2. The Upaniṣads (Introduction)

The Vedas in the full sense have been revealed as a sacred text and are the foundations of later philosophies in India. They are an unremitting source of spiritual knowledge, which is the most important living system of Indian philosophy.

“There is no important form of Hindu thought, heterodox Buddhism included, which is not rooted in the Upniṣads.”^[1]

The Upaniṣadic philosophy is famous as the highest Himalaya of man, thought it contains the treasures of mankind, who wish to lead a meaningful life and who wish to the inspired by the philosophical, mental and physical levels. In the Preface to the Philosophy of the Upnishads.,

Dr. Radhakrishnan states:

“The various rival schools of Indian thought display almost a pathetic anxiety to giving credence and respectability by enlisting the support of these sacred utterances for their respective doctrines”.^[2]

Winternitz observes that “they represent the central aim and meaning of the teaching of the Vedas and are highly philosophical in character”.^[3]

The Upaniṣads discuss the philosophical tendencies implicit in the Vedic hymns. They preach the concept of Brahman that lightening the heart of mankind in the form of the Atman. The Upaniṣads are not systematic treatises on philosophy and are not the works of any single author. It is the system of system.

According to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan,

“The Upaniṣads have shown an unparallelled variety of appeal through these centuries and have been admired by different people for different reasons at different periods”.^[4]

“The sages whose intuitions are recorded in the Upaniṣads are more mystic seers than mere investigators of metaphysics. There is directness about the ‘sages’ teachings and authenticity born out of the first-hand experience in the highest reality. They pour fourth their findings in the forms of stories and parables, informal discussions and intimate dialogues. The method they adopt is more poetic than philosophic”.^[5]

The language used in the Upaniṣads, is prose; but its poetic quality is very much evident.

It is true that in many places there is the employment of symbolic expressions which hide the meaning rather than make it explicit.

“The Upaniṣads are distinct with a spirit of inquiry, of mental adventure, of a passion for finding out the truth about things and so on. The search for this truth is, of course, not by the objective methods of modern science, yet there is an element of the scientific method in the approach. No dogma is allowed to come in the way”.^[6]

According to Juvan Muscaro, a Spanish scholar,

“Amongst the sacred books of the past, the Upaniṣad can be called as the truth of the soul of the Himalaya”.^[7]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Bloomfield., The Religion of the Veda. P-51

[2]:

Dr.S.Radhakrishnan, Philosophy of the Upanishads. Preface.

[3]:

Winternitz.M., A History of India Literature, Vol.I,P-234

[4]:

Dr.S.Radhakrishan. The Principal Upanishads, P-17

[5]:

T.M.P.Mahadevan, Upanishads, P-9

[6]:

Jawaharlal Nehru-The Discovery of India., Page-89

[7]:

The Title of J. Mascaro’s translation from the Sanskrit of The Principal Upanishads, Introduction P.43