Hinduism Beyond Ritualism

by Vineet Agarwal

About the BookIt appears that Hinduism is fast losing its relevance except for the limited purpose of glorification of the ancient past. The modern concept of secularism has debarred the study of ancient Hindu texts in the formal system of primary and secondary education. The English-speaking historians have elbowed out the Sanskrit scholars, and Hinduism is presently taught as the history of an ancient civilization. A large percentage of Hindus and non-Hindus, with a scientific bent of mind, is curious to know about Hinduism. However, no literature defining the core concepts of Hinduism is readily available. The priestly class has arisen to fill the void by promoting Hinduism as a ritualistic religion. Most of the Hindus are practising these rituals out of sheer respect for their traditions.This book is an endeavour to compile the various concepts that broadly define Hinduism. The ancient Hindu texts and Upanishads have been explained succinctly without any lengthy commentary. The book makes no effort to reconcile the various Hindu philosophies and it is left to the readers to make their interpretations. There are no exaggerations of any sort and there is no attempt to build logic to influence the reader in any way. At the end of each chapter there are multiple-choice questions on the core concepts.About the AuthorVineet Agarwal is an author of the modern genre who has an acclaimed style of critical writing. He is an engineer from IIT Delhi with a post-graduate degree in Management. After a brief stint in the corporate sector, he went on to become an IPS officer. He has held various important posts in the Government of Maharashtra, Central Bureau of Investigation and Government of India; he is also the proud recipient of the prestigious President’s Police Medal for meritorious services. His first novel, Romance of a Naxalite, is based on his experiences in Gadchiroli, where he fought Naxalism as Superintendent of Police. This book has been widely reviewed in the media as it has refuted the popular notion of Naxalism. His second book, On the Eve of Kalyug, is a poetry-drama. It is considered to be a well-researched book on the Mahabharata, bringing to the fore an altogether different perspective of the great epic. This book has been awarded by the Poiesis Society and has been adapted into a popular television serial. Hinduism beyond Ritualism is his third book.

Genres: Philosophy

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2020

Reviews

[Rakesh Anand Bakshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligent, profound, the philoshophy made me go deeper within and outside and explore my culture and heritage much more.

[Aman Dalmia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good summary of the different schools of thought within Hinduism. Enough to make one curious about diving deep into a few of them.

[Saksham Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for someone who wants to indulge themselves into hindu philosophies to gain insights of how they gained spirituality and knowledge in general.