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rO) "CO THE W^ VPANISHADS ^!2 & l^cna iJluu&alifl< (I, FIRST VOLUME. -^>— SESHACHAKtii, tJ.A., b.L, M.R A.S. ^^^^^P ^ THB UPANISHADS AND SRI SANKARAS COMMENTARY TRANSLATED BY S. SITARAMA SASTRI. B. A PUBLISHED BY V. C. SESHACHARRI, B. A., B. L., Vakil, lliyh ('(nirt, Madron. FIRST VOLUME. {He-Print:. ^'\aaii>«is : G. A. KATESAN&CO. PRINTERS&PUBLISHERS. ESPLANADE- oo». I PREFACE. The increasino- interest evinced by the thinking world in the Pliilo.soj)hy and Religion of the Hindus has led nie to undertake the publicationofthe translation of the principal Upanishads. The special feature of this jtublication is the translation of the coniinentary of Sri Sankaracharya, the- oreatest exponent of the Advaita system of philosoi)hy. The work has been undertaken chiefly with a view to bring within easy reach of the ?]nglish-reading . })ublic the j)riceless teachings of the l'])anishads, in the light of the interpretation ofSri Sankaracharya. The spirit of thetext and of the interjn-etation has, throughout been faithfully adhered to and, perhaps, in some instances, even to the detriment of elegance in diction. If the earnest student finds any the least help from this work, the publication will be ami)ly justified. My hearty thanks are due to ^Ir. V. Swaminatha Iyer, District Munsiff, forthe care with which he went through the translation and for his many valuable suggestions. Madras, i V. C. SESHACHARRI, ApHl 1905. Publisher. J Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2009 with funding from Ontario Council of University Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/upanishadssrisanOOsita 3eaDaeijoponiellrti^« Sri Sankaras Introduction. OM TAT SAT. Adoration to tht^Brdhitmn. The laardras beginning with I8nv<i8y<iiiii, etc., have not been utilized in ritnals, because they serve the puriK).se of enlightening us on the true nature of the Atman who is not an (uu/d of i. e., not connected with. Karma. Tlie true nature of the Atrtian consists, as will be described, in its jiurity being untouched by sin, oneness, being eternal, having no body, oiiini|aesence, etc., and as that conflicts with Kdrma,it is onlyreasonable that these mantni8 should not be utilized in rituals ; nor is the true nature of the Atnian thus deiined, a }>roduct, a nxxlification, a thing to be attained or a thing to be refined ; nor iss it of the nature of a doer or enjoyer so that it njay be connected with Karma. All the I'panishads exhaust themselves in describing the true nature of the AtTTUin; and the Gita and the Mokshadfuo'rua aie bent on the 2 ISAVASYOPANISHAD. same end. Therefore all Karma has been enjoined in accordance with worldly understanding, which at- tributes to the Atmati diversitj-, agency, enjoyment, impurity, sinfulness, etc. Those that know who are comi)etent to jjerform Karrtia and who are not, (Adhikaravidah) tell us that he who seeks the fruits of — Kai^Tna visible such as the inherent splendour of a — Brahmin and invisilile such as Heaven,etc., and thinks '* I am a twice-liorn free from any defect such as being one-eyed or hunch-backed, *fec., which disqualifies one for the [)erformance of Karnia^^ is entitled to })er- form Karma. So, these mantras by enlightening (us) on the true nature of the Atman remove our natural ignorance and produce in us the knowledge of the one- — ness, etc., of the Atman, the means of u})rooting grief, delusion, etc., the concomitants of Sfmisara, We shall- now briefly conniient upon the mantras, the persons competent to study which, the subject matter ofwliicli, the relevancy of which (sainbandha) and the fruits of which, have been thus declared. The whole {lir<ihutaii) is all that is invisible. The whole (Brahmiin) is all that is visible. The whole