About the Author

Madeleine Biardeau is the directeur d'études at the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris. She is the author of several books including Hinduism: The Anthropology of a Civilization. Alf Hiltebeitel is a professor of religion and human sciences at George Washington University. Marie-Louise Reiniche is a researcher at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, section des sciences religieuses. James Walker is also affiliated with the École Pratique des Hautes Études.