Book Category: Featured Books

In The Imperishable Seed, Bhaskar Kamble assembles compelling evidence to show how this knowledge was created and transmitted to the rest of the world. Students of mathematics learn of “Pascal’s Triangle”, “Fibonacci Sequence”, “Rolle’s Theorem” and “Taylor Series.” But they do not learn that these concepts were expounded much earlier than their supposed discoveries in Europe by Indian mathematicians such as Pingala, Hemachandra, Bhaskara and Madhava. Many of the fields of mathematics today— from the decimal representation of numbers and simple arithmetic to algebra, trigonometry, and even calculus—were developed by Hindu mathematicians or owe their origins to their works. In The Imperishable Seed, Bhaskar Kamble assembles compelling evidence to show how this knowledge was created and transmitted to the rest of the world. He discusses the contributions of ancient and medieval India not only to mathematics, but also to fields such as astronomy and linguistics and how these contributions continue to find applications even today in areas such as computer science. Finally, he traces why and how the tradition of Hindu mathematics in India came to an end and why most people today do not know about its history.

लहानपणी कुंकळ्ळीला अनवट वाटांवरून भटकताना मला सतत वाटायचं की, ह्या डोंगरांपलीकडे, ह्या गावापलीकडे, ह्या राज्यापलीकडे काय आहे ते जाऊन बघितलंच पाहिजे. सुदैवाने पुढे मला खूप ठिकाणी फिरायची संधी मिळाली आणि त्या संधीचं मी पुरेपूर चीजही केलं. अनेक देश फिरल्यानंतर जाणवलं ते एकच, माणसं वरून जितकी वेगळी वाटतात, तितकीच ती आतून एक सारखीच असतात.   'नित्य नूतन हिंडावे' या पुस्तकातून तुम्हाला कधी मला भेटलेली माणसं भेटतील, तर कधी आलेले आंबट- गोड अनुभव, क्वचित कधी जाणवलेला जीवनाचा एखादा कुरूप अंधारा कोपरा, तर कधी अनुभवलेला तन - मन उजळून टाकणारा एखादा सुंदर दीप्तीमान क्षण.  चला तर मग माझ्याबरोबर भटकंतीला!

`चितरंगी ' किंवा `चित्रंगी' ही गोव्यात आणि कोकणात आढळणारी एक वेल. महराष्ट्रात त्या वेलीला `गणेश वेल' म्हणतात. मला ही वेल अतिशय आवडते कारण ती कुठेही रुजते. कशावरही वाढते. ह्या वेलीची हळदी - कुंकवाच्या ठीप्क्यांसारखी वाटणारी इवली फुलं येणाऱ्या - जाणाऱ्या वात्सारुंचे डोळे तृप्त करत जातात. लाल - पिवळा हे दोन्ही रंग भारताचे, इथल्या माणसांचे खास लाडके. म्हणूनच ह्या पुस्तकाचे नाव `चितरंगी रे' असं ठेवलंय. इतक्या वर्षांत जगभर फिरताना मला आवडलेले, लक्षात राहिलेले, काही काही वेळा खटकलेले माणसांचे, स्वभावांचे, जागांचे, देशांचे अनेक रंग ह्या पुस्तकातून तुमच्या भेटीला येत आहेत. माझ्या शब्दांच्या चितरंगीची फुलं तुमच्या मनाचा एखादा जरी कोपरा रंगांनी उजळून टाकू शकली तरी तेवढे मला खूप आहे!

Fifteen Brave Men and Women of Bharat who Never Succumbed to the Challenges of Invaders But were Lost and Forgotten in the Annals of History. These are the stories of those Bravehearts who Fought to Protect their Rights, Faith and Freedom.

History has always been the handmaiden of the victor. 'Until the lions have their own storytellers,' said Chinua Achebe, 'the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter!' Exploring the lives, times and works of the fifteen long-forgotten and mostly neglected unsung heroes and heroines of our past, this book brings to light the contribution of the warriors who not only donned armour and burst forth into the battlefield but also kept the flame of hope alive under adverse circumstances.

Narrating the tales of valour and success that India, as a nation and civilization, has borne witness to in its long and tumultuous past, the book opens a window to the stories of select men and women who valiantly fought against invaders for their rights, faith and freedom.

Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Jai Singh of Manipur, Lalitaditya Muktapida of Kashmir, Chand Bibi of Ahmednagar, Lachit Barphukan of Assam, Begum Hazrat Mahal of Awadh, Rani Abbakka Chowta of Ullal, Martanda Varma of Travancore, Rani Rudrama Devi of Warangal, Rani Naiki Devi of Gujarat and Banda Singh Bahadur are some of the 'bravehearts' who fought to uphold the tradition and culture of their land.

Pacy and unputdownable, Bravehearts of Bharat chronicles the stories of courage, determination and victory, which largely remained untold and therefore unknown for a long time.

A one-sided, biased, and distorted historical narrative has been fed to us for decades, projected our warrior ancestors as losers and as ‘defeated’. Lakhs of warriors from across India put up a brave resistance against invaders since the 8 th century. Marcus Garvey, a Jamaica-born political leader and social activist rightly said, “A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Continuing on the roaring success of the inaugural volume of Saffron Swords, which chronicles 52 stories of immensely brave and determined resistance put up by unsung men and women, Saffron Swords (Book-2) brings to the readers, 52 more such untold episodes of Indic resistance to invaders, from 8 th century to independence.

A one-sided, biased, and distorted historical narrative has been fed to us for decades, projected our warrior ancestors as losers and as ‘defeated’. Lakhs of warriors from across India put up a brave resistance against invaders since the 8 th century. Marcus Garvey, a Jamaica-born political leader and social activist rightly said, “A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Continuing on the roaring success of the inaugural volume of Saffron Swords, which chronicles 52 stories of immensely brave and determined resistance put up by unsung men and women, Saffron Swords (Book-2) brings to the readers, 52 more such untold episodes of Indic resistance to invaders, from 8 th century to independence.

‘Devi’s constant presence motivated the book. She is the one who made me write it. She is the one who will make you read it or ignore it. Ya Devi sarvagrantheshu. Nothing more remains to be said.’
Who is Devi? What are her mantras? What are her stories? What are her rituals? The roots of Devi worship are deeply embedded in Indian society. Archaeological excavations, going back a few thousand years, show traces of Devi worship. Devi’s stories feature in the Puranas and Devi Gita (part of Devi Bhagavata Purana), which is a beautiful amalgamation of Vedanta and tantra.
Directed at young readers, Devi for Millennials demystifies Devi’s mantras, tantra, yantras and worship, often perceived to be esoteric. It narrates the stories of Devi and describes in a simple manner the Shakti Peethas and their significance. It also includes translations of verses both familiar and obscure across a wide spectrum of texts, one of them being the Devi Gita.
Remaining close and faithful to original Sanskrit texts and without any distortion or interpretation, it is a primer, an introduction to worshipping Devi, who is always with us.

India, Bharat and Pakistan, the second book of the Bharat Trilogy, takes the discussion forward from its bestselling predecessor, India That Is Bharat. It explores the combined influence of European and Middle Eastern colonialities on Bharat as the successor state to the Indic civilisation, and on the origins of the Indian Constitution. To this end, the book traces the thought continuum of Middle Eastern coloniality from the rise of Islamic Revivalism in the 1740s following the decline of the Mughal Empire, which presaged the idea of Pakistan, until the end of the Khilafat Movement in 1924, which cemented the road to Pakistan. The book also describes the collaboration of convenience that was forged between the proponents of Middle Eastern coloniality and the British colonial establishment to the detriment of the Indic civilisation. One of the objectives of this book is to help the reader draw parallels between the challenges faced by the Indic civilisation in the tumultuous period from 1740 to 1924, and the present day. Its larger goal remains the same as that of the first, which is to enthuse Bharatiyas to undertake a critical decolonial study of Bharat’s history, especially in the context of the Constitution, so that the religiosity towards the document is moderated by a sense of proportion, perspective and purpose

Detailed Analysis of Sri Krishna’s role in the Mahabharata by the great K S Narayanacharya
1. Sri Krishna as a statesman, diplomat & strategist

2. Sri Krishna as a peace maker

3. Sri Krishna as Philosopher & Yogin

4. Sri Krishna’s role in War

5. Sri Krishna as Man & God

This collection of 12 tales from the Mahabharata are a delight to read. Deepak has done a great job in retelling these immortal stories, staying true to the source material, while using language and dialog to bring alive these episodes for readers, I could not stop reading once I picked the book up.

Kootaneeti, the Vedic Art of Strategic Living, is a nearly lost Vedic art and science for leaders originally designed to promote the right use of power. For centuries, its teachings helped build sagely empires and create social wellbeing, prosperity and lasting peace. Kootaneeti focuses on how to use the intellect to convert difficulties into strengths by understanding the workings of the human mind. Its teachings can be utilized in adverse situations where the wrong use of power as well as resources prevail and new opportunities remain unrecognized.

Both individuals and institutions can benefit from learning the fundamentals of Kootaneeti to neutralize opposition and develop new strategies by special insights and astute efforts. In an age of social, economic, and political uncertainty, Kootaneeti is a useful tool to prepare leaders to address the new challenges involved and achieve their objectives in a sustainable manner.

U. Mahesh Prabhu is a seasoned media, management and political consultant who has been researching this subject for over a decade in Vedic texts and teaching it worldwide, along with Dr David Frawley, an internationally renowned and honoured Acharya of Vedic knowledge on many levels. The book presents the ancient secrets of Kootaneeti in a subtle and simple way with practical insights, stories, and parables. The book will not only entertain and educate but will also enlighten you.

No epic has moved the consciousness of millions like the Ramayana. The appeal of the story of Rama is such that it has inspired the imagination of countless storytellers over the centuries, across the length and breadth of the subcontinent. From Jain poets to Bhavabhuti, from Kamban to Goswami Tulsidas, many have retold the Ramayana in their own language, infusing their own unique flavour. Though the story of Rama is much loved and well-known, questions prevail. Ramayana Unravelled attempts to address some key concerns: How did his childhood and youth shape Rama? Why did Rama agree to go on vanvas – was it only to obey his father or was there more to it? How was the relationship of Rama and Seeta? Is the Ramayana inherently misogynist, considering the characterisation of Seeta, Shurpanakha, Kaikeyi and Tara? What led to the downfall of Ravan? Ami Ganatra takes the reader through the events of the Ramayana, resolving conundrums and underlining the reasons the epic continues to be cherished to this day

‘Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara, Mandodari – each of the Pancha Kanyas is fascinating ... Koral Dasgupta’s wonderful retelling adds to this corpus, with a lyrical and poetic quality’ BIBEK DEBROY

THE THIRD BOOK IN THE EXCEPTIONAL FIVE-PART SATI SERIES BY KORAL DASGUPTA

Draupadi is immortalized as the beloved princess of Panchal and the queen of Indraprastha in Indian myth and legend. Yet what do we really know of the fire-born queen’s dreams? What were her true desires?

In Koral Dasgupta’s thrilling new interpretation, Draupadi’s interior story, often relegated to the margins, is vividly foregrounded – from her unique friendship with Krishna, unconventional marriage to the Pandav brothers, to her quirky relationships with Kunti and Bhishma, and her deep passion for building a loving home. Bold, intimate and immersive, it thrusts the reader straight into the heart and mind of an unforgettable heroine from the Mahabharat, who remains both contemporary and timeless.

***

In the Sati series, Koral Dasgupta explores the lives of the Pancha Kanyas from the Hindu epics and reinvents them with a feminist consciousness.

Praise for the Sati series

‘Magical and thought-provoking’ CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI

‘Enigmatic’ NAMITA GOKHALE

‘A must for those wishing to know about our past and the dialectics of gender within it’ PAVAN K. VARMA

India was an economic power to reckon with until its economic decline in the 18th century. What explains this long period of prosperity? The answer might lie in a framework of social and economic thought that lies buried in our ancient heritage, says Sriram Balasubramanian, of which Kautilya’s Arthashastra is a major example. Kautilyanomics for Modern Times seeks to do three things—first, to provide a structure and a context for Kautilya’s economic thoughts; second, to examine his work’s relevance today; and third, to do it in a way that a lay reader can follow and grasp easily. Kautilya’s thought is mainly articulated through the prism of dharmic capitalism and its components—some examples include his views on global economic outlook, state-market dynamics, and sustainable growth through observance of environmental, societal and familial responsibilities. Fathoming India’s rich economic and philosophical heritage and making use of it, Balasubramanian argues, would prove to be a great asset in India’s/the country’s/the nation’s ascent again.

LORD VISHNU AND THE CREATION

The Vishnu Purana is part of a series of eighteen sacred Hindu texts known collectively as the Puranas. It occupies a prominent position among the ancient Vaishnava Puranas which recount tales of creation and the many incarnations of Lord Vishnu. It describes the four classes of society, the four stages of life, and key astronomical concepts related to Hinduism.
Brimming with insight and told with clarity, this translation of the Vishnu Purana by Bibek Debroy presents readers with an opportunity to truly understand the classical Indian mythic texts. Debroy has previously translated the Bhagavata Purana, the Markandeya Purana, and the Brahma Purana.