Author: Edward C Sachau
Publisher: LP Publications
Year: 1996
Language: English
Pages: 431
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8185395187
Description
An authentic historical record of facts relating to the religion, philosophy, literature, geography, chronology, astronomy, customs, laws and astrology of India about AD 1030.
Through his literary history of India, Alberuni detailed out contemporary chronicles of India's intellectual development, religious understanding and it's philosophy and astrology-astronomy. He also devoted his research into the realm of sciences of physics, mathematics, chemistry.
The principal objective of his writing about India was to acquaint the readers about India, and its culture, customs, law, manners and civilization by comparing them with the theories of ancient Greece. His professional zeal and the principle of learning enabled him to leave an account of India which was considered to be the best of its kind.
This reprint of a classic now bound in one volume was originally published in 1910 in two volumes. This work is edited with notes and indices by the well known scholar Edward C Sachau.
Contents
CHAPTER I
ON THE HINDUS IN GENERAL, AS AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR ACCOUNT OF THEM.
CHAPTER II
ON THE BELIEF OF THE HINDUS IN GOD.
CHAPTER III
ON THE HINDU BELIEF AS TO CREATED THINGS, BOTH "INTELLIGIBILIA" AND "SENSIBILIA."
CHAPTER IV
FROM WHAT CAUSE ORIGINATES, AND HOW THE SOUL IS CONNECTED WITH MATTER.
CHAPTER V
ON THE STATE OF THE SOULS, AND THEIR MIGRATIONS THROUGH THE WORLD IN THE METEMPSYCHOSIS.
CHAPTER VI
ON THE DIFFERENT WORLDS, AND ON THE PLACES OF RETRIBUTION IN PARADISE AND HELL.
CHAPTER VII
ON THE NATURE OF LIBERATION FROM THE WORLD, AND ON THE PATH LEADING THERETO.
CHAPTER VIII
ON THE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF CREATED BEINGS, AND ON THEIR NAMES.
CHAPTER IX
ON THE CASTES, CALLED "COLOURS" (VARNA), AND ON THE CLASSES BELOW THEM.
CHAPTER X
ON THE SOURCE OF THEIR RELIGIOUS AND CIVIL LAW, ON PROPHETS, AND ON THE QUESTION WHETHER SINGLE LAWS CAN BE ABROGATED OR NOT.
CHAPTER XI
ABOUT THEBEGINNING OF IDOL-WORSHIP, AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL IDOLS.
CHAPTER XII
ON THE VEDA, THE PURANS, AND OTHER KINDS OF THEIR NATIONAL LITERATURE.
CHAPTER XIII
THEIR GRAMMATICAL AND METRICAL LITERATURE.
CHAPTER XIV
HIND LITERATURES IN THE OTHER SCIENCES-ASTRONOMY, ASTROLOGY, ETC.
CHAPTER XV
NOTES ON HINDU METROLOGY, INTENDED TO FACILITATE THE UNDERSTANDING OF ALL KINDS OF MEASUREMENTS WHICH OCCUE IN THIS BOOK.
CHAPTER XVI
NOTES ON THE WRITING OF THE HINDUS, ON THEIR ARITHMETIC AND RELATED SUBJECTS, AND ON CERTAIN STRANGE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THEIRS.
CHAPTER XVII
ON HINDU SCIENCES WHICH PREY ON THE IGNORANCE OF PEOPLE.
CHAPTER XVIII
VARIOUS NOTES ON THEIR COUNTRY, THEIR RIVERS, AND THEIR OCEAN-ITINERARIES OF THE DISTANCES BETWEEN THEIR SEVERAL KINGDOMS, AND BETWEEN THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIR COUNTRY.
CHAPTER XIX
ON THE NAMES OF THE PLANETS, THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC, THE LUNAR STATIONS AND RELATED SUBJECTS.
CHAPTER XX
ON THE BRAHMANDA
CHAPTER XXI
DESCRIPTION OF EARTH AND HEAVEN ACCORDING TO THE RELIGIOUS VIEWS OF THE HINDUS, BASED UPON THEIR TRADITIONSAL LITERATURE.
CHAPTER XXII
TRADITIONS RELATING TO THE POLE.
CHAPTER XXIII
ON MOUNT MERU ACCORDING TO THE BELIEF OF THE AUTHORS OF THE PURANAS AND OF OTHERS.
