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The Upanishads constitute the end portions of the vedas. The
Upanishads form the basic string of Indian Philosophy.
Dara Shikoh, the son of the Muslim Emperor Shah Jahan sponsored a
translation of fifty chief Upanishads into the Persian language, his
interest in the Upanishads probably stemmed from his Sufi interests.
The Persian translation of the Upanishads was in turn translated about
a century and half later into Latin by a Frenchman and later into
German.
Thus were the Upanishads introduced into Europe and it was these
versions that astounded Arthur Schopenhauer and Max Mueller.
The Upanishad is the combined works of sages whose intuitions are
recorded in these volumes. Mystical and metaphysical, the recordings
are born of first hand experiences of reality. The intuitions are
conveyed in the manner of stories and parables, discussion and
dialogues. The form is poetic and mystical.
Upanishads form the concluding portions of the Vedas. So they are
called Vedanta (end of Veda) the meaning of the term 'Upanishad' is to
sit close by in devotion.
Knowledge of the self is referred to in the Upanishads as Brahman and
Atman. These two words are central to the Upanishads philosophy. The
word Brahman meant at first prayer or speech from the root brh to
spring forth or to grow. Eventually it came to signify the ground of
the universe or the source of all existence, that from which the
universe has grown.
Atman i.e. the expression of the soul or Self. And eventually the two
are the same i.e. the Atman is the Brahman-the Self is the source of
the universe of all existence. And this doctrine of unity is of
significance to whole of mankind, beyond time, beyond geographical and
other distinctions between human beings. This unity is the same
reality, which appears to us as the manifold world and as plurality of
individual souls.
Brahman(the self, the soul, the atman) has three attributes-existence
(Sat), consciousness (Cit) and bliss (Ananda).
These represent the highest concepts the mind of man has been able to
evolve to indicate the nature of the Supreme Spirit.
nature
of soul || isa upanishad ||
kena upanishad ||
katha upanishad ||
prasna upanishad ||
mundaka upanishad ||
chandyoga upanishad ||
brhadarnyaka upanishad ||
samanya upanishad ||
yoga upanishad ||
sakta upanishad
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