Preface
The wisdom imparted to humans by the oral transmission called Srutis or Vedas and the remembered written texts called Smritis, dwells on the Supreme Soul, coupled with philosophical thoughts. These are recognised the world over. The victory of Dharma caused by the advent of the Supreme Soul through various incarnations and supple-mented by the words of wisdom through the mouths of Munis is portrayed in all these texts. The materialistic world that yearns for the satisfaction of the needs of the Indriyas causes an accumulation of im-purities in the mind. The ways and means to reduce it and focus on the lotus feet of the Paramatma are expressed by the gems found in these texts. In ancient India, the Gurukula concept of learning cre-ated students who could master their minds. The aware-ness of not only the idea of Prakriti and Purusha but also the four Vedas, Vedangas or the limbs of the Vedas, Upa-nishads or the Vedanta was inculcated in their minds by the Guru. The disciples learned about the Self and the Ultimate Reality by their focus on meditation and moral-ity. Contrast this with the learning imparted these days. Morality has gone to the dogs. Invoking God is considered taboo or infra dig. 'Satyam Vada, Dharmam Chara, which means 'speak the truth, abide by dharma, was taught by the Guru to the Brahmachari in ancient Bharat. Unfortu-nately, no such enlightening concept is taught nowadays. The students display a fondness for pleasure and luxury. The conflict between Dharma and Adharma exercised through the actions of the Devas and Asuras respectively, the lives of exemplary Rishis focused on unstinted devo-tion to the Paramatma are brought out in my book culled out from the Ancient Religious texts. Besides, the lives of the Rajarshis from the Puranas, the stories of the Nagas, who are Kadru's children, and Garuda, who is Vinata's son, are also enlightened. Earlier, I had the blessings of the Almighty to write the English version of Srimad Bhagavatham, published by Gu-ruvayoor Devaswom, and Srimad Devi Bhagavatham, pub-lished by Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi. I would like to express my gratitude to my cousin, Sri V.R. Nair, and my niece, Ms. Manjula Nair, for their unwav-ering support in editing the manuscript, despite their busy schedules. My wife, Umadevi, has always inspired me in all my endeavours. I thank her sincerely. This book brought out as a dialogue between a grand-daughter and grandfather will hopefully be a good reli-gious reading for not only young adults but elders as well. I offer this spiritual work titled "Tales from Ancient Hindu Texts' to the lotus feet of Bhagavan.
About The Book
In ancient India, the Gurukula system cultivated disciplined students who mastered their minds and grasped concepts such as Prakriti, Purusha, and the four Vedas. Under the guidance of their Guru, they explored the Self and Ultimate Reality through meditation and morality. Today, however, morality has declined, and invoking God is often seen as unsuitable. The ancient teaching of "Satyam Vada, Dharmam Chara" (speak the truth, abide by dharma) is largely absent, and students seem more focused on pleasure and luxury. In a materialist world, the mind often veers off the righteous path due to the shad-ripus (six enemies): Kama (desires), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Moha (delusion), Mada (ego), and Matsarya (jealousy). Even great Maharshis faced challenges in controlling these impurities, which led them to perform Tapasyas for atonement. This book highlights the lives of exemplary Rishis, the creation of the Universe as depicted in the Itihasas and Puranas, the Dasavatara and tales of renowned Rajarshis and notorious Daityas/Asuras. It also covers the stories of the Nagas, children of Kadru, and Garuda, son of Vinata. These stories are engaging for both young adults and elders, as they are narrated by a grandfather to his granddaughter.
About The Author
SUBHAS CHANDA (b. 1931) is a sitar and surbahar player and scholar of Hindustani classical music associated with the Imdadkhani or Etawah tradition, known for its emphasis on melodic development and a vocal approach to instrumental perfor-mance. He began his musical training at an early age under the guidance of the late Shri Bimalakanta Roycho-wdhuri. Later he worked as a music teacher at the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata. Since 1980, he has directed the Imdadkhani School of Sitar in Kolkata. He has also served on the Advisory Board of the Ustad Nasir Moinuddin Dagar Dhrupad Sangeet Ashram. His published works include The Imdadkhani Baj (Sangeet Natak Akademi, 2020) and Parampara: Hindustani Instrumental Music by Masters and Practitioner (self-published, 2024).
Vedas (1234)
Upanishads (518)
Puranas (636)
Ramayana (769)
Mahabharata (380)
Dharmasastras (172)
Goddess (534)
Bhakti (253)
Saints (1640)
Gods (1322)
Shiva (410)
Journal (176)
Fiction (66)
Vedanta (386)
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