Rishi Tales 2

In this book Mahesh Prabhu presents Vedic stories in their core essence, relaying and focusing their deeper meaning, not interfering with it or reducing it to alien and superficial concepts. His stories are short, poignant, and diverse, with multiple levels of meaning, like parables, conundrums, paradoxes and axioms (sutras). He has drawn these stories from many traditional sources in Sanskrit literature and reworked them in a concise and invocative manner. They feature the names and stories of famous sages, kings, places and the peoples of old India. Such exalted figures as King Bhartrihari or the Vedantic sage Ashtavakra visit these pages and come to life again through them.

In this book Mahesh Prabhu presents Vedic stories in their core essence, relaying and focusing their deeper meaning, not interfering with it or reducing it to alien and superficial concepts. His stories are short, poignant, and diverse, with multiple levels of meaning, like parables, conundrums, paradoxes and axioms (sutras). He has drawn these stories from many traditional sources in Sanskrit literature and reworked them in a concise and invocative manner. They feature the names and stories of famous sages, kings, places and the peoples of old India. Such exalted figures as King Bhartrihari or the Vedantic sage Ashtavakra visit these pages and come to life again through them.

Ancient Vedic India was a land where knowledge and wisdom were revered as the greatest wealth. There intellectual Brahmins, sagely Rishis, and equipoised Munis were honored for their incomparable knowledge. At a time when writing was not well developed, Smriti or memory was the main medium by which knowledge was recorded before transmitting it through Vak or the spoken word from a preceptor Guru to his disciples Shishyas. Mantras or hymns composed in ancient Sanskrit were used to remember complex knowledge along with Katha or thought-provoking tales. These tales besides being entertaining were also enlightening and promoted deeper Vichara or contemplation. In this first volume of Rishis Tales, U. Mahesh Prabhu presents 21 such stories translated from the ancient Sanskrit. Tales that continue to inspire millions of people towards the true understanding of Self, wisdom, peace, and prosperity.

Kootaneeti, the Vedic Art of Strategic Living, is a nearly lost Vedic art and science for leaders originally designed to promote the right use of power. For centuries, its teachings helped build sagely empires and create social wellbeing, prosperity and lasting peace. Kootaneeti focuses on how to use the intellect to convert difficulties into strengths by understanding the workings of the human mind. Its teachings can be utilized in adverse situations where the wrong use of power as well as resources prevail and new opportunities remain unrecognized. Both individuals and institutions can benefit from learning the fundamentals of Kootaneeti to neutralize opposition and develop new strategies by special insights and astute efforts. In an age of social, economic, and political uncertainty, Kootaneeti is a useful tool to prepare leaders to address the new challenges involved and achieve their objectives in a sustainable manner. U. Mahesh Prabhu is a seasoned media, management and political consultant who has been researching this subject for over a decade in Vedic texts and teaching it worldwide, along with Dr David Frawley, an internationally renowned and honoured Acharya of Vedic knowledge on many levels. The book presents the ancient secrets of Kootaneeti in a subtle and simple way with practical insights, stories, and parables. The book will not only entertain and educate but will also enlighten you.

‘Folk Tales of Bengal’ is a wonderful collection of classic stories, containing thirty-two colour illustrations, by Warwick Goble. The narratives were collated by the Reverend Lal Behari Day (1824 – 1892); a Bengali Indian journalist, who converted to Christianity, and became a Christian missionary himself. He was a well-respected folklorist, and immersed himself in Bengali culture. The twenty-two stories of ‘Folk Tales of Bengal’ include: ‘The Indignant Brahman’, ‘The Evil-Eye of Sani’, ‘The Story of Swet-Basanta’, ‘A Ghostly Wife’, ‘The Origin of Rubies’, ‘The Match-Making Jackal’, and many more. Warwick Goble (1862 – 1943) was an illustrator of children’s books, who specialised in Japanese and Indian themes. The son of a commercial traveller, he was educated at the Westminster School of art, and specialised in chromolithographic printing. His work is delicate in its colouring, and masterful in its presentation of line and form. Some of Goble’s best known works include illustrations for Charles Kingsley’s ‘The Water Babies’, Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’, and H. G. Wells’s ‘The War of the Worlds’. Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration. We publish rare and vintage Golden Age illustrated books, in high-quality colour editions, so that the masterful artwork and story-telling can continue to delight both young and old.

"Folk-Tales of Bengal" is a collection of folk tales and fairy tales collected by Lal Behari Dey. The book was first published in 1883, and the illustrations by Warwick Goble were added in 1912. All these stories were passed from generation to generation for centuries. The collection contains, among others, such famous tales as: "The Boy with the Moon on his Forehead," "The Story of Prince Sobur," and "The Origin of Opium."