The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious ImaginationSUNY Press, 1998 M01 1 - 325 pages The Artful Universe introduces the Vedic religion, a rich and densely textured tradition that has influenced the religious sensibilities of India for 3500 years or more. Engagingly written and based on traditional as well as modern Vedic scholarship, the book introduces Vedic ideas regarding the nature of divinity, the structure of the sacred universe, the process of revelation, the function of ritual as hallowed activity, and the realizations lying behind the practice of meditation. As a way to link these diverse aspects of Vedic religion, Mahony identifies and highlights the important role of the divine and human imagination in the formation, revelation, and reformation of a meaningful world. |
Contents
The Gods as Artists The Formative Power of the Divine Imagination | 17 |
Reality Veiled and Revealed On the Artistic Order of the Universe | 41 |
The Poet as Visionary The Artistry of the Verbal Imagination | 59 |
The Priest as Artist Universal Drama and the Liturgical Imagination | 104 |
The Inward Seer The Liberating Power of the Contemplative Imagination | 152 |
Religious Functions of the Imagination | 200 |
Notes | 233 |
| 287 | |
| 309 | |
Other editions - View all
The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination William K. Mahony Limited preview - 1998 |
The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination William K. Mahony Limited preview - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
Adityas Adyar Library Agni altar Asvins Atharvaveda Ātman body Brahman breath Bṛhadāraṇyaka Bṛhaspati brilliant Chandogya Upanisad chariot consciousness contemplative cosmic creative creatures darkness death deities described dhyāna Dirghatamas divine earth eternal example existence expression fire forces gods and goddesses harmony heart heaven hidden human hymn images imagination immortal India Indo-European Indra inner insight inspired Katha Upanisad light Lord Maruts māyā means meditation mental mind Mitra Mundaka mysterious nonbeing noted objects offering one's pavamāna performance poetic praise Prajapati Puruşa realm refers reflected Reprint edition Ṛgveda rites ritual Ṛta sacred sacrifice sang Sanskrit Satapatha Brāhmaṇa sense shining sing soma songs Śrauta Śruti sublime sung svādhyāya Taittiriya tapas texts things timeless transcendent translated truly truth unified universe Upanisad Vāc various Varuna Veda Vedic idea Vedic poets Vedic priests Vedic religion Vedic seers Vedic thought Vedic visionaries verbal root verse vision whole wise word yajña