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61 pages

English

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Like the proverbial fish that has heard a lot about the Great Ocean and spends an entire lifetime searching for it, not realising it has always been an inseparable part of the ocean, man spends his lifetime searching all around for God. All man has to do, in fact, is simply turn his gaze inwards to realise that God or the Self has always been an inseparable part of him. The Upanishads tell man that he is not a mere mortal, but a part of the Immortal One. This book shows you just how to go about uncovering the layers of ignorance and illusion to realise your true nature - the Self. This is the path to moksha or nirvana (liberation), which every seeker wishes to tread upon in order to break the cycle of birth and death. With pearls of wisdom from the Upanishads, the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita, this book could transform your way of life forever, teaching you the true meaning of existence. Highlights: *A detailed account about how many Upanishads are there(Isavasya Upanishad, Kathopanishad, Mandukya Upanishad etc.), and an overview of what they contain *Explanation of basic concepts like Ishwar, Atma, Paramatma *To whom the Upanishads are addressed *Brief outlines of different Upanishads

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Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	V & S Publishers
Date de parution	01 avril 2012
Nombre de lectures	2
EAN13	9789381384756
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

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Know the Upanishads
Ramanuj Prasad
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© Copyright: Author
ISBN 9789381384756
Edition: April 2011
The Copyright of this book, as well as all matter contained herein (including illustrations) rests with the Publishers. No person shall copy the name of the book, its title design, matter and illustrations in any form and in any language, totally or partially or in any distorted form. Anybody doing so shall face legal action and will be responsible for damages.

Dedication Dedicated to the service of my teacher of Vedãnta H.H. Swãmi Paramãrtãnanda 196/A, St. Mary’s Road, Abhramapuram, Chennai .
Contents
Foreword
Invocation
Introduction
Shãnti Pãtha
TOPIC - I Upanishads Explained
TOPIC - II Whom the Upanishads Address
TOPIC - III Mundakopanishad
TOPIC - IV Principal Upanishads
Ishãvãsya Upanishad
Kenopanishad
Kathopanishad
Prashnopanishad
Mãndukyopanishad
Aitereyopanishad
Taittiriya Upanishad
Chhãndogya Upanishad
Brihadãranyaka Upanishad
TOPIC-V Important Verses
TOPIC - VI The Minor Upanishads
Paramahamsopanishad
Ãtmopanishad
Amritabindupanishad
Tejabindupanishad
Sarvasãra Upanishad- Atharva Veda
Brahmopanishad -Atharva Veda
Ãruni Up anishad - Sãma Veda
Kaivaly a Up anishad - Atharva Veda
Shvetãsvatar a Up anishad - Krishna Yajurveda
Nãr ãyana Up anishad - Krishna Yajurveda
Vajrasuchi Up anishad - Sãma Veda
Muktikop anishad - Shukla Yajurveda
Ãtmabodha Up anishad -Rig Veda
TOPIC - VII Upanishads in Vogue
Bibliography
Glossary
Foreword
T he Upanishads are the very quintessence of Indian wisdom, the blossoms of the finest thoughts gleaned from the dialectical relationship of wisdom teachers and their diligent students - the Guru shishya parasparyam .
Though the Upanishadic lore has been known in India for centuries, it is only in recent times that the teachings came to be known to the non-Sanskrit-speaking world. One of the earliest translations of the Upanishads was into Persian with the assistance of pandits from Benares at the behest of Prince Dara Shikoh in 1657. The Persian version was subsequently translated into the Latin Oupnek’hat by Anquetil Duperron in 1802. The teachings of the Upanishads became known in Europe through the German translation done by Franz Mischel in 1882.
Today we live in an unprecedented age where knowledge has overcome all past boundaries. More people are educated now than ever before. But the complexities of life along with deep anxiety and uncertainty have vitiated the joy and new-found freedom. It is as if mankind is navigating through uncharted waters. These circumstances make the teachings of the Upanishads very relevant and valuable to reorient our lives in a correct manner with a proper structure of values.
The teachings of the Upanishads clearly state the goal and purpose of life. They promise deliverance from ignorance and the associated pain and suffering. Unalloyed happiness is gained by the proper understanding of one’s own true nature, as well as that of the world in which we live. The philosophy of Vedãnta, which is based on the teachings of the Upanishads, begins with two questions: Ko aham? (Who am I?) and Kuto jagat? (Whence this world?). The teachings of the Upanishads give an enduring and convincing answer to these fundamental questions and bestow great peace of mind.
We are fortunate that in the author, Ramanuj Prasad, we have a well-disciplined academic mind along with mature understanding and original thinking. He has competently and systematically explained the teachings of the Upanishads by taking one of the finest, the Mundaka , as his theme. He has also given apt references from other major Upanishads like the Brïhadãranyaka, Kena, Svetãsvatara and Katha to show the underlying unity of Brahma Vidyã , or the Science of the Absolute. The Mundaka Upanishad has evolved from the Atharva Veda , which is also the source of other highly mystical Upanishads like the Prasna . In the Mundaka Upanishad Guru Angiras instructs the ascetic Shaunaka on “that knowledge on knowing which nothing remains to be known” .
With this highest of teachings as his subject, Ramanuj Prasad has kept the common reader in mind. For centuries, the Upanishadic treasure of wisdom has been confined to very few people. With its clear logical presentation, this book will render sterling service in spreading the sublime teachings of the Upanishads to all readers. The aspirant seeking wisdom as well as the scholarly person keen to deepen his or her understanding of the Upanishads will benefit from this book.
H.H. Swãmi Vyãsa Prasãd
Nãrãyana Gurukula,
Fernhill - 643004,
Tamil Nadu.
Invocation
T his is a prayer to the Lord for successful completion of a work undertaken and the work is offered to the Lord as service to Him. Therefore, whatever may be the credit that accrues, even in the future, it belongs to the Lord. The individual being an instrument in the hands of the Lord, one remains only an agent for name’s sake; the actual work is done by Him and for Him.
In our tradition, all work is undertaken only after invoking the Lord’s blessings. The very creator of the Universe Brahman also began the work of creation of the Universe after uttering the words OM TAT SAT (the triple designation of Brahman), which is the very essence of the essence. This is said to be the reason that creation is so perfect and flawless. The invocation stands on the same plane as that of a shãnti pãtha of the spiritual works. It is also a norm that we should not study any spiritual work that does not have the Lord’s name or a prayer at the start. Auspiciousness is indicated through the invocation and without that, it is neither auspicious nor a fruitful work.
Thus, invocation of the blessings of the Lord for the work is through a prayer to Lord Krishna, who is the teacher of all teachers of spirituality, which is the very goal of human life. Lord Krishna is the son of the Universal Mother Devaki, incarnated in the family of Vasudeva from the Vrishnis dynasty. Lord Krishna is the destroyer of Kansa and Chãnoora, the enemies of virtuous thoughts and deeds.
The verse:

