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June 26, 2015 600 × 800 The Avatara (Divine Descent) Concept in Hinduism

Pillar with bas-reliefs depicting some of Visnu’s avataras (Mahabalipuram, India)

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Scholarly Resources for the Study of Hinduism

Articles

  • 0A: Academic Resources for Studying Hinduism (1)
  • A. The History of India (28)
    • a. Map (1)
    • b. The Indus Valley Civilization (2)
    • c. The Aryans (1)
    • d. Alexander the Great (1)
    • e. The Mauryan Empire (2)
    • f. The Gupta Empire (2)
    • g. The Deccan Empires (3)
    • h. Other Empires (6)
    • i. South Indian Kingdoms (9)
      • The Chola Dynasty (6)
    • j. Other Historic Topics (1)
  • B. Vedic Religion and the Sanskrit Language (42)
    • a. The Vedic Samhitas (4)
    • b. Vedic Deities (8)
    • c. The Brahmanas (2)
    • d. Vedic Rituals (Yajna) (4)
    • e. The Upanisads (5)
    • f. Atman and Brahman (3)
      • Brahman (1)
    • g. Other Vedic Literature (7)
      • Astrology (2)
      • Ayurveda (3)
    • h. The Sphoṭa Theory of Language (1)
    • i. Mantra and the Theology of Sound (1)
    • j. Sanskrit and the Philosophy of Sound (4)
      • General Studies (1)
      • Philosophy of Sanskrit (1)
      • Sanskrit Grammarians (2)
    • k. The Rsis of Ancient Indian Tradition (3)
  • C. Karma, Time, and Cosmology (12)
    • a. Hindu Conceptions of Time and Creation (3)
    • b. The Hindu Universe (2)
    • c. Karma, Samsara, and Reincarnation (3)
    • d. Moksa (Spiritual Liberation) (4)
  • D. Hindu Social Organization and Values (17)
    • a. Dharma and the Dharma Sastras (5)
    • b. The Four Classes (Varna) Of Hindu Society (4)
    • c. The Caste (Jati) System (4)
    • d. The Untouchables (2)
    • e. Purity and Pollution (2)
    • f. Auspiciousness and Inauspiciousness (1)
  • E. Dharma and the Individual (58)
    • a. Hindu Rites of Passage (Samskara) (14)
      • 1. Investiture with the Sacred Thread (Upanayana) (1)
      • 2. Marriage (Vivaha) (4)
      • 3. Householder’s Samskara (3)
      • 4. Antyesti (Final Sacrifice) (4)
    • b. The Four Goals/ Aims of Life (17)
      • 1. Dharma (2)
      • 2. Artha (2)
      • 3. Kama (9)
      • 4. Moksa (2)
    • c. The Four Stages of Life (7)
      • 1. The Student (Sisya) (1)
      • 2. The Householder (1)
      • 3. The Forest Dweller (1)
      • 4. The Renouncer (4)
    • d. Women in Hinduism (18)
      • Gender Issues (11)
      • Notable Women in Hinduism (5)
    • e. Vowed Ascetic Observances (Vrata) and Auspiciousness (Saubhagya) (4)
    • f. Marriage and Pativrata (1)
    • g. Sati and the Status of Widows (5)
  • F. Indian Philosophical Schools (62)
    • a. Asceticism and Renunciation (8)
    • b. The Heterodox Philosophies (5)
      • 1. Jainism (2)
      • 2. Buddhism (2)
      • 3. Carvaka (1)
    • c. The Six Orthodox Systems (49)
      • 1. Sankhya (6)
      • 2. Yoga (29)
        • Hatha Yoga (5)
        • Other Yogas (2)
        • Patanjali's Yoga Sutra (2)
        • Related Topics in Yoga (6)
        • The Eight Limbs (Astanga) of Yoga (9)
          • Asana (1)
          • Dhyana (1)
          • Pranayama (2)
          • Samadhi (3)
          • Yama and Niyama (2)
