Hinduism

This portrait depicts J.M. Nallaswami Pillai, the author of 'Studies in Saiva Siddhanta'. He is shown in formal attire, combining a traditional turban with a Western-style suit, reflecting the cultural synthesis of early 20th-century Indian scholarship.

The Harvard University coat of arms is depicted here as a library mark, featuring three open books that spell out 'VERITAS,' the Latin word for truth. This emblem represents the foundational values of the university and its library, signifying a dedication to the pursuit of knowledge and scholarly integrity.

This geometric diagram is a yantra, a sacred symbol used in Tantric meditation and ritual. It features a central downward-pointing triangle, representing the feminine principle (Shakti), surrounded by a lotus and enclosed within a square 'earth-citadel' with four gates. This specific yantra is associated with the Karpūrādi-stotra, a hymn to the goddess Kali, as indicated by the text below it.

This small, detailed woodcut vignette depicts a peacock resting on a stone balustrade amidst garden foliage. Such decorative ornaments were common in 19th-century book design, where the peacock served as a symbol of beauty, immortality, and refinement.

This intricate diagram is a Sri Yantra, a sacred geometric symbol used in Hindu Tantra to represent the cosmos and the human body. It consists of nine interlocking triangles that radiate from a central point (bindu), surrounded by lotus petals and a protective square border with four gates. This particular example serves as the central motif for a 1922 publication of Tantric texts edited by Arthur Avalon, reflecting the early 20th-century Western scholarly interest in Eastern esoteric traditions.

This central emblem depicts a peacock with its plumage displayed, a symbol often associated with spiritual beauty and the awakening of consciousness in Indian traditions. It serves as a visual focal point for this treatise on the 'Shatchakra Niroopan Chittra,' which explores the subtle energy centers of the human body through yoga and meditation.

This intricate painting depicts a yogi in deep meditation, revealing the 'subtle body' and its primary energy centers known as chakras. Each chakra is illustrated with its corresponding deity and symbolic attributes, tracing the path of spiritual awakening from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Such diagrams served as vital visual aids for practitioners of Tantric yoga, guiding them through complex internal visualizations and meditative practices.

This woodcut illustration depicts the Hindu deity Shiva in a state of deep meditation (dhyana) atop a tiger skin in the Himalayas. He is shown with his traditional attributes: the trishula (trident), the damaru (drum), a serpent coiled around his neck, and the river Ganga flowing from his matted locks. This image serves as a visual introduction to the 'Shiva Svarodaya', a text focused on the science of breath and its spiritual significance.

This emblem serves as the publisher's mark for Prachya Prakashan, an Indian press specializing in traditional texts. It features a central lotus flower, a symbol of purity and spiritual awakening, framed by Sanskrit inscriptions. The use of such traditional motifs underscores the scholarly and spiritual nature of the accompanying text, the Kularnava Tantra.