Our Heritage Revisited A Glimpse Into Ancient Indian Texts [Paperback]

Ever wondered what is in the Veds and Upanishads? The terms Shruti, Smriti, Puran, Agam, Nigam, Advait, Vedant philosophy to name a few have been heard  but what exactly are these? This book attempts to bring all of this and more in a quick-read for an overall perspective. We in India are blessed with tremendous cultural, philosophical and traditional wealth, mainly taken for granted without enquiring into the genesis. Oral knowledge was converted into written form but understanding has still not reached many of us. The contents of ancient Indian scriptures and spiritual texts have generally remained an enigma. Barriers have emerged from various causes. The language of presentation coupled with the lack of easy access and non-availability of a systematic account of the evolution of various texts are a few. There is also the near absence of the topic in the general education curriculum. Veds and Upanishads may be commonly known / heard of, but only a few know about the construct of the Shruti and Smriti texts and their constituents. These texts represent the genesis of one of the oldest cultures in the world dealing with multiple complexities of human life, science, mathematics, art and culture. However these texts are open to interpretation with each one requiring deep study. The toughness and unapproachable nature of these ancient texts (other than perhaps the Bhagvad Gita, Ramayan and Mahabharat) have prevented them from being a part of common reading. Most of the existing works available to readers, take up for commentary, an individual text for a detailed understanding but an overall picture is not easily available. It is not an easy task considering the awesome vastness of our heritage and its complexity, but this book attempts to present a user-friendly description of these texts and their evolutionary account. It is a simpler version of complexities and is for any person to read and is meant for the comparitive novice who is keen to get an overview of oul'