Hindu Scriptures

by Dominic Goodall (Editor/Translator), R.C. Zaehner (Compiler)

The scriptures revered by Hindus are enormously varied, and R. C. Zaehner's anthology has long been considered invaluable for its breadth and diversity. Now Dominic Goodall expands Zaehner's work with three fresh translations, including one work that appears for the first time in English. Spanning more than two thousand years, the range of selections in this book include arcane hymns of the ancient Aryans, prescriptions governing every aspect of the daily life of the orthodox, and sensual poetry.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Hinduism

410 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 1996

Reviews

[Linda Munro · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book holds scriptures from several sources, including: Rg Veda, Atharva Veda, the Upanishads, Yajnavalkya-Smrti, Kirana-Tantra and the Bhagavad-Gita. As one can see, as a book intended for the general public, this has far too much information from far too many sources. When I ordered this book from the library, I was under the false impression that it dealt solely with Bhagavad-Gita; thus, I found it far too complex for my needs.

This book seems to be for those more familiar with Hinduism and its teachings. If indeed, I had been more familiar with the scriptures as a whole, I may have rated this book higher; unfortunately, the information jumped from source to source and was more confusing than helpful. For the previously stated reason, I am giving this book a 2 star rating.

[Autumn Kotsiuba · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating the collection, of course, not the texts themselves.

This is a great resource, and it's interesting to read actually religious texts instead Of simply about them. I've studied Hinduism a bit and taken a couple courses, so I mostly understood what was going on (not completely, of course). I wouldn't recommend this to someone who had zero background in it, but it's still good for a beginner like me.

[Darogi86 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice overview of 'hinduism'

[Chris brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great read. If you really want to open your mind pick this up