CHAPTER XX
ON THE BRAHMANDA
CHAPTER XXI
DESCRIPTION OF EARTH AND HEAVEN ACCORDING TO THE RELIGIOUS VIEWS OF THE HINDUS, BASED UPON THEIR TRADITIONAL LITERATURE.
CHAPTER XXII
TRADITIONS RELATING TO THE POLE.
CHAPTER XXIII
ON MOUNT MERU ACCORDING TO THE BELIEF OF THE AUTHORS OF THE PURANAS AND OF OTHERS.
CHAPTER XXIV
TRADITIONS OF THE PURANAS REGARDING EACH OF THE SEVEN DVIPAS.
CHAPTER XXV
ON THE RIVERS OF INDIA, THEIR SOURCES AND COURSES.
CHAPTER XXVI
ON THE SHAPE OF HEAVEN AND EARTH ACCORDING TO THE HINDU ASTRONOMERS.
CHAPTER XXVII
ON THE FIRST TWO MOTIONS OF THE UNIVERSE (THAT FROM EAST TO WEST ACCORDING TO ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS, AND THE PRECESSION OF THE EQUINOXES) BOTH ACCORDING TO THE HINDU ASTRONOMERS AND THE AUTHORS OF THE PURANAS.
CHAPTER XXVIII
ON THE DEFINATION OF THE TEN DIRECTIONS.
CHAPTER XXIX
DEFINATION OF THE INHABITABLE EARTH ACCORDING TO THE HINDUS.
CHAPTER XXX
ON LANKA, OR THE CUPOLA OF THE EARTH.
CHAPTER XXXI
ON THAT DIFERENCE OF VARIOUS PLACES WHICH WE CALL THE DIFERENCE OF LONGITUDE.
CHAPTER XXXII
ON THE NOTIONS OF DURATION AND TIME IN GENERAL, AND ON THE CREATION OF THE WORLD AND ITS DESTRUCTION.
CHAPTER XXXIII
ON THE VARIOUS KINDS OF THE DAY OR NYCHTHEMERON, AND ON DAY AND NIGHT IN PARTICULAR.
CHAPTER XXXIV
ON THE DIVISION OF THE NYCHTHEMERON INTO MINOR PARTICLES OF TIME.
CHAPTER XXXV
ON THE DIFERENT KINDS OF MONTHS AND YEAR.
CHAPTER XXXVI
ON THE FOUR MEASURES OF THE CALLED MANA.
CHAPTER XXXVII
ON THE PARTS OF THE MONTH AND THE YEAR.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
ON THE VARIOUS MEASURES OF THE COMPOSED OF DAYS, THE LIFEOF BRAHMAN INCLUDED.
CHAPTER XXXIX
ON MEASURES OF TIME WHICH ARE LARGER THAN THE LIFE OF BRAHMAN.
CHAPTER XL
ON THE SAMDHI, THE INTERVAL BETWEEN TWO PERIODS OF TIME, FORMING THE CONNECTING LINK BETWEEN THEM
CHAPTER XLI
DEFINATION OF THE TERMS "KALPA" AND "CATURYUGA"AND AN EXPLICATION OF THE ONE BY THE OTHER.
CHAPTER XLII
ON THE DIVISION OF THE CATURYUGA INTO YUGAS, AND THE DIFERENT OPINIONS REGARDING THE LATTER.
CHAPTER XLIII
A DESCRIPTION OF THE FOUR YUGAS AND OF ALL THAT IS EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE AT THE END OF THE FOURTH YUGA.
CHAPTER XLIV
ON THE MANVANTARAS.
CHAPTER XLV
ON THE CONSTELLATION OF THE GREAT BEAR.
CHAPTER XLVI
ON NARAYANA, HIS APPEARANCE AT DIFFERENT TIMES, AND HIS NAMES.
CHAPTER XLVII
ON VASUDEVA AND THE WARS OF THE BHARATA.
CHAPTER XLVIII
AN EXPLANATION OF THE MEASURE OF AN AKSHAUHINI.
CHAPTER XLIX
A SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE ERAS.
CHAPTER L
HOW MANY STAR-CYCLES THERE ARE BOTH IN A "KALPA" AND IN A "CATURYUGA."
