Author: Ram K Piparaiya
Editor(s): Ram K Piparaiya
Publisher: New Age Books
Year: 2003
Language: English
Pages: 610
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8178221594
Description
Vedic Upanishads are India’s most ancient treasure of knowledge. They reveal the fundamental values as well as the ultimate goal of human life. Though forming part of the Vedic religious dissertations, the Upanishads discuss and reveal only pure wisdom, to be accessed by mind and intelligence.
They deal alike with intricacies of human personality and world constitution. Shri Ram Piparaiya has evidently made a deep study in this area, and has brought together in one volume a useful compendium of original Upanishadic texts and commentaries.
Upanishads are a record of human mind’s earliest contemplative flights to the Unknown. Many of the anonymous seekers preceded great Masters and Prophets like Lao-Tzu, Confucius, Socrates, Zoroaster, Buddha, Mahavira, Abraham and Jesus, by at least a few centuries.
Upanishads are ahead of even modern times. Physicists concept of Ultimate Reality has progressed from atoms to sub-atomic particles to vibrating strings; and search for a Theory of Everything continues. Upanishads declare that Ultimate reality-or what we call God-is Pure and Absolute consciousness. Space-time, matter-energy and life-mind are Its conditioned and relative manifestations. Human mind is a miniature Cosmic Mind. Everything in the universe is interconnected, Micro and macro-worlds have identical patterns. The universe is an embodiment of prefect harmony when viewed in its totality.
Upanishads point to interplay of ego and Self as the root cause of evil and good. Every person has a unique ego, which makes him different from all others. However, every person has one and the same Self, which makes him concerned for others. Ego helps progress, but it also gives rise to evils like selfishness, possessiveness and intolerance. These are balanced by enhancing our awareness of Our Self in all. Knowledge of self spurs peace. We need both progress and peace.
Upanishads use many captivating dialogue, stories and metaphors to bring out the relationship between man, God and world. Timeless truths are condensed in profound aphorisms. After a few glimpses of Upanishadic texts, their mere presence on a bookshelf inspires thoughts of wisdom.
REVIEWS
Shri Ram Piparaiya has evidently made a deep study in this area, and has brought together in one volume a useful compendium of original Upanishad texts and commentaries. I hope serious students of Upanishads and Hindu philosophy in general will welcome this volume, not only in India but also around the world.
-Dr Karan Singh
Shri Ram Piparaiya is evidently gripped by the structure, spirit and purpose of Vedic Upanishads. Allured and inspired by their content and message, he has been impelled to beckon many others to this arena of Spiritual Knowledge. May his effort be helpful to many, who admit the role of Knowledge in bringing forth excellence.
-Swami Bhoomanada Tirtha
Shri Ram Piparaiya has made a sincere effort to trace the contemporary relevance of Vedic Upanishads. It is a monumental effort, reflecting enormous dedicated and unremitting labor over a long period of time.
-Padmabushan S Ramakrishnan
Mr Ram Piparaiya’s introductions and synopses show a wide sensitivity to the many levels of consciousness and to the worlds of meanings found in these texts. His book is a sincere effort to make this towering and incredible literature of interest to a broader contemporary audience.
-Dr Klaus G Witz
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FOREWORD..DR KARAN SINGH
Benediction..Swami Bhoomandanda Tirtha
Publisher’s Preface..S Ramakrishnan
Editor’s Preface..Ram K Piparaiya
PART I
THE UPANISHADS-INTRODUCTION AND HIGHLIGHTS
Why study the Upanishads?
What are the Upanishads?
Tributes to the Upanishads
Road Map of the Upanishads
Invocations for Peace
Imaginative Metaphors and Analogies
Ten Insightful Parables and Allegories
Overview of Ten Profound
Dialogues
Maxims on God And I
GLOSSARY
INDEX
IMPORTANT VERSES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
PART II
TEN COMPLETE PRINCIPAL UPANISHADS
Synopses, Translation and Commentaries
UPANISHAD OF RG VEDA
Aitareya Upanishad
Origin of Man from Consciousness
UPANISHADS OF YAJUR VEDA
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad
God and I are One
Isa Upanishad
Harmony of Opposites
Katha Upanishad
Dialogue with Death
Taittiriya Upanishad
Five layers of human personality
UPANISHADS OF SAMA VEDA
Chandogya Upanishad
That Thu art
Kena Upanishad
Evolution of Matter-Life-Mind
UPANISHADS OF ATHARVA VEDA
Mandukya Upanishad
Three states of Consciousness
Mundaka Upanishad
One Absolute behind every Relativity
Prasna Upanishad
The Cosmic Person within us