Translated literally, upanishad means "sitting near
devotedly," which conjures images of the contemplating student
listening with rapt attention to the teachings of a spiritual
master. The principal Upanishads offered in this edition have been
recognized throughout the centuries by Hindu believers and great
Western thinkers--such as Goethe, Schopenhauer, and Emerson--as
philosophical and spiritual meditations of the highest order.
The Upanishads reflect the direct, overwhelming religious
experiences of the Hindu sages in the often-poetic language of
divine inspiration. Although they are among India's oldest texts,
this brilliant translation reveals their universal appeal, with
their profound speculations about the creation of the world, the
nature of reality, and the abiding unity of all existence.