Presents a culmination of Vedic thought and contains the essence of the original Vedantic teachings. This work imparts sublime truths about the nature and destiny of mankind revealed by sages and seers during informal discussions with disciples and spiritual seekers.
The ancient Vedic literature, the foundation of the whole literature of India, which has been handed down in that country in an unbroken succession from the earliest times within the recollection of man to the present day, became known for the first time beyond the frontiers of India through the Upanishads. The Upanishads were translated from Sanskrit into Persian by, or, it may be, for Dârâ Shukoh, the eldest son of Shâh Jehân, an enlightened prince, who openly professed the liberal religious tenets of the great Emperor Akbar, and even wrote a book intended to reconcile the religious doctrines of Hindus and Mohammedans. He seems first to have heard of the Upanishads during his stay in Kashmir in 1640. He afterwards invited several Pandits from Benares to Delhi, who were to assist him in the work of translation. The translation was finished in 1657. Three years after the accomplishment of this work, in 1659, the prince was put to death by his brother Aurangzib1, in reality, no doubt, because he was the eldest son and legitimate successor of Shâh Jehân, but under the pretext that he was an infidel, and dangerous to the established religion of the empire. When the Upanishads had once been translated from Sanskrit into Persian, at that time the most widely read language of the East and understood likewise by many European scholars, they became generally accessible to all who took an interest in the religious literature of India. It is true that under Akbar's reign (1556-1586) similar translations had been prepared1, but neither those nor the translations of Dârâ Shukoh attracted the attention of European scholars till the year 1775. In that year Anquetil Duperron, the famous traveller and discoverer of the Zend-avesta, received one MS. of the Persian translation of the Upanishads, sent to him by M. Gentil, the French resident at the court of Shuja ud daula, and brought to France by M. Bernier. After receiving another MS., Anquetil Duperron collated the two, and translated the Persian translation into French (not published), and into Latin.
Upanishads are prime portions of the Vedas, They are the foundational theological discourses of Hindu traditions called Vedanta or the conclusion of the Vedas. Upanishad 11 in English rhyme comprises of the Sandilya Upanishad, Sannyasa Upanishad, Para-Brahma Upanishad, Paramahamsa Upanishad, Pranagnihotra Upanishad, Paramahamsa Parivrajaka Upanishad, Turiyatita Avadhuta Upanishad, Sarasvati-Rahasya Upanishad, Satyayaniya Upanishad, Savitri Upanishad Sita Upanishad, Skanda Upanishad, and the Subala Upanishad written in English rhyme with the original Sanskrit text.
Composed in Sanskrit between 900 and 600 BC, the Upanishads are man's oldest works of philosophy. The translations presented here are the oldest and most important of those that exist.
This new translation of The Upanishads is at once delightfully simple and rigorously learned, providing today’s readers with an accurate, accessible rendering of the core work of ancient Indian philosophy. The Upanishads are often considered the most important literature from ancient India. Yet many academic translators fail to capture the work’s philosophical and spiritual subtlety, while others convey its poetry at the cost of literal meaning. This new translation by Vernon Katz and Thomas Egenes fills the need for an Upanishads that is clear, simple, and insightful – yet remains faithful to the original Sanskrit. As Western Sanskrit scholars who have spent their lives immersed in meditative practice, Katz and Egenes offer a unique perspective in penetrating the depths of Eastern wisdom and expressing these insights in modern yet poetic language. Their historical introduction is suited to newcomers and experienced readers alike, providing the perfect entry to this unparalleled work.
Volume 2 of the definitive, scholarly English translation of one of the great religious and philosophical classics of the East. Included are the 12 classical upanishads. Fully annotated with a 160-page introduction.