Description
The Upaniṣads are among the most sacred foundational scriptures in the Hindu religion. Composed from 800 BCE onwards and making up part of the larger Vedic corpus, they offer the reader "knowledge lessons" on life, death, and immortality. While they are essential to understanding Hinduism and Asian religions more generally, their complexities make them almost impenetrable to anyone but serious scholars of Sanskrit and ancient Indian culture.
This book is divided into five parts:
- Composition, authorship, and transmission of the Upaniṣads;
- The historical, cultural, and religious background of the Upaniṣads;
- Religion and philosophy in the Upaniṣads;
- The classical Upaniṣads;
- The later Upaniṣads.
The chapters cover critical issues such as the origins of the Upaniṣads, authorship, and redaction, as well as exploring the broad religious and philosophical themes within the texts. The guide analyzes each of the Upaniṣads separately, unpacking their contextual relevance and explaining difficult terms and concepts. The Upaniṣads: A Complete Guide is a unique and valuable reference source for undergraduate religious studies, history, and philosophy students and researchers who want to learn more about these foundational sacred texts and the religious lessons in the Hindu tradition.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction: What is an Upaniṣad? by Signe Cohen
Chapter 2: The Date of the Upaniṣads by Signe Cohen
Chapter 3: The Authorship of the Upaniṣads by Signe Cohen
Chapter 4: The Redaction and Transmission of the Upaniṣads by Signe Cohen
Chapter 5: Ancient India: Geographical, Historical, and Cultural Background by Signe Cohen
Chapter 6: The Older Vedas and the Upaniṣads by Dermot Killingley
Chapter 7: The Religious and Ritual Background by Dermot Killingley
Chapter 8: The Upaniṣads and Early Buddhism by Signe Cohen
Chapter 9: The Social Background: Caste and Gender in the Upaniṣads by Steven Lindquist
Chapter 10: Prominent Characters in the Upaniṣads by Steven Lindquist
Chapter 11: Ātman and brahman in the Upaniṣads by Jacqueline Suthren Hirst
Chapter 12: Karma and Rebirth in the Upaniṣads by Dermot Killingley
Chapter 13: Knowledge and Liberation in the Upaniṣads by Dermot Killingley
Chapter 14: The Upaniṣadic Episteme by Jonardon Ganeri
Chapter 15: Mantras and Sacred Language by Signe Cohen
Chapter 16: The Upaniṣads and the Emergence of Theism by Dermot Killingley
Chapter 17: The Upaniṣads and Yoga by Dermot Killingley
Chapter 18: The Upaniṣads and the Mahābhārata by Brian Black
Chapter 19: The Upaniṣads and the Bhagavadgītā by Simon Brodbeck
Chapter 20: The Upaniṣads and Later Hinduism by Dermot Killingley
Chapter 21: Dara Shikoh and the First Translation of the Upaniṣads by Signe Cohen
Chapter 22: Schopenhauer and the Upaniṣads by Signe Cohen
Chapter 23: The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad by Dermot Killingley
Chapter 24: The Chāndogya Upaniṣad by Dermot Killingley
Chapter 25: The Aitareya Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 26: The The Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 27: The Taittirīya Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 28: The Īśā Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 29: The Praśna Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 30: The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 31: The Kaṭha Upaniṣad by Elizabeth Schiltz
Chapter 32: The Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 33: The Kena Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 34: The Maitrī Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 35: The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 36: The Mahānārāyaṇa Upaniṣad by Signe Cohen
Chapter 37: The Vaiṣṇava Upaniṣads by Signe Cohen
Chapter 38: The Śaiva Upaniṣads by Signe Cohen
Chapter 39: The Devī Upaniṣads by Signe Cohen
Chapter 40: The Saṃnyāsa Upaniṣads by Signe Cohen
Chapter 41: The Yoga Upaniṣads by Signe Cohen
Chapter 42: Conclusion by Signe Cohen
