FOREWORD
For the first time it is, I believe, that the English translation of so many as 30 Upanisads is being put forth before the public in a collected form. Among the Hindu Scriptures, the Vedas hold the pre-eminent place. The Upanisads which are culled from the Aranyaka-portions of the Vedas-so-called because they were read in the Aranya (forest) after the learner had given up the life of the world-are regarded as the Vedanta, or the end or final crown of the Vedas. Vedanta is also the end of all knowledge, since the word Vedas means according to its derivation 'knowledge'. Rightly were the Upanisads so considered, since their knowledge led a person to Atma, the goal of life. The other portion of the Vedas, viz., Samhitas and Brahmanas, conferred upon a man, if he should conform to the requisite conditions, the mastery of the Universe only which is certainly inferior to Atma. It is these Upanisads that to the western philosopher Schopenhauer were the "solace of life".
There are now extant, in all, 108 Upanisads, of which the principal or major 12 Upanisads commented upon by Sri Sankaracarya and others were translated into English by Dr. Roer and Raja Rajendra Lal Mitra and re-translated by Max Muller in his "Sacred Books of the East," together with one other Upanisad called Maitrayani. Of the rest, 95 in number, two or three Upanisads have appeared in English up to now, but never so many as are here presented to the public, so far as I am aware.
Many years ago, the late Sundara Sastri, a good Sanskrit Scholar and myself worked together to put into English garb the Upanisads that had not been attempted before, and succeeded in publishing most of those which are here gathered in the monthly issues of The Theosophist. The Karmic agents willed that my late co-worker should abandon his physical garment at a premature age. Then I resolved upon throwing up my worldly business of pleading the cause of clients before the bench for that of pleading the cause of God before the public. The incessant travel in that cause since then for over 18 years from place to place in all parts of India left me no leisure until now to republish all the above translations in a book form. But when this year a little rest was afforded me, I was able to revise them as well as add a few more. I am conscious of the many faults from which this book suffers and have no other hope in it than that it will serve as a piece of pioneer work, which may induce real Yogins and scholars to come into the field and bring out a better translation.
There are many editions of the Upanisads to be found in Calcutta, Bombay, Poona, South India and other places.
Vedas (1267)
Upanishads (527)
Puranas (643)
Ramayana (785)
Mahabharata (390)
Dharmasastras (177)
Goddess (550)
Bhakti (253)
Saints (1922)
Gods (1327)
Shiva (422)
Journal (181)
Fiction (72)
Vedanta (399)
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