Brhadaranyaka Upanishad: from the Commentary by Sankaracharya

Book Details
Author: E. Roer
Publisher: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan
Language: Sanskrit and English
Edition: 1st
ISBN: 9788186050613
Pages: 460
Cover: Hardcover
Size: 9.00 x 6.00 inches
Weight: 680 gm
Year of Publication: 2013
Country of Origin: India

Author Info:
Dr. E. Roer was a pioneering Orientalist known for his deep engagement with Indian philosophical texts, especially the Vedas and Upanishads. His translations and commentaries reflect a scholarly approach rooted in both linguistic expertise and philosophical insight.

Preface Summary:
The author discusses how the traditional chronology of the Old Testament has influenced Western interpretations of the dating of the Vedas and Upanishads. He challenges the notion that the Upanishadic philosophy must be chronologically later than the Vedic hymns, proposing instead that both traditions may have coexisted. By viewing Vedic hymns as symbolic representations of deeper esoteric truths, the Upanishads emerge as a natural philosophical counterpart rather than a later development.

Roer emphasizes that many misunderstandings about ancient Indian thought arise from limiting interpretations to philology, whereas insights from broader disciplines like zymology (possibly a reference to symbolic or comparative study) provide more meaningful context. He points out that in many global religious traditions, profound philosophies have coexisted with popular religious formalities, reinforcing the argument that the Upanishads are not a later innovation but an intrinsic part of ancient Indian wisdom.