Vicharsagar - The Metaphysics of the Upanishads (An Old and Rare Book)

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A WORK that is already well-known needs no word of commendation. It has made its way in the outlying districts of the Punjab, and every Sadhu who knows to read and write receives instruction from his Guru, on this very work, so that by perusing it, he learns all that is worth knowing of the Upanishads. It embodies a mass of instruction which cannot be otherwise had, unless a large number of original works difficult to understand, and requiring the life-time of an individual, are gono through. It is the only work of its kind in the vernacular. To increase its utility, and to make it easily understood without any extraordinary pains, or the assistance of Pundits, its present garb will be unusually facilitating to those who understand the language in which it is written. Where the text is obscure or requires elucidation by reference to other subjects beyond the pale of the work in hand, ample notes and references have been given to avoid the necessity of consulting the original works. No pains have been spared to increase its utility, and give a true and correct rendering of the text, so that it can be confidently recommended. The original work abounds in the technicalities of the original Sanscrit from which our author has drawn largely, and their rendering into English has always been given in the plainest terms, so that there may be no mistake. But no philosophy can be taken up like a romance, or a book of travel; it requires deep thinking, and constant reading, with patience and tranquility of mind. The times we live in are extremely auspicious for works like the present. Thanks to the late Swamy Dyanand Saraswati and other allumini, there is an increasing activity noticeable everywhere for a study of our Shastras and what they teach; and the English education which had hitherto turned our young men into rank materialists, or scientfic atheists, is now giving way for a more healthy spirit of inquiry for our ancient philosophies. The impulse to this novel movement received no mean help from the Theosophical Society. The noble and self-sacrificing career of Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott for regenerating our ancient literature and faith, deserves the highest encomium everywhere. Had it not been for their example and co-operation it would have taken several lengthened periods before the revival of things as they are, could have been accomplished.

WITH a view of facilitating an enquirer of self-knowledge to comprehend the main doctrine of the Upanishads, which forms the subject of the accompanying treatise, a few explanations, are needed; and it is hoped that they will be of much help to him. Non-duality or the oneness of the Individual and Universal Spirit is the subject to be demonstrated, and an elaborate and critical analysis of the rival systems which look upon them as different and otherwise, have been fully discussed. That does not concern us for the present. What we propose is to lay down a few salient points, to give a skeleton sketch, leaving the rest to our author. In the discussion of his subject he has brought in, a mass of arguments from all available sources; the work itself is a result of a vast amount of reading, and whatever is worth knowing of the Vedas, Mimansa, Nyaya, Sankhya, Paranas &c., has been included in it. It contains likewise a discussion of the merits of personal and impersonal forms of worship, and seeks to satisfactorily account for the apparent and seemingly anomalous dictum of the several Purans, wherein each sets up a different form of worship and particularly insisting upon it, in lieu of others. In this way, the different sects of worshippers-Vishnuvite, Sivite, Ganpat, Sakta,-who have hither- to been taught to regard his especial Deity to be superior to the rest will find much to unlearn. Reason, and analogy, with the proofs derived from the Shastras have been amply introduced to help the comprehension, and to erect at much labor, a neutral ground where the most inveterate bigot will cast away his rancor, and shake hands in fraternal love and harmony with one whom he had hitherto looked upon as a fool and knave. Thus then there is much to engage the attention of the reader; caste and creed, stands not in the way of acquiring the knowledge inculcated here; for we find no mention about it by our author. The only caste he seems to recog- nise is that of qualification, and any person having the necessary qualities may profitably engage himself in its study. He will find much to interest him, much to engage his attention, much to evoke his sympathy; the scale from his eyes will be dropped of and it is hoped, he will rouse to realise a new existence; the clue to solve the mighty problem of existence, the end and aim of human life is here spoken out with as much fervour, as its dignity demands, and though to realise it and form the basis of turning a new life can only happen to the fewest of the few,-to those who have sown the seeds of knowledge in their previous births-yet it can be profitably made use of by all alike.

**Contents and Sample Pages**