The History of Indian Literature c8.462

c8.462

If now we attempt to classify the Upanishads so far known, the most ancient naturally are those (1–12) which are found in the three older Vedas only.‡ I have already remarked that these never pursue sectarian aims. A seeming—but only a seeming—exception to this is the *Śatarudriya*; for although the work has in fact been used