The Upanishads

by Sri Aurobindo

The Upanishads is a collection of Sri Aurobindo's final translations of and commentaries on every Upanishad or other Vedantic text he worked on. Upanishads are the ancient treatises on spiritual truths as envisioned by the seers, sages and rishis of the civilization of India. Index.

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Religion, Hinduism, India, Nonfiction

466 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1996

About the author

Sri Aurobindo (Bengali: শ্রী অরবিন্দ Sri Ôrobindo) was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, major Indian English poet, philosopher, and yogi. He joined the movement for India's freedom from British rule and for a duration (1905–10), became one of its most important leaders, before turning to developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and spiritual evolution.

The central theme of Sri Aurobindo's vision is the evolution of life into a "life divine". In his own words: "Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step from man to superman is the next approaching achievement in the earth evolution. It is inevitable because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit and the logic of Nature's process."

The principal writings of Sri Aurobindo include, in prose, The Life Divine, considered his single great work of metaphysics,The Synthesis of Yoga, Secrets of the Vedas, Essays on the Gita, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, Renaissance in India and other essays, Supramental Manifestation upon Earth, The Future Poetry, Thoughts and Aphorisms and several volumes of letters. In poetry, his principal work is Savitri: a Legend and a Symbol in blank verse.

Reviews

[Alok Mishra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on Upanishads by any Indian author. I don't rate authors outside India that higher when it comes to commentary on Hindu texts because their knowledge of Sanskrit is only second hand, with due respect. Sri Aurobindo, Vivekananda, Yogananda and many other Indian scholars had not only studied but also experienced what they wrote. Do read it if you want to have an overview of the Upanishadic texts.

[Brandon Peele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pithy commentary, sometimes too verbose. An infinitely readable and quotable translation.

[Devadeep Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favourite among Sri Aurobindo's works. I would rather go for his letters explaining the philosophy around his practice or meditation. In terms of the Upanishads, this is a good summary and interpretation, but I would again rather suggest reading the direct texts or something more focused on just the practical aspects of the texts. On the other hand, if you are a serious reader of all of Sri Aurobindo's work (or anything on the Upanishads), this is a good (although somewhat complex) read.

[Gananath Sahu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A master piece on Upanishads for beginners

Having just initiated myself to study of Upanishads, I found this book to be an immensely rich source for beginnerss. The writing is very powerful and holds the readers in a massive spiritual grip for a long long time. I strongly recommend this book for all those who are spiritual seekers.

[Santosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Upanishads are considered one of the leading philosophical and spiritual bodies of writing in the world, but have always been somewhat mysterious in the English translations of the past. Sri Aurobindo's translations, along with his commentary, bring the Upanishads to life and make sense!

[Srinivas Nidugondi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it is me, but i thought the coherence on the message was missing. Many a time the interpretation was not specific toe the topic but a bit all over. Also, the Mundaka andKatha do not have interpretations and Taittiriya is a passing reference.

[Leila Kincaid-Hayes]

Elucidating, clear, accessible

[Sunil Kanojia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sri Aurobindo is an amazingly awesome writer and I enjoyed this book during 2013 and 2015. IMHO, I've grown since and I would like to read again this book 2nd time when possible.

[Jaishree · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's not to like friends? Yes, his language is a little dated (very Cambridge-y), but I trust his translations.