Sages of Ancient Bharat: Twenty-Three Lives from the Beginning Indian Thought

Before there were schools, there were people. Twenty-three figures stand at the beginning of Indian intellectual life. Between them they are credited with the arrangement of the Vedas, the two great epics, and the founding texts of yoga, logic, atomism, medicine, astrology and law. Vyasa, who gave a civilisation its scriptures. Valmiki, a highway robber who became the first poet. Gargi, who questioned the greatest philosopher of her age in open assembly and was not refuted. Kanada, who reasoned his way to the atom without ever seeing one. Durvasa, whose curses set the great epics in motion. This book tells their stories as the tradition actually preserved them - capable of extraordinary achievement, and capable of failure, with both kept in the record. Where popular writing has attached claims these figures cannot support, the evidence is set out plainly and the correction explained. Richly illustrated throughout with original artwork, and arranged so that the connections accumulate: rivals appear in each other's chapters, a fire lit in one is put out in another, and the book closes on the father of the sage it opened with. A complete, readable introduction to the minds at the source of Indian thought.