The Book of the Vedas

by Virender Kumar Arya, Malcolm Day (Editor)

Readers seeking spiritual enlightenment, as well as those interested in comparative religion, will find a concise, clearly written introduction to one of the world’s great and ancient faiths in this attractive volume. Placing special emphasis on the Vedas , the author describes the historical and geographical background of Hinduism and discusses the religion’s various classic texts. The Vedas share their place—along with the Upanishads and the two great Hindu epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana —as being among the most important documents of Hindu literature. The Vedas are Hinduism’s original holy texts and the basis of its faith, roughly comparable to the Judeo-Christian Bible. The author presents sample readings from the Vedas to give readers an illuminating glimpse into Hindu theology and its pantheon of gods and goddesses. He concludes with a survey of Hindu culture, including marriage and burial customs; the caste system; and Hindu festivals. Here are answers to fundamental questions that Who are Kali, Shiva, and Krishna? What is karma? How do ancient Hindu precepts retain their significance in the modern world? This beautiful volume contains more than 200 color illustrations.

Genres: India, Nonfiction, Hinduism, Religion

128 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Omar Nizam · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Book Review: "The Book of the Vedas" by Virender Kumar Arya - 📚🕉️

A book that was sitting on my shelf for many years, it is easily one the best books on Hinduism for two reasons:

i) It's concise, and
ii) It's beautifully illustrated

The book follows a chronological timeline that goes all the way back to the beginnings of the Hindu religion from 3,000 BCE right up to modern times. The author does a fantastic job in giving snippets of information with great photos that keeps the reader engaged.

The Hindu Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) and most of the other popular deities (Ganesh, Ram, Krishna, Hanuman) are discussed, as are all the key concepts of Hinduism.

One of the key takeouts for me personally was the philosophy of "Monism" within Hindu philosophy. I've known Monism through other names (Panentheism, Neo-Platonism, Sufism, etc.)

Also, for Yoga enthusiasts, the philosophy, origins, and forms of Yoga are also discussed extensively.

In short, there's something for everyone. For anyone that wants a concise overview of this ancient - and sometimes difficult to navigate - religion, then this is the book.

My rating: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[ApolloEyes7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished this book from the library! It's a good little book, more of a book for smart middle schoolers, but it's also helpful for visual reference as it has pictures. It's very short and simple on each topic. I wouldn't recommend it as a first book, but if you've already read a few books like the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads it fills in a few details!

I definitely learned a few things from this book, but keep reading the heavier literature as well!

[Serge Gautron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I good overview of Hinduism. Beautifully bound and illustrated it provides a basic understanding of one of the world's old living religions to the uninitiated.

[Florence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een handige inleiding in het het hindoeïsme en het leven van hindoes.

Aangezien ik al mijn hele leven hou van yoga en meditatie wou ik mij nog eens extra verdiepen in de wortels hiervan namelijk 'het hindoeïsme'. Dit boek is daar perfect voor want het is uitermate toegankelijk met veel beeldmateriaal (wie houdt er nu niet van foto's/illustraties in een boek?).

Het is heel divers en gaat beknopt over alle mogelijke thema's die in deze religie aan bod komen. Ik heb nieuwe dingen bijgeleerd en ook ontdekt hoeveel van de westerse spiritualiteit gelinkt is aan het hindoeïsme.

Echt een aanrader voor leken en voor wie op een toegankelijke manier hier meer over te weten wenst te komen, zonder zich te verliezen in details.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly don't remember much about this book, except that it had a lot of pretty pictures. It did simplfy an incredibly complex subject though.

[Tameca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very good overview that can be read in one sitting.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction for anyone wishing to learn about the Hindu religion.