Upanishads -- Commentaries

[venkata subramanian]

Dear Mr. Sanjay Verma,

appropos to your questions, the reply is as under :-

1.  Sri (Adi) Shankaracharya has written his Direct Commentaries
on only 10 Principal Upanishads as has been generally accepted by
Scholars worldwide.  However, in his famous Brahma Sutra Bhashya,
he quotes and handles quotations from other upanishads as well,
including the svetaswatara, koushitaki, jabala etc.

  2.  One sri Sankarananda Saraswathi, (the Guru of the author of
Panchadasi,)  has written a vrithi on about 27 Upanishads, only a
few have been published.  the advantage we can gather from these
vrithis is that they are in a very lucid style, simple in
explaining and handle good examples.     entire work has not been
published unfortunately.

   however, we have the complete commentary of Sri Upanishad
Brahmendra Yogi of Kanchipuram who has extensively commented on
ALL THE 108 Upanishads.  they are available in Print even now..
See the catalogue of Theosophical Society.     The style of the
commentary is just like following the Great Shankaracharya.

3.  In my humble view, there is no need for anyone to explain the
Great Shankaracharya....per se.      The Acharya is ALWAYS SELF -
EXPLANATORY.  He does not need a sub- commentator to re-explain
Him.  He is never tired of explaining the tersy concepts by so
many words, in so many ways in so many different places spread out
throughout the Commentaries.  If God blesses one with a Sad-Guru,
i think nothing more that the Bhasyas per se is necessary.

   also, to read vedanta parimala, and kalpataru etc. one needs to
be very thorough with the Mimamsa exegies and Sanskrit Grammer.
Also, Nyaya is necessray to such a great level.

  Whatever is necessary to a Spiritual Aspirant and for his
ratiocination based on universal common sense experience is amply
provided and explained by the Acharya Himself.

the sub-commentaries have their own ultimate purposes to solve,
including the defence of their own sub-system..like the clash
between Bhamathi and Vivarana  etc.

i dont understand why such a very scholarly level is necessary at
the inital stages.

This is my Humble view Sir.  If you are in case very particular
about the Sub-commentaries; the books are available at Motilal
Banarsidass and/or Chowkamba Varanasi.

thank you
venkat.


On Fri, 14 Mar 2003 Sanjay Verma wrote :
>
>Pranam to all,
>
>This is primarily academic interest only...
>
>1) There are in total 108 [remaining] Upanishads... Aside from
>the ten or so Upanishads which Adi Shankaracharya commented on,
>what are some recommended commentaries on the other Upanishads?
>
>2) Adi Shankaracharya's commentary on the Brahma Sutra was
>further commented on by:
>
>"Sri Appaya Dikshita rendered the commentary of Sri Sankara more
>clear by his Parimala, Sri Vachaspati Misra by his work Bhamati
>and Sri Amalananda Sarasvati by his Kalpataru."
>
>My question is, for one reading the Brahma Sutras directly for
>the 1st time (rather than summaries written by others), would you
>recommend going directly to Adi Shankaracharya's commentary or to
>one of the above mentioned ones (or perhaps even another)?
>
>Jai Sri Krishna,
>Sanjay
>
>P.S. The list I have for the Upanishads is as follows... If
>anyone has a competing list, please do share:
>
>"Sankaracharya raised the status of ten among the Upanishads by
>selecting them for writing his commentaries and so they became
>especially important. Pundits and those with faith should resolve
>to present before humanity these ten Upanishads at least. They
>are Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Thaithiriya,
>Aithareya, Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka.
>
>"The remaining 98 are: Brahma, Kaivalya, Svethasva, Jabali,
>Hamsa, Garbha, Aruni, Paramahamsa, Amrithanada, Narayani,
>Amrithabindu, Atharvasikha, Atharvasira, Kasithara, Mathrayani,
>Nrisimhatapani, Brahmajabala, Maithreya, Kalagnirudra, Sulabha,
>Manthrika, Kshithi, Niraalamba, Sarvahara, Vajrasuchika,
>Subharahasya, Thejobindu, Nadabindu, Dhyanabindu, Brahmavidya,
>Atmabodhaka, Yoga, Thathwa, Naradaparivrajaka, Brahmana, Sita,
>Yogachudamani, Nirvana, Mandala, Dakshinamurthi, Skandaa,
>Sarabha, Adwaitha, Thaaraka, Mahanarayana, Sowbhagyalakshmi,
>Saraswathirahasya, Mukthika, Bhavaricha, Ramathapana,
>Ramarahasya, Mudgali, Vasudeva, Pingala, Sandilya, Mahabhikshuka,
>Yogasiksha, Sanyasa, Thuriyathitha, Parmaparivrajaka, Narasimha,
>Akshamalika, Annapoorna, Ekakshara, Akshika, Adhathya, Surya,
>Kundisakhya, Aatma, Savithri, Parabrahma, Pasupatha,
>Thripurathapana, Avadhootha, Thripura, Devi, Bhavana, Katha,
>Yogakundali, Rudrahrdaya, Rudraksha, Bhasma, Darsana, Ganapathi,
>Thahasata, Mahav
>  akya, Panchabrahma, Gopalathapani, Pranagnihothra, Garuda,
>Krishna, Datthatreya, Varaaha, Yajnavalkya, Sathyaayana,
>Avyektha, Hayagriva, and Kalisantharna.
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________
>
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>
>_______________________________________
>
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S. Venkata Subramanian
Venkat_advaita at rediffmail.com