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IcyCosmic
21 July 2012, 08:18 AM
Hey, I'm looking to buy some books for school from Amazon and thought I would add some hindu scriptures to the list to add to my collection of reading.
If someone could link/recommend to me some (english) translations of scriptures like the Vedas (whole or seperate) and anything else you see fit like the Upanishads and other scriptures. Even any good meditation or hindu books, but scriptures are at the top of the list. (I prefer the books to be wholly based on hinduism rather than have parts that concern/center on it but again scriptures are main focus) I know alot of you read some really good books, so I'm looking forward to it. Thanks!

IcyCosmic
21 July 2012, 10:26 AM
Oh & books not available on amazon are welcome too, but I prefer amazon.

McKitty
21 July 2012, 10:52 AM
Vanakkam !

I buy many books from internet, I have found a very good collection of cheap books made in India, available at low price on Amazon. Most of these books are both Hindi/English.

The collection is called "diamond books" or something like that, here are some exemples

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hanuman-Chalisa-Diamond-Books/dp/8128808656/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342885657&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Supreme-Mother-Goddess-Durga/dp/8171820743/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342885693&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shiv-Purana-B-K-Chaturvedi/dp/8171827217/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342885707&sr=1-1


They are very cheap, so it's not the ultimate best quality, but they are very good books.

For more "important" books, for exemple Mahabaratha, Ramayana, or Sri Sri Ramakrishna teachings, I always take the same collection "spiritualités vivantes", translated by Serge Demetrian, or others good french translator that lived many years in India and are very well versed in study of Sanatana Dharma. Hoewever, those ones are in french, so I don't think it can be useful to you =/


Good luck !

Aum Namah Shivaya

IcyCosmic
21 July 2012, 02:21 PM
Thankyou, Kitty. I will take a look now. Any more suggestions guys?

Sahasranama
21 July 2012, 02:33 PM
If you are looking for books you can find on amazon, I can recommend this book by professor Edwin Bryant:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Yoga-Sutras-Pata%C3%B1jali-Translation/dp/0865477361/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342898847&sr=8-1&keywords=edwin+bryant

There are many good books written on Hinduism, but most is not found on amazon.com.

IcyCosmic
21 July 2012, 02:39 PM
If you are looking for books you can find on amazon, I can recommend this book by professor Edwin Bryant:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Yoga-Sutras-Pata%C3%B1jali-Translation/dp/0865477361/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342898847&sr=8-1&keywords=edwin+bryant

There are many good books written on Hinduism, but most is not found on amazon.com.

Does that book feature meditation?
Please feel free to link outside of Amazon if the books are good and the sites trustworthy bro. Thanks.

smaranam
21 July 2012, 06:43 PM
Does that book feature meditation?

Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 6 features meditation. The real authentic one. One doesn't have to go anywhere else for it.

om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya~

philosoraptor
21 July 2012, 07:15 PM
Sri Ramanuja Gita Bhasya: http://www.amazon.com/Sri-Ramanuja-Gita-Bhasya-Translation/dp/8178232901/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342915848&sr=8-2&keywords=ramanuja+gita+bhasya

This version has the Sanskrit mula of both the verses and their commentary, as well as English translation

Mahabharata (abridged version of C. Rajagopalachari): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8172763689/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d6_g14_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=16NHC9WKM8Z7MAA92W8J&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846

This is simply an awesome, readable, summary of the Mahabharata. A real page-turner - I read this in high school and found it inspirational. I remember being in tears towards the end as the story had a profound emotional impact on me.

The unabridged Valmiki-Ramayana and Bhagavata Purana are available in Sanskrit with English translation from Gita Press: http://www.gitapress.org/

Both are HIGHLY recommended. I would go so far as to say that no Hindu library is complete without these editions.

Parimal Publications (http://www.parimalpublication.com/) has unabridged Sanskrit + English translations of the entire Mahabharata and Vishnu Purana, along with numerous other Puranas and Vedas. Beware as their editions tend to suffer from the typical publication quality issues that many Indian publishers have. Still, highly recommended.

IcyCosmic
22 July 2012, 07:51 AM
Thanks, Phil. I will purchase them. Any good vedas (seperate or whole) translations available? and is upanishads worth buying? and any other worthwhile scriptures worth buying?
thanks.

philosoraptor
22 July 2012, 09:55 AM
Pranams,

I think the Vedas and Upanishads will be more difficult to study without being first grounded in the Bhagavad-gita and the Bhagavata/Vishnu Puranas. That being said, exoticindia.com has a translation of Sri Madhvacharyas commentary on the first 40 suktas of the Rig Veda. http://www.exoticindia.com/book/details/sri-anandatirtha-bhagavadpadacarya-viracitam-rg-bhasyam-sri-madhvacarya-s-commentary-on-first-forty-suktams-of-rg-veda-sanskrit-text-transliteration-and-english-translation-NAB904/


I can also highly recommend the book "Vishnu is Brahman" http://www.exoticindia.com/book/details/brahman-is-visnu-visnu-god-paramount-NAC416/ which summarizes evidence proving that Brahman is Narayana.

regards,

IcyCosmic
22 July 2012, 10:46 AM
I've studied Gita already.

ShivaFan
22 July 2012, 04:34 PM
Namaste IcySFX
I have had very good luck with purchases of Puranas from Amazon, including rare and hard to find editions. So you will have no problem there (Shiva Purana for example).

But for some relaxing and rewarding, as well as conduitive to meditation, please consider purchasing some books about great Saints, Yogis, Savants and mystics. Recently due my existing interest in Trailingaswami, I found and recieved a book I purchased from Amazon "The Walking Shiva of Varanasi" and it is a treasure because literature on Trailinga (sometimes called Tralanga Swami) is very difficult to find as his disciples are mostly ascetic. He lived for 150 years in Kashi.

Whenever I feel I want some extra sweetness to my already happy life, I turn to the Ramayana. Do not forget this thinking you only have time for Veda. Valmiki's is wonderful, but there are many reveled Ramayanas, wonderful. Please consider.

Also, one other idea, I know you have a lot of wonderful suggestions and so much to read and enjoy and learn from ... but also look to the amazing and mystically powerful literature and saints of Telegu, Tamil, and so on.

Saiva Siddhanta Church in Kauai has some wonderful introductory works on Hinduism as well, I am sure you will fiind them on Amazon, but search the internet for their website to find titles.

I know Easter Mind will have wonderful suggestions regardind literature of the Saiva Saints.

Today I think of Valli, the Beloved of Muruga.

ShivaFan
22 July 2012, 04:40 PM
Icy I got too excited! I mean Linga Purana. I guess I have Shiva on my lips and sound! sorry...

Don't forget Ramayana! Do forget literature on Saints! And again, Saiva Siddanta in Kauia has WONDERFUL introductory works.