Yoga, Bhoga and Ardhanariswara

📘 About This Book

This book offers a social–scientific interpretation of the Hindu and Buddhist traditions of Tantra dating back 15 centuries. It is a self-reflexive study approached with an insider’s empathy and the perspective of an Indologist, anthropologist, mystic and practitioner of the cult. The work includes a discussion of non-modern Indic themes: mandala as a trope and its manifestations in South Asian regions such as Nepal; yoga and Indic individuality; the concept of bhoga; disciplined wellbeing; gender; and Indic axiology. Using personal praxis to inform his research, the author examines three core themes within Tantra — a ‘holonic’/mandalic individuality that conduces to mystical experience; a positive valorisation of pleasure and play; and cultural attitudes of gender-mutuality and complementarity, as neatly encapsulated in the icon of Shiva as Ardhanariswara. This analysis, as captured by the Tantric mandalas of deities in intimate union, leads to his compelling metathesis that Tantra serves as a permanent counterculture within the Indic civilization. This second edition, with a new Afterword, will greatly interest those in anthropology, South Asian studies, religious studies, gender studies, psychology and philosophy, as also the general reader.

📖 Summary

Yoga, Bhoga and Ardhanariswara by Prem Saran offers a profound, social-scientific interpretation of Hindu and Buddhist Tantra traditions spanning a history of 15 centuries. Published in 2017 across 377 pages, the book presents a uniquely self-reflexive study, approaching its subject matter with an insider's deep empathy combined with the rigorous perspectives of an Indologist, anthropologist, mystic, and active practitioner of the cult. Rather than viewing Tantra through a purely detached academic lens, Saran uses his own personal praxis to inform and enrich his scholarly research, grounding theoretical concepts in lived experience. The work engages in a thorough discussion of non-modern Indic themes, exploring the mandala as a vital trope and examining its diverse manifestations in South Asian regions such as Nepal. It delves deeply into the nature of yoga and Indic individuality, the concept of bhoga, disciplined wellbeing, evolving notions of gender, and overall Indic axiology. At the heart of the book are three core themes that define the author's exploration of Tantra. First, it investigates a holonic and mandalic individuality that naturally conduces to profound mystical experiences. Second, it highlights a positive valorisation of pleasure and play, challenging world-denying stereotypes often associated with Eastern traditions. Third, it examines cultural attitudes of gender-mutuality and complementarity, exemplified by the divine figure of Ardhanariswara, the composite half-male, half-female form of Shiva and Shakti. Through these lenses, Saran constructs a comprehensive framework for understanding how ancient traditions integrated spiritual discipline with worldly enjoyment, dissolving rigid dichotomies between the sacred and the profane, the individual and the cosmos, and the masculine and the feminine. The text serves as an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to understand the socio-cultural, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of Tantric traditions through a balanced integration of academic scholarship and experiential wisdom.

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