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Brhadaranyaka Upanisad
Translated by Swami Madhavananda.
With the Commentary of Sankaracarya.
In original Sanskrit characters with English Translations and Notes
"When there is duality, as it were, then one smells something, one sees something, one speaks something, one thinks something, one knows something. (But) when to the knower of Brahman everything has become the Self, then what should one smell and through what, what should one hear and through what, what should one speak and through what, what should one think and through what, what should know and through what? That owing to which all this is known - through what, O maitreyi should one know the knower?"
The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad is considered by some to be the greatest Upanishad. Likewise, the commentary of Shankara is also regarded as his greatest. The theme is the all-embracing Brahman. The commentary shows how the great truth of the Brahman-Atman identity forms the main purport of all the Vedantic texts in general, and this Upanishad in particular. With Devanagri, Sanskrit and English, translation and commentary.
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad is the primary (Mukhya) Upanishad amongst all the Upanishads. It is the commentary on White (Shukla) Yajur Veda and is associated with Shatapatha Brahmana. The last five chapters from the fourteen volume of Shatapatha Brahmana is the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad. It is supposedly written by Sri Yogeeswara Yagnavalkya.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is as old as the Shukla Yajur Veda, exact time is unknown. Brhat means big and aranya means forest; together put, it means a book that has many chapters and which should be read in a forest, where there is solitude and peace. It contains deep spiritual knowledge and so it better to read it when there is inner and external peace.
In the ancient times, sages would prefer to meditate in forests; it may be with the same motive. Another reason, why it is called as Brhadaranyaka may possibly be because sage Yagnavalkya wrote it in the forests. That era, sages spent lot of their time in the forests.
With the Commentary of Sankaracarya.
In original Sanskrit characters with English Translations and Notes
"When there is duality, as it were, then one smells something, one sees something, one speaks something, one thinks something, one knows something. (But) when to the knower of Brahman everything has become the Self, then what should one smell and through what, what should one hear and through what, what should one speak and through what, what should one think and through what, what should know and through what? That owing to which all this is known - through what, O maitreyi should one know the knower?"
The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad is considered by some to be the greatest Upanishad. Likewise, the commentary of Shankara is also regarded as his greatest. The theme is the all-embracing Brahman. The commentary shows how the great truth of the Brahman-Atman identity forms the main purport of all the Vedantic texts in general, and this Upanishad in particular. With Devanagri, Sanskrit and English, translation and commentary.
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad is the primary (Mukhya) Upanishad amongst all the Upanishads. It is the commentary on White (Shukla) Yajur Veda and is associated with Shatapatha Brahmana. The last five chapters from the fourteen volume of Shatapatha Brahmana is the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad. It is supposedly written by Sri Yogeeswara Yagnavalkya.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is as old as the Shukla Yajur Veda, exact time is unknown. Brhat means big and aranya means forest; together put, it means a book that has many chapters and which should be read in a forest, where there is solitude and peace. It contains deep spiritual knowledge and so it better to read it when there is inner and external peace.
In the ancient times, sages would prefer to meditate in forests; it may be with the same motive. Another reason, why it is called as Brhadaranyaka may possibly be because sage Yagnavalkya wrote it in the forests. That era, sages spent lot of their time in the forests.
- GenresHinduismSpirituality
696 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 800
About the author
Yājñavalkya
24 books9 followersYajnavalkya (Sanskrit: याज्ञवल्क्य, Yājñavalkya) of Videha (fl. c. 7th century BCE) was a sage and philosopher of Vedic India. He was one of the first philosophers in recorded history, alongside Uddalaka Aruni. In the court of King Janaka of Mithila, he was renowned for his expertise in Vedic ritual and his unrivaled talent in theological debate. He expounded a doctrine of neti neti to describe the universal Self or Ātman. He later became a wandering ascetic. His teachings are recorded in the Shatapatha Brahmana and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
He is traditionally credited with the authorship of the Shatapatha Brahmana (including the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]l), besides the Yoga Yajnavalkya and the Yājñavalkya Smṛti. He is also a major figure in the Upanishads.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yajnavalkya
He is traditionally credited with the authorship of the Shatapatha Brahmana (including the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]l), besides the Yoga Yajnavalkya and the Yājñavalkya Smṛti. He is also a major figure in the Upanishads.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yajnavalkya
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 25, 2024
There are some of Shankar's best paragraphs and clearest ideas communicated in this work.
April 30, 2026
interesting but some passages are hard to follow
This is expected of the passages, but I was hoping for at least a little bit more commentary, or perhaps just an overview of sections to make more sense of it.
This is expected of the passages, but I was hoping for at least a little bit more commentary, or perhaps just an overview of sections to make more sense of it.
April 19, 2023
The Upanishads, being the original and unparalleled texts on non-physical science, cannot be compared or grouped with anything else. This makes them sometimes difficult to understand without some explanation. The commentaries by Adi Shankaracarya on the ten major Upanishads provide the most logical explanation of the Upanishads. This book is the best translation of Adi Shankaracarya's commentary on Brhadaranyaka, the largest and possibly the greatest of the ten major Upanishads.
July 23, 2020
If you want to read only one Upanishad than I will recommend, Brihadaranyak Upanishad - Shankara Bhashya. The essence of this Upanishad is to experience oneself as a Soul.
The wisdom of this upanishad (and Chandogya) is endless, with every iteration I have learnt a new and surprising facts about human nature. That is why I have decided to sip it like a cup of tea. And now learning and incorporating the bits of knowledge everyday.
To understand upnishada truely, one needs to develop the skill of counter questioning. And you can ask all questions with yourself because it's ultimetly you who have manifested this knowledge in ancient human. That's what you are going to experience - the source of all knowledge is within us, and it's known as soul or true self.
It's one of the biggest, deepest and first upanishad (out of 108) from ancient indian civilizations, hence its language and context is not easy. That's why I've used 'hindi to sanskrit' dictionary, while focusing more on understanding context than vocabularies. This is my 11th Upanishad, and third Shankara Bhashya literature. All my questions ended here.
Because complex topic and tough language, I've decided to share my learning with fellow readers via my personal blog at www.anuj.live/awakening/
The wisdom of this upanishad (and Chandogya) is endless, with every iteration I have learnt a new and surprising facts about human nature. That is why I have decided to sip it like a cup of tea. And now learning and incorporating the bits of knowledge everyday.
To understand upnishada truely, one needs to develop the skill of counter questioning. And you can ask all questions with yourself because it's ultimetly you who have manifested this knowledge in ancient human. That's what you are going to experience - the source of all knowledge is within us, and it's known as soul or true self.
It's one of the biggest, deepest and first upanishad (out of 108) from ancient indian civilizations, hence its language and context is not easy. That's why I've used 'hindi to sanskrit' dictionary, while focusing more on understanding context than vocabularies. This is my 11th Upanishad, and third Shankara Bhashya literature. All my questions ended here.
Because complex topic and tough language, I've decided to share my learning with fellow readers via my personal blog at www.anuj.live/awakening/
June 24, 2023
They [i.e. the devils] knew: ‘Verily, by this singer they will overcome us.’ They rushed upon him and pierced him with evil. That evil was the improper thing that one imagines. This, truly, was that evil.
So whoever worships another divinity [than his Self], thinking ‘He is one and I another,‘ he knows not.
This, verily, is That.
O Nourisher (Pūshan), the sole Seer, O Controller (Yama), O Sun, offspring of Prajāpati, spread forth thy rays! Gather thy brilliance! What is thy fairest form—that of thee I see. He who is yonder, yonder Person (Purusha)—I myself am he!
So whoever worships another divinity [than his Self], thinking ‘He is one and I another,‘ he knows not.
This, verily, is That.
O Nourisher (Pūshan), the sole Seer, O Controller (Yama), O Sun, offspring of Prajāpati, spread forth thy rays! Gather thy brilliance! What is thy fairest form—that of thee I see. He who is yonder, yonder Person (Purusha)—I myself am he!
February 24, 2012
Brhadaranyaka Upanisad--the brief commentary of the Vajasaneyi Brahma
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews