Long ago, in a golden age now almost forgotten, the world is ruled by glittering royal houses which trace their ancestry to the gods. But the fragile peace is crumbling and all omens point toward a catastrophic war. The rich and illustrious House of Kuru is in trouble. Two sets of cousins, united by blood and divided by greed, square off for the coveted succession.Into the simmering animosity and court intrigue step an orphan whose skill with weapons leaves the princes breathless, ...

The Pandava brothers have escaped the nest of vipers that was once their home and established a new kingdom for themselves. Unfortunately, their tranquility is short-lived. Goaded by his friend Krishna and his own disguised ambition, Yudhisthira sets his heart on the Emperor’s Sacrifice, a ritual which will guarantee his sovereignty over all the noble houses of the known world. The road to victory is arduous and, even if he succeeds, the young king will make a permanent enemy of his jealou...

Deepak Chopra brings the Buddha back to life in this gripping New York Times bestselling novel about the young prince who abandoned his inheritance to discover his true calling. This iconic journey changed the world forever, and the truths revealed continue to influence every corner of the globe today.A young man in line for the throne is trapped in his father's kingdom and yearns for the outside world. Betrayed y those closest to him, Siddhartha abandons his palace and princely ti...

**A Lilly's Library pick!A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son, from Vaishnavi Patel, author of the instant New York Times bestseller Kaikeyi.**A mother and a son. A goddess and a prince. A curse and an oath. A river whose course will change the fate of the world.Ganga, joyful goddess of the river, serves as caretaker to the mischievous godlings who roam her banks. But when their anti...

The Mahabharata is the more recent of India's two great epics, and by far the longer. First composed by the Maharishi Vyasa in verse, it has come down the centuries in the timeless oral tradition of guru and sishya, profoundly influencing the history, culture, and art of not only the Indian subcontinent but most of south-east Asia. At 100,000 couplets, it is seven times as long as the Iliad and the Odyssey combined: far and away the greatest recorded epic known to man....

"One of the ancient world's great verse epics is retold in energetic English prose in this sparkling volume . . . A masterpiece made new." — Kirkus ReviewsIndia's most beloved and enduring legend, the Ramayana is widely acknowledged to be one of the world's great literary masterpieces. Still an integral part of India's cultural and religious expression, the Ramayana was originally composed by the Sanskrit poet Valmiki around 300 b.c. The e...

"Astonishing…[Satyamurti’s Mahabharata] brings [the] past alive…as though it were a novel in finely crafted verse." —Vinay DharwadkerOriginally composed approximately two thousand years ago, the Mahabharata tells the story of a royal dynasty, descended from gods, whose feud over their kingdom results in a devastating war. But it contains much more than conflict. An epic masterpiece of huge sweep and magisterial power, “a hundred times more interes...

For the sake of an enchanted sword, Tomoe revolts against her fatherIn all of Naipon, there is no samurai more famous than Tomoe Gozen. Her skill with the blade is legendary, her honor unquestioned, and evil men everywhere fear her name.No challenge is too great for Tomoe, but she is not ready for marriage. When her father announces that he has arranged a match for her—one that will mean laying aside her sword—Tomoe responds as she always does when her life ...

Blue God opens on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where the Pandava warrior, Arjuna, suffers a crisis of courage. His charioteer, Krishna, expounds the eternal dharma for him. This exposition between two armies is the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindus Bible.BLUE GOD cuts back to Krishnas birth, and back again to the battlefield, and so on, chapter by chapter, until both narratives flow together near the books end. Never before have Krishnas sacred Gita and his colorful pe...

An interpretive look at the stories of Hanuman, one of the most beloved gods of the Hindu pantheon• Contains 36 of the most important Hanuman stories with commentary on spiritual lessons, yogic practices, and Vedic astrology• Reveals how Hanuman symbolizes the human mind and the highest potential it can achieve• Explains how Hanuman has the ability to bestow strength and devotionBest known for his role in the Ramayana, Hanuman’s playful nature, amaz...

A delightfully straightforward and lyrical retelling of the ancient Indian epic of loyalty, betrayal, redemption, and insight into the true nature of life -- one of history's most sacred ethical works, rendered with completeness and sterling accuracy for the modern reader.Here is one of the world's most hallowed works of sacred literature, the grand, sweeping epic of the divine bowman and warrior Rama and his struggles with evil, power, duplicity, and avarice. ...

Tales of enlightenment that stem from the centuries-old oral Tibetan tradition, collected by one of the foremost American Buddhist teachers and scholars.Introduction by His Holiness the Dalai LamaThis remarkable book brings together more than 150 authentic Buddhist teaching tales from the Hidden Kingdom of Tibet—most never before translated into English. These captivating stories, legends and yarns—passed orally from teacher to student—captur...