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  • Discovering the Vedas

  • Written by: Frits Staal
  • Narrated by: B Andrew
  • Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (11 ratings)

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Discovering the Vedas

Written by: Frits Staal
Narrated by: B Andrew
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Publisher's Summary

"This is a remarkable book. It untangles the many complexities of the Vedas and combines Staal's scholarly respect for the texts, with explanations that are lucid and occasionally witty. His insights are thoughtful and perceptive." (Romila Thapar)

In this unprecedented guide to the Vedas, Frits Staal, the celebrated author of Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire Altar and Universals: Studies in Indian Logic and Linguistics examines almost every aspect of these ancient sources of indic civilisation. Staal extracts concrete information from the oral tradition and archaeology about Vedic people and their language, what they thought and did, and where they went and when. He provides essential information about the Vedas and includes selections and translations. Staal sheds light on mantras and rituals that contributed to what came to be known as Hinduism. 

Significant is a modern analysis of what we can learn from the Vedas today: the original forms of the Vedic sciences, as well as the perceptive wisdom of the composers of the Vedas. The author puts Vedic civilisation in a global perspective through a wide-ranging comparison with other indic philosophies and religions, primarily Buddhism for Staal, originally a logician, the voyage of discovering the Vedas is like unpeeling an onion but without the certainty of reaching an end. Even so, his book shows that the Vedas have a logic all their own. Accessible, finely-argued, and with a wealth of information and insight, Discovering the Vedas is for both the scholar and the interested lay listener.

©2008 Frits Staal (P)2019 Random House Audio

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Don’t buy this!

Such a good book ruined by really really bad narration. Every word is mis-pronounced. Had only the English been poor, one would have tolerated it but even the Hindi and Sanskrit are so bad that it’s impossible to listen.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Missing Image refrences

The book has multiple visual references that missing.. usually a separate pdf is available for the listener to refer to..

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1 person found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good Book-Bad Narration

The narrator doesn't have even rudimentary understanding of Sanskrit names or terminology. I expected an Indian, as I presume the narrator is, to be more conversant with normal terms like Sarada Matha of Sringeri. The name Yajnavalkya, words Sama Veda etc. are examples of atrocious pronunciation. The book would have been much more enjoyable if someone with a little better grasp of the language Sanskrit had narrated the text.
The boo itself is an enjoyable opinionated, probably is competent to be opinionated, compilation of facts rather than a book of insight. Nevertheless, it offers a bird's eye view of the Vedas and the adjutant texts like the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and upanishads....... Recommended to those who intend to dip their toes..........

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Pathetic Narration!

I have never heard an audiobook with as many mispronunciations — not even close — as this one. The rendition is so dead and monotonous that one has to strain one’s ears to even make sense of simple sentence. The reciter (reader) seems to be really bad at all three languages as far as reading and pronunciation goes — English, Hindi and Sanskrit. Simply pathetic!

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2 people found this helpful