The Upanishads, 1st US Edition

Astounding. Aurobindo is an intellectual genius, enlightened sage, and masterful poet. Couple this with the fact that the Upanishads are some of the most spiritually advanced texts ever written, and I'd say this is one of the most delightful and profound books I've had the pleasure to read. (Also check out his translation and commentary on the Gita.) I've read a good amount of this author. I find all his work to be profound, but much of it is very heady, intellectualized. His translations and commentary less so, and are therefore, in my opionion, some of his most accessable and transformative work.

Many of the Upanishadic sayings and verses, even quotes are part of our vernacular because they have been around for so long, but this set of readings is really extraordinary if looked upon not as a cryptic outlived literature, but something that can be taken quite literally, almost as an everyday advice. Like other great spiritual writings the Upanishads are enigmatic, and provoke their reader to think not in terms of how to conduct their everyday life, or "to be all you can be", sort of thing, but rather what to be. Upanishads are not concerned with the everyday life and its toils, they are however concerned with the ultimate reality, the Brahman. According to them, that is truly something to be aware of, and in fact the only thing that matters, which of course lead to a deeply ascetic change in the Indian thought. Well, I think it is worth reading and studying, I came to verify some of the truths contained in the Upanishads and may I say - they do ring the bell, (no pun intended:)

Aurobindo is first of all a mystic qualified by Alexandra David-Neel "a reasonable mystic". and I quite agree. The translation, by modern habits is difficult to read and may for certain look grammatically incorrect, and they may be therefore disturbed. Getting a comment from a field I know much better than Hinduism, I am tempted to say of that translation what Sir Alan Gardiner, a foremost egyptologist said once of the "The Chapters of coming forth by day" also known as "The Egyptian Book of the Dead" -- a misleading title --: "[A]ll translation (of this texts) must be considered as wrong". I do pretend that the same can be said of many if not all very old religious texts, i.e. also of the Upanishads. But the commentary is really interesting, and brings in my mind as "a simple reader interested but no mystic" more than other such comments. Aurobindo make a comment from the inside, and feeling himself what currents pass through the texts. And this is why I do read and reread that translation. Not to find a text of modern English poetry.

This is fantastic and always inspiring. Beautiful

I have another Upanishads, so , I bought this one because it has sanskrit included in it, so far it has been an excellent read, very thankful for this book.

There are few who can compare with Sri Aurobindo Ghose. His erudition is only surpassed by his realization. A wordsmith of the highest order, who can bring to light and clarity the often confusing and veiled jargon of the ancient Rishis. His commentaries on the Upanishads opens vistas of thought that allow the earnest and informed seeker the opportunity to sit at the feet of a modern master-sage.

best ever!

good