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Copyright Hiperboreea Dec 2014

Abstract

Kausitaki-Brahmana Upanisad is one of the oldest Upanisads, written in prose, but including many quotations from the Vedic literature, which are generally in verses. The text is divided into four chapters. The first one deals with Brahmanic eschatology. It discusses the post-mortem fate of the soul, which can be either Pitryana ("the path of the fathers"), through which the soul continues its transmigration through the Universe, either Devayana ("the path of the gods"). Devayana is followed by those who reached the comprehension of Brahman and hence are liberated from the Universe, at their death returning to their ontological source, Brahman, the absolute reality. The remaining three chapters expose a vitalist view of the Universe. The essence of the entire Universe is none else but the essence of life, namely breath (prana). The principle of life is the principle of everything; ultimately, everything reduces to life, to breath. Hence, life becomes the absolute reality, the all-encompassing principle.

Details

Title
KAUSITAKI BRAHMANA UPANISAD (TRADUCERE ADNOTATA)/KAUSITAKI BRAHMANA UPANISAD (ANNOTATED TRANSLATION)
Author
Nedu, Ovidiu
Pages
7-45
Publication year
2014
Publication date
Dec 2014
Publisher
Pennsylvania State University Press
e-ISSN
22845666
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
Romanian
ProQuest document ID
1657549483
Copyright
Copyright Hiperboreea Dec 2014