The Bodhicaryavatara of Santideva Motilal Banarsidass Preface xiii The Puranas: An

Preface xiii   The Puranas: An Introduction 3 1 Origin Introduction 15   The Origin of Brahma from the Lotus in Visnu's Novel 30   Prakrti and Purusa 31   The Cosmic Egg 32   The Origin of the World from Brahma 32   The Four Heads of Brahma 34   Purusa

were expressed

the liturgy of the mandala

especially at the hands of German Sanskritists

numerous Sanskrit words were taken over

The Bodhicaryavatara of Santideva Motilal Banarsidass Preface xiii The Puranas: AnThis work contains the first complete English translation of the Sanskrit Bodhicaryavatara of the Buddhist poet Santideva. In this beautiful and moving classic of Mahayana Buddhism. Santideva, a monk living in Nalanda in the early eighth century A. D. describes the Bodhisattva vow, the promise of heroic beings to strive for nirvana but to postpone full entrance into the realm of the absolute until every other sentient creature also attains the bliss