The Upanishads (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Anonymous (Author), Juan Mascaro (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: November 30, 1965

The Upanishads, the earliest of which were composed in Sanskrit between 800 and 400 bce by sages and poets, form part of the Vedas - the sacred and ancient scriptures that are the basis of the Hindu religion. Each Upanishad, or lesson, takes up a theme ranging from the attainment of spiritual bliss to karma and rebirth, and collectively they are meditations on life, death and immortality. The essence of their teachings is that truth can by reached by faith rather than by thought, and that the spirit of God is within each of us - we need not fear death as we carry within us the promise of eternal life.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The poetic backbone of Hinduism, the millennia-old Upanishads transcend time. The selections offered here illuminate a path that is as "narrow as the edge of a razor" but pregnant with freedom and bliss. Through vivid metaphors and timeless prose, learn how the path of yoga leads beyond the treacherous web of karma to the final, blissful union of the personal soul, atman, with the universal soul, Brahman.

About the Author

Juan Mascaro was born in Majorca, and later studied modern and oriental languages, Sanskrit, Pali and English at Cambridge University. He died in 1987, and was lauded as a great translator of our time. Juan Mascaro was born in Majorca, and later studied modern and oriental languages, Sanskrit, Pali and English at Cambridge University. He died in 1987, and was lauded as one of the greatest translators of our time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (November 30, 1965)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140441638
• ISBN-13: 978-0140441635
• Product Dimensions: 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Upanishads
  • #100 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a beautiful translation of India's great scripture., November 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Upanishads (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

The Upanishads, translated by Juan Mascaro, is a beautiful translation, which, like Mascaro's translation of The Bhagavid Gita, breathes simplicity and purity throughout. The Upanishads are maxims on the spiritual life, and are poetry, scripture, guidance all in one. "The truth is hidden by a circle of gold. Unveil the truth, oh God of light, that I might see!" "It is not for the love of the husband that the husband is dear, but for the soul that is in the husband." "Behold, all that lives and walks on earth. Leaving the transient, take refuge in the eternal, set not your heart on another's possession. Working thus, a man can wish for a life of one hundred years. Only actions done in God, bind not the heart of man." (I paraphrase). This collection is truly wonderful, and should be a part of everyone's spiritual library, along with the major scriptures of all the world's faiths.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life altering philosophies that you already knew, awakened., February 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Upanishads (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Nice to know that some things that you have, or may have, experienced, have been around for over 2,500 years. This mind expanding translation can help one to regain focus and balance in today's much too hectic living. Putting the trivial in perspective, this is one that is not only useful in everyday life, but will stick with you forever; and then some . . .

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking!, January 15, 1999

By 

Randy LeJeune - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Upanishads (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

This is undoubtedly one of the pearls of the world's religious literature. Only a few Upanisads are included, with mere excerpts from the longer ones, but it is still well worth anyone's time. Personal union with all of being is the central theme, which will come as a welcome change from the more presriptory religious teachings of the Vedas and Hebrew Bible.