The Rig Veda (Penguin Classics)

The Rig Veda (Penguin Classics) [Anonymous, Wendy Doniger] on leondumoulin.nl *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The earliest of the four Hindu religious.
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Klantrecensies Er zijn nog geen klantenrecensies. Deel je gedachten met andere klanten. Nuttigste klantenrecensies op Amazon. It is wonderful that Penguin published excerpts from the Rig Veda for Anglophones but this edition needs a thorough update. And, while the inner textual apparatus is helpful this does not diminish the need for a thorough scholarly introduction to ground the reader.

Without such a guide, I can only recommend the Wikipedia article as a partial substitute. Furthermore, the selection of texts is highly biased towards the later parts of the Rig Veda. Surely, there are hymns of interest in books two through nine that could have been included to provide a more representative sample. I gave the book three stars not because the Rig Veda is not worth reading, but because Penguin could put together a much better volume than this.

It has been almost forty years since this edition was published. Doniger does as very accessible translation. Her translation choices preserve the meaning while allowing a flow to the language. I have a number of copies of the Rig Veda. I like Doniger's hymn selection in this version. The Rig Veda gives a unique insight into an ancient civilization and its practices.

I am reading this now. I have looked at several other larger versions. These are accessible translations with excellent notes. Probably the best selection out of a much larger book that is likely to be available. Clearly the result of many years introducing this important work to American students. It should be your first choice. Potential readers should be aware that Wendy Doniger and all her work is being aggressively trolled by Hindu Nationalists on many message boards like this with calls of "Lock her up" being directed towards anyone who might have critical things to say about India.

Probably should not take a copy of anything with her name on it to India during election season. I liked everything about the book! Jan 19, Gavin White rated it it was amazing Shelves: An excellent anthology of hymns from one of the oldest holy books. I've had this copy for years now and I still find the notes and introductions to be exceedingly useful. These sections give a little background to each hymn and more importantly they discuss many of the metaphors used in the verses.

Many of these metaphors like the various manifestations of heavenly cattle, the central role of the sun in many cosmological myths, and the idea of sacrifice are also keys to other archaic traditions. Obviously, I can't judge the quality of writing in a year-old sacred text, but this translation was nice. I felt taken care of while I read and the introduction was really quite funny. The Rig Veda itself was very heavy on footnotes, some of which I felt were less instructive than trivial. But it was fascinating reading these ancient hymns while simultaneously watching this translator work through their ancient and modern significances.

Jun 07, Adrian Rose rated it really liked it Shelves: This is a collection of hymns in the Hindu tradition, hymns sung by the priests of the religion as they go through the sacred rites. Some of the hymns in this book are very beautiful, some are funny, and others are a little confusing if the reader is not familiar with the tenets of Hinduism.

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For instance, the Soma that is mentioned numerous times in the various hymns is a drink that was made by squeezing the juice out of what scholars believe was a type of hallucinogenic mushroom. The cows and h This is a collection of hymns in the Hindu tradition, hymns sung by the priests of the religion as they go through the sacred rites. The cows and horses that are used in the verses to imply wealth and fertility refer to the myths in Indian culture where the different gods and goddesses appeared in these forms.

And the butter referred to many times is actually a substance called "ghee," a type of clarified butter that is used in cooking, as well as to fuel lamps that burn during sacrificial ceremonies. None of these things are ever explained in the book, the author apparently just assuming that the reader already knows these references.

For this reason, it is probably not a good idea to use this book as an introduction to a study of Hindu mythology. However, many of the hymns are noteworthy. The "Creation Hymn" is especially beautiful. And the descriptions of the various gods and goddesses to whom the hymns are dedicated are lyrical and amazing. Even if you do not know much about Hindu beliefs or philosophy, this book can still be an immensely entertaining source of symbolic poetry. Jul 07, Warren rated it it was ok Shelves: Not as incomprehensible as The Book of the Dead, but still a difficult read.

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In this case, the obscurity is deliberate as a single line of a hymn can be interpreted in 3 or 4 or even 5 different ways. Thankfully the editor prefaces most hymns with an explanation which generally gave me the gist of the meaning. Other confusing patterns include different hymns praising different gods for the same acts such as separating the heaven and earth , Gods known by different names, switching back and fort Not as incomprehensible as The Book of the Dead, but still a difficult read.

Other confusing patterns include different hymns praising different gods for the same acts such as separating the heaven and earth , Gods known by different names, switching back and forth between cause and effect, etc. All of the hymns are seeking material gain of some sort in the current life — there is no mention of the Afterlife or spiritual redemption and everlasting life.

It is all about immediate gain — very materialistic for our modern idea of a sacred text. Some of the mythological hymns reflect similar tales from European stories. This was book 4 in my journey to read all the classics of world literature.

The Rig Veda

You can join me at my blog: Feb 06, Adam J. MacRae rated it it was amazing. Reading this book was by no means an easy undertaking. That being said, the reward for your dutiful and arduous perseverance is substantial.


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Wendy Doniger is a remarkable translator and her insight was the most enjoyable part of the Rig Veda. One passage that impacted me in particular was an introduction by her for the "Realla" section: Nowhere can it be found the tiniest suspicion of a wish to renounce the material world in fa Reading this book was by no means an easy undertaking. Nowhere can it be found the tiniest suspicion of a wish to renounce the material world in favour of some spiritual quest; religion is the handmaiden of the worldly life This is not to say that there is anything superficial about Vedic religious concerns, but merely that these meditations stem from a life-affirming, hours celebration of human existence.

The Rig Veda: An Anthology : One Hundred and Eight Hymns, Selected - Google Книги

Jan 15, Ravi Warrier rated it liked it Shelves: This summary of one of the oldest Indian scriptures was a good attempt at introducing readers to it. However, it is not a complete unabridged translation or explanation of the same and hence misses the mark. Moreover, though Dongier might have tried to address multiple sources, it does not seem that most of those were anyone who might know the scriptures first hand, but people who were or are just good with Sanskrit translations. Hence, the veracity or the accuracy of the Rig Veda may be question This summary of one of the oldest Indian scriptures was a good attempt at introducing readers to it.

Hence, the veracity or the accuracy of the Rig Veda may be questionable. Nonetheless, as mentioned at the start, it is a good piece to start with the knowledge of what is written in the veda. Jan 10, Arun rated it really liked it. An incredible work of vedic philosophy. This one is quite thoughtful as all the others but I think it's worth quoting. As this throws a new direction on the origin of the Universe. Who will here proclaim it?

Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation?


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The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe. Who then knows whence it has risen? Mar 05, Stephen rated it it was amazing. I give five stars a lot don't I? Well I usually read what I like - and if I really dislike it - I feel well - I'll leave it blank - Lin Yutang wrote about the pleasure of reading - and reading foisted upon you etc. This particular edition I read years ago - now reading an older book which is almost falling apart. I like the Veda about secular matters! Oct 01, bookreader rated it it was amazing. Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation?


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The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first came into being? He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it, Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not. Jan 18, Hanuman Dass rated it it was amazing Shelves: Compared to the other two books I have read by Doniger this was much more useful for me. I felt I could grasp the feeling of the Rig Veda, and there was some excellent verses I could take from it. The rv is the oldest religious scripture and is a monument of Indian Civilization.

May 14, Jordan added it Shelves: Nov 21, Thomas rated it liked it. I wanted to like this more than I did, but I don't know if that's because of the translation I read? It was divided into thematic groups and I kept feeling like I should be reading them within context of how they would be in the larger text, but I realize the larger text is ridiculously long so you have to make cuts somewhere for a book that just gives an overview I was left feeling unsatisfied, especially with how long it took me to get around to actually finishing this book.

Too complicated a pantheon of gods to be sorted out by this little book alone. An expert in the Hindu religion may enjoy it. Jun 02, Rob rated it liked it Shelves: More poetic than other ancient religious texts, but no less repetitive. Jul 25, Frank rated it it was ok Shelves: I don't fine the poetry appealing. It's not lyrical, it doesn't evoke beautiful imagery. The Rig Veda is obscure. It was written is a very old language referred to as "Vedic Sanskrit" to differentiate is from the "Classical Sanskrit" of the Hindu Epics. It is a collection of hymns rather than a coherent narrative. The hymns were transmitted orally for centuries before being written down and translated and re-translated and re-re-translated eventually into English.

They were also meant to be accompanied by rituals which provided context to their meaning. Furthermore, it's quite poss The Rig Veda is obscure. Furthermore, it's quite possible that the hymns were intentionally obscured by their authors to preserve the mystical reputation of the poets and priests who made a living from writing and singing them.

And, if some theories are to be believed, the authors might have been tripping on hallucinogens during composition and recitation. Through all of these barriers to comprehension, what can we hope to understand about the Rig Veda? Thanks to the diligence of the scholars, such as Wendy Doniger, who have translated the Rig Veda, well, the fraction of the Rig Veda that appears in this collection, anyway there are glimpses of meaning and insight that peak through the obscurity.

The people who wrote these hymns feared death and illness and destitution. They pleaded with their gods for help.

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They pondered the nature of the cosmos. They praised the mysterious Soma drink whether it was an intoxicant, hallucinogen, or merely a stimulant and reveled in the pleasure it provided. Of course, even without this textual evidence we already surmised that these people, like all people, shared in fundamental human experience. But I still find the evidence of their basic humanity comforting and inspiring.

Like all of the most ancient literature, the most fascinating aspect about the Rig Veda is that it exists at all, against all odds, despite tremendous obstacles in space and time. It reminds us that our culture is built on strong foundations, even if we cannot see their true depth. It gives us appreciation for the countless struggles of our ancestors who couldn't even imagine our modern world.

It inspires us to continue to progress, to lust, to drink, to wonder. The Rig Veda is not an epic. It is little more than a collection of superstitious spells from an ancient religion. There are interesting, yet fleeting, references to deities and concepts that would later come to have great influence on Hinduism, and thus, the world.

Like a cameo appearance in a superhero movie that hints about the plot of the sequel, these references to Vishnu and Shiva whet the appetite for more of the story. But one could be forgiven for skipping over the Rig Veda altogether and jumping ahead to the good stuff.