{"product_id":"the-myths-of-narasiha-and-deborah-a-soifer-9780791408001","title":"The Myths of Narasi\u0026#7745;ha and V\u0026#257;mana: Two Avatars in Cosmological Perspective","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Sanskrit Puranas and epics are replete with stories of the avatars, incarnations of the god Visnu in various forms to rid the universe of malevolent forces and to restore the proper cosmic balance. As Narasimha, half-man half-lion, Visnu finds a loophole in the pact of invulnerability the demon Hiranaipu has received from god Brahma, and rends the demon apart with his claws. As the brahmin dwarf, Vamana, Visnu deceives the demon Bali with his diminutive appearance and thwarts Bali's attempt to gain universal sovereignty.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter carefully analyzing the myths of Vamana and Narasimha, Deborah Soifer grounds her study in the textual history of each avatar and its myth, in their religious contexts, and in the intricate cosmology of the classical period of Hinduism. Contrasting the bestial persona of Narasimha with Vamana's priestly appearance and his associations with early cosmologic themes, she finds complementarity and significance in this pair as they are viewed in the larger context of periodic cosmic destructions and recreations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile focusing primarily on these two mythological figures, Soifer's work explores the relationship between dharma and the 'devious' acts of gods; the interplay between cosmic and 'sociocosmic' levels of reality; and the relationship between cosmology, theology, and soteriology in a religious worldview.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Deborah A. Soifer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0791408000\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780791408001\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e State University of New York Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/22\/1991\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 321\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.98lbs","brand":"Deborah A. Soifer","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48448942309631,"sku":"9780791408001","price":36.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_92298693-153a-4a77-85dd-62b85d8f7c6a.jpg?v=1777261275","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-myths-of-narasiha-and-deborah-a-soifer-9780791408001","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}