The Upanisads Part 2 Author:F. Max Muller (Translator) This is volume one of a two-volume set containing the famous Max Müller translation of the classical Upanisads which first appeared as Volumes I and XV of the "Sacred Books of the East." — Together, the two volumes contain the full text, translated into English, and annotated, of the following Upanisads. Part I : the Chandogya, Tal... more »avakarqa (Kena), Aitareya, Kausitaki, and Vajasaneyi (Isa) Upanisads. Part II : the Katha, Mundaka, Taittriya, Brhadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Prasna, and Maitrayana Upanisads. These are the most important Upanisads, the classical basic documents that have been accepted as authoritative by practically all Indian religious and philosophic traditions.
These remarkable mystical and philosophical treatises have not only created the later wisdom of India; they have also played an important part in Western thought. While one may be doubtful of the claimed influence upon the Neoplatonists and the medieval Christian mystics, they still have greatly influenced later developments in Western philosophy, from the time of Schlegel, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Schelling. Probably written by various authors over several centuries before 500 B.C., they exhibit a remarkable uniformity of purpose: they strive – through parable, proverb, simile, and metaphor, and through a method similar to Socratic dialogue – to arrive at truth without erecting a formal system.
Although there have been other translations of the Upanisads, this edition of Max Müller has long enjoyed the reputation of being the most scholarly. Not only does the translation contain the mature reflections of the greatest Indologist and Sanskritologist of the 19th century (who was also a profound philosopher in his own right), it also contains his introductions discussing the position of the Upanisads and their value for the modern world.
These profound writings are necessary reading for all Indologists, philosophers, and historians of religion. They are also most valuable experiences for the modern reader who is interested in learning about a great field of thought with deep mystical and existential implications.
This Dover edition, published in two volumes, is an unabridged republication of "Sacred Books of the East," Volumes I and XV, with preface and introductions by the translator, F. Max Müller.« less