        • The Yogas of the Bhagavad Gita (4)
      • 3. Nyaya (1)
      • 4. Vaisesika (1)
      • 5. Mimamsa (1)
      • 6. Vedanta (12)
        • General Information (1)
        • i. Sankara's Radical Non-Dualism (Advaita) (3)
        • ii. Madhva's Dualism (Dvaita) (2)
        • iii. Ramanuja's Qualified Non-Dualism (2)
    • Other Concepts (5)
  • G. The Epics, Bhagavad Gita and the Rise of Bhakti (63)
    • a. The Ramayana (23)
      • Major Characters in the Ramayana (9)
      • Reviews of Retellings (1)
      • Summary Retelling of Books 1-7 (9)
    • b. The Mahabharata (23)
      • Major Characters of the Mahabharata (16)
      • The Harivamsa (1)
    • c. The Bhagavad Gita (3)
      • General Studies (2)
    • d. The Bhagavad Gita's Three Yogas (9)
      • 1. Jnana Yoga (2)
      • 2. Karma Yoga (4)
      • 3. Bhakti Yoga (2)
    • e. The Alvars and the Nayanars (1)
    • f. Devotional Worship (Bhakti) (4)
  • H. Major Hindu Sects, Deities and Purāṇic Myths (152)
    • a. The Puranas (6)
    • b. Saivism (31)
      • 1. Saiva Deities (24)
        • Ganesa (3)
        • Sati/Parvati (3)
        • Siva (17)
        • Skanda/Karttikeya (2)
      • 2. Saiva Sects (3)
    • c. Vaisnavism (39)
      • 1. Vaisnava Deities (35)
        • Hanuman (2)
        • Radha (2)
        • Sita (1)
        • Visnu (6)
        • Visnu's Avataras (22)
          • Krsna (14)
          • Rama (3)
      • 2. Vaisnava Schools (4)
    • d. Saktism (58)
      • Sakta Deities (Hindu Goddesses) (56)
        • Ganga (4)
        • Mahadevi Durga (6)
        • Other Goddesses (20)
        • Parvati (3)
        • Sarasvati (1)
        • Sri/Laksmi (2)
        • The Ten Mahavidyas (22)
          • a) Kali (8)
          • b) Tara (3)
          • c) Tripura Sundari (2)
          • d). Bhuvanesvari (2)
          • e) Bhairavi (1)
          • f) Chinnamasta (2)
          • g) Dhumavati (3)
          • h) Bagalamukhi (3)
          • i) Matangi (2)
          • j) Kamala (3)
    • e. Other Sects (7)
    • f. Puranic Mythology and Other Hindu Deities (9)
    • g. Other Deities, Demons, and Entities (27)
      • Deities and Entities (17)
      • Demons (7)
      • South Indian Deities (3)
  • I. The Hindu Temple and Worship Rituals (85)
    • a. Puja (3)
    • b. Darsana (3)
    • c. The Hindu Temple (6)
      • 1. Design and Construction (3)
      • 2. The Dravidian Style of Hindu Temple (1)
      • 3. The Nagara Style of Hindu Temples (1)
    • d. Some Noteworthy Temples (31)
      • Cave Temples (4)
      • Indonesian Temples (2)
      • Khmer (Cambodian) Temples (2)
      • North Indian (8)
      • South Indian (14)
    • e. Hindu Pilgrimage (13)
    • f. Worship Rituals and Festivals (40)
      • Hindu Festivals (16)
      • Iconography (4)
      • Other Rituals (7)
      • Sacred Specialists (6)
      • Temple Worship (5)
  • J. Tantra (19)
    • a. History and Fundamentals of Tantra (1)
    • b. The Tantras (3)
    • c. Tantric Saivism in Kashmir (6)
      • Saiva Siddhanta (1)
    • d. Kundalini Yoga (2)
    • e. Goddess and Women in Tantra (4)
    • f. Tantric Mantras and Yantras (3)
    • g. General Information (1)
  • K. South Indian Hinduism (13)
    • General Studies (1)
    • Literature, Cinema, Etc. (2)
