This volume presents the most recent scholarly thinking about Hinduism in an accessible way. It provides a forum for the best scholars in the world to make their views and research available to a wider audience.

While comprehensively covering the textual traditions of Hinduism, the volume also includes material on Hindu folk religions and stresses the importance of region in analyzing Hinduism. In doing so, it reflects the current move away from essentialist understandings of Hinduism and towards traditionally and regionally specific studies.

The Companionas a whole spans the entire field of Hindu studies and is divided into four coherent sections: theoretical issues, textual traditions, theologies, and Hindu society and politics.

"This collection offers a new way to parse the multiple entryways into the vast arena of Hinduism. Using the general divisional categories of theoretical issues, text and tradition, systematic thought, and society, politics and nation, Flood has achieved significant breadth in disciplines, subjects and historical perspectives." Choice

"This is a most welcome, timely, and authoritative assessment of the entire field of study, a most commendable response to an enormous challenge." Journal of Contemporary Religion

“It effectively serves to condense the proliferation of scholarship on Hinduism... The approach is interdisciplinary and places Hinduism not within a sphere of its own, but within a larger context, reading it as a dynamic product of historical global exchange. The Blackwell Companion to Hinduismalso has an important section devoted to the Indian Sciences (language, mathematics, astrology, astronomy and medicine) which collectively destabilize colonialism’s claim that Hinduism was arbitrary and irrational. … A handsome addition to academic and personal libraries.” Asian Studies Review

This Companion presents the most recent scholarly thinking about Hinduism in an accessible way. It provides a forum for the best scholars in the world to make their views and research available to a wider audience.

An ideal resource for courses on Hinduism or world religions, this accessible volume spans the entire field of Hindu studies. It provides a forum for the best scholars in the world to make their views and research available to a wider audience.

• Comprehensively covers the textual traditions of Hinduism

• Features four coherent sections covering theoretical issues, textual traditions, science and philosophy, and Hindu society and politics

• Reflects the trend away from essentialist understandings of Hinduism towards tradition and regional-specific studies

• Includes material on Hindu folk religions and stresses the importance of region in analyzing Hinduism

• Ideal for use on university courses.

Gavin Flood is Head of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Stirling. Among his publications are Beyond Phenomenology: Rethinking the Study of Religion(1999), An Introduction to Hinduism(1996), and Body and Cosmology in Kashmir Œaivism(1993).

List of Contributors.

Preface.

Introduction: Establishing the Boundaries: Gavin Flood.

Part I: Theoretical Issues:.

1. Colonialism and the Construction of Hinduism: Gauri Visvanathan.

2. Orientalism and Hinduism: David Smith.

Part II: Text and Tradition:.

The Sanskrit Textual Traditions:.

3. Vedas and Upanisads: Michael Witzel.

4. The Dharmaúâstras: Ludo Rocher.

5. The Sanskrit Epics: John Brockington.

6. The Purânas: Freda Matchett.

Textual Traditions in Regional Languages:.

7. Tamil Hindu Literature: Norman Cutler.

8. The Literature of Hinduism in Malayalam: Rich Freeman.

9. North Indian Hindi Devotional Literature: Nancy M. Martin.

Major Historical Developments:.

10. The Úaiva Traditions: Gavin Flood.

11. History of Vaisnava Traditions: Gérard Colas.

12. The Renouncer Tradition: Patrick Olivelle.

13. The Householder Tradition in Hindu Society: T.N. Madan.

Regional Traditions:.

14. The Teyyam Tradition of Kerala: Rich Freeman.

15. The Month of Kârtik And Women's Ritual Devotions to Krsna in Benares: Tracy Pinchman.

Part III: Systematic Thought:.

The Indian Sciences:.

Introduction: Frits Staal.

16. The Science of