I salute Lord Krishna, the world teacher, the son of Vasudeva and the supreme bliss of Devaki, the destroyer of Kansa and Chãnoora .
This is one of the verses in the Gita dhyanam and is chanted before the study of the same. As discussed later in the example of the Upanishad, normally shãntipãtha is from that Veda to which that particular Upanishad belongs. Similarly, here it should have been from the Mahãbhãrata of which the Bhagavad Gitã is a part. But in this case it is not so, as the invocation was incorporated by the recent ãchãrya, Madhusudhana Saraswati, for the study of the Bhagavad Gitã .
Introduction
T here is a verse signifying that most of the functional instincts between human beings and animals are common - such as hunger, thirst, fear and procreation. What is exclusive to humans is the power of thought. Human beings can think clearly, analyse a situation objectively and take appropriate measures for a better future, whereas animals have no faculty to think and choose. Their behaviour is programmed and no improvement is possible under the laws of nature.
If one interviews people at the New Delhi Railway Station or the inter-state bus terminus and asks what made them come there at that point of time, there will be as many answers as the individuals questioned. One may say he is going to the office, another to the Parliament session, the third to meet the President or to visit the RTO office, hospital, school, library, Rãjghãt and so on and so forth. It will appear that there are innumerable objectives being pursued by human beings. But if little more thought is given to these multifarious activities, one can see that all lead to one common goal : the perennial search for happiness.
Without any doubt, all activities are means to happiness and may not be pursued if they resulted in pain or discomfort. This is true even in the case of one’s wife, husband, son, daughter and a host of other relatives and related objects who or which are all means only. The lineage of the family, one proudly claims to belong to, is also a means to happiness only. The objectives enumerated so far are external to one, come to join at a point of time and similarly leave too. Therefore, whatever happiness we get out of them is dependent on the source, which is not the inner part of the self as heat in the fire but like the heat of the water.
The happiness that comes from external objects is borrowed. The only internal happiness is the independent one, which is the very nature of human beings. Happiness that comes from external objects will certainly vanish and this threat always exists. The external sources of happiness are governed by many conditions that have to be fulfilled for enjoying happiness. One has to work hard to fulfil them in order to be happy occasionally. Whenever the conditions are not fulfilled, they leave a trail of pain proportionate to the happiness one got out of it. In fact, there is no pleasure from external sources but simply a rearrangement of the problem, much like the relief felt after shifting a load from one shoulder to the other.
With concern, compassion and love equal to that of thousands of mothers, the Veda (Scriptures) promises assistance for both types of happiness - that born out of external objects or that which is the intrinsic nature of every human being. The choice is left to the individual. The Veda never forces anyone to choose either, but cautions that all pleasures dependent on anything are temporary, unreal and also a source of pain in