Awaken Bharata

Today there is a new battle going on over the 'idea of India', with some groups questioning if there ever was any real nation called 'India' prior to the British rule. Challenging this notion are those who claim that India has a profound national and cultural heritage since ancient times and was one of the main centres of civilization in the world, with its own characteristic ideals and practices born of dharma and yoga. The Constitution speaks of India that is Bharata, proclaiming this ancient name for the country. If we look at India as Bharata, the idea of the country and its unique identity and history become clear. Awaken Bharata is a plea for that eternal India to awaken and reclaim its esteemed place as the guru of nations, expressing once more its vast civilizational ethos. The book encourages a new vision of the country, linking its magnificent past with a more brilliant future. It emphasizes the role of a new 'intellectual kshatriya'-intellectual warriors of dharma-to challenge the inimical forces seeking to deny or displace India's great civilization.

This is the second volume of a translation of India's most beloved and influential epic saga, the monumental Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki. Of the seven sections of this great Sanskrit masterpiece, the Ayodhyakāṇḍa is the most human, and it remains one of the best introductions to the social and political values of traditional India. This readable translation is accompanied by commentary that elucidates the various problems of the text—philological, aesthetic, and cultural. The annotations make extensive use of the numerous commentaries on the Rāmāyaṇa composed in medieval India. The substantial introduction supplies a historical context for the poem and a critical reading that explores its literary and ideological components.

Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous country. It has more inhabitants than either Russia or Japan, and its national language, Bengali, ranks sixth in the world in terms of native speakers. Founded in 1971, Bangladesh is a relatively young nation, but the Bengal Delta region has been a major part of international life for more than 2,000 years, whether as an important location for trade or through its influence on Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim life. Yet the country rarely figures in global affairs or media, except in stories about floods, poverty, or political turmoil. The Bangladesh Reader does what those portrayals do not: It illuminates the rich historical, cultural, and political permutations that have created contemporary Bangladesh, and it conveys a sense of the aspirations and daily lives of Bangladeshis. Intended for travelers, students, and scholars, the Reader encompasses first-person accounts, short stories, historical documents, speeches, treaties, essays, poems, songs, photographs, cartoons, paintings, posters, advertisements, maps, and a recipe. Classic selections familiar to many Bangladeshis—and essential reading for those who want to know the country—are juxtaposed with less-known pieces. The selections are translated from a dozen languages; many have not been available in English until now. Featuring eighty-three images, including seventeen in color, The Bangladesh Reader is an unprecedented, comprehensive introduction to the South Asian country's turbulent past and dynamic present.

This vivid memoir recounts the experience of Shudha Mazumdar, a woman born at the turn of the century to Indian parents whose ideas on child rearing differed greatly. Her father, a wealthy Europeanized Zamindar, tried to instill Western values, while Shudha's mother emphasized the traditional, even going as far as arranging a marriage for her daughter when she was thirteen. Although true to Indian traditions, Shudha eventually manifested her father's influence by becoming a published writer, by becoming a member of a number of social service organizations, and by serving as the Indian Delegate to the International Labour Organization.

India faces a modern Kurukshetra as the forces of dharma and adharma clash again in a conflict that will determine the future of the nation. On one side are the forces of economic growth, cultural revival and a renewed vision of the country in harmony with its yogic values. On the other side are forces of religious prejudices, baseless propaganda, social division and materialistic political ideologies. Mere retreat, passivity or compromise cannot overcome past adversaries or the new dangers that are lurking in our conflicted media age, its invasive technology and the disruptive clash of cultures. India needs to benefit from the opportunities of the dawning knowledge era where its dharmic traditions can prosper once again. A new spiritual warrior, equipped with yogic power and Vedantic insights, is necessary like Arjuna was under the guidance of Sri Krishna. This book is a call for new Arjunas to emerge among us, learn the skills of the information age and uphold the cause of dharma with discernment and dedication on both intellectual and spiritual levels.Only through this can we awaken our spirit to uplift our world at this critical juncture of human history when the very foundations of life are threatened.

Two contradictory terms—Preservation and Revolution—captured the mental state of Burmese leadership in the 20th century. The choice of which values and customs should be preserved and which discarded has had no clear consensus; yet this has been the heart of the ideological struggle among the leaders of Burma, now Myanmar. Providing deep insights into the Burmese socialist nationalist movement, this book explains the philosophy of political revolution sanctioned by Ne Win. It draws upon a body of treatises written by socialist revolutionaries that explain and justify rebellion and insurgencies against the government. Finally, it offers commentaries on Burmese political thought to demonstrate how contemporary Burmese political concepts are rooted in Pali antecedents from medieval dynasties.