Ardore

In a meditation on the wisdom of the Vedas, Roberto Calasso's Ardor brings ritual and sacrifice to bear on the modern world In this revelatory volume, Roberto Calasso, whom The Paris Review has called "a literary institution," explores the ancient texts known as the Vedas. Little is known about the Vedic people, who lived more than three thousand years ago in northern India: They left behind almost no objects, images, or ruins. They created no empires. Even the soma , the likely hallucinogenic plant that appears at the center of some of their rituals, has not been identified with any certainty. Only a "Parthenon of words" remains: verses and formulations suggesting a daring understanding of life. "If the Vedic people had been asked why they did not build cities," writes Calasso, "they could have replied: we did not seek power, but rapture ." This is the ardor of the Vedic world, a burning intensity that is always present, both in the mind and in the cosmos. With his signature erudition and profound sense of the past, Calasso explores the enigmatic web of ritual and myth that defines the Vedas. Often at odds with modern thought, these texts illuminate the nature of consciousness more vividly than anything else has managed to till now. Following the "hundred paths" of the Satapatha Brahma n a , an impressive exegesis of Vedic ritual, Ardor indicates that it may be possible to reach what is closest by passing through that which is most remote, as "the whole of Vedic India was an attempt to think further ." In a meditation on the wisdom of the Vedas, Roberto Calasso brings ritual and sacrifice to bear on the modern world In this revelatory volume, Roberto Calasso, whom The Paris Review has called "a literary institution," explores the ancient texts known as the Vedas. Little is known about the Vedic people who lived more than three thousand years ago in northern India: they left behind almost no objects, images, or ruins. They created no empires. Even the hallucinogenic plant the soma, which appears at the center of some of their rituals, has not been identified with any certainty. Only a "Parthenon of words" remains: verses and formulations suggesting a daring understanding of life. "If the Vedic people had been asked why they did not build cities," writes Calasso, "they could have replied: we did not seek power, but rapture." This is the ardor of the Vedic world, a burning intensity that is always present, both in the mind and in the cosmos. With his signature erudition and profound sense of the past, Calasso explores the enigmatic web of ritual and myth that defines the Vedas. Often at odds with modern thought, these texts illuminate the nature of consciousness more than anybody else has managed up to now. Following the "hundred paths" of the Śatapatha Brahmaņa, an impressive exegesis of Vedic ritual, Ardor indicates that it may be possible to reach what is closest to us by passing through that which is most remote, as "the whole of Vedic India was an attempt to think further." In a mediation on the wisdom of the Vedas, Roberto Calasso brings ritual and sacrifice to bear on the modern world In this revelatory volume, Roberto Calasso, whom The Paris Review has called "a literary institution," explores the ancient texts known as the Vedas. Little is known about the Vedic people who lived more than three thousand years ago in northern India: they left behind almost no objects, images, or ruins. They created no empires. Even the hallucinogenic plant the soma, which appears at the center of some of their rituals, has not been identified with any certainty. Only a "Parthenon of words" remains: verses and formulations suggesting a daring understanding of life. "If the Vedic people had been asked why they did not build cities," writes Calasso, "they could have replied: we did not seek power, but rapture." This is the ardor of the Vedic world, a burning intensity that is always present, both in the mind and in the cosmos. With his signature erudition and profound sense of the past, Calasso explores the enigmatic web of ritual and myth that defines the Vedas. Often at odds with modern thought, these texts illuminate the nature of consciousness more than anybody else has managed up to now. Following the "hundred paths" of the Satapatha Brahmana, an impressive exegesis of Vedic ritual, Ardor indicates that it may be possible to reach what is closest to us by passing through that which is most remote, as "the whole of Vedic India was an attempt to think further." In a meditation on the wisdom of the Vedas, the author brings ritual and sacrifice to bear on the modern world. Little is known about the Vedic people who lived more than three thousand years ago in northern India: they left behind almost no objects, images, or ruins. Only a "Parthenon of words" remains: verses and formulations suggesting a daring understanding of life. Often at odds with modern thought, these texts illuminate the nature of consciousness. Following the "hundred paths" of the Śatapatha Brahmaņa, an impressive exegesis of Vedic ritual, he indicates that it may be possible to reach what is closest to us by passing through that which is most remote, as "the whole of Vedic India was an attempt to think further." A Meditation On The Ancient Wisdom Of The Vedas, In Which Calasso Brings Ritual And Sacrifice To Bear On The Modern World-- Remote Beings -- Yajnavalkya -- Animals -- The Progenitor -- They Who Saw The Hymns -- The Adventures Of Mind And Speech -- Atman -- Perfect Wakefulness -- The Brahmanas -- The Line Of The Fires -- Vedic Erotica -- Gods Who Offer Libations -- Residue And Surplus -- Hermits In The Forest -- Ritology -- The Sacrificial Vision -- After The Flood -- Tiki -- The Act Of Killing -- The Flight Of The Black Antelope -- King Soma. Roberto Calasso ; Translated From The Italian By Richard Dixon. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "A meditation on the ancient wisdom of the Vedas, in which Calasso brings ritual and sacrifice to bear on the modern world"-- Provided by publisher