This series of interconnected essays and lectures surveys the most critically important and hotly contested issues in hinduism over 3,500 years, from the ancient time of the. Recorded in sacred sanskrit texts, including the rig veda and the mahabharata, hindu myths are thought to date back as far as the tenth century bce. Buy wendy doniger ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. The origins of evils in hindu mythology, wendy doniger oflaherty. Pretending that vedanta is the essence of hinduism. In the light of foregoing, it is incumbent upon contemporary hindus and hindu scholars to regain the initiative and using indigenous historiography and cognitive categories and to institute a framework to generate in multiple volumes a genuine and authentic history of the hindus from an insiders perspective. Wendy doniger dropped a bombshell on indian intellectual circles with her 2009 book the hindus an alternative history. In this magisterial volume of essays, wendy doniger enhances our understanding of the ancient and complex religion to which she has devoted herself for half a century. Aug 27, 2019 wendy doniger oflaherty born november 20, is an american indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. Dec 09, 2015 with immense skill wendy doniger illuminates those moments within the hindu tradition that resist forces that would standardize or establish a canon. Naturally the book is a partreference and a partsurvey kind of book. This debate pits traditionalist hindus against american indologists around the work and personality of prof. The withdrawal of wendy donigers book is not just an instance of liberal surrender but it is also one of hindu surrender by g.
Sparked off by sunthar visuvalingams followup observations, in the light of george w. Wendy doniger has 73 books on goodreads with 35307 ratings. Includes more than 60 essays and lectures spanning the decadeslong career of one of hinduisms most prominent scholars. Outcry as penguin india pulps alternative history of hindus. Her courses in mythology address themes in crosscultural expanses, such as death, dreams, evil, horses, sex, and women. Oct 30, 2015 wendy doniger, the 74yearold american author and research scholar in sanskrit is moreover known for the high regard she has had for indian tradition. She brings a multiplicity of actors and stories to the stage to show how brilliant, creative and often subversive thinkers have kept hinduism alive and dynamic through the ages. Pdf classical hindu mythology download read online free. If you claim to understand the game of chess better and in a more original way, your claim must be so recognized and understood by those who know and play chess. Scholars and intellectuals across the board are critical and worried about penguins.
A sourcebook translated from the sanskrit penguin classics ebook. Pdf women are perhaps one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented figures in the annals. Sampath the decision to withdraw wendy donigers book, the hindus. Oct 26, 2015 with immense skill wendy doniger illuminates those moments within the hindu tradition that resist forces that would standardize or establish a canon. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned. It gave me immense insight into the hindu religion, of which i, like many others, am an ignorant practitioner. And, i should have added, the diversity of the hindu texts. Published june 24th 2004 by penguin classics first published september 30th 1975. Wendy doniger social thought the university of chicago. In the bedtrick, for which she was awarded the rose mary crawshay prize from the british academy in 2002, doniger asks why the themes of deception, masquerade and mistaken identity in sexual relations are so prevalent across time and place, from ancient hindu myths to contemporary hollywood cinema. An alternative history is a book by american indologist, wendy doniger which the author describes as an alternative to the narrative of hindu history that they tell.
Here in these seventyfive seminal myths are the many incarnations of vishnu, who saves mankind from destruction, and the mischievous child krishna, alongside stories of the minor gods, demons, rivers and animals including boars, buffalo, serpents. Doniger, a scholar of religion and professor at the university of chicago, wrote the hindus. On hinduism is the culmination of over forty years of scholarship from a renowned expert on one of the worlds great faiths. Wendy doniger s book is at once deeply engaged with textual details, historical sweep, theoretical concerns, and contemporary politics. Ebook wendy doniger libro electronico descargar pdf serie. These tales of hindu gods and demons express in vivid symbols the metaphysical insights of ancient indian priests and poets. Bushs state of the union address in 2001, on david loys buddhist appeal, just after 911, for a pacific approach to the problem of terrorism. There has been much handwringing in india about wendy donigers book, the hindus. Feb 03, 2014 doniger concludes with four concise autobiographical essays in which she reflects on her lifetime of scholarship, hindu criticism of her work, and the influence of hinduism on her own philosophy of life.
