ToC

  • Timeline of Books

    • Samhithas
    • Upanishads
  • Aagamas

    • Tantras (Shakta Aagamas)
  • Vedanta (Dvaita vs Advaita)

  • Advaita Vedanta (by Adi Sankara)

  • Verses

  • Books

  • Prior to 200 BCE

    • Minor Law Books
  • After 6th Century

  • Later Texts

  • Modern Books

    • Writings of Sister Nivedita (Margaret E. Noble)
    • Writings of Rabindranath Tagore

Timeline of Books

Samhita (Brahmana layers of the Vedas)

  • Rigveda (1500-1100 BCE)
  • Samaveda (1200-800 BCE)
  • Yajurveda (1100-800 BCE)
  • Atharvaveda (1000-800 BCE)

The early Upanishads were composed over 900-300 BCE.

Others

  • Brahma Sutra (500 BCE)
  • Mahabharata (900-400 BCE)
  • Bhagavad Gita (400 BCE)
  • Ramayana (400 BCE)
  • Mimamsa Sutra (300-200 BCE)
  • Shiva Sutras (120 BCE)
  • Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (500-100 BCE)
  • Nyaya Sutras (200-100 BCE)
  • Vaiseshika Sutra (200-100 BCE)
  • Sankhya Sutra
  • Arthashastra (400-200 CE)
  • Puranas (250-1000 CE)
  • Abhinavabharati (950-1020 CE)
  • Yoga Vasistha (750 CE)

Aagamas

  • Aagamas are traditions.
    • They are voluminous and are divided into Shaiva, Shakta and Vaishnava.
    • They are also called Tantras, but that’s mostly Shakta Aagamas.
    • The Aagama texts include:
      • 28 Shaiva Aagamas
      • 64 Shakta Aagamas (also called Tantras)
      • 108 Vaishnava Paancharaatra Aagamas (also called Paancharaatra Samhitas)
      • 28 Vaishnava Vaikhaanasa Aagamas
      • Other (I guess 79, to make up 215) Vaishnava Pratishthasara and Vijnaana Lalita Aagama-s
      • and numerous Upa Aagamas.

Dvaita Vedanta vs Advaita Vedanta

  • Dvaita Vedanta is dualistic
  • Advaita Vedanta is monistic

Advaita Vedanta

It is based on the teachings of Adi Shankara, who is the first Shankaracharya.

His followers are Shankaracharyas. (Acharya means teacher, so Shankaracharya means teacher in the ways of Shankara)

He set up four monasteries (called Mathas or Pithams) where realized men would teach.

Shishya (lineage)DirectionMonastery (Matha / Pitham)MahavakyaVedaSampradayaPresent Shankaracharya
PadmapadaEastPuri GovardhanmathaPra-Jnaanam Brahma (Ultimate Knowledge is Reality)Rig VedaBhogavalaSwami Nischalananda Saraswati
SuresvaraSouthSringeri sarada PithamAham Brahm Asmi (I am (Soul is) Reality)Yajur VedaBhurivalaSri Bharati Tirtha
HastamalakacaryaWestDvaraka Sharada PithamTat Tvam Asi (That (Reality) and You are the Same)Sama VedaKitavalaSwami Sadanand Saraswati
TotakacaryaNorthBadari Jyotirmatha PithamAyam Atmaanam Brahma (This Soul is Reality)Atharva VedaNandavalaSwami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati (contested) / Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati (disputed)

Verses

Purusa Sukta:

  • Rig Veda 10.90.1

Books

  • Brahma Sutras

  • Sankhya Sutras

  • Yoga Sutras

  • Nyaya Sutras

  • Vaiseshika Sutra

  • Mimamsa Sutras

  • Vedanta Sutras

  • Pramana Sutras

  • Puranas

  • Dharma Shastra

  • Artha Shastra

  • Kamasutra

  • Divya Prabhandham

  • Tirumurai

  • Shiva Samhita

  • Kalpa Sutras

    • Shrauta Sutras (Sutras based on Sruti, focusing on rituals)
    • Griha Sutras (Household Rites)
    • Dharma Soothra-s (Moral Code)
    • Shulba Sutras (Rope Measurement Techniques)

Prior to 200 BC

  • Manu Smriti (Laws of Manu)
  • Dharma Sutras (The Sacred Laws of The Aryas)
    • Apastamba Dharma Sutra, Gautama Dharma Sutra, and the other 2 Sutras
    • Sections: Prasna, Patala, Khanda
  • Visnu Smriti / Vaishanava Dharma Shastra / Vishnu Sutras (The Institutes of Vishnu / Laws)
    • Contains punishments (Insulting caste members, “I shall visit your ‘daughter’/‘wife’”)
    • Supports Casteism
    • Death for all criminals
    • Eunuchs as bodyguards for Warriors’ wives

Minor Law Books

  • N

After 6th Century

Later Texts

  • The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
  • The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
  • Dakshinamurti Stotra
  • The Sánkhya Aphorisms of Kapila
  • Shakuntala (Poem, by Kalidas)
  • The Little Clay Cart (Drama)
  • Verses of Vemana
  • Black Marigolds
  • Vikram and the Vampire
  • Hymns of the Tamil Shaivite Saints
  • Songs of Kabir (By Tagore)
  • Yoga Vashisht or Heaven Found (Excerpts from Yoga Vashishta)

Modern Books

  • Relax with Yoga
  • Great Systems of Yoga
  • Old Deccan Days
  • Ramakrishna, His Life and Sayings
  • The Gospel of Ramakrishna
  • Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Puranic
  • How To Be A Yogi
  • Twenty-two Goblins
  • Indian Fairy Tales
  • Indian Myth and Legend
  • Karma-Yoga
  • Hindu Mysticism

Writings of Sister Nivedita (Margaret E. Noble)

  • Kali the Mother
  • The Web of Indian Life
  • Studies from an Eastern Home

Writings of Rabindranath Tagore

  • Gitanjali
  • Saddhana, The Realisation of Life
  • The Crescent Moon
  • Fruit-Gathering
  • Stray Birds
  • The Home and the World
  • Thought Relics
  • Songs of Kabîr