordering on the northern Caspian sea, arriving in about 1630AD. The most compelling reason was to escape the growing dominance of the neighboring Dzungar Mongol tribe. Along the route of their migration, the Kalmyks would have met and mixed with pagans and shamans, the Jewish Khazars, Islam from the Alans and Nogais, and Christianity from the Russians and other Slavic tribes. As such their folklore and fairytales are interwoven with elements of all these cultures creating a rich and diverse tapestry of lore which is reflected in this volume. ============== KEYWORDS/TAGS: Kalmykian, Mongolian, folklore, fairytales, Ananda, ancient, ape, Ardschi-Bordschi, ARDSCHI, BORDSCHI, arrows, ass, barley-corns, beasts, beautiful, birdcatcher, bird, catcher, Bodhisattva, bones, Boy-king, Buddha, Buddhist, butter, capital, caravan, chief, children, children’s books, children’s stories, Churmusta, companions, cunning, dancing, demons, eight, endowed, enemy, feathers, fifteenth century, 15th C., free, friends, Gandharva, garuda-bird, Gerel, grandparents with children, gratitude, Hermit, honour, horse, India, jewel, Khan, Khanin, King, kingdom, Kun-dgah, Lama, lioness, love, magicians, magnanimous, maiden, majesty, mango tree, marry, Massang, Master, merchandize, merchandise, merchant, Minister, Moonshine, mother-o’-pearl, mothers to be, mothers with children, mountain, Nâgârg′una, Naran, Naran-Dâkinî, Naran Dâkinî, noble, oxen, palace, parents to be, parents with children, parrot, peace, possessed, Prince, Princess, Queen, reading to children, sacred, sacrifice, Schimnu, Schimnu Khan, Schimnus, Serpent, Serpent king, seventy-one, Shanggasba, Siddhi-kür, soothsayer, Ssaran, Sunshine, Suta, tales, talisman, Teacher, temple, thousand, throne, token, transform, treasure, Vikramâditja, water, Well-and-wise-walking, Well and wise walking, weep, wisdom, wise, wolves, wood-carver, wood carver, youth

In this exciting rendition of the renowned classic, Krishna Dharma retells this epic as a fast-paced novel, but fully retains the majestic mood of the original. As the divinely beautiful Draupadi rose from the fire, a voice rang out from the heavens foretelling a terrible destiny. “She will cause the destruction of countless warriors.” And so begins one of the most fabulous stories of all time. Mahabharata plunges readers into a wondrous and ancient world of romance and adventure. A powerful and moving tale, it recounts the history of the five heroic Pandava brothers and their celestial wife. Cheated of their kingdom and sent into exile by their envious cousins, they set off on a fascinating journey on which they encounter mystical sages, mighty kings, and a host of gods and demons. Profound spiritual themes underlie the enthralling narrative, making it one of the world’s most revered texts. Culminating in an apocalyptic war, Mahabharata is a masterpiece of suspense, intrigue, and illuminating wisdom.

This voluminous work, a store house of information about the Epics, Puranas and allied literature, was originally composed and published in Malayalam. It constituted the results of the author's devoted study and research extending over fourteen years. This English version of the same is to meet the growing demand of scholars interested in the study of Puranas. This stupendous work, in the form of an exhaustive descriptive index, covers the vast and varied field of ancient Indian culture in all aspects-history geography, religion, philosophy, myths, beliefs and practices as depicted in the Epics and Puranas. The work is planned on scientific lines. The material compiled is arranged systematically. Citations have been inserted in support of stated facts; at places they have been substituted by reference. Obsolete and obscure words, denoting objects such as a particular tree or plant have been explained by their scientific or vernacular equivalents. All modern critical apparatus has been utilized in the preparation of this comprehensive work.