Knowledge And Wisdom

FREE Delivery
Express Shipping
$36
$45
(20% off)
Express Shipping: Guaranteed Dispatch in 24 hours
Quantity
Delivery Ships in 1-3 days
Item Code: NAD837
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan
Author: Prof.Harish C.Gaur
Edition: 2002
ISBN: 9788172763671
Pages: 387 (12 B/W Illustrations)
Cover: Hardcover
Other Details 9.0 inch X 6.0 inch
Weight 520 gm
Book Description
About the book

'Knowledge' and 'Wisdom' are the two anchor words, which are the theme of spiritual philosophy presented in this book. Concepts of knowledge (jnana) and wisdom (vjnana) are those used in scriptural texts. Briefly, there are two levels of knowledge (vidya). One is the lower knowledge (apara Vidya), which includes study of various scriptures, knowledge of various mantra-s for performance of religious rites, to understand the concept of one God and various gods as its limited manifestations, etc. Other is the higher knowledge (paravidyaj, which alone leads an aspirant to wisdom that enables realization of the oneness of the (individual) self (atman) and the supreme Self (Paramatman, Brahman). Both are needed. One proceeds from the lower to higher knowledge. Acquiring knowledge in Part I of the book lead the way to (realization of) wisdom in Part II.

"The first Indian thought brought before the world was in the form of the Veda-s, which mean jnana, the knowledge. The Vedas spread their light when the rest of the world was wrapped in the cover of ignorance. The essence of the Veda-s was placed in Upanisad-s and the nectar of Upanisad-s in the Bhagavadgtta The jnana of the Veda-s was thus transformed into wisdom through the Bhagavadglta.

The present book entitled "Knowledge and Wisdom" is a successful venture in bringing the knowledge to the store of wisdom. It helps us understand the basic concept, as of Om, the various Paureiuks and Vaidika mantra-s, of self (atman) and also Brahman, (Paramatman) the one Reality and Its various manifestations as gods (deva-s), etc. It gives detailed description of Pancadeva .Visnu, Siva, Ganesa, Devi; (the mother goddess) and Sun-god (Surya), considered as the Pantheon of Hindu faith ... Prof. Gaur discusses many issues of Indian philosophy, knowledge and wisdom enshrined in various scriptures. The book is capable of widening the horizon of the thinking and understanding of its reader.

About the Author

Prof. H. C. Gaur started his career as a scientist with a Ph.D. (1949) and was awarded D.Sc. (in 1960). He taught Chemistry at Delhi University for nearly four decades, during which he was also Head of Chemistry Department and Dean, Science Faculty. After retirement in 1990, he was drawn to spirituality and attended daily pravacana-s of (generally of one-month duration) at the nearby temple. These covered various discourses from the Bhagavadgtta, or topics from Bhagvata, various Upanisad-s, Purana-s and texts as Vivekacudamani, which he followed with self-study (svadhyaya). After about seven years, he started writing articles to share his thoughts with others similarly inclined. These appeared in the monthly magazine Kalyana Kalpataru (published by Gita Press, Gorakhpur), under the column 'Meditation' of Hindustan Times and serially under the column 'Horizons' of the Pioneer; 175 articles have been published so far. Three years ago, some of these were compiled in the form of a book entitled, "Understanding Isavasya Upanisad - an Exegetical Exposition", which was published under Book University Series of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB). The present book entitled "Knowledge and Wisdom", also based on the published articles, was also accepted by BVB under Book University Series. This book was scheduled, but could not be released, on 1st June 2005, Prof. Gaur's 80th birthday. Two of the messages received on the occasion, concerning his interest in spirituality, were:

" .. Prof. Gaur has excelled not only in the field of his specialization (Chemistry) but also in spirituality. He has written extensively on various topics with a rare insight, Txts on spirituality require re-interpretation, considering the need of the modem times. The wisdom enshrined in them needs to be conveyed to present day masses in an expression that is intelligible to them, so that they can imbibe without straining themselves. It is precisely this, that he has been doing - a task in which he achieved marked success. It was a pleasure having written a 'Foreword' for this book. (Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri, JNU, New Delhi)

