Contributors x Preface and Acknowledgments xii Introduction: Establishing the Boundaries 1 Gavin Flood Part I Theoretical Issues 21 1 Colonialism and the Construction of Hinduism 23 Gauri Viswanathan 2 Orientalism and Hinduism 45 David Smith Part II Text and Tradition 65 The Sanskrit Textual Traditions 67 3 Vedas and Upanisads 68 Michael Witzel 4 The Dharmaú'stras 102 Ludo Rocher 5 The Sanskrit Epics 116 John Brockington 6 The Pur'nas 129 Freda Matchett Textual Traditions in Regional Languages 144 7 Tamil Hindu Literature 145 Norman Cutler 8 The Literature of Hinduism in Malayalam 159 Rich Freeman 9 North Indian Hindi Devotional Literature 182 Nancy M Martin Major Historical Developments 199 10 The Saiva Traditions 200 Gavin Flood 11 History of Vaisnava Traditions: An Esquisse 229 Gérard Colas 12 The Renouncer Tradition 271 Patrick Olivelle 13 The Householder Tradition in Hindu Society 288 TN Madan Regional Traditions 306 14 The Teyyam Tradition of Kerala 307 Rich Freeman 15 The Month of K'rtik and Women's Ritual Devotions to Krishna in Benares 327 Tracy Pinchman Part III Systematic Thought 343 The Indian Sciences 345 Introduction 346 Frits Staal 16 The Science of Language 348 Frits Staal 17 Indian Mathematics 360 Takao Hayashi 18 Calendar, Astrology and Astronomy 376 Michio Yano 19 The Science of Medicine 393 Dominik Wujastyk Philosophy and Theology 410 20 Hinduism and the Proper Work of Reason 411 Jonardon Ganeri 21 Restoring "Hindu Theology" as a Category in Indian Intellectual Discourse 447 Francis Cloone. SJ 22 Mantra 478 André Padoux Part IV Society, Politics, and Nation 493 23 On the Relationship between Caste and Hinduism 495 Declan Quigley 24 Modernity, Reform and Revival 509 Dermot Killingley 25 Contemporary Political Hinduism 526 C Ram Prasad 26 The Goddess and the Nation Subterfuges of Antiquity, the Cunning of Modernity 551 Sumathi Ramaswamy 27 Gender in a Devotional Universe 569 Vasudha Narayanan Index 588.