Alain Daniélou was a British-French scholar dedicated to the study and translation of Indian texts. His work is characterized by a profound understanding of Hindu philosophy, theology, and music. He sought to bridge Western and Eastern thought, and his translations are valued for their accuracy and literary quality. His legacy continues to inspire readers seeking a deeper appreciation of Indian culture and spirituality.
Exploring the fundamental concepts of the caste system, Alain Danielou addresses issues of race, individual rights, sexual mores, marital practices, and spiritual attainments. In this light, the author explains how Hindu society has served as a model for the realization of human potential, and exposes the inherent flaws and hypocrisies of our modern egalitarian governments.
Unexpurgated version with sanskrit texts and new introduction.Based on original Sanskrit sources, this book gives an authentic account of the methods of yoga in its different forms, including the challenging "left-hand" paths, as well as practices best suited to Western students.
Music has always been esteemed for its power to speak directly to our higher consciousness, a power founded in the purity of simple harmonic ratios. In this book, Alain Danielou traces the development of musical scales and tuning from their origins in both China and India, through their merging in ancient Greece, and on to the development of the Western traditions of modal and polyphonic music. Understanding these potent harmonic relationships offers a way for today's musicians to transcend the limitations of overly rationalistic music by drawing on its metaphysical roots.
The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text
An authority on Hinduism and renowned for his directorship of the Institute of Comparative Music Studies in Berlin and Venice, Alain Daniélou's memoir is as vivid, uninhibited, and wide-ranging as one is ever likely to ever encounter