Barnett. Hindu Gods and Heroes

Today's free book is Hindu Gods and Heroes by Lionel Barnett. For the table of contents, check at the bottom of this post below the image.

The book is available at Project Gutenberg and Hathi Trust. You can get a free Kindle ebook from Amazon too!


Table of Contents

I. The Vēdic Age:
Popular Religion  —Ṛig-vēda and priestly religion — Dyaus-Zeus — Ushās — Sūrya — Savitā — Mitra and Varuṇa — Agni — Sōma — Indra — The Aśvins — Vishṇu — Rudra-Siva — Summary.
II. The Age of the Brāhmaṇas:
Growth of Brahman influence in expanding Aryan society — System of priestly doctrine: theory of Sacrifice and mechanical control of nature thereby — Its antinomianism: partly corrected by the growing cult of Rudra-Śiva — The Upanishads: their relation to the Brāhmaṇas — Brahma the Absolute — Karma-Saṃsāra — Results: Śaiva Theism — Kṛishṇa: early history and legends — Teachings.
III. The Epics, and Later:
I. The Great War and the Pāṇḍavas — Vishṇu-Kṛishṇa — Nārāyaṇa — Bhagavad-gītā and Nārāyaṇīya — Growth of church of Vishṇu-Kṛishṇa — Worship of Pāṇḍavas — New erotic and romantic Kṛishṇaism.
II. Rāma: legend of Rāma and constitution of Rāmāyaṇa.
III. Some later Preachers  — Religions of Vishṇu-Kṛishṇa and Śiva in Southern India  — Śaṃkara Āchārya  — Rāmānuja  — Nimbārka, Madhva, Vallabha  — Jñānadēva  — Nāma-dēva  — Tukārām  — Rāmānanda  — Tulsī Dās  — Kabīr  — Nānak  — Chaitanya.
IV. Brahmā and the Trimūrti  — Dattātrēya.