The Bhagavad-Gita, with the commentary of Sri Sankaracharya

This book contains Sanskrit text of Srimad Bhagavad Gita with the commentary of Sri Adi Sankaracharya translated into English by Alladi Mahadeva Sastri. Adi Sankara's is probably the earliest extent commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. His commentary occupies a prominent place among the countless commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita by ancient and modern scholars and saints in various languages.

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Message of the Vedas - GC Narang

Today, an average Hindu is not familiar with the Vedas or any literature associated with them. Though the Vedas themselvesa are not so voluminous, they are rather too difficult for the inunitiated. The commentaries, on the other hand, to which one must naturally look for help to understand the Vedas, are so voluminous that they would actually break the back-bone of the student.

So, with a view to familiarise an average Hindu with the Vedas, Sir GC Narang, the author of Message of the Vedas, had compiled selected mantras from the Vedas with their English translation. It is a great blessing to the reader that the mantras are arranged according to their subjects. This book will help him to have a fairly good idea of the nature of the contents of the Vedas.

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Shrimad Valmiki Ramayan

The Ramayana is certainly one of the world's oldest legends. Modern scholars claim that it was first composed around 300 BC. The devout Hindu believes that Rama lived many hundred millennia ago, in the Treta Yuga, and that was also when Valmiki first told his immortal story. The epic is called the Adi Kavya, the world's first poem. The God Brahma himself is meant to have inspired Valmiki to create his classic, in twenty-four thousand slokas. The true purpose of the Ramayana is to awaken its reader spiritually, and to send him forth on the great journey that leads to Moksha, to God.

The poem is traditionally divided into several major kandas or books, that deal chronologically with the major events in the life of Rama -

1. Bala kanda
2. Ayodhya Kanda
3. Aranya Kanda
4. Kishkinda Kanda
5. Sundara Kanda
6. Yuddha Kanda and
7. Uttara Kanda.

The Bala Kanda describes the birth of Rama, his childhood and marriage to Sita.  The Ayodhya Kanda describes the preparations for Rama's coronation and his exile into the forest. The third part, Aranya Kanda, describes the forest life of Rama and the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana. The fourth book, Kishkinda Kanda, describes the meeting of Hanuman with Rama, the destruction of the vanara king Vali and the coronation of his younger brother Sugriva to the throne of the kingdom of Kishkindha. The fifth book is Sundara Kanda, which narrates the heroism of Hanuman, his flight to Lanka and meeting with Sita. The sixth book, Yuddha Kanda, describes the battle between Rama's and Ravana's armies. The last book, Uttara Kanda, describes the birth of Lava and Kusha to Sita, their coronation to the throne of Ayodhya, and Rama's final departure from the world.

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Volume 01. Bala kanda
Volume 02. Ayodhya Kanda (Purvardh)
Volume 03. Ayodhya Kanda (Uttarardh)
Volume 04. Aranya Kanda 
Volume 05. Kishkinda Kanda 
Volume 06. Sundara Kanda
Volume 07. Yuddha Kanda (Purvardh) 
Volume 08. Yuddha Kanda (Uttarardh)
Volume 09. Uttara Kanda (Purvardh)
Volume 10. Uttara Kanda (Uttarardh)

Complete Works of Swami Rama Tirtha

स्वामी रामतीर्थ ग्रन्थावली २८ भागों में
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Described as “one of the greatest souls, not only of India, but of the whole world” by Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Rama Tirtha (1873-1906) was a living embodiment of the teachings of Advaita Vedanta. Swami Rama Tirtha visited the United States from 1902-1904 and was one of the first great Swamis to bring the message of Vedanta to the U.S., Japan and Egypt, following in the footsteps of Vivekananda.

Swami Rama Tirtha Granthavali is a complete collection of his writings and lectures in Hindi. In this 28 volumes work, Swami Rama Tirtha presents a practical and inspiring view of Vedanta and also discusses various topics such as God-realization, Vedanta, Christianity and Islam, war and peace, and India's destiny.

Download Complete Works of Swami Rama Tirtha - Hindi (28 Volumes)
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Volume 1                  Volume 9            Volume 16             Volume 24
Volume 2                  Volume 10          Volume 17 -18       Volume 25
Volume 3                  Volume 11          Volume 19             Volume 26
Volume 4                  Volume 12          Volume 20             Volume 27
Volume 5                  Volume 13          Volume 21             Volume 28
Volume 6                  Volume 14          Volume 22  
Volume 7-9               Volume 15          Volume 23

Other Useful links:
wiki/Rama_Tirtha
ramatirtha.org

Srimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya of Bal Gangadhar Tilak

English version of Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak's classic and well-known work on Gita - "Srimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya".

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920), was a great patriot, philosopher, social reformer and freedom fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities infamously and derogatorily called the great leader as "Father of the Indian unrest". He was also conferred upon the honorary title of Lokmanya, which literally means "Accepted by the people (as their leader)". Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of "Swaraj" (self-rule) in Indian consciousness. His famous quote, "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it !" is well-remembered in India even today.

Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the author of this work, interprets Gita as the scripture of Karmayoga. Karmayoga is performing one's duty without having any desire for its fruits. According to Tilak Gita teaches selfless action as is said in Chatper 2, Verse 48:

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि संगं त्यक्त्वा धनन्जय।
सिध्यसिध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते॥

yogasthah kuru karmaani sangam tyaktvaa dhananjaya
siddhyasiddhyoh samo bhuutvaa samatvam yoga ucyate

Remaining steadfast in yoga, oh Dhananjaya (Arjuna), perform actions, abandoning attachment, remaining the same to success and failure alike. This evenness of mind is called yoga.

This book consists of two parts. The first part is the philosophical exposition and the second part consists of the Gita, its translation and the commentary.

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Vol 1
Vol 2

Shankaracharya Jivan Charitra - Umadutt Sharma

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Vishnu Purana with Vishnuchittiyam commentary

The  Vishnu  Purana  has  a  unique  distinction  among  the  18  Puranas.  It  is  the  only  one  that  is  in  answer  to  general  questions.  The  speaker  in  the  Purana  is  obliged  to  talk  about  the  personality  queried  by  the  student.  In  the  case  of  a  general  question,  the  speaker  is  obliged  to  divulge  the  highest  truth,  according  to  teachers  like  Adi  Shankara.  In  his  works,  Adi  Shankara  would  refer  to  Sri  Vishnu  Purana  as  simply  "The  Purana".

In  just  6,000  verses,  the  Vishnu  Purana  has  covered  all  aspects  of  philosophy, theology,  history  and  the  practice  of  the  ancient  Vedic  religion.  Both  the  Vishnu Purana  and Srimad  Bhagavatam  seem  to  cover  common  ground  like  the  stories  of  the  10  avatarams  of  Vishnu.  But  while  the  Bhagavatam  has  all  the  makings  of  a  Hollywood  climax  in  the  Nrsimha  avatara  for  example,  where  the  Good  and Almighty  Nrsimha  faces  off  the  ultimate  evil  Hiranyakasipu,  in  the  Vishnu  Purana, the  climax  is  reached  when  Hiranyakasipu  apologizes  to  Prahlada.  His  death  at  the   hands  of  Nrsimha  is  referred  to  only  in  passing.

Even  description  of  the  seasons  set  the  tone  for  our  mood,  when  fish  suffering  in  the  stream  waters  heated  by  the  sun,  is  compared  to  a  man  suffering  the  results  of  his  sins.

This  particular  edition  of  Sri  Vishnu  Purana  includes  a  commentary  called  "Vishnuchittiyam"  by  Vishnuchitta,  who  is  also  known  as  'Engalalvan'  in  Tamil.  Vishnuchitta  lived  from  1097  to  1197  CE.  He  was  the  disciple  of  "Tirukurugai  Piraan  Pillaan"  the  Jnana  Putra  or  spiritual  son  of  Swami  Ramanujacharya.  He  composed  about  half  a  dozen  works  elucidating  the  philosophical  works  of  Swami  Ramanujacharya.  Only the  Vishnuchittyam  is  extant  today.

It clearly  explains  the  harder  to  understand  passages.  For  example,  the  Vishnu Purana  explains  that  Vedic  rites  should  not  be  performed  in  the  presence  of  "naked  people". Vishnuchittiyam  explains  that  naked  people  in  this  context  refers  to  people  who  have  given  up  the  performance  of  their  daily  religious  duties  as  ordained  by  the Vedas.  The  other  available  commentary  is  called  Atma  Prakasha  by  Sridhara  Swami,  a  follower  of  Vallabhacharya.

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Hindu Dharma by Swami Vivekananda

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Maranottar Jeevan by Swami Vivekananda

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Kabir Granthawali by Parasnath Tiwari [Hindi]

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Principal Upanishads with Shankara Bhashya

The special feature of this five volumes set of Eight Principal Upanishads is the English translation of the commentaries of Shankara, the greatest exponent of the Advaita system of philosophy. This makes it possible for the English-reading public to appreciate the priceless teachings of the Upanishads, in the light of the interpretation of Sri Sankaracharya. The volumes 1, 2 & 5 were translated by S. Sitarama Sastri and volumes 3 &4 by Ganganatha Jha.

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Volume 1 - Isa, Kena & Mundaka Upanishads

Volume 2 - Katha & Prasna Upanishads

Volume 3 - Chandogya Upanishad - Part 1

Volume 4 - Chandogya Upanishad - Part 2

Volume 5 - Aitareya & Taittiriya Upanishads

Download Links for Mandukya & Brihadaranyaka  Upanishads

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - Swami Madhavananda

Mandukya Upanishad & Karika - Swami Nikhilananda 

Mere Gurudev by Swami Vivekananda

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Sri Madhwacharya - Biography - English

Sri Madhvacarya, also known as Vasudeva, Ananda Tirtha and Purnaprajna, is one of India’s greatest theologians. He is the founder of dvaita philosophy, and is one of the most important commentators on the Upanisads, Bhagavad-gita and the Brahma-sutras. In addition, he wrote many original works that dealt with important aspects of his new doctrine. In all, he wrote 37 works. Not only did Madhvacarya’s powerful literary output help to establish his teachings during his own lifetime, it has inspired a vast literary tradition that continues to the present day.

His doctrine asserts that this world is real and that there is an eternal and immutable difference between the individual soul and God.

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