Abstract
The earliest Upanishads (circa 8th – 5th century BCE) are among the oldest surviving philosophical texts in the world. The subject of the Upanishadic philosophy is self-knowledge, i. e., knowledge of oneʼs own nature, which they call Atma or Brahma. The Upanishads form the basis of many Indian philosophical and religious systems. Their ideas have greatly influenced the cultural life of South and Southeast Asia. They form important reference texts of various spiritual traditions, but they are also analyzed and interpreted in the academia. Although they were composed very long time ago, their ideas are not necessarily alien to modern people. Their way of presentation is exceptional. They are interesting in their language and style, which retains some of its charm even in translations into modern languages. Traditionally, ten Upanishads are considered to be the principal Upanishads: Isha, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, and Brhadaranyaka. The publication presents the translation of these ten Upanishads.
The Upanishads can be translated by adopting one of the available traditional Indian interpretations, or by following the historical-philological method which aims at a scholarly translation that reconstructs their supposed original meaning. The present Slovak translation follows Sankaraʼs interpretation of the Upanishads. Sankara (circa 7th century CE) is one of the most important representatives of Indian philosophy. His work has profoundly marked its further development. The philosophy of Advaitavedanta, which he advocated in his commentaries, is still a living school of philosophy today. His teaching can be summarized as follows: There is only one reality called Brahma or Atma. It is pure being and consciousness. The diversity of the universe and of the living beings who inhabit it arises from ignorance. Ignorance is the superimposition of what is not real on what is real and vice versa. One who gets rid of ignorance attains permanent peace and immortality. Sankara also argues that the Upanishads employ an extraordinary method of deliberately superimposing qualities and symbols to Brahma and then negating them. With these insights, Sankara explains the Upanishads, appealing to universal human experience and arguing with the philosophical schools present at his times.
Sankaraʼs are the oldest surviving commentaries on the Upanishads. They form the basis of all subsequent interpretations and have influenced the way these texts are interpreted not only by Sankaraʼs opponents, but also by contemporary Indologists. In addition to the translatorʼs own notes, the translation brings parts of Sankaraʼs commentary on difficult passages. Thus it presents the Upanishads not only as documents of historical value, but also as philosophical texts in a broader sense.
Translation, introduction Róbert Gáfrik.
Information
Publishers: VEDA, vydavateľstvo SAV, Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV, v. v. i.
Book type: other
Edition: 1.
Published: 7. 11. 2024
Edition year: 2024
Edition place: Bratislava
Pages: 496
ISBN 978-80-224-2062-4 (print)
How to cite
ISO 690:
Gáfrik, R.: Upanišady. 1 vyd. Bratislava : VEDA, vydavateľstvo SAV, Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV, v. v. i.. 2024. pp. 496. ISBN 978-80-224-2062-4.
APA:
Gáfrik, R.. (2024). Upanišady. Bratislava : VEDA, vydavateľstvo SAV, Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV, v. v. i.. ISBN 978-80-224-2062-4.