The Upanishads Katha I A Kena And Mundaka

The Upanishads has now been expanded and brought out in two volumes, with much new material published for the first time in book form. The single volume The Upanishads has been discontinued, with all its content included in the two new volumes, each available as an independent book. The Kena Upanishad is concerned with the relation of mind-consciousness to Brahman-consciousness , writes Sri Aurobindo in his commentary on this work. The material world and the physical life exist for us only by virtue of our internal self and our internal life. According as our mental instruments represent to us the external world, according as our vital force in obedience to the mind deals with its impacts and objects, so will be our outward life and existence. Along with Sri Aurobindo's final translation of and commentary on the Kena, this book includes his translations of six other Upanishads as well as several other translations and commentaries, and essays such as 'The Philosophy of the Upanishads'.

The Upanishads are a collection of texts in the Vedic Sanskrit languagewhich contain the earliest emergence of some of the central religious concepts of Hinduism, some of which are shared with Buddhism and Jainism. The Upanishads are considered by Hindus to contain revealed truths (Sruti) concerning the nature of ultimate reality (brahman) and describing the character and form of human salvation (moksha). The Upanishadic age was characterized by a pluralism of worldviews. While some Upanishads have been deemed 'monistic', others, including the Katha Upanishad, are dualistic. The Maitri is one of the Upanishads that inclines more toward dualism, thus grounding classical Samkhya and Yoga, in contrast to the non-dualistic Upanishads eventuating in Vedanta. They contain a plurality of ideas, which only by the later Vedanta-schools were tried to reconcile. The Upanishads are treatises on Brahman-knowledge, that is knowledge of Ultimate Hidden Reality, and their presentation of philosophy presumes, it is by a strictly personal effort that one can reach the truth. In the Upanishads, states Radhakrishnan, knowledge is a means to freedom, and philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom by a way of life. The Upanishads include sections on philosophical theories that have been at the foundation of Indian traditions. For example, the Chandogya Upanishad includes one of the earliest known declaration of Ahimsa (non-violence) as an ethical precept. Discussion of other ethical premises such as Damah (temperance, self-restraint), Satya (truthfulness), Dana (charity), Arjava (non-hypocrisy), Daya (compassion) and others are found in the oldest Upanishads and many later Upanishads. Similarly, the Karma doctrine is presented in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, which is the oldest Upanishad. List of Works: Khandogya-upanishad. Talavakara Kena-upanishad. Aitareya-aranyaka. Kaushitaki-brahmana-upanishad. Vagasaneyi-samhita-upanishad. Katha-upanishad. Mundaka-upanishad. Taittiriyaka-upanishad. Brihadaranyaka-upanishad. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Svetasvatara-upanishad. Prasna-upanishad. Maitrayana-brahmana-upanishad

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.

Spiritual seekers and thinkers should mediate over The Upanishads, Translated and Commentated, Vol. 1 by Swâmi Paramânanda, a collection of four of the earliest spiritual texts known to man. The Upanishads are a series of spiritual texts that originated from teachings in early Indian civilization. Some Upanishads are as old as 1500 BC and contain the earliest writings on human consciousness. These sacred Hindu texts are said to reveal truth about God, the Ultimate Reality and spiritual salvation. The Upanishads were passed down from wise teachers to the most worthy students and seekers. There may be hundreds of Upanishads, but only twelve are considered the most essential. In this book, Paramânanda gives us four significant Upanishads: Isa, Katha, Kena and Mundaka. Each one begins with a peaceful chant. The verses are presented in question and answer form, which is a classic way of imparting wisdom. Isa is about the knowledge of the all pervading deity. It tells readers the practical means of doing actions while still renouncing the fruits of actions. Katha is a very popular Upanishad with Hindus and non-Hindus alike. After relating a story, it reveals the monotheistic basis of Hinduism and the meaning of the word "Om." Kena is a short Upanishad with a complex message about consciousness, while Mundaka explains the creation process and the path to heaven. There are many, many more revelations, stories and teachings in the verses of the Upanishads. Readers will love meditating on the meanings of the dialogues presented by Paramânanda. The Upanishads, Translated and Commentated, Vol. 1 is an insightful addition to your spiritual library. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.