Publications
Books
2022. The Stories Behind The Poses: The Indian Mythology That Inspired 50 Yoga Postures. London: Leaping Hare Press.
2020. The Goddess and The Sun in Indian Myth: Power, Preservation and Mirrored Mahatmyas in the Markandeya Purana. London: Routledge.
2018. The Goddess and The King in Indian Myth: Ring Composition, Royal Power, and the Dharmic Double Helix. London: Routledge.
Edited Works
2023. Visions and Revisions in Sanskrit Narrative: Studies in the Indian Epics and Purāṇas. Co-Edited with McComas Taylor. Forward by Wendy Doniger. Canberra: Australian National University Press. Open Access.
2019. Puranic Studies: Proceedings of the Purana Section of the 17th World Sanskrit Conference (Vancouver, 2018). Co-edited with McComas Taylor. Vancouver: University of British Columbia.
2018. Purana Studies: Select Papers from the 16th World Sanskrit Conference (Bangkok, 2015). Co-edited with McComas Taylor. Delhi: DK Publishers.
2018. “Teaching Tales: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling in the Hindu Studies Classroom and Beyond.” Religious Studies News: The American Academy of Religion Web Magazine.
Journal Articles
2024a. Balkaran, Raj and Noor van Brussel. “Mother of Compassion, Mother of Wrath: Reflections of the Hindu Goddess in Mirrored Māhātmyas.” International Journal of Hindu Studies 28, 341–359.
2024b. Balkaran, Raj and A. Walter Dorn. “Exploring Hindu Ethics of Warfare: The Purāṇas.” International Review of the Red Cross. Open Access HERE.
2022. Balkaran, Raj and A. Walter Dorn. “Charting Hinduism’s Rules of Armed Conflict: Indian Sacred Texts and International Humanitarian Law.” International Review of the Red Cross, pp. 1 - 36.
2022a. “Patronymic Patterns in the Markandeya Purana: The Significance of Manu-Making for the Greatness of the Goddess.” International Journal of Hindu Studies 27(3).
2022b. “The Bhagavad Gita and Beyond: Synchronic Strategy for Sanskrit Narrative Literature”. Religions of South Asia 15(2): 120-141.
2022c. “Devi Mahatmya.” In Oxford Bibliographies in Hinduism. Ed. Tracy Coleman. New York: Oxford University Press, January 12.
2021. "Synchronic Strategy: Rules of Engagement for Sanskrit Narrative Literature". Journal of Dharma Studies 4(2): 199-221.
2020. “Avian Artistry: Decoding the Intertextuality between Mahabharata and Markandeya Purana.” International Journal of Hindu Studies 24 (2): 199-237.
2019. “Visions and Revisions of the Hindu Goddess: Sound, Structure, and Artful Ambivalence in the Devi Mahatmya.” Edited by Patricia Dold. Religions, Special Volume: “On Violence: Voices and Visions from the Hindu Goddess Traditions,” 10 (5): 322. Open Access.
2018. “The Sarus’ Sorrow: Voicing Nonviolence in the Valmiki Ramayana.” Journal of Vaishnava Studies 26 (2): 143–61.
2017a. “The Essence of Avatara: Probing Preservation in The Markandeya Purana.” Journal of Vaishnava Studies 26 (1): 25–36.
2017b. “Joseph’s Journey: Uncovering Israel’s Unconscious.” Journal of Genius and Eminence, Special Volume: “The Hero’s Journey: A Tribute to Joseph Campbell,” 2 (2): 96–104.
2012. “Violence in the Valmiki Ramayana: Just War Criteria Prefigured in an Ancient Indian Epic.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 8 (3): 659–90. (Co-authored with A. Walter Dorn.)
2010. “Justifications for War and Peace in Hinduism.” In The Justifications for War and Peace in World Religions, edited by A. Walter Dorn, 40–54. Toronto: Defence Research and Development Canada.
Book Contributions
2024a. Forward. Devi Mahatmya; translation, commentary, and illustrations by Alisa Lozhkina. Kyiv: Ruslan Khalikov Publishing, pp 6-8.
2024b. Foreword. Religious Studies Beyond the Discipline: On the Future of a Humanities Ph.D., edited by Russell T. McCutcheon. Equinox Publishing, pp xiv-xvi.
2023a. “Mother of Shadow, Mother of Light: Battling Demons in Indian Myth.” In Jung's Shadow Concept: The Hidden Light and Darkness in Ourselves, edited by Christopher Perry and Rupert Tower. Routledge, pp. 258-261.
2023b. “Introduction.” Indian Myths and Legends: Tales and Heroes, Gods and Monsters. Flame Tree Publishing, pp. 18-35.
2021. “Arjuna and Acyuta: The Import of Epithets in the Bhagavad-Gita.” In The Bhagavad-Gita; a Critical Introduction, edited by Ithamar Thedor. Delhi: Routledge.
2019. “The Story of Samjña, Mother of Manu: Shadow and Light in the Markandeya Purana.” In The Bloomsbury Research Handbook on Indian Philosophy and Gender, edited by Veena R Howard, 267–96. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.
2018a. “The Safeguard of Sovereignty: Focusing the Frame of the Devi Mahatmya.” In Purana Studies: Select Papers from the 16th World Sanskrit Conference (Bangkok, 2015), edited by Raj Balkaran and Taylor McComas, 67–95. Delhi: DK Publishers.
2018b. “The Splendor of the Sun: Brightening the Bridge between Markandeya Purana and Devi Mahatmya in Light of Navaratri Ritual Timing.” In Nine Nights of the Goddess: The Navaratri Festival in South Asia, edited by Caleb Simmons, Hillary Rodrigues, and Moumita Sen, 23–38. Albany: SUNY Press.
Current Book Projects
“Voicing the Goddess’ Greatness: A New Translation of the Devī Māhātmya” (anticipated 2025)
“Mapping the Mahabharata: India’s Epic and the Dharmic Double Helix” (anticipated 2026)