    • South Indian Deities (3)
    • South Indian Festivals (2)
    • The Alvars (2)
    • The Nayanars (1)
  • L. Hindu Arts, Architecture and Culture (55)
    • Culture (12)
      • Assorted Aspects of Hindu Culture (9)
    • Hindu Symbols (2)
    • Martial Arts (2)
    • Poets and Playwrights (8)
    • Ritual Arts (21)
      • Painting and Sculpture (4)
      • Sacred Dance (10)
      • Sacred Music (3)
    • Sacred Cities (9)
    • Tales and Fables (4)
  • M. Colonization and Reform (18)
    • a. Religious Syncretism in North India (3)
      • 1. Kabir (1)
      • 2. The Bauls (1)
      • 3. Guru Nanak (1)
    • b. Hindu Responses to Christianity (2)
    • c. Hinduism and Politics (12)
      • 1. Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1)
      • 2. Mahatma Gandhi (5)
      • 3. Hindutva and the Bhartiya Janata Party (1)
      • 4. Bharat Mata (1)
      • 5. Significant Figures (3)
      • Political Parties (3)
  • N. Transnational Hinduism in Asia (20)
    • a. Hinduism in Nepal (7)
    • b. Hinduism in Southeast Asia (5)
    • c. Hinduism in Indonesia (8)
  • O. Revitalization and Modernity (27)
    • a. Hinduism and Humanism (1)
      • Rabindranath Tagore (1)
    • b. Hinduism in Universalistic Religion (13)
      • 1. The Theosophical Society (5)
      • 2. Sri Aurobindo and Integral Yoga (1)
      • 3. Hindu-Christian Dialogue (2)
      • Noteworthy Figures in Contemporary Hinduism (5)
        • 1. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the Ramakrishna Order (2)
        • 2. Sathya Sai Baba (1)
        • 3. The Sankaracaryas (2)
          • Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1)
          • The Dasanamis (1)
    • c. Hinduism and Modernity (13)
      • 1. Hinduism and Ecology (5)
      • 2. Hinduism and Ethics (2)
      • 3. Gender Equality (4)
  • P. Hinduism Beyond India (15)
    • Ancient Hindu Kingdoms (5)
    • Hinduism in Sri Lanka (2)
    • Modern Hinduism in the Diaspora (3)
    • Other Regions (6)
  • Q. Hinduism and Other Religions (10)
    • Hinduism and Buddhism (3)
    • Hinduism and Christianity (2)
    • Hinduism and Islam (1)
    • Hinduism and Sikhism (2)
    • Hinduism's Interaction with Other Religions (2)
    • The Parsis (1)
  • R. Hinduism and the West (24)
    • a. Hinduism for the West (22)
      • 1. Swami Vivekananda (1)
      • 2. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Transcendental Meditation (3)
      • 3. Osho (1)
      • 4. Jiddu Krishnamurti (2)
      • 5. Swami Bhaktivedanta and ISKCON (4)
      • 6. Krishnamacharya and the Hatha Yoga Movement (1)
      • 7. Yogananda Paramahansa (3)
    • b. Some Contemporary Teachers (2)
      • Swami Sivananda Saraswati (2)
  • S. Significant Figures and Organizations in Hinduism (35)
    • a. Significant Figures in Hinduism (26)
      • Scholars of the Hindu Tradition (5)
    • b. Significant Hindu Organizations (13)
  • T. Assorted Themes in Hinduism (28)
    • Hinduism and Health (1)
    • Hinduism and Sexuality (14)
      • Kama and Kama Sutras and Shastras (10)
    • Hinduism and the Media (1)
    • Hinduism in Contemporary Literature (6)
    • Indian Advancements in Knowledge (2)
  • Uncategorized (3)
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