Garland of Letters (Varnamala)

This book is an interesting study of the concept and philosophy of mantras which were used by the Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains alike for their daily meditation and ritualistic purposes. It explains from a non-Eurocentric perspective, but and from an Indic perspective though written by a European, since Westerners considered mantras as 'obscure', 'meaningless', and 'quite superstitious' and grotesque in nature. This book is a collection of essays compiled on Mantra Sastra, which is part of Tantra Sastra. It contains chapters on the doctrines of sabda philosophy and mantras like Om and Gayatri Mantra, which are the most important mantras for Hindu ascetics and layman alike in their pursuit of the Almighty. Some of the chapters in this book were published in journals associated with oriental studies, such as Vedanta Kesari and East and West. This book is recommended for those interested in the study of Hindu soteriology and the assessment of shruti worship and other traditions.