" .. His views and thoughts are a regular feature of the Pioneer and are read with great interest... his interpretation of sloka-s gives a new dimension to Indian philosophy... “(Prof. Harish Chandra, Delhi University)

Contents

Part-I: On Way to Knowledge
1Om is auspicious 45
2Gayatrl and other ancient mantra-s for devotion 63
3God and gods89
3.1God is one, gods are many90
3.2God is Omnipresent94
3.2Nature of Brahman, the supreme Self99
3.3Spirituality, the way of attaining Him103
3.5Glta's gospel of realization through devotion (Maim)107
3.6Devotee's consciousness as mana-mandira for Lords' abode118
3.7Birth-death cycle of SaIilsara, an obstacle in attaining Him121
4Pancadeva, The Pantheon of Hindu faith 129
4.1Visnu and incarnations135
4.2Siva155
4.3Ganesa, the god extrsordinsire176
4.4Devt; the mother goddess186
4.5Sun-worship212
Part-II: On Way to Wisdom
5The way to wisdom229
5.1Four types of devotees230
5.2Do I need a guide?232
5.3Arise, awake and learn236
6Distractions on path of spirituality239
6.1Control the senses and deep driving force240
6.2Gross body as chariot244
6.3Five afflictions in path of spirituality247
6.4Overcome guus-s of prskrti250
6.5(Understand) five sheaths of ignorance that conceal the self255
7Pre-requisites and divine traits that help261
7.1Truth alone triumphs262
7.2Vedic gospels of truth264
7.3Ethical code of conduct in Upanisad-s266
7.4Propagation of spiritual values269
7.5Vedic commandments for a better life272
7.6Abimss, the way of life275
7.7Gandhi's views on ahinisa and truth279
7.8Equanimity as the way of life281
7.9Divine Traits that help284
8Faith is the foundation of spirituality293
8.1Faith, an introduction294
8.2Belief, faith and trust298
8.3Faith, devotion and prescribed duties301
8.4Three-fold faith and worship of deity303
8.5Lose not your faith in doing puay« karma306
9Way to devotion310
9.1The way to devotion311
9.2Bbskti is love of God, the love that liberates314
9.3Seek God's grace by exclusive surrender319
9.4Nine fOnDS of devotion324
9.5Gita's way of devotion328
9.6Traits of devotees dear to Him336
10Way of meditation340
10.1Meditation based on Patafijali's Yoga Satra341
10.2Meditation in Sankara's Aparolqanubhuti360
10.3Bhagavadglta's way of meditation367
Sample Pages











Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q. What locations do you deliver to ?
    A. Exotic India delivers orders to all countries having diplomatic relations with India.
  • Q. Do you offer free shipping ?
    A. Exotic India offers free shipping on all orders of value of $30 USD or more.
  • Q. Can I return the book?
    A. All returns must be postmarked within seven (7) days of the delivery date. All returned items must be in new and unused condition, with all original tags and labels attached. To know more please view our return policy
  • Q. Do you offer express shipping ?
    A. Yes, we do have a chargeable express shipping facility available. You can select express shipping while checking out on the website.
  • Q. I accidentally entered wrong delivery address, can I change the address ?
    A. Delivery addresses can only be changed only incase the order has not been shipped yet. Incase of an address change, you can reach us at help@exoticindia.com
  • Q. How do I track my order ?
    A. You can track your orders simply entering your order number through here or through your past orders if you are signed in on the website.
  • Q. How can I cancel an order ?
    A. An order can only be cancelled if it has not been shipped. To cancel an order, kindly reach out to us through help@exoticindia.com.
Add a review
Have A Question

For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy

Book Categories