This volume contains the first eight Upanisads with Sri Sankaracarya's Bhasyas and all the available tikas thereon. In our search for unpublished Bhasya-tikas we came across Anubhutiswarupacarya's gloss on Agamasastra Bhasya and Narendrapuri's gloss on Candogyabhasya in the Govt. Oriental Library, Madras. These were found very ancient and scholarly and so we determined to publish them in our edition. Anubhutiswarupacarya was a teacher of Anandagiri as shown by himself in his Tatvaloka, written in his former asram, Narendrapuri's commentry is also very scholarly though brief. It will be published in the next volume. Gopala tika on Katha, Vanamala and Taittirlya Vartika, tikas on Taittiriya-Bhasya are reprints. We have published the Vartika also along with the Bhasya to help pandits and scholars who are in pursuit of allround knowledge in the subject. This edition is based upon manuscripts of Bhasyas and tikas preserved in Daksinamurti Matha, Varanası in addition to the printed texts of Anandasram.
Very good and appropriate readings were found in these manuseripts and they have been incorporated in the texts of Bhasya and Anandagiri.
Another interesting freature in this edition is that we have analysed in the notes the views of Dwaitins and Visistadvaitins in the subject, in our endeavour to make a comparative study of the three schools of philosophy.
Our thanks are due to the Curator, Oriental Mss. Library Madras for allowing us to get copies of the manuscripts in their possession. Saradananda Sastri and Sri Vamsapati Dwivedi Sastri are to be highly congratulated for helping us to edit and also getting the book printed without delay.
The Veda is the fountainhead of Hinduism, more appropriately called Brahmanism the religion of the ever expansive Divine Being, as compared to Zorastrianism, the religion as preached by Zoraster; Christianity, the religion as preached by Christ; Buddhism, the religion as preached by the Buddha; Jainism, the religion as preached by Jina, and so on and so forth. Brahmanism is so called because it is enunciated in the Brahmana part of the Veda, it is studied and professed by the brahmanas, its goal is the realization of Brahman, and it is devoted to Brahman. The main theme of the Veda is nothing but Brahman. The ideal Hindu is the real Brahmana, that is, who has been able to see Brahman (Divinity) as his true being. The Veda does not exhaust itself in formulating a code of conduct or catechism of faith, but leads the soul to realization, where one is freed from the bondage of all fixed conduct of faith. Thus one can easily see that Hinduism is more a science of Reality rather than a religion as understood by non-Hindus.
THE PLACE OF CHANDOGYA-UPANISAD IN THE VEDA
The Veda is divided into a liturgical portion called the Mantrabhaga and another, the application portion called the Brahmanabhaga, which is again subdivided into the ritualistic portion (Brahmana), the devotional and meditational portion (Aranyaka), and the theosophical portion (Upanisad). The singer of the Veda is called Chandoga, hence his Brahmana is called the Chandogya Brahmana, whose theosophical portion is presented here. Actually, the Samaveda has come down to us in three recensions: the Kauthuma, the Jaiminiya, and the Ranayaniya. The present Chandogya-Upanisad belongs to the Kauthuma recension, contains eight chapters and is reckoned as the sixth among the eight independent Brahmanas of the Samaveda. The theosophical portion of the Jaiminiya recension is the Kenopanisad.
Along with the Brhadaranyaka-Upanisad, Chandogya is the most discussed Upanisad in the Brahma-suutras, and is only slightly less voluminous than Brhadaranyaka, the largest Upanisad. The Brhadaranyaka-upanisad is more theoretical, whereas the Chandogya-upanisad is more practical. The latter exhaustively deals with the various Vedic meditations, mainly due to whih it is impenetrable to those who are not thoroughly saturated with the knowledge of the ritualistic portion of the Veda. It must be clearly understood that most of the Vedi meditations are based on Vedi rituals. While performing the rituals, one should meditate upon their significance. Thus a life of activity is associated with meditation as the second stage of spiritual ascent, the first being the following of ethical life along with rituals. The third stage is continuing meditative life while fathoming the nature of Reality, which leads to its apprehension leading to renunciation of the actions: external rituals, as well as internal meditations. Renunciation of all actions is necessary because actions are prescribed for a given social temporal and mental axis, and Reality is beyond the limitations imposed by such co-ordinates. This renunciation leads to the unbroken experience of one's own being which is nothing but Brahman. Having attained this final stage, one is free, as free as God Himself, and thus becomes the beacon light of the path to Brahman for those who are still travelling on it. This, in a nutshell, is Hinduism.
For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist