Free Downloads The Rig Veda: An Anthology Of One Hundred Eight Hymns (Penguin Classics)
The earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas, and the first extensive composition to survive in any Indo-European language, "The Rig Veda" (c. 1200-900 bc) is a collection of more than 1,000 individual Sanskrit hymns. A work of intricate beauty, it provides unique insight into early Indian mythology and culture.
Series: Penguin Classics
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Penguin Classics; 2000 edition edition (January 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0140444025
ISBN-13: 978-0140444025
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.7 x 7.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #954,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #21 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism > Sacred Writings > Vedas #1059 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Themes & Styles > Inspirational & Religious #1309 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Anthologies
This is a re-issue, in Penguin's current format, and with new cover art, of the Penguin Classics volume previously listed by as "The Rig Veda: An Anthology of One Hundred Eight Hymns," published in 1981 (and as of October 2005, confusingly still available from ), as translated and edited by Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty. That was her married name, since dropped, to the accompaniment of endless bibliographic and bookselling confusion. She is now known as Wendy Doniger, and is the "Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor of the History of Religions" at the University of Chicago. (She has reported receiving mail with interesting combinations of names and titles.)Upon inspection, the "new edition" is revealed to be one of Penguin's cosmetic re-packagings to make the whole line uniform (and mostly quite handsome), and not one of the revised editions which have also been appearing as part of the same project. I offer here, with some modifications, my review of the 1981 edition (itself previously reissued in a larger format, with new cover art, some years ago, but also not otherwise changed).Meanwhile, I suggest trying the page for the older edition of "The Rig Veda: An Anthology..." if you are interested in a variety of responses by over a dozen other reviewers. And, again, don't let the title and name variations suggest that they are different books, of exactly the same length, from the very same publisher! (As a matter of fact, the actual front-cover title of these editions has been just "The Rig Veda" all along.)Under any form of her name, Wendy Doniger is a distinguished interpreter and translator of Vedic and classical Sanskrit texts, and of Indian religions in general. Her books are often witty, and at times quite dense with detail.
listing for this book has at times contained a possibly confusing abundance of Wendys. Keeping it simple; Wendy Doniger used Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty on her earlier books, and uses Wendy Doniger for books published after her divorce; a few older printings of some of them have "Wendy O'Flaherty" on them somewhere. Hence the variants, which can leave some works (like this one) in bibliographic purgatory. (To add to the possible confusion, she is now the "Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor of the History of Religions" at the University of Chicago, and has reported receiving mail with interesting combinations of names.)A re-issue by Penguin, listed by with the simpler title of "The Rig Veda," and a new cover design and art, but no other changes, has appeared (September 2005) as by Wendy Doniger; I have offered a new version of this review with it, with some different emphases, and have also reviewed a Kessinger e-book of the old R.T.H. Griffiths "complete" translation. (Well, really complete, IF you can read Latin, and if you find an unlisted appendix -- Griffiths took some care not to offend Victorian sensibilities, and Kessinger was a little careless.)Secondly, under any form of the names, Wendy Doniger is a distinguished interpreter and translator of Vedic and classical Sanskrit texts, and of Indian religions in general. Her books are often witty, and at times quite dense with detail. She fully appreciates the playfulness of many versions of Hindu stories of the gods. ("Play" being in fact an explicit theme in some of them.)In this volume she presents a selection of very ancient poems, in quite readable translations, and backs them up with detailed interpretive and bibliographic notes.
The Rig Veda: An Anthology of One Hundred Eight Hymns (Penguin Classics) Poetry and Speculation of the Rg Veda (Hermeneutics, Studies in the History of Religions (1980- ).) Hymns with a Classical Touch - Volume 2: Timeless Hymns and Classics Hymns, Pipes & Classics: Hymns Blended with Masterworks for Organ (Jubilate) Rgveda for the Layman: A Critical Survey of One Hundred Hymns of the Rgveda, With Samhita-Patha, Pada-Patha and Word-Meaning and English Translation Postcards from Penguin: One Hundred Book Covers in One Box One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in Italy (Rizzoli Classics) The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream Rig it Right! Maya Animation Rigging Concepts (Computers and People) Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich--and Cheat E verybody Else Penguin Classics Beyond Good And Evil (Penguin Modern Classics) One Hundred Great Essays (Penguin Academics Series) (2nd Edition) Stories of the Great Hymns: Short Sessions on the Creation of the Great Hymns with Simplified Arrangements Hymns for Today: 12 Contemporary Arrangements of Traditional Hymns (Alfred's Sacred Performer Collections) Gospel Hymns with a Velvet Touch: 10 Elegant Settings of Beloved Hymns (Sacred Performer Collections) Hymns with a Velvet Touch: 10 Elegant Settings of Timeless Hymns (Sacred Performer Collections) When Morning Gilds the Skies: Hymns of Heaven and Our Eternal Hope (Great Hymns of Our Faith) Hymnal: Ancient Hymns & Spiritual Songs: Lyrics to thousands of popular & traditional Christian hymns The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces (Square Peg Cookery Classics) One Hundred Years of Solitude (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)