Her publications include the rig veda and the laws of manu for the penguin classics, and the acclaimed kama sutra for oup. Mar, 2014 there has been much handwringing in india about wendy donigers book, the hindus. To ask other readers questions about hindu myths, please sign up. Wendy donigers research and teaching interests revolve around two basic areas, hinduism and mythology. A protest near the us embassy in new delhi against wendy donigers the hindus. If the indus valley civilization 3rd2nd millennium bce was the earliest source of hindu traditions, then hinduism is the oldest living religion on earth. After severe backlash in india and a court case that ended last. Perhaps a non hindu reader may understand the universal reality expressed in relevant hindu myths using these approaches. Mar 23, 2020 hindu myths wendy doniger pdf wendy doniger was born in new york in and trained as a dancer under shiva. Step back from the brink calls by citizens for restraint febmarch 2019 south asia loses a voice of sanity asma jahangir 19522018 india. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned in. One could argue, using vedantic terms, that by falsely eroticizing all aspects of hindu one could argue, using vedantic terms, that by falsely eroticizing all aspects of hindu.
The phallic and ascetic siva, the maternal and bloodthirsty goddess, the. Wendy doniger oflaherty born november 20, 1940 is an american indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. The book addresses the diffcult task of giving an overview of hindu myths, with the relevant content. An alternative history, from circulation is disturbing on so many levels that one could write a booklength monograph on this latest episode of. Dec 31, 2004 wendy doniger holds doctoral degrees in indian literature from harvard and oxford universities and is the mircea eliade professor of the history of religions at the university of chicago. Fight back and take back wendy doniger s valuable book taken away from you by a spineless publisher and the fundamentalists they made a deal with. The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by penguins indian subsidiary, penguin india.
Through this magisterial volume which she calls the book of my books wendy doniger, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most original scholars of hinduism, enlarges our understanding. Wendy doniger was born in new york in 1940 and trained as a dancer under george balanchine and martha graham before beginning the study of sanskrit. Ive labored all my adult life in the paddy fields of sanskrit, doniger has written 16 books, translated primarily from sanskrit to english with commentary nine other volumes, has contributed to many edited texts and has written hundreds of articles in journals, magazines and newspapers. She brings a multiplicity of actors and stories to the stage to show how brilliant, creativeand often subversivethinkers have kept hinduism alive and dynamic through the ages. On the other hand i realise that i am a product of this ancient culture and i like to explore, with an open mind, beyond the comforting myths, rituals and. This selection and translation of seventyfive seminal myths spans the wide range of classical indian sources, from the serpentslaying indra of the vedas c.
Wendy doniger, the 74yearold american author and research scholar in sanskrit is moreover known for the high regard she has had for indian tradition. The hindus an alternative history by wendy doniger penguin books november 2010 isbn10. May 07, 20 through this magisterial volume which she calls the book of my books wendy doniger, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most original scholars of hinduism, enlarges our understanding. Doniger has difficulty in understanding the integrative aspects of hindu culture because whereas in the west the national state and politics are the chief agents of integration, in india she claims the people tend to be united by myth, metaphysics, and art. Blowing up the sexuality and inconsistencies present in any ancient religious text out of all proportions, doniger published the book as if to offer an alternative history against the established wisdom of the times. Examines a rich array of hindu conceptspolytheism, death, gender, art, contemporary puritanism, nonviolence, and many more. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Wendy doniger oflaherty born november 20, is an american indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. To the accusation that i cited a part of the hindu. Wendy doniger oflaherty was born in new york in 1940. Hindu myths, translated from the original sanskrit by dr. Right or wrong, wendy donigers the hindus should be.