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Book Review
Išāvāsyopanișad - Y.S.Shastri
iśāvāsyopanişad with 51 Sanskrit Commentaries, Part I-II, Critically edited by Prof. Dr. Yajneshwar S. Shastri and Dr. Sunanda Y. Shastri, published by Sriyogi publications, pp.728+533, 2013, Ahmedabad Price : Rs.4000/
The present work under Review is a monumental work on the Īśāvāsyopanişad with 51 Sanskrit Commentaries belonging to different Schools of Vedantic thought and tradition. It is critically edited with exhaustive introduction in English, English translation of the original text of Īśāvāsyopanişad and philosophical analysis of each verse by internationally renowned scholars of Sanskrit and Philosophy Acharya Prof.Dr. Yajneshwar S. Shastri and Dr. Sunanda Y. Shastri. Out of these 51 commentaries 20 commentaries belong to Advaitic tradition, six belong to Viśistādvaita, 12 to Dvaita School, 1 Nimbārka, 2 Rāmānanda, 4 Vallabh. 1 Chaitanya, 2 Swaminārāyana School of Neo-Viśistādvaita, 1 Arya Sainaj, 1 Bhagavadāchārya and 1 Samājavāda (Socialistic). These 51 commentaries are published for the first time with critical edition in two comprehensive parts. The first part contains an exhaustive introduction in English (pp.176] and 26 six Sanskrit Commentaries. Second part contains remaining 25 Sanskrit Commentaries
Traditionally, īśāvāsyopanişad heads the list of ten principal Upanisads because of its importance and greatness. 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 text which form the final and fortieth chapter of the Sukla - Yajurveda - Samhitā. Therefore it is also known as Vājasaneya - Samhitopanișad or Mantropanişad. It contains only 18 Mantras or verses, which are pregnant with profound ineaning. This important Vedantic text is termed as the foundation of Vedantic Philosophy. Bhagavad-Gītā is considered as an expansion of the thoughts contained is this great Upanişad.
