The Upanishads Paperback – August 28, 2007

The Upanishads "form a kind of ecstatic slide show--snapshots of towering peaks of consciousness taken at various times by different observers and dispatched with just the barest kind of explanation," writes Easwaran in the foreword of this book.Reading this book, this particular translation and perspective of the Upanishads, there are several thoughts that leap into my mind. The author was a skilled writer with a mastery of the English language. After all, he was a professor of Victorian English literature who was also comfortable with Sanskrit. Easwaran was at ease with both the East and the West and learned in both. And all this is present in his writing.Eleven major and four minor Upanishads unfold in fluid, eloquent lyrics that run like "pouring oil into oil." There is no Sanskrit script, no transliteration, just the flow of uninterrupted prose. It draws the reader in and wraps itself around the reader. Like a riveting novel, it is hard to put down. Easy to read, not overwhelmed by Sanskrit terms, this book can be appealing to a whole spectrum of readers. The reader does not have to be into yoga, meditation, philosophy, or religion.In the introduction, Easwaran explains that "the sages of the Upanishads learned to make a science and art and craft of insight--something that could be mastered and then taught to others, as a painting master in the Renaissance might take a gifted student as part of his family and absorb his art."The critical analysis goes on to expound the message of the Katha Upanishad "to dare like a teenager: to reach for the highest you can conceive with everything you have, and never count the cost."This is a book to be revisited over and over again. Whether the reader has an interest in yoga, meditation, spirituality, or simply reading beautifully composed writing on the philosophy of life, the Upanishads are worth the time. At the very least, we see how so much meaning can be conveyed in the fewest possible lyrical words, enriching our lives with meaning.

This edition is aimed for curious readers that have little or no previous knowledge of the Vedic, Brahmanic, and Hindu traditions. Although, this doesn't mean the scholar, researcher or student won't find something in this book.Indeed this is more of a popularization effort than a scholarly-intended work. Don't worry, this is a great quality. The language used is modern (no "thee", "thou", "ye", German-looking conjugations or weird archaisms you can only find in a scholar dictionary) and Aswaran really drives it home in terms of making sure the reader understands the point regardless of previous knowledge on the subject, but without stripping the text of any linguistic and/or rhetoric beauty. He just makes it understandable, he doesn't dumb it up.Besides, there's a great Introduction from Aswaran himself which sums up the basic points about why the Upanishad are so important and how they contributed in the evolution from Vedism to Brahmanism (I'm studying this theological transition and this book helped me a lot to shore up my data on the matter). This book includes the ten major Upanishads (though a couple of them in abridged versions) and four minor Upanishads. Don't fret about the abridged versions: they are competently shortened to include the most significant and essential sections. No greater meaning is lost.Also, Michael N. Nagler gives short introductions to each Upanishad and a general afterword that round up each text. Add a very pertinent glossary and most relevant notes to the Upanishads, along with a very attractive design, and you have a wonderful mix. (Personally, I don't like having all the notes at the end of the book, but I understand the sweet design didn't allow for footnotes on each page of the text)So, in short, this is a wonderful edition for either the curious or interested reader as well as the beginner or medium scholar on Hinduism. (I'm assuming the advanced scholar masters Sanskrit and has access to complete untranslated editions)This is a great book, make no mistake. You won't regret this purchase.

Eswaran's translations on several India Classics have alway been just wonderful. This one is no exception. Ever better, he as a very good writer to do the introductions on each chapter, and is very clear about exactly what the book is trying to say, and a writing style that takes some difficult reading and make's it easy to understand.I have nothing about great things to say about Eswaran's Upanishad translation. Every page is clear, and helps the reader to engage with what the various authors were trying to say. When you finish the book you have a good understanding of why it's a classic, want to read more on the various subjects presented, and feel good because of the beauty of the writing. Om, Shanti, Amen