An "Upanisad" is a teaching session with a guru, and the thirteen texts
of the "Principal Upanisads"--which comprise this volume--form a series
of philosophical discourses between teacher and student that question
the inner meaning of the world. Composed beginning around the eighth
century BCE, the Upanisads have been central to the development of
Hinduism, exploring its central doctrines: rebirth, karma, overcoming
death, and achieving detachment, equilibrium, and spiritual bliss.
Speaking to the reader in direct, unadorned prose or lucid verse, the
Upanisads collected here embody humanity's perennial search for truth
and knowledge.
Valerie Roebuck's powerful new translation blends accuracy with
readability and retains the oral style of these stirring and profound
philosophical explorations. This volume includes an introduction to the
text, information on Sanskrit pronunciation, suggestions for further
reading, explanatory notes, and a glossary.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of
classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700
titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works
throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the
series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and
notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.