UPANISHADS

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Context

• US President Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden hosted Indian PM Narendra Modi for a private dinner.
• Apart from the book mentioned above Indian PM gifted 7.5 carat lab-grown diamond and an exquisite sandalwood box to the first couple.

Other Details

• PM Modi is on a visit to USA to hold bilateral talks on various interest areas like jets engine production, semiconductor chip manufacturing, and drones.
• Earlier, during his visit to USA, PM Modi received a ceremonial welcome at the White House.
• He also gave a welcome speech addressing US Congress.

About The Ten Principal Upanishads book

• This book considered to have the best and authentic translated version of the Upanishads.
• It is translated in English from Sanskrit by Irish poet WB Yeats along with Shri Purohit Swami, a scholar of Hindu scripture.
• It was written in mid-1930s and published in 1937.

WB Yeats

• WB Yeats was an Irish origin modern poet in English and was central to the Irish Literary Revival.
• He was influenced by the works of John Keats and William Wordsworth.
• In 1923, he won Nobel Prize in Literature.
• He had an infatuation with Indian philosophy and literature, which lasted a lifetime.
• The love towards India has motivated him to translate Upanishads.
• His aim was to translate Upanishads in such a manner that they remain true to the original text and hence enhancing their accessibility to a common person.

Inspiration for Translation

• Mohini Chatterjee, a recognisable name in Bengal’s burgeoning Theosophical circles influenced him and inclined him towards India initially.
• He was most influenced by his friendship with Rabindranath Tagore and particularly with the beauty of Gitanjali, a collection of poems by Tagore.
• Afterwards, the poor quality of English translated version of Upanishads underwhelmed him.
• Finally he collaborated with a scholar named Shri Purohit Swami for this translation.

Hindu Scriptures

• Hindu sacred scriptures are broadly divided in two categories Shruti and Smriti.

Shruti (the revealed)

• These are believed to be the most authoritative texts of Hindus.
• These include four Vedas namely –
  • Rigveda
  • Yajurveda
  • Samaveda and
  • Atharvaveda
• These also include other important texts like
  • Brahmanas (ritual texts),
  • Aranyakas (texts associated with forests) and
  • Upanishads (philosophical texts)

Smriti (the remembered)

• These are less authoritative text as they are considered to be derived from Shruti.
• They include epics like
  • Ramayana
  • Mahabharata
  • Dharmashastras
  • Puranas and
  • Other post-Vedic scriptures

Upanishads

• Believed to be written around 800-500 BC, these are considered one of the most important Hindu religious texts.
• These are more popular than Vedas and are fundamental text in in several traditions of study of Hindu religion.
• An 8^th century Hindu scholar Adi Shankaracharya contributed to the popularity of Upanishads by focussing on Advaita Vedanta, a non-dualistic philosophy, tradition.
• In modern times Vedanta philosophy was subscribed by prominent figures of India like Swami Vivekananda and S Radhakrishnan.
• These are also known as Vedanta as they are believed to be the end of Veda.
• They seek to establish ontological connection between humanity and the cosmos by discussing concepts like transmigration.
• For instance Chandogya Upanishad emphasized connection between conduct and birth. For eg birth of human for good conduct and birth of a animal like dog if the conduct is evil.
• They believe in the ultimate reality of relation between Atman and Brahman and consider everything around as illusion.
  • The Atman, or the distinct, is the unchanging self of an individual, and
  • The Brahman is the ultimate reality in the universe.
• 10 Principal Upanishads are as below -
  • Esha
  • Kena
  • Katha
  • Prashna
  • Mundaka
  • Mandukya
  • Taittiriya
  • Aitareya
  • Chandogya
  • Brihadaranyaka

Must read Article:

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/adi-shankaracharya

https://www.iasgyan.in/blogs/schools-of-indian-philosophy

PRACTICE QUESTION Consider the following statements about Upanishads: 1. These belong to the Smriti category of Hindu sacred texts. 2. They are believed to signal the end of total Vedas. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both 1 and 2 D. Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: (B)