Saturday, April 18, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org
Hindu
Sacred texts from the Hindu tradition, spanning devotional, tantric, and philosophical literature.
✦ ─── ⟐ ─── ✦
Texts
A Rāmāyana Petition — PT 982A five-line Old Tibetan petition from the Dunhuang caves, written in the form of a formal betrothal document using characters from the Indian Rāmāyana. Three civilizations on one scroll — Chinese Buddhist on the recto, Tibetan bureaucratic-epic on the verso.Bhagavad GitaThe Bhagavad Gita rendered into English blank verse by Sir Edwin Arnold — a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna on duty, knowledge, devotion, and the nature of the soul.Devi MahatmyaThe central scripture of Shakta Hinduism — the Goddess in three great forms destroys the demons that the gods cannot defeat. Translated from Sanskrit.Hymn to Kali — Arthur AvalonA Tantric hymn to Kali with introduction and commentary by Vimalananda-Svami. Translated by Arthur Avalon, 1922.Hymns to the Goddess — Arthur AvalonA collection of Hindu devotional hymns to the Divine Feminine, drawn from Tantric, Puranic, and classical Sanskrit sources. Translated by Arthur Avalon, 1913.Indian Myth and Legend — Donald MackenzieIndian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913). A comprehensive survey of Hindu mythology from the Vedas through the great epics, covering gods, heroes, demons, and the philosophical traditions of ancient India.Introduction to HinduismA critical introduction to Hinduism — the problem of the name, the Vedic inheritance, the epics and Puranas, the six philosophies, the three great theisms, the bhakti revolution, the temple and the image, caste and liberation, and the modern encounter with modernity itself.Mahanirvana Tantra — Arthur AvalonThe Tantra of the Great Liberation, a foundational Hindu Tantric scripture framed as a dialogue between Shiva and Parvati. Translated by Arthur Avalon, 1913.Rudrayamala TantraA major Shaiva Tantric text attributed to the revelation of Lord Shiva to Parvati — the first English translation from a Nepali palm-leaf manuscript.Shakti and Shakta — Arthur AvalonEssays on the philosophy, theology, and ritual of the Shakta tradition in Hinduism. By Arthur Avalon, 1918.The Bhagavadgita with Sanatsujatiya and Anugita — K.T. TelangThe Bhagavadgita with the Sanatsujatiya and the Anugita, translated by Kashinath Trimbak Telang (1882). Sacred Books of the East, Volume 8. Three philosophical texts from the Mahabharata.The Devi Bhagavata Purana — Swami VijñananandaThe Devi Bhagavata Purana (Srimad Devi Bhagavatam), translated by Swami Vijñanananda (1921-22). The great Purana of the Goddess in twelve books, covering the mythology, theology, and devotion of Shakti worship.The Garuda Purana — Ernest WoodThe Garuda Purana, translated by Ernest Wood and S.V. Subrahmanyam (1911). An encyclopedic text covering cosmology, astrology, medicine, ethics, and the journey of the soul after death.The Institutes of Vishnu — Julius JollyThe Institutes of Vishnu, translated by Julius Jolly (1880). Sacred Books of the East, Volume 7. An ancient Hindu legal text presented as a dialogue between Vishnu and the goddess of the Earth.The Laws of Manu — George BühlerThe Laws of Manu (Manusmriti), translated by George Bühler (1886). Sacred Books of the East, Volume 25. The foundational Hindu legal code in twelve chapters.The Long Tibetan RāmāyaṇaThe most complete Old Tibetan Rāmāyaṇa from the Dunhuang caves — 276 lines spanning the cosmic backstory of Laṅkā, the origin of Rāvaṇa, the incarnation of Viṣṇu as Rāma, the birth of Sītā, the golden deer, the abduction, the alliance with Sugrīva, Hanumān's leap to Laṅkā, and the march to war. First English translation.The Ramayana of Valmiki — Ralph GriffithThe Ramayana of Valmiki, translated into English verse by Ralph T.H. Griffith (1870-1874). The complete epic in seven books, telling the story of Prince Rama, his exile, the abduction of Sita, and the great war against Ravana.The Sacred Laws of the Aryas — Georg BuhlerThe Sacred Laws of the Aryas, Part I, translated by Georg Bühler (1879). Sacred Books of the East, Volume 2. Contains the Dharmasutras of Apastamba and Gautama.The Tibetan RāmāyanaAn Old Tibetan Rāmāyana fragment from the Dunhuang caves. Rāma's exile, the finding of Sītā, her abduction by the ten-headed demon, and the alliance with the monkey prince Sugrīva.The Upanishads, Part I — Max MullerThe Upanishads, Part I, translated by F. Max Müller (1879). Sacred Books of the East, Volume 1. Contains the Chandogya, Kena, Aitareya Aranyaka, Kaushitaki, and Isa Upanishads.The Upanishads, Part II — Max MullerThe Upanishads, Part II, translated by F. Max Müller (1884). Sacred Books of the East, Volume 15. Contains the Katha, Mundaka, Taittiriyaka, Brihadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Prasna, and Maitrayana Upanishads.The Vedanta Sutras — George ThibautThe Vedanta Sutras with the commentary of Sankaracharya, Part I, translated by George Thibaut (1890). Sacred Books of the East, Volume 34. The foundational text of Advaita Vedanta philosophy.The Vishnu Purana — H.H. WilsonThe Vishnu Purana, translated by Horace Hayman Wilson (1840). One of the oldest and most important of the eighteen Mahapuranas, covering cosmology, mythology, genealogy, and the avatars of Vishnu.The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali — BonGiovanniThe Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, translated by BonGiovanni. One hundred and ninety-six aphorisms on the theory and practice of yoga, organized in four books covering contemplation, spiritual disciplines, divine powers, and realization.
✦ ─── ⟐ ─── ✦
Looking for the Tianmu translations? Click here!