The Hindus: An Alternative History

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2.5
10 reviews
Ebook
800
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

From one of the world?s foremost scholars on Hinduism, a vivid reinterpretation of its history

An engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth that offers a new way of understanding one of the world?s oldest major religions, The Hindus elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds.

Hinduism does not lend itself easily to a strictly chronological account: many of its central texts cannot be reliably dated even within a century; its central tenets?karma, dharma, to name just two?arise at particular moments in Indian history and differ in each era, between genders, and caste to caste; and what is shared among Hindus is overwhelmingly outnumbered by the things that are unique to one group or another. Yet the greatness of Hinduism?its vitality, its earthiness, its vividness?lies precisely in many of those idiosyncratic qualities that continue to inspire debate today.

Wendy Doniger is one of the foremost scholars of Hinduism in the world. With her inimitable insight and expertise Doniger illuminates those moments within the tradition that resist forces that would standardize or establish a canon. Without reversing or misrepresenting the historical hierarchies, she reveals how Sanskrit and vernacular sources are rich in knowledge of and compassion toward women and lower castes; how they debate tensions surrounding religion, violence, and tolerance; and how animals are the key to important shifts in attitudes toward different social classes.

The Hindus brings a fascinating multiplicity of actors and stories to the stage to show how brilliant and creative thinkers?many of them far removed from Brahmin authors of Sanskrit texts?have kept Hinduism alive in ways that other scholars have not fully explored. In this unique and authoritative account, debates about Hindu traditions become platforms from which to consider the ironies, and overlooked epiphanies, of history.

Ratings and reviews

2.5
10 reviews
A Google user
It was very clear that there were no such separate religion as HINDUISM that existed in those days. VEDAS are all about how one group mated with another group to multiply world population. RIG VEDA, Mandala 1, Sukta 61 by Nodha Gotama Rishi mentioned how hindus were vendors of meat, ate meat, and beef or eating horse meat was not a taboo at that time. Indra=Romans;Varunas=Greeks, Vayu=Hebrew speaking group who believed VAYU (YahVA)aka Prana was Holy Spirit; Mitras=Persians,Agni=Fire,Surya=SUN, Adityas=Rays of Sun (12 Adityas=12 Apostles of JC aka 12 Alwars), Sura=Syrians,Assura=Egyptians, Sumeria=Southern path of Worship w Deities; Samaria=Northern path of worship w/o Deities; Judea=Assura, Syria=Sura, Israelites=Ramarajya (Ramayana, Parashu Rama and Bala Rama follower folks), DNA was also known as SOMA! Jacob (Pandu) did a great sin by extracting his own DNA and created 720 kids. Jacob selects spotted ones, clear ones, etc verse found in Genesis is what this proliferation of people taking place, thru artificial insemination,IT was mentioned that Jacob had a heart condition that he could not engage in sex. He also provided semen in a bowl to Dasaratha during Asvemeddha yagnam to create his 4 kids; RAMA=ISH-RA-EL. He died at age 119yrs(1190yrs under hindu calendar) which was like under age 20 under current age in human years (Gregarian calendar). Krsna fathered Jesus with Radha (Aka Mary MARJALIYA) and JC (Govindah) was ADHI PURUSHA TAMAHAM BHAJAMI. BrihaDharanyaka Upanishad's Genology portion at the end is actually continued in Bible, 5 Books of Moses. MOSES=Yuddhisthira, Aaron=Arjuna, Judah=Bhima, Benjamin=Nakula,Joseph= Suneha-seph aka SahaDeva, as he lived with Rudra clans (11 Rudras were existing before Joseph went to Egypt as a slave). Esau=Duryodhana who was a devotee of Shiva. Suneha-SEPH was Joseph the RAINCOAT son (son of Rachel(Madri) who was sold to slaves in RIG VEDA times. SEPH~means say in DRAVINNAH language. Druids were DRUPADA kingdom ppl. So add, JAH aka JO to that seph and get JOSEPH. The more read vedas with the idea that SOMA implied SEMEN, it was clear how many power groups (VAYU, INDRA, MITRA, VARUNA, etc) competed with one another to create more people who would follow their philosophical idealogy. BRAHMAN=Saguna BRAHMAN=Holy GHOST. When a woman conceived a child thru yaghna, they often had an ANGEL (one of the progenitors) who would stand behind a tree or hide somewhere and tell that person a child would be born soon. THat person is a HOLY GHOST aka HOLY FATHER (Pithr aka PETER). Holy ghost=Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva Rishi or Trinitarian Guru. Holyspirit=Nirguna Brahman,formless, shapeless or sizeless etc. Hindus call IT NB, Holyspirit is a term used by English Bible authors, Allah or Yahwah or Jehowah are other names for the same. This form of worship involved no DEITY and was considered superior form of attaining Salvation (Moksha) under Northern Path. ATMAN=personal individual soul when attained MOKSHA became known as CHRIST, Who was a descendant of Lord KRSNA and from KROSTA who was a PURURAVA king. Romapada existed, but died when Christ was crucified by evils who were non-believers in the concept of ATMAN. ATMAN while it pertains to a gender of man, MANAT was its female form found from NAHUSHA time. KROSTA's father was NAHUSHA. anyway, the bottom line is we are all a world of families. IF anyone religion that is very close to Christianity, it is only Hinduism. Any other religion that does not believe in human form of GOD existing or DEITY worship is non-christian. That is all for now. More research needed. But people need to stop acting like they invented a certain religion all by themselves. VEDIC times, clearly show, all types of philosophies and ethnic groups existed with one language that was Sanskrit (Genesis 11) and we are all children of the ONE AND ONLY ALMIGHTY. Thanks for reading my notes. IT is loaded with info. Have a great summer. Happy July 4TH TO ALL. IN LOVE WITH JESUS CHRIST AND LORD KRSNA, I REMAIN.
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kiran patel
May 17, 2018
Äther write good things
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About the author

Wendy Doniger is the Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor of the History of Religions in the Divinity School at the University of Chicago, where she is also a professor of South Asian languages and civilizations. Her translations for Penguin Classics include The Rig Veda, The Laws of Manu, and Hindu Myths.

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