Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists is a major work by The Sister Nivedita (Margaret E. Noble) and Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, published in 1913. The book aims at presenting and retelling all the major myths and collections of scriptures of ancient India in one single book. This task could seem impossible because of the vast amount of written material, but they have succeeded in outlining the most important works and how they together form the basis for Hinduism and Buddhism. Most interesting, since I would prefer to read the major works in their more original and full translations, are the conclusions in the book. Here Ananda and Nivedita summarise the Indian theology in a few pages. It is an excellent reference. From the books introduction:
Hinduism is, in fact, an immense synthesis, deriving its elements from a hundred different directions, and incorporating every conceivable motive of religion. The motives of religion are manifold. Earth-worship, sunworship, nature-worship, sky-worship, honour paid to heroes and ancestors, mother-worship, father-worship, prayers for the dead, the mystic association of certain plants and animals: all these and more are included within Hinduism. And each marks some single age of the past, with its characteristic conjunction or invasion of races formerly alien to one another. They are all welded together now to form a great whole.
Download the free PDF e-book Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists here (501 pages/14.8MB):
