David Knipe integrates his own intensive study of the basic Hindu texts with his years of primary research and fieldwork in South Asia. Knipe creates a five-fold model for presenting the rich complexities of the Hindu world, offering an absorbing survey of the central Hindu deities, myths, doctrines, rituals, sects, and personalities. One chapter brings to vivid life the essential features of this fascinating tradition by narrating a single day in the life of a Hindu woman and the life history of a forty-year-old man.

"Hinduism "also features a glossary of Hindu terms and a list of Hindu deities, powers, and deified heroes, providing the reader with a precise and colorful understanding of the Hindu pantheon and world view.