We've ranked the best vedas books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.
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I read The Bhagavad Gita, which is something I wasn’t ready for before, but glad to finally understand. [source]
The “Tao Te King” by Lao Tzu probably resonated with me the strongest, but others like the “Art of War” by Sun Tzu, “Bhagavad Gita” or Zen Buddhist scriptures were also real eye-openers, even for a non-religious person like myself. [source]
The human world occurs in language so best get good at it! [source]
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Founder/Apple
One book in particular stayed with Jobs his entire life, and Isaacson noted that it was the only book Jobs had downloaded on his iPad 2: “Autobiography of a Yogi,” “the guide to meditation and spirituality that he had first read as a teenager,” Isaacson writes, “then re-read in India and had read once a year ever since.” [source]
CEO/Salesforce
If you haven't read it, and if you want to understand Steve Jobs, it's a goood idea to dip into this book. [source]
One of the more impactful books for me when I was living down in the jungle and experiencing more of the deeper reflections through the medicine space. [source]
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Recommended by Caterina Fake.
4President/The Table Group
This book can drastically change the way you think about success...read it twice. [source]
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Gives abundant, practical findings and insights with emphasis on how to develop EQ. Research shows convincingly that EQ is more important than IQ. [source]
Current read... fascinating IQ vs EQ. Worthy book. #books #education #growth #LifeLessons @LeadersBest https://t.co/j0fjFstOWb [source]
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Co-Founder/Twitter
Q: What are the books that had a major influence on you? Or simply the ones you like the most. : Tao te Ching, score takes care of itself, between the world and me, the four agreements, the old man and the sea...I love reading! [source]
Founder/Alibaba
According to a Yibada interview with Chen Wei, who wrote Ma’s 2014 authorized biography, the Alibaba founder and executive chairman always carries the Tao Te Ching, the foundational text of Taoist philosophy, religion and ethics composed by Lao Tzu in the sixth century B.C. [source]
CEO & Co-Founder/AngelList
In the philosophy side, I’ve been rereading the Tao Te Ching. [source]
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Recommended by William Dalrymple.It’s one of the world’s great myths, an epic poem. It’s eight times the length of the Bible, one of the great works of literature of mankind. I came to it via the Peter Brook film, and read the script subsequently, and it is every bit as good as it’s made out to be. A very rare thing. It has a sort of Shakespearian ambiguity; you feel as much for the baddies as for the goodies. No one is pure. The bad guys aren’t entirely bad, the good guys aren’t entirely good. It’s brilliantly done, and the most gripping story ever told. [source]
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The Dhammapada is one of the greatest psychological works ever written, and certainly one of the greatest before 1900. It is masterful in its understanding of the nature of consciousness, and in particular the way we are always striving and never satisfied. You can turn to it – and people have turned to it throughout the ages – at times of trouble, at times of disappointment, at times of loss, and it takes you out of yourself. It shows you that your problems, your feelings, are just timeless manifestations of the human condition. It also gives specific recommendations for how to deal with those problems, which is to let go, to accept, and to work on yourself. So I think this is a kind of tonic that we ambitious Westerners often need to hear. [source]
The Buddhist collection of sayings. And it begins with, basically, the idea that we create the world with our minds. [source]
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39The question is not what happens, but what makes such knowing possible.Most works on Jyotiṣa list what the planets, houses, and Nakṣatras signify. This one asks why, and does not move forward until the answer is found.Returning to the philosophical and cosmological roots of the tradition, Essentials of Jyotiṣa draws from the Ṛgveda through the Upaniṣads alongside classical astrological literature, engaging with a depth rarely attempted in modern Vedic astrological texts. The sidereal zodiac is approached through its ontological basis, Nakṣatras through their Vedic deities, planetary significations through their archetypal origins, and dṛṣṭi (aspects) not as geometry alone, but as a way of seeing informed by Indian epistemology. Much of what is usually taken for granted is here asked to justify itself.By returning to Satya and Ṛta. eternal truth and cosmic order, the book shows the ground from which predictive methods draw their meaning, their value, and their reliability. The tradition needs no replacement. It needs to be read.
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49The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali distills the essence of yogic thought into 196 powerful aphorisms that explore consciousness, discipline, and self-realization. These ancient teachings form the philosophical foundation of classical yoga, presenting a step-by-step path (Ashtanga Yoga) that leads from ethical living and mental clarity to inner peace and spiritual liberation.Clear, concise, and deeply profound, the sutras continue to guide modern seekers on the timeless journey inward. Patanjali’s insights on mind control, detachment, and self-awareness remain as relevant today as they were over two millennia ago.Timeless wisdom for the journey within.Explore the foundational text of classical yoga philosophy.Delve into 196 sutras that guide the path to self-realization.Discover practical wisdom on mind control, detachment, and inner peace.Reflect on timeless teachings that remain relevant in the modern world.Ideal for yoga practitioners, spiritual seekers, and mindfulness enthusiasts.Offers insights into Ashtanga Yoga―the eightfold path to liberation.A valuable companion for meditation, study, and inner growth.Themes:Self-Discipline and Mental ClarityMindfulness and MeditationSpiritual AwakeningYogic Ethics and LifestyleDetachment and Inner PeaceConsciousness and LiberationInner Strength and Self-Mastery
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54Living Love: The Yoga of Yama & Niyama is a practical and spiritually rich guide to the ethical foundations of yoga and their power to transform daily life. Drawing on the ancient teachings of Yama and Niyama, Maetreyii Ma Nolan brings together yoga philosophy, psychological insight, meditation, and compassionate self-reflection to help readers live with greater clarity, integrity, and love.In clear and accessible language, this book explores the ten core practices of yogic living, including non-harm, truthfulness, simplicity, contentment, self-study, selfless service, and surrender to the Divine. Rather than treating these teachings as rigid rules, Living Love presents them as living practices that support emotional healing, spiritual growth, and a deeper connection to the sacred in everyday life.Readers will discover guidance for:Applying Yama and Niyama in relationships and daily decisions.Working with anger, conflict, fear, and self-judgment.Cultivating compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, and self-love.Integrating yoga philosophy with meditation and inner healing'Bringing spiritual values off the mat and into real life.Grounded in the wisdom of Patanjali’s eight-limbed path and enriched by the author’s background in psychology and the yogic tradition, Living Love offers both spiritual depth and practical support for those seeking a more authentic, peaceful, and awakened way of being. This is a book for yoga students, teachers, spiritual seekers, and anyone longing to live with greater truth, love, and inner freedom."Written with love and supported by a lifetime of knowledge and personal experience, Living Love, The Yoga of Yama and Niyama is one of those special books that will stay with you, occasionally nudging your mind and behavior in certain ways, and bringing you inevitably closer to lightness and joy if you're willing to take the journey." -Self-Publishing Review"Kind, wise, and reflective of timeless truths, this yoga manual merits careful reading and rereading." -Kirkus Reviews
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70'Yoga is to be known through yoga. Yoga arises from yoga. One who is vigilant by means of yoga delights in yoga for a long time'
Yoga is hugely popular around the world today, yet until now little has been known of its roots. This book collects, for the first time, core teachings of yoga in their original form, translated and edited by two of the world's foremost scholars of the subject. It includes a wide range of texts from different schools of yoga, languages and eras: among others, key passages from the early Upanisads and the Mahabharata, and from the Tantric, Buddhist and Jaina traditions, with many pieces in scholarly translation for the first time. Covering yoga's varying definitions across systems, models of the esoteric and physical bodies, and its most important practices, such as posture, breath control, sensory withdrawal and meditation, Roots of Yoga is a unique and essential source of knowledge.
Translated and edited with an introduction by James Mallinson and Mark Singleton
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74Discover one of the world's most popular belief systemsHinduism is a fascinating and widespread religion with a diverse array of traditions, practices, scriptures, and deities. In Hinduism For Dummies, 2nd Edition, you'll get a clear view into this widely-practiced and ancient creed. The book contains an easy-to-follow introduction to Hinduism, including its four different sects―Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism―it's major rituals, and its most sacred teachings. You'll understand how to recognize the different major gods and goddesses in the Hindu pantheon and the differences that give each of the four sects their distinct culture and theology. You'll also explore the history of what some consider to be the world's oldest religion that's still widely practiced today. Inside, you'll:Understand core beliefs and valuesDiscover Hindu wisdom and teachings (including life-cycle rites)Discover how to worship inside and outside of your homeKnow the Hindu concept of realityAn interesting and unbiased read, Hinduism For Dummies, 2nd Edition is the go-to guide for everyone who wants to learn more about Hinduism and its most fundamental tenets.
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82![Bhagavad Gita, The Holy Book of Hindus: Original Sanskrit Text with English Translation & Transliteration [ A Classic of Indian Spirituality ] book cover](https://media.shortform.com/best-books/covers/1c152ddb343c3aa3ab950a94abd160f10950d52184b8f8262b4a62e82d90d4f5.jpg)
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99Rig Veda: Yajur Veda: : Sama Veda: Atharva Veda The Vedas ancient Hindu scriptures dating back to around 1500 BCE encapsulate profound and timeless wisdom. These English renditions faithfully capture the original hymns offering a deep dive into an enduring spiritual legacy that bridges diverse eras and civilizations.
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