Prashna Upanishad with Shankara’s Commentary

by S. Sitarama Sastri | 1928 | 19,194 words

Summary: The Prashna Upanishad is a series philosophical poems presented as questions (prashna) inquired by various Hindu sages (Rishi) and answered by Sage Pippalada. The questions discuss knowledge about Brahman, the relation of the individual (Purusha) with the universal (Atman), meditation, immortality and various other Spiritual topics.

This commentary by Shankara focuses on ‘Advaita Vedanta’, or non-dualism: one of the classical orthodox philosophies of Hinduism.

The title in IAST is: Praśna Upaniṣad, Śaṅkara Bhāṣya.
In Devanagari: प्रश्न उपनिषद्, शङ्कर भाष्य or praśnopaniṣat (प्रश्नोपनिषत्).

This English translation includes original Sanskrit text and the transliterated roman text in IAST format.

Source 1: motilalbanarsidass.com
Source 2: archive.org

Contents of this online book ( + / - )

The full text of the Prashna Upanishad with Shankara’s Commentary in English is available here and publically accesible (free to read online). Of course, I would always recommend buying the book so you get the latest edition. You can see all this book’s content by visiting the pages in the below index:

Title Page

Shri Shankara’s Introduction

Prashna I - The spiritual paths of the Moon and the Sun

Prashna II - Discussion of Devas

Prashna III - The origin and nature of Prana

Prashna IV - Mental states and Bliss

Prashna V - Meditation on the syllable ‘Om’

Prashna VI - The Purusha of sixteen Kalas (parts)