Text study is an important component of spiritual inquiry. This list, which is by no means complete, was compiled in answer to the question of “What can I read to help me to understand Hinduism?” Starred books offer an introduction. Others delve into the philosophy on a deeper level either in theory or in practice.
Books
- A Hindu Primer: Yaksha Prashna by A. V. Srinivasan. Periplus Line LLC 1984
- The Bhagavadgita by P. Lal. Orient Paperbacks 1983
- The Bhagavad Gita by Juan Mascaro. Penguin Books 1962
- The Bhagavadgita by S. Radhakrinshnan. HarperCollins India 2001
- Eight Upanishads by Swami Gambhirandanda. Vedanta Press and Bookshop 1957
- *Hinduism for Dummies by A. V. Srinivasan. Wiley Publications 2011
- How to Conduct Puja series by A. V. Srinivasan. Periplus Line LLC 1999-2009
- Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata by Devdutt Pattanaik. Penguin UK 2010
- The Mahabharata of Vyasa by P. Lal. Vikas 1980
- The Philosophy of the Upaniṣads by S. Radhakrishnan with a foreword by Rabindranath Tagore and an introduction by Edmond Holmes.
- The Principle Upanishads by S. Radhakrishnan. George Allen & Unwin Ltd 1953
- The Ramayana of Valmiki by P. Lal. Vikas 1981
- Real Questions about Hinduism by Hindu American Foundation. Available at: https://www.hinduamerican.org/hinduism-short-answers-real-questions
- *What is Hinduism? by the editors of Hinduism Today. Himalayan Academy Publications 2007. Also available electronically at
- https://www.himalayanacademy.com/view/what-is-hinduism
Magazines and Websites
- Hinduism Today – a magazine published by the Himalayan Academy. Available in print media and electronically, the magazine was designed to be “a global publication to advance the cause of Hindu Dharma.”
- *Hinduism 101 by Hindu American Foundation. Available electronically at https://www.hinduamerican.org/hinduism-101