The Rig Veda by Wendy Doniger (Penguin Classics)

Sanskrit hymns from the timeless world of myth and ritual the Rig Veda (c. 1200-900 BC), a collection of more than 1,000 hymns, represents the first extensive composition in any Indo-European language. Fraught with paradox, the hymns are meant to ‘puzzle, to surprise, to trouble the mind’, writes Professor O’ Flaherty, who has selected and translated 108 hymns for this volume. Details of daily life, the rich symbolism and mechanism of Vedic ritual, the pure poetry of the hymns—these elements combine to form a unique insight into early Indian mythology, philosophy and religion. For the general reader, as well as the scholar, The Rig Veda will be a source of constant interest and pleasure. Professor O’ Flaherty’s translation is sound and eminently readable, allowing the hymns to yield up their beauty and their wisdom.