ईशावास्योपनिषत् एकपंचाशतभाष्यटीकोपेता- Isavasyopanisad with 51 Sanskrit Commentaries (Set of 2 Volumes)

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Sriyogi Publications is presenting the monumental work on the Isavasyopanisad with 51 Sanskrit commentaries belonging to different schools of Vedantic thought and tradition for the first time. This work will be indispensible to scholars of comparative Religion, Philosophy and to research scholars. All the commentaries together at one source is an invaluable help for scholars for all time to come.

Traditionally, Isavasyopanisad heads the list of ten principal Upanisads because of its importance and greatness. Though the shortest of all Upanisads containing only 18 Mantras, it occupies a unique place in the history of Indian spiritual and philosophical literature. These 18 Mantras express the gist of highest Vedantic thought. It is one of the earliest Upanisadic texts which form the final and fortieth chapter of the Sukla Yajurveda Samhita. Therefore it is also known as Vajasaneya Samhitopanisad or Mantropanisad.

The Bhagavad-Gita is considered to be an expansion of the thoughts containing in this great Upanisad.

Acharya Prof. Dr. Yajneshwar S. Shastri is internationally known scholar of Indian Philosophy, Religion and Sanskrit. Dr.Shastri is former Director, University School of Psychology, Education and Philosophy, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India. At present, he is a Visiting Professor at Gujarat Vidyapeeth, established by Mahatma Gandhi. Dr. Shastri holds Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral Degrees from Bombay University. He also holds traditional Bachelor's [Shastri] and Master's [Acharya] degrees in the Sanskrit Language.

He has more than 14 books such as 'Foundations of Hinduism Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religions', 'Mahayana Sutralnkara of Asanga- A Study in Vijnanavada Buddhism', 'Prashamaratiprakarana of Umaswati Vachaka [on Jainism) and 'Jainism from the point of view of Vedantic Acharyas', ' and many more and more than 120 research papers to his credit. Dr. Shastri has been invited by Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, USA., as Visiting Professor to teach comparative Religions of India and Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism under the Noted International Scholar Project for 8 times. Dr. Shastri has been also visiting professor, to teach Comparative Religions of India, at Cleveland State University, Ohio, 1994-1995. He has been also invited to deliver several community lectures by CSU [in 1995] and University of California, in 1998 [Dept. of History].

He has been General President, Keynote Speaker and Chairperson in several National and International conferences. He is honoured with Ambassador of Peace and Eminent Citizen of India. Dr. Shastri reads, writes and speaks in Sanskrit, English, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi and Gujarati. He is a Chief Editor of several books and Journals. He is an Expert Member of Board of Philosophy and Ph.D. referee in almost all well-known Universities of India. He has guided 16 Ph.D. students and more than 84 M. Phil students. successfully.

Dr. Sunanda Y. Shastri is presently working in the Department of Sanskrit, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India. She holds Master's degree in Sanskrit Grammar and Vedanta both. She has Doctorate in Dharmashastra (Ancient Indian Law) from Gujarat University. She is first class first with distinction in M.A. (Vyakarana) and recipient of three gold medals. She has more than eight books to her credit such as Sanskrit for Beginners, Naradasmriti Historical, Sociological, Political and Legal Study, Teachings of Upanisads', 'kalividambanam', 'Mahatripurasundaristotrani etc. she has more than forty research articles published in national and international journals and periodicals. She has contributed research article by invitation 'Ahimsa and Unity of all things: A Hindu view of Non-Violence to Subverting Hatred, published by The Boston Research Centre for 21" Century, Cambridge, USA. She has Philosophy of Vallabhacharya and his followers to Systems of Vedanta, Vol. II, Center for also contributed Studies in civilizations, New Delhi. She also has contributed 'Women in medieval Sanskrit Literature to "History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization, Volume IX Part 2-Women in Ancient and Medieval India.

Dr. Sunanda Y. Shastri has been invited as Visiting professor by Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, USA to teach Sanskrit and Upanisads for four times. Dr. Sunanda Y. Shastri has guided more than 20 M.Phil. students and presently 7 PH.D. students are working under her for their Doctoral Dissertations.

Sriyogi Publications is bringing out a monumental work on the Isavasyopanisad with 51 Sanskrit Commentaries, for the first time in the history of publishing. These commentaries belong to different Schools of Vedantic thought and tradition. These commentaries date back from 8th century A.D. till today. This work will be indispensible to scholars of comparative Religion, Philosophy and to research scholars of Indology. Bringing all the commentaries together in one place creates an invaluable collection for scholars for all time to come.

These 51 Sanskrit Commentaries are published for the first time with critical edition in two comprehensive parts. It is critically edited with an exhaustive Introduction in English, word by word English translation of the original Sanskrit text of the Isavasyopanisad, and a Philosophical analysis of each verse by the editors. The Philosophical analysis of Isavasyopanisad is based on editors understanding of the Text. This edition is well equipped with Appendices, Abbreviations of Texts quoted in different commentaries and Bibliography.

Traditionally, Isavasyopanisad heads the list of ten principal Upanisads because of its importance and greatness. This Upanisad is one of the most prominent and beautiful among all the principal Upanisads. Though the shortest of all Upanisads, it occupies a unique place in the history of Indian spiritual and philosophical literature. It is one of the earliest Upanisadic texts which form the final and fortieth chapter of the sukla Yajurveda Samhita. Therefore it is also known as Vajasaneya Samhitopanisad or Mantropanisad.

The Isa Upanisad, the last and fortieth chapter ap- pended to the White Yajur Veda, begins with a proclamation that the Lord (Isa) envelops all things. For some interpreters this signals a transcendent Lord; for others, the Lord becomes inseparably connected with all things. Intimacy and distance, worldliness and nonattachment stand in dynamic tension with one another in this text. Many have puzzled over seemingly contradictory propositions found in this text, particularly the pronouncements regarding darkness and greater darkness.

Stanza three asserts that blind darkness results in experiencing infernal worlds. Stanza nine states that ignorance results in darkness while knowledge leads to greater darkness. Stanza twelve makes an association between non becoming and blind darkness. The same stanza links greater darkness with becoming. Two levels of language operate here in parallel. Darkness (tamas) can be found in ignorance and nonbecoming (asambhuti). Knowledge and becoming can be found in greater darkness (bhuyad tamad). This inverted parallelism suggests that attachment within the world leads to darkness while greater darkness can lead to knowledge and a return to being fully present within the world.

Vedas are the foundational Scriptures of the Vedic civilization. There are four Vedas viz., Rgveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda. Each Veda is divided into four parts viz., Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanisad. The Upanisads are portions of the Aranyakas only. Upanisadic literature is known as Vedanta, because it is concluding portion of the Vedas. They are the expressions of the spiritual experience of different seers at different levels. The contents of the Upanisads are the esoteric spiritual knowledge recorded for the purpose of reflection and contemplation. Therefore, the deeper a man can dive into the significances of the passages during his meditation upon them, the greater shall he discover their hidden meanings. Ravindranath Tagore a visionary poet rightly pointed out that "The Vedic vision of the Seers is the poetic testament of a peoples' reaction to the wonder and awe of existence. The wonder and the poetry of the Vedic hymn is deepened and widened by the meditation in the Upanisads." [Intro- duction to Hindu Scriptures].

The Upanisads are the most important and purportful part of the Vedas. They point out to us the mode of realizing the self which is Brahman [The Supreme Reality].

Upanisads represent culmination of Vedic teachings. They reveal most profound spiritual truths. Upanisads have been called the Himalayan peaks of the Vedic Civilization, Indian Philosophy and Religion. Just as that great mountain range determines the climate, the rain fall and the physical features of this peninsula, similarly, heights of wisdom determine the scope and the quality of the spiritual life of the races. The merit of the Upanisads has been acknowledged by our traditional spiritual masters [Acaryas] and commentators and by the best minds of modern India, Europe and America.

Dr. R.D. Ranade rightly pointed out that 'The Upanisads supply us with various principles of thought and may thus be called the Berecynthia of all the later systems of Indian philosophy. Just like a mountain which from its various sides gives birth to rivers which run in different directions, the Upanisads also constitute that lofty eminence of philosophy which from its various sides gives birth to rivulets of thoughts, which as they progress towards the sea of life gather strength by the inflow of innumerable tributaries of speculation which intermittently join these rivulets, so as to make huge expanse panse of waters at the place where they meet the ocean of life" [Constructive Survey of Upanisadic Philosophy. P. 131].Teachings of all the later Vedantic schools is based on Upanisadic thought. The Bhagavadgita, one of the best known philosophical texts is considered as the essence of the Upanisads. It is said that "All the Upanisads are the cows. The milkman is Lord Krsna. Arjuna is the calf and the great nector of Gita is the milk obtained" [Sarvopanisado gavah dogdha gopalanandanah. Partho vatsah sudhirbhokta dugdham gitamṛtam mahat.