Excerpt from The Upanishads, Vol. 1 The four collections of the Vedas were made to facilitate the duties of the three classes of priests, in the sacrificial ceremonies, and of the superintendent of the sacrifice. These priests were called hotri, adhvaryu, and udgatri. The first used the Rigveda, or versified mantras; the second the Yajurveda, or prose mantras; and the third the Samaveda, or mantras chanted in a peculiar manner, different from the ordinary chanting used in reading the mantras of the Rig and Yajur. The Atharvaveda was used by the super intending Brahman, and consisted of some portions of the first three Vedas, and also other mantras. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Upanishads, Vol. 1: Translated and Commentated; From the Original Sanskrit Text The translator's idea of rendering the Upanishads into clear simple English, ac cessible to Occidental readers, had its origin in a visit paid to a Boston friend in 1909. The gentleman, then battling with a fatal malady, took from his library shelf a trans lation of the Upanishads and, opening it, expressed deep regret that the obscure and unfamiliar form shut from him what he felt to be profound and vital teaching. The desire to unlock the closed doors of this ancient treasure house, awakened at that time, led to a series of classes on the Upanishads at The Vedanta Centre of Boston during its early days in St. Botolph Street. The translation and commentary then given were transcribed and, after studious revision, were published in the Centre's monthly magazine, The Message of the East, in 1913 and 1914. Still further revision has brought it to its present form. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Spiritual seekers and thinkers should mediate over The Upanishads, Translated and Commentated, Vol. 1 by Swâmi Paramânanda, a collection of four of the earliest spiritual texts known to man. The Upanishads are a series of spiritual texts that originated from teachings in early Indian civilization. Some Upanishads are as old as 1500 BC and contain the earliest writings on human consciousness. These sacred Hindu texts are said to reveal truth about God, the Ultimate Reality and spiritual salvation. The Upanishads were passed down from wise teachers to the most worthy students and seekers. There may be hundreds of Upanishads, but only twelve are considered the most essential. In this book, Paramânanda gives us four significant Upanishads: Isa, Katha, Kena and Mundaka. Each one begins with a peaceful chant. The verses are presented in question and answer form, which is a classic way of imparting wisdom. Isa is about the knowledge of the all pervading deity. It tells readers the practical means of doing actions while still renouncing the fruits of actions. Katha is a very popular Upanishad with Hindus and non-Hindus alike. After relating a story, it reveals the monotheistic basis of Hinduism and the meaning of the word "Om." Kena is a short Upanishad with a complex message about consciousness, while Mundaka explains the creation process and the path to heaven. There are many, many more revelations, stories and teachings in the verses of the Upanishads. Readers will love meditating on the meanings of the dialogues presented by Paramânanda. The Upanishads, Translated and Commentated, Vol. 1 is an insightful addition to your spiritual library. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Upanishads, Vol. 1: The Khandogya-Upanishad, the Talavakara-Upanishad, the Aitareya-Aranyaka, the Kaushitaki-Brahmana-Upanishad and the Vagasaneyi-Samhita-Upanishad Even a single ceremonial act, performed at the time of a famine or an inundation, and apparently attended with a sudden and almost miraculous success, might often be preserved in the liturgical code Of a family or a tribe with a superstitious awe entirely beyond our understanding. It might be repeated for some time on Similar emergencies, till when it had failed again and again it survived only as a superstitious custom in the memory of priests and poets. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from The Upanishads These are bold words, but even without going so far as St. Augustine, we may well hope that a study of the Sacred Books of the East may produce a kindlier feeling on the part of many people, and more particularly of missionaries, towards those who are called heathen, or even children of Satan, though they have long, though ignorantly, worshipped the God who is to be declared unto them. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.