Astavakragita is a unique text among the world's contemplative classics dealing systematically with the mystical experiences of the Self on its way to transcendence, peace and bliss. There are few ancient treatises in East or West which evince such profound and lively concern with the Supreme Self as the ultimate reality, embo-died in mystical insight and experience, and written with such spiritual imagination and poetic fervour. This book presents in twenty chapters the substance of Astavakra's teaching in respect to the Cosmic Self in the form of his dialogue with Janaka, the seer-king of Videha. The teaching is based on the Upanisadic creed of absolute monism (advaitavada) that identifies the Self with the nondual Ultimate Reality. But the contribution of Astavakra is also immense, for he has introduced the element of emotional experience or the mystical feeling as the means for realizing the non-dual nature of the Self. Written in a lucid style and dealing systematically with the subject matter, the book holds a unique position among the contemplative classics of the world.

Astavakragita (The Song of the Self Supreme) contains the Sanskrit text of Astavakragita (both in Nagari and Roman script), it' English translation, Exegesis and Glossarial Index. It presents in twenty chapters the substance of Astavakra's teaching in respect of the Cosmic Self in the form of his dialogue with Janaka, the seer-king of Videha. The teaching is based on the Upanisadic creed of Absolute monism (Advaitavada) that identifies the Self with the non-dual Ultimate Reality. But the contribution of Astavakra is also immense, for he has introduced the element of emotional experience or the mystical feeling as the means for realizing the non-dual nature of the Self. Written in a lucid style and dealing systematically with the subject matter, the book will hold a unique position among the contemplative classics of the world.

Authored by Maharishi Vyasa, this lucid dialogue between Rajarshi Janak and Astavakra systematically deals with mystical experiences of the spiritual reality. To all advanced students of meditation, Ashtavakra Geeta directly points out the way and the goal.

Gandhi's Tiger and Sita's Smile presents a collection of compelling essays which interrogate a variety of Indian texts and contexts along intersecting axes of gender, nation, and desire. The primary theme that weaves these varied essays together, written at different points of time with varying focal points of interest, is intertextuality. Vanita examines the way in which medieval texts speak to each other and draw on earlier canonical works, rewriting and transforming narrative in a spirit of respectful conversation. She also looks at modern texts, such as nineteenth-century poetry and twentieth-century fiction and cinema, as they converse with each other and with older texts. In doing so, she tries to explore how such pre-modern and modern texts are received in later periods or by other cultures in the same period. These captivating and intensely thought-provoking writings demonstrate the author's superb ability to turn the norm, whether Right-wing or Left-Wing, on its head, and find a fresh way to appreciate diversity and change, and the valuable dialogue they give rise to.

Wisdom was in abundance in the ancient societies of Greece and India, but today it seems to be in short supply. Why is that? Where did wisdom go? This book was written to help us rediscover that lost wisdom and to incorporate the concepts of the sages and the mystics into our lives. The next parts are some of the new manuscripts I have included which talk about some of the differences between eastern and western religious thought and the ideas of the Islamic mystics, in which their thoughts and ideas could help us all solve our problems with radical Islamic ideology.

This contemporary companion to the Bhagavad Gita addresses the heart of human yearning. T offers the possibility of transforming the battle of life into a path to Truth, a living process. Each chapter presents a road toward our inner, universal Self, bringing a deeper and wider perspective along the way. A psychological orientation invites the reader to move from abstract idea to individual insight. As the book proceeds, the relationship between the personal and the eternal gradually unfolds in an ever-expanding process of self-discovery. Quotes from the great teachers are included in the text to inspire, uplift and help us cross over the sea of illusion.

The book gives detailed knowledge about what meditation is and what it is not. It defines the fine nuances and intricacies of the art of meditation and points the reader to the true path of conscious evolution, building a higher self, awakening, self-awareness and self-analysis. It stresses the fact that meditation can lead to transmutation of the self; it can be a form of therapy or cleansing and ultimately leads to living a good life out of free will. The word cognitive meditation is used to explain in detail the cognitive abilities of nonself-awareness and their limitations. It further goes on to explain the perception achieved by self-awareness, or the I. The book has a separate section on meditation techniques and gives a point-by-point method, which can be followed to achieve success. A lot is explained about the obstacles faced during developing this meditation technique, and elaborate examples and solutions are explained to overcome the same. A detailed explanation of the differences between cognitive meditation and other meditation techniques and goals is presented in an easy-to-understand format. Cognitive meditation is more scientific in nature, not scrambled with religion, and hence, the author feels, more suitable for the modern society.