The Principal Upanishads
When working on the Upanishads I have used four editions/translations:
1. The Upanishads, translated with a general introduction by Eknath Easwaran (Arkana Penguin Books, 1988). This is easy to read, but it is a fairly free translation, and is therefore occasionally misleading.
2. The Upanishads, translated from the original Sanskrit by Patrick Olivelle (The World's Classics, Oxford University Press, 1996) This is a very scholarly edition, closer to the Sanskrit, but as a result often difficult to read. You can't win them all.
3. The Upanishads, Breath of the Eternal, translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Frederick Manchester (Vedanta Press, 1983). This was my first introduction to the Upanishads. It's easy to read, but unlike the other editions it has no introduction or notes, so its use is limited to the fact that it's easy to stick in your pocket and read on the train/bus/plane.
4. The Principal Upanishads, edited with introduction, text , translation and notes by S. Radhakrishnan (HarperCollins Publishers, India, 1994). This includes the text in Sanskrit, with a fairly close translation and lots of notes. If you want to get as close to the Sanskrit as possible this is the one to go for. See the booklist page for more information.
The best study of the Upanishads, as far as I can ascertain, is Barbara Powell, Windows into the Infinite (Jain Publishing Co, ISBN 0 87583 072 8). I have used it a lot in compiling these notes.
1. Introduction
The nuclei of the oldest Upanishads seem to date back at least 3000 years. What they had in common was an interest in esoteric wisdom (gnosis) – that is, transcendental knowledge that could lift them from mundane life to an understanding of "unconditional Reality". This Reality was given the name Brahman. (√brih = to grow).
The composers of the Upanishads had a strong interest in meditation as the main method
of obtaining transcendental knowledge. The idea that there lay an eternal, unchanging
Being behind the ever-
They can be difficult to read, and any student has to work hard to understand them. But the work is well worth the effort.
2 Topics Covered
N.B. These are – especially for the longer Upanishads – the main but not the only topics, since all are interrelated.
1 Īśā Path of knowledge versus path of action; the Self (ātman).
2 Kena ātman/Brahman as the Perceiver, Inspirer of all functions in the Universe.
3 Kaṭha How to be free of birth – death – rebirth through intuitive knowledge of the Supreme Self.
4 Praśna From the mundane (via prāṇa) to the Divine.
5 Muṇḍaka Brahman and how to attain this state.
6 Māṇḍūkya Four states of consciousness – meditation on OM.
7 Taittirīya The Kośas; interconnectedness of all things.
8 Aitareya Creation; the life – death cycle.
9 Chandogya ātman is Brahman
10 Bṛhadāraṇyaka ātman as universal consciousness; Brahman is infinite.
11 Svetāśvatara Two routes to Brahman – Sāmkhya/Yoga/Dualism or Advaita Vedanta.
3 Four Main Concepts
Essentially, the Upanishads all ask the same eternal questions again and again: Who am I? Where do we come from? What is God? What is death?
Their teachings depend on four main concepts (known as mahàvàkyas or "great utterances"):
▪ everything is Brahman (sarvam idam Brahman) – The ultimate reality of the universe is identical with our innermost nature.
▪ the Self is Brahman (ayam ātman Brahman) – Only the realisation of this utterance will liberate you from suffering and the cycle of birth–life–death.
▪ consciousness is Brahman (prajñānam Brahman) – A person’s thoughts and actions determines his/her destiny (karma).
▪ I am Brahman (aham Brahmasmi) – If you aren’t liberated and achieve the formless existence of ātman/Brahman, you will be reborn.
4. Techniques And Symbolism
There are four main techniques:
▪ Paradox (statements that seem to be contradictory)
▪ Metaphor (one thing described as if it were another – e.g. "wings" a metaphor for "arms".
▪ Analogy (things are compared with one another) – seed–salt–tree are common images used to explain abstract concepts.
▪ Allegory (a story is told in which the real meaning is concealed)
There are many recurring symbols. For example:
▪ seed – potential for growth/creation
▪ salt – when dissolved in water it is present but invisible
▪ chariot – describes relation of Self, mind, senses
▪ bow – bow = body, arrow = Self, string = focus, target = Brahman
▪ mirror/water – shows your reflection
▪ cat – total surrender: you don’t have to think (like kitten carried by cat)
▪ monkey – partial surrender: you can jump off when you want to (like baby monkey on mother’s back)
▪ lotus – floats in calm beauty above the water
▪ tree – upside down, roots in heaven