{"product_id":"the-artful-universe-an-introduction-to-the-vedic-religious-imagination-paperback-william-k-mahony","title":"The Artul Universe (An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDETAILS : \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublisher: Sri Satguru Publications\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAuthor: William K. Mahony\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLanguage: ENGLISH\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePages: 337\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCover: PAPERBACK\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight 410 gm\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEdition: 2002\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eISBN: 8170307678\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABOUT THE BOOK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-index-in-node=\"0\" data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eThe Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination\u003c\/b\u003e, written by the distinguished scholar \u003cb data-index-in-node=\"110\" data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eDr. William K. Mahony\u003c\/b\u003e and published in 1998 by the State University of New York (SUNY) Press, is a profoundly insightful study of the foundational religious sensibilities of ancient India. The title contains a slight typographical error in the prompt (\"Artul\" instead of \"Artful\"), as the book explores how the early Vedic seers viewed the entire cosmos not as a chaotic accident, but as an intricately ordered, beautiful, and \"artful\" masterpiece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eMahony’s central thesis focuses on the critical concept of creative imagination—both divine and human—as the binding force that shapes reality. The book introduces readers to the deep textures of the Rigveda,固定Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda, alongside the early Upanisads, by tracking how the universe is generated through cosmic artistry. According to this Vedic worldview, the gods are master artists, poets, and architects who weave the fabric of space and time through cosmic law, known as \u003ci data-index-in-node=\"500\" data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eRta\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003eThe book is uniquely structured around different modalities of this sacred imagination, moving sequentially from the macrocosm to the microcosm. It details the formative power of divine imagination, explaining how the gods visualize and manifest the universe. It then shifts to the artistry of the verbal imagination, demonstrating how the inspired poets, or \u003ci data-index-in-node=\"359\" data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003eRishis\u003c\/i\u003e, capture these cosmic truths in sacred speech and liturgical hymns. Mahony further outlines the liturgical imagination, where human priests reenact the cosmic creation drama on the sacrificial altar, and finally culminates in the contemplative imagination, tracing how external fire rituals evolved into the internal, meditative realizations of the Upanisads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABOUT THE AUTHOR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003e\u003cb data-index-in-node=\"0\" data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003eDr. William K. Mahony\u003c\/b\u003e is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Religion and the former Chairman of the Department of Religion at \u003cb data-index-in-node=\"124\" data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003eDavidson College\u003c\/b\u003e in North Carolina. He is a highly respected Western academician, indologist, and Sanskrit scholar who has spent over four decades studying, teaching, and practicing the philosophies of India.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eDr. Mahony belongs to a specific class of contemporary scholars whose academic output bridges strict Western historical-critical methodology with deep, empathetic personal insight. In addition to his extensive contributions to the authoritative 16-volume \u003ci data-index-in-node=\"255\" data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eThe Encyclopedia of Religion\u003c\/i\u003e, he is also widely celebrated within global yoga and spiritual communities for his book \u003ci data-index-in-node=\"372\" data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eExquisite Love: Heart-Centered Reflections on the Narada Bhakti Sutra\u003c\/i\u003e. His writing style in \u003ci data-index-in-node=\"464\" data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eThe Artful Universe\u003c\/i\u003e is noted for its lucidity, poetic grace, and accessibility, making incredibly dense, esoteric Vedic concepts understandable to students of comparative religion while preserving the philosophical depth required by advanced scholars.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sri Satguru Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50855968735530,"sku":"SATGURU-8170307678","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/1218\/4618\/files\/41VCpdultKL.jpg?v=1763642467","url":"https:\/\/crazyshelf.com\/products\/the-artful-universe-an-introduction-to-the-vedic-religious-imagination-paperback-william-k-mahony","provider":"Crazyshelf.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}