Śiva, the erotic ascetic cover

Śiva, the erotic ascetic

by Wendy Doniger

"Highly acclaimed upon its original publication in 1973 under the title Asceticism and Eroticism in the Mythology of Siva, this book applies a structuralist method to a corpus of mythology never before analyzed, or for the most part, translated from the Sanskrit. The author traces the development of an Indian approach to an enduring human dilemma: the conflict between spiritual aspirations and human desires. The work treats hundreds of related myths and examines a wide range of Indian texts (Vedic, Puranic, classical, modern, and tribal), centering upon the stories of the great ascetic, Siva, and his erotic alter ego, Kama"--Back cover.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?