Indian Philosophy & Sacred Texts

Vedic Literature

Saṁhitās, Brāhmaṇas, Āraṇyakas, and Upaniṣads

Illustrations

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29 images extracted from 8 books

A detailed engraving depicting a man in 17th-century attire standing in a library, holding a book and gesturing towards a globe.

This refined engraving captures a scholar in his study, surrounded by the tools of intellectual inquiry. The presence of the globe and the open book emphasizes the Enlightenment-era pursuit of global knowledge and the importance of the written word in shaping the modern worldview.

portrait
A detailed engraving depicting a man in 17th-century attire standing in a library, holding a book and gesturing toward a globe.

This refined engraving portrays a scholar surrounded by the tools of his trade, emphasizing the importance of geography and literature in the early modern intellectual tradition. The subject's confident posture and proximity to the globe suggest a mastery of both terrestrial knowledge and classical learning.

portrait
Circular engraving of a Hindu mythological scene, possibly Indra's court, featuring numerous figures and an elephant.

This intricate circular engraving depicts a celestial scene from Hindu mythology, likely representing the court of Indra. The composition features a central deity surrounded by celestial musicians and attendants, with the divine elephant Airavata visible, illustrating the complex iconography of Puranic traditions as interpreted in 19th-century scholarship.

engraving
A detailed engraving depicting a man in a hat and cloak, holding a staff, standing in a landscape with a distant town.

This finely executed engraving captures a solitary figure in period attire, set against a serene, expansive landscape. The work exemplifies the technical precision of the era, using delicate crosshatching to convey both the texture of the subject's clothing and the depth of the distant horizon.

portrait
A detailed engraving depicting a man in 17th-century attire standing in a library or study, holding a book.

This refined engraving captures a scholar in a moment of quiet contemplation within his study, surrounded by the tools of his intellectual trade. The meticulous crosshatching and attention to the subject's posture reflect the high standards of 17th-century portraiture, serving as a testament to the era's reverence for humanistic learning.

portrait
A detailed engraving depicting a man in 17th-century attire standing in a library, holding a book and gesturing toward a globe.

This refined portrait depicts a scholar surrounded by the tools of his trade, emphasizing the connection between physical exploration and intellectual inquiry. The inclusion of the globe and the library setting serves to elevate the subject as a man of both worldly knowledge and academic rigor.

portrait
A detailed engraving depicting a man in 17th-century attire standing in a library or study, holding a book and gesturing toward a globe.

This refined engraving captures a scholar in his study, surrounded by the tools of intellectual inquiry, including a terrestrial globe and volumes of knowledge. The composition emphasizes the humanist ideal of the learned man, whose mastery of the world is reflected in his contemplative posture and scholarly surroundings.

portrait
A detailed engraving depicting a man in 17th-century attire standing in a library, holding a book and gesturing toward a globe.

This refined engraving captures a scholar in his study, surrounded by the tools of intellectual inquiry. The presence of the globe and open volumes emphasizes the period's dedication to empirical knowledge and the exploration of the natural world.

portrait
A detailed engraving depicting a man in a hat and cloak, standing in a landscape with a distant city and mountains.

This fine engraving presents a contemplative figure set against a sprawling, atmospheric landscape. The juxtaposition of the individual with the distant urban and natural environment reflects the humanist interest in the relationship between man and the world during the Renaissance.

portrait
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The foundational scripture of the Indian tradition, from the hymns of the Ṛg Veda to the metaphysical inquiries of the Upaniṣads. These are the earliest Sanskrit texts, preserved through millennia of oral transmission before being committed to writing.

Includes Max Müller's landmark editions with Sāyaṇa's commentary, the Oupnek'hat (Anquetil-Duperron's 1801 Latin translation that electrified European philosophy), and the Sacred Books of the East translations.

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