Valmiki's Ramayana is the story of Rama's exile and return to Ayodhya, a triumphant king who will always do right by his subjects. In Volga's retelling, it is Sita who, after being abandoned by Purushottam Rama, embarks on an arduous journey to self-realization. Along the way, she meets extraordinary women who have broken free from all that held them back: husbands, sons, and their notions of desire, beauty and chastity. The minor women characters of the epic as we know it - Surpanakha, Re...

The story of Siddhartha, the future Gautama Buddha, leaving the palace to start his spiritual journey and attain enlightenment has been told innumerable times over the centuries. And yet, have we never wondered why his young wife, Yashodhara, still recovering from the birth of their son nine days ago, sleeps soundly as her husband, the over-protected prince departs, leaving behind his family and wealth and kingdom?In Yashodhara, the gaps of history are imagined with fullness and fierceness...

Valmiki's Ramayana is the story of Rama's exile and return to Ayodhya, of a triumphant king who will always do right by his subjects. In Volga's retelling, it is Sita who, after being abandoned by Purushottam Rama, embarks on an arduous journey towards self-realization. Along the way, she meets extraordinary women who have broken free from all that held them back: husbands, sons, and their notions of desire, beauty and chastity. The minor women characters of the epic as we know it -- Surpa...

Harper Perennial is India's very first dedicated imprint for translations, showcasing the finest and most compelling narratives from the languages of the Indian subcontinent. This new series presents some of the best contemporary short stories, selected by an eminent writer or translator working in the language.The first collection TELUGU, edited by Volga, offers to readers a kaleidoscopic vision of the current literary landscape by bringing together the sharpest practitioners writ...

We all have heard the story of Gautama Buddha, leaving the palace to start his spiritual journey and attain enlightenment. But have we ever wondered who was his young wife, Yashodhara, who slept soundly as her husband left her and the new born child behind with his family and kingdom? Who was this young girl and what shaped her worldview? When she married Siddhartha at the age of sixteen, did she know her conjugal life would soon change drastically? The Yashodhara we meet in Volga's femini...

Voices of Resistance presents a selection of Telugu writings in English translation that explores articulations on humaneness, justice and social transformation from unlikely locations in time and genre. These poems, songs, stories, and extracts from novels and tracts—by 89 authors from the thirteenth century to the present—open a window into literary imaginations around questions that continue to preoccupy us today: egalitarianism, dignity, oppression, violence and resistance.Voices of Re...

A fracture first and foremost is a soft-tissue injury, the best possible outcome of which strongly depends on correct decision making at the right time and state-of-the-art soft-tissue handling. In order for orthopaedic and trauma surgeons to address these issues comprehensively without being plastic surgeons themselves, a certain level of interdisciplinary understanding has to be acquired.This textbook provides that knowledge applicable in everyday clinical situations, focusing on...

How do you live a life of spiritual awakening as well as outer abundance, inner freedom as well as deep intimacy? How do you serve the world selflessly, yet passionately celebrate your life?The sages of Tantra have known for centuries that when you follow the path of Shakti—the sacred feminine principle personified by the goddesses of yoga—these gifts can manifest spontaneously. Yet most of us, women as well as men, have yet to experience the full potential of our inner feminine ene...

365 practical, powerful teachings for daily inspiration on how mindfulness can transform our lives and the greater world—from the beloved Zen teacher and author of No Mud, No Lotus“Thich Nhat Hanh shows us the connection between personal inner peace and peace on earth.” —His Holiness the Dalai LamaBringing the energy of true presence into our lives really does change things for the better—and all it takes is a little training. This...

This easily accessible translation and commentary by Thich Nhat Hanh on the Sutra on Knowing the Better Way To Live Alone, is the earliest teaching of the Buddha on living fully in the present moment. "To live alone" doesn’t mean to isolate oneself from society. It means to live in mindfulness: to let go of the past and the future, and to look deeply and discover the true nature of all that is taking place in the present moment. To fully realize this is to meet our appointment with life an...

The Dalai Lama explains how to follow the spiritual path of the bodhisattva, offering his commentary on Shantideva's beloved Buddhist textThe fourteenth Dalai Lama, a living embodiment of the bodhisattva ideal, presents here detailed practical guidance based on sections of The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva, the best-known text of Mahayana Buddhism. The Dalai Lama explains this classic and beloved work, showing how anyone can develop a truly "good he...

In this lucid classic, beloved teacher Ayya Khema introduces the reader to the essence of the Buddhist path. She addresses the how and why of meditation, providing a clear framework for understanding the nature of karma and rebirth and the entirety of the eightfold path. With specific, practical advice Ayya Khema illuminates the practices of compassion and sympathetic joy and offers forthright guidance in working with the hindrances that we all encounter in meditation. Few introductory boo...