000			01307nam a22001817a 4500
003			OSt
020			_a9780198745549
041			_aEnglish
082			_aG 294.5 _bKNOT
100			_aKnott, Kim
245			_aHinduism : a very short introduction
250			_a2nd
260			_aOxford : _bOxford University Press _c2016
300			_a138p;paperback
500			_aHinduism is practiced by about 80 percent of India's population, and by about 30 million people outside India. But how is Hinduism defined, and what basis does the religion have? In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott provides clear insight into the beliefs and authority of Hindus and Hinduism, and considers the ways in which it has been affected by colonialism and modernity. Knott offers succinct explanations of Hinduism's central preoccupations, including the role of contemporary gurus and teachers in the quest for spiritual fulfillment; and the function of regular performances of the Mahabharata and Ramayana--scriptures which present the divine in personal form (avatara) and provide models of behavior for everyone, from kings and warriors to servants and children, and which focus on the dharma, the appropriate duties and moral responsibilities of the different varna or classes.
650			_aHinduism.
942			_2ddc _cBK
999			_c24769 _d24769