Upanishads (Müller) — V. The Vâgasaneyi-Samhitâ-Upanishad

The Upanishads, Part 1 (SBE01): Introduction to the Upani... | Internet Sacred Text ArchiveSacred Texts Hinduism Index Previous Next Buy this Book at Amazon.com *The Upanishads, Part 1 (SBE01)*, by Max Müller, [1879], at sacred-texts.com ## V. ## THE VÂGASANEYI-SAMHITÂ-UPANISHAD. THE Vâgasaneyi-sa*m*hitâ-upanishad, commonly called from its beginning, Îsâ or Îsâvâsya, forms the fortieth and concluding chapter of the Sa*m*hitâ of the White Ya*g*ur-veda. If the Sa*m*hitâs are presupposed by the Brâhma*n*as, at least in that form in which we possess them, then this Upanishad, being the only one that forms part of a Sa*m*hitâ, might claim a very early age. The Sa*m*hitâ of the White Ya*g*ur-veda, however, is acknowledged to be of modern origin, as compared with the Sa*m*hitâ of the Black Ya*g*ur-veda, and it would not be safe therefore to ascribe to this Upanishad a much higher antiquity than to those which have found a place in the older Brâhma*n*as and Âra*n*yakas. There are differences between the text, as contained in the Ya*g*ur-veda-sa*m*hitâ, and the text of the Upanishad by itself. Those which are of some interest have been mentioned in the notes. In some notes appended to the translation of this Upanishad I have called attention to what seems to me p. ci its peculiar character, namely, the recognition of the necessity of works as a preparation for the reception of the highest knowledge. This agrees well with the position occupied by this Upanishad at the end of the Sa*m*hitâ, in which the sacrificial works and the hymns that are to accompany them are contained. The doctrine that the moment a man is enlightened, he becomes free, as taught in other Upanishads, led to a rejection of all discipline and a condemnation of all sacrifices, which could hardly have been tolerated in the last chapter of the Ya*g*ur-veda-sa*m*hitâ, the liturgical Veda par excellence. Other peculiarities of this Upanishad are the name Î*s*, lord, a far more personal name for the highest Being than Brahman; the asurya (demoniacal) or asûrya (sunless) worlds to which all go who have lost their self; Mâtari*s*van, used in the sense of prâ*n*a or spirit; asnâviram, without muscles, in the sense of incorporeal; and the distinction between sambhûti and asambhûti in verses 12-14. The editions of the text, commentaries, and glosses, and the earlier translations may be seen in the works quoted before, p. lxxxiv. Next: I, 1