CHAPTER LI
AN EXPLANATION OF THE TERMS "ADHIMASA," "UNARATRA," AND THE "AHARGANAS," AS REPRESENTING DIFERENT SUMS OF DAYS.
CHAPTER LII
ON THE CALUCULATION OF "AHARGANA" IN GENERAL, THAT IS, THE RESOLUTION OF YEARS AND MONTHS INTO DAYS, AND VICE VERSA, THE COMPOSITION OF YEARS AND MONTHS OUT OF DAYS.
CHAPTER LIII
ON THE AHARGANA, OR THE RESOLUTION OF YEARS INTO MONTHS, ACCORDING TO SPECIAL RULES WHICH ARE ADOPTED IN THE CALENDARS FOR CERTAIN DATES OR MOMENTS OF TIME.
CHAPTER LIV
ON THE COMPUTATION OF THE MEAN PLACES OF THE PLANETS.
CHAPTER LV
ON THE ORDER OF THE PLANETS, THEIR DISTANCES AND SIZES.
CHAPTER LVI
ON THE STATIONS OF THE MOON.
CHAPTER LVII
ON THE HELIACAL RISING OF THE STARS, AND ON THE CEREMONIES AND RITES WHICH THE HINDUS PRACTISE AT SUCH A MOMENT.
CHAPTER LVIII
HOW EBB AND FOLLOW EACH OTHER IN THE OCEAN.
CHAPTER LIX
ON THE SOLAR AND LUNAR ECLIPSES.
CHAPTER LX
ON THE PARVAN.
CHAPTER LXI
ON THE DOMINANTS OF OTHE DIFFERENT MEASURES OF TIME IN BOTH RELIGIOUS AND ASTRONOMICAL RELATIONS, AND ON CONNECTED SUBJECTS.
CHAPTER LXII
ON THE SIXTY YEARS-SAMVATSARA, ALSO CALLED
"SHASHTYABDA,"
CHAPTER LXIII
ON THAT WHICH ESPECIALLY CONCERNS THE BRAHYMANS, AND WHAT THEY ARE OBLIGED TO DO ODURING THEIR WHOLE LIFE.
CHAPTER LXIV
ON THE RITES AND CUSTOMS WHICH THE OTHER CASTES, BESIDES THE BRAHMANS, PRACTISE DURING THEIR LIFETIME.
CHAPTER LXV
ON THE SACRIFICES.
CHAPTER LXVI
ON PILGRIMAGE AND THE VISITING OF SACRED PLACES.
CHAPTER LXVII
ON ALMS, AND HOW A MAN MUST SPEND WHAT HE EARNS.
CHAPTER LXVIII
ON WHAT IS ALLOWED AND FORBIDDEN IN EATING AND DRINKING.
CHAPTER LXIX
ON MATRIMONY, THE MENSTRUAL COURSES, EMBRYOS, AND CHILDBED.
CHAPTER LXX
ON LAWSUITS.
CHAPTER LXXI
ON PUNISHMENTS AND EXPIATIONS.
CHAPTER LXXII
ON JNHERITANCES, AND WHAT CLAIM THE DECEASED PERSON HAS ON IT.
CHAPTER LXXIII
ABOUT WHAT IS DUE TOO THE BODIES OF THE DEAD AND OF THE LIVING (THAT IS, ABOUT BUBYING AND SUICIDE).
CHAPTER LXXIV
ON FASTING, AND THE VARIOUS KINDS OF IT.
CHAPTER LXXV
ON THE DETERMINATION OF THE FAST-DAYS.
CHAPTER LXXVI
ON THE FESTIVALS AND FESTIVE DAYS.
CHAPTER LXXVII
ON DAYS WHICH ARE HELD IN SPECIAL VENERATION, ON LUCKY AND UNLUCKY TIMES, AND ON SUCH TIMES AS ARE PARTICULARLY FAVOURABLE FOR ACQUIRING IN THEM BLISS IN HEAVEN
CHAPTER LXXVIII
ON THE KARANAS
HAPTER LXXIX
ON THE YOGAS
CHAPTER LXXX
ON THE INTRODUCTORY PRINCIPLES OF HINDU ASTROLOGY, WITH A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THEIR METHODS OF ASTROLOGICAL CALCULATIONS.