3 Review(s)

Brihadâranyaka Upanishad is a considered to be the master guide for our self-discovery, the relation with the eternal and is mainly known for its philosophical perspectives towards life. As the name suggests, it is a great wilderness of knowledge. This volume of ‘Madhu Kanda’ is the first part of three sections this Upanishad talks about, which is mainly concerned towards the identity of individual soul, the Atma. Summary of the Book Upanishads are the mystical revelations, secret wisdom as Swami Krishnananda says, and they have been one of the main sources of knowledge and enlightenment existing from thousands of years. Brihadâranyaka Upanishad contains a great library of fundamental human knowledge and wisdom that is to be respected and followed by every individual for his or her higher spiritual attainment. As all Upanishads are supposed to be understood, this one is also learnt from a Guru, teacher and the information have to transfer from soul to soul rather than the formal studies through the books. This particular Upanishad is studied rarely for its complicated presentation structure, but Guru Nitya Chaitanya’s fluent yet in-depth explanation of the verses through stories of mythology, apt metaphors, pictures and his own unique touch in his commentary makes it a great guide in understanding the intricate scripts of Brihadâranyaka Upanishad. His tremendous experience and insights on the spiritual text transcends beyond Indian cultural boundaries, as several comparisons and instances from western philosophy are presented during his detailed descriptions of 435 mantras in the book. The first volume in the set of 3 sections of Brihadâranyaka Upanishad is principally concerned about the manifestation of self, and its relational experience with the cosmos. Several of Brihadâranyaka Upanishad mantras are being used in specific circumstances. “asato m? sad gamaya, tamaso m? jyotir gamaya, m?tyor m?m?ta? gamaya” being one of them, which is a purifying chant that is also called as Pavam?n? Abhy?roha. About Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati Guru Nitya is one of the very reputed and respected spiritual writers who comes with an exceptional knowledge on the subjects of philosophy, psychology, spiritual science and Hindu culture. After the academic life, he continued pursuing various subjects as mentioned above and he has had interactions with very important personalities in the spiritual world such as Ramana Maharshi, as well as other eminent people like Mahatma Gandhi. As a teacher, Guru Nitya has traveled across the oceans and has taught courses in human psychology, spiritual philosophy, yoga, and aesthetics at universities in India, the US and several other countries. He has held the responsibilities as the Chairperson of the East-West University of Unitive Sciences and also as the Commissioner for World Education. Guru Nitya’s invaluable knowledge and wisdom have transformed into countless books and articles.