The Upanishads II

by F. Max Müller

This two-volume set contains the famous Max Müller translation of the classical upanisads that first appeared as Volumes I and XV of the "Sacred Books of the East." It contains the full text, translated into English and annotated, of the following upanisads: Chandogya, Kena, Aitareya, Kaushitaki, Isa, Katha, Mundaka, Taittiriyaka, Brhadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Prasna, and Maitriyana. These are the most important upanisads, the classical basic documents that have been accepted as authoritative by practically all Indian religious and philosophic traditions.
These remarkable mystical and philosophical treatises have not only created the later wisdom of India, they have also played an important part in Western thought. While one many be doubtful of their claimed influence upon the Neoplatonists and the medieval Christian mystics, they still have greatly influenced later developments in Western philosophy, from the time of Schlegel, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Schelling. Probably written by various authors over several centuries before 500 B.C., they exhibit a remarkable uniformity of purpose: they strive — through parable, proverb, simile, and metaphor, and through a method similar to Socratic dialogue — to arrive at truth without erecting a formal system.
Although there have been other translations of the upanisads, this edition of Max Müller has long enjoyed the reputation of being the most scholarly. Not only does the translation contain the mature reflections of the greatest Indologist and Sanskritologist of the nineteenth century (who was also a profound philosopher in his own right), it also contains his long introductions of more than 250 pages, discussing the position of the upanisads and their value for the modern world.
These profound writings are necessary reading for all Indologists, philosophers, and historians of religion. They are also most valuable experiences for the modern reader who is interested in learning about a great field of thought with deep mystical and existential implications.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Spirituality, Classics, Hinduism

350 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1884

About the author

Friedrich Max Müller, K.M. (Ph.D., Philology, Leipzig University, 1843)—generally known as Max Müller or F. Max Müller—was the first Professor of Comparative Philology at Oxford University, and an Orientalist who lived and studied in Britain for most of his life. He was one of the founders of the western academic field of Indian studies and the discipline of comparative religion. Müller wrote both scholarly and popular works on the subject of Indology and the Sacred Books of the East, a 50-volume set of English translations, was prepared under his direction.

Müller became a naturalized British citizen in 1855. In 1869, he was elected to the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres as a foreign correspondent. He was awarded the Pour le Mérite (civil class) in 1874, and the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art the following year. In 1888, he was appointed Gifford Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, delivering the first in what has proved to be an ongoing, annual series of lectures at several Scottish universities to the present day. He was appointed a member of the Privy Council in 1896.

His wife, Georgina Adelaide Müller was also an author. After Max's death, she deposited his papers at the Bodleian Library, Oxford.

Reviews

[Katherine Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many verses like the Christian bible.

[Peter J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very worthwhile read. What was interesting was seeing sections that were obviously written by adherents of the various, clashing Astika Hindu (Vedanta, Samkhya, Yogic, etc.) and Nastika (early Buddhist, Jain, etc.) schools. I strongly disagreed with the seemingly Buddhist "enlightenment via will destruction" concepts and the ceremonial magic (I.e. blessing one's son by breathing on him and saying things in his ear, sex magic (rubbing semen on your forehead...gross!), etc.), however, there is just as much ceremonial nonsense in the Bible, and the execrable Koran. The metaphysical concepts here were at times outstanding, reminding me a lot of Orphic writings or the Neoplatonist writings of Plotinus. It is hard to comprehend how people could go from such heights of insight and logic to such valleys of cow and lingam worship. I took a lot from this that I expect to brood on for some time.

[Prateeksha S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pinnacle of Indian verse