Customer Reviews

The Upanishads (Penguin Classics)

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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.

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 . . .

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.

I first read the Upanishads at age 14, ploughing through the complete literal translation by Swami Nikhilânanda with its incessant footnotes and daunting commentaries. I had heard that the Brhadâranyaka Upanishad was the oldest, so I thought I should read that first. Bad choice. All the older Upanishads are packed with unexplained references to Vedic ritual, to archaic cosmologies and models of the body. I was fascinated but understood perhaps 1%.

A year later I found the Penguin Classic translated by Juan Mascaró and light shone on my mind. I suddenly understood what it was all about. His eloquent words opened a door for me, I went through and I have never gone back.

I now own 8 translations of the Upanishads, partial or complete, and I have read a number of others. Even with no Sanskrit, I can see Mascaró's versions for what they are: old-fashioned, Romantic, poetic paraphrases. My current Penguin says, First published 1965, but portions of these translations were printed under the title "Himalayas of the Soul" as early as 1938. Mascaró was writing in the era that gave us World War II, the Holocaust, Stalin's Purges, and yet in spirit he dwells with Wordsworth, Blake and Shelley, the Spanish mystics, Shakespeare and the translators of the King James Version.

I am known as a purist, a stickler, a nit-picker. Take the Mundaka Upanishad, 3:1,1. Mascaró translates, "Two birds, two sweet friends, dwell on the self-same tree". Others have, "Two birds, always united..." or "Two birds, close companions..." Mascaró has merely added the unjustified, unnecessary, weak and gooey word "sweet"... yet somehow I don't mind.

Useless for any scholarly purposes, this is still probably the best version for the general reader. Despite his atrocious liberties, Mascaró has got the heart of the matter. If you become deeply interested of course you will go on to read other translations: this book includes only short excerpts from the longer Upanishads. If you don't know these works, they are the world's oldest spiritual writings and have never been surpassed, or equalled. They are poetic, full of imagery rather than philosophy, and once read are never forgotten.

For those seeking the eternal, this book's introduction is comfortable and familiar. It is filled with threads of ancient wisdom and clearly tries to tie together the universal element's of the "razor's edge". I recommend the introduction alone to anyone searching for answers to the eternal questions. I am writing this because my Mom inspired (and still inspires) me to do my best and read good books. There is great truth and solace in the words of Saint Teresa: "No sisters, no;our Lord expects works of us". With the foundation most seeking out these texts already posess, I believe this translation of the Upanishads will always bring courage and contentment. I take this one book with me whenever I feel doubtful or uninspired.

I have read almost 12 translations of the Upanishads,including many by Indian savants and monks....By far this is the best translation for a general reader...the introduction,running to 45 pages, is an excellent summary for the 'Spirit of Upanishad' which may be easily missed by a philosphy student of Upanisahds or vedanta..the author ties up with the visions of Christian saints--a very valuable account for the western readers----After all,Truth is One--sages describe them or talk about them in different ways---

This book is perhaps a decent introduction to the subject matter, however the number af actual Hindu upanishads would fill a book as thick as the bible. There are a few short upanishad-y anecdotes in this very thin collection. The intro is longer than most of the upanishads within, and gives a decent history. Serious scholars should look for a more voluminous collection. This would be great for the high school student in a comparative religion class.

This is the only effective translation of the "Himalayas Of The Soul" I have met ; Mascaro's introduction is itself a work of poetry-although it accounts for a Christian perspective only- as well as an important and sensitive appreciation of the document he has translated.In his hands,this ancient profession of faith in God's "otherness" becomes at once immediate,while capturing its' authors' glimpse of the eternal.The total is sublime.

The Upanishads are spiritual/philosophical texts considered to be an early source of Hindu religion. More than 200 are known, of which the first dozen or so are the principal ones.

Here are some quotations from this book:

"Concealed in the heart of all beings is the Atman, the Spirit, the Self; smaller than the smallest atom, greater than the vast spaces. The man who surrenders his human will leave sorrows behind, and beholds the glory of the Atman by the grace of the Creator." (Pg. 59)
"And in dreams the mind beholds its own immensity. What has been seen is seen again, and what has been heard is heard again. What has been felt in different places or far-away regions returns to the mind again. Seen and unseen, heard and unheard, felt and not felt, the mind sees all, since the mind is all." (Pg. 72)
"As rivers flowing into the ocean find their final peace and their name and form disappear, even so the wise become free from name and form and enter into the radiance of the Supreme Spirit who is greater than all greatness. In truth who knows God becomes God." (Pg. 81)
"When a man knows God, he is free: his sorrows have an end, and birth and death are no more. When in inner union he is beyond the world of the body, then the third world, the world of the Spirit, is found, where the power of the All is, and man has all: for he is one with the ONE." (Pg. 86)
"Believe me, my son, an invisible and subtle essence is the Spirit of the whole universe. That is Reality. That is Atman. THOU ART THAT." (Pg. 117)
"This universe is a trinity that is made of name, form, and action... Those three are one, ATMAN, the Spirit of life; and ATMAN, although one, is those three." (Pg. 127)
"As when a lump of salt is thrown into water and therein being dissolved it cannot be grasped again, but whenever the water is taken it is found salt, in the same way, O Maitreyi, the supreme Spirit is an ocean of pure consciousness boundless and infinite. Arising out of the elements, into them it returns again: there is no consciousness after death." (Pg. 132)

a very good friend first gave me this translation of Juan Mascaro's...Let me just state very clearly that on page 37 of the intro (which others have referred to negatively) I found a quote of St. John of the Cross quoted by Mascaro which he himself says encapsulates the doctrine of the Bhagavad Gita...wow!!! I found this to be true and that it illucidates principles of the Quran; Sufi lore regarding Divine Love,and most recently a quote of the Tao answering the eternal Question: "What is Reality?" Everyone speaks from their own limitations and their own moment so disregard these negative reviews. This translation and introduction are a treasury of sparkling and lusterous jewels.I'd actually suggest you purchase Mascaro's translations (and intro's) of the Bhagavad Gita and the Dhamapada as well..Each was a labor of Love for the Spanish mystic..Mascaro..