Upanishads [Paperback]

Product Details

• Paperback: 150 pages
• Publisher: Vedanta Centre, Publishers; 4th edition
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911564020
• ISBN-13: 978-0911564020
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,032,285 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Upanishads translated in the context of daily practice, January 19, 2003

By 

Kevin Conare (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Upanishads (Paperback)

Swami Paramananda's translations were made spontaneously as he was teaching small groups of students. He chanted from memory, translated and then discussed. This is, in fact, how scriptures are shared in India, as teaching not readings. Because of this, his translations have a simplicity and directness that many others lack. They are quite beautiful and majestic. The Bhagavad Gita was translated in Tuscany in 1912 and teh Upanishads in Boston in 1919.

As scholarly translations, his translations would not rate a five or even a four. Also, they reflect the language of the early 19th century. As texts for students who are actually practicing meditation and sadhana today, they do indeed rate a five.

Students can always later learn more about Sanskrit, if they want to get deeper into the texts, since, no matter how "exact" the translation, modern English won't ever fully convey Classical Sanskrit. Purusha, for instance, can be translated as Person, Spirit, Self, Being, Beingness, etc. Devotional Vaishnavas will say Person. Impersonal Advaitists will say Self. Paramananda says Being. Ultimately, after hearing, studying and practicing them, we make them our own.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gita translated in the context of daily practice, January 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Upanishads (Paperback)

Swami Paramananda's translations were made spontaneously as he was teaching small groups of students. He chanted from memory, translated and then discussed. This is, in fact, how scriptures are shared in India, as teaching not readings. Because of this, his translations have a simplicity and directness that many others lack. They are quite beautiful and majestic. The Bhagavad Gita was translated in Tuscany in 1912 and the Upanishads in Boston in 1919.

As scholarly translations, his translations would not rate a five or even a four. Also, they reflect the language of the early 19th century. As texts for students who are actually practicing meditation and sadhana today, they do indeed rate a five.

Students can always later learn more about Sanskrit, if they want to get deeper into the texts, since, no matter how "exact" the translation, modern English won't ever fully convey Classical Sanskrit. Purusha, for instance, can be translated as Person, Spirit, Self, Being, Beingness, etc. Devotional Vaishnavas will say Person. Impersonal Advaitists will say Self. Paramananda says Being. Ultimately, after hearing, studying and practicing them, we make them our own.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Upanishads in the context of daily practice, January 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Upanishads (Paperback)

Swami Paramananda's translations were made spontaneously as he was teaching small groups of students. He chanted from memory, translated and then discussed. This is, in fact, how scriptures are shared in India, as teaching not readings. Because of this, his translations have a simplicity and directness that many others lack. They are quite beautiful and majestic. The Bhagavad Gita was translated in Tuscany in 1912 and the Upanishads in Boston in 1919.

As scholarly translations, his translations would not rate a five or even a four. Also, they reflect the language of the early 19th century. As texts for students who are actually practicing meditation and sadhana today, they do indeed rate a five.

Students can always later learn more about Sanskrit, if they want to get deeper into the texts, since, no matter how "exact" the translation, modern English won't ever fully convey Classical Sanskrit. Purusha, for instance, can be translated as Person, Spirit, Self, Being, Beingness, etc. Devotional Vaishnavas will say Person. Impersonal Advaitists will say Self. Paramananda says Being. Ultimately, after hearing, studying and practicing them, we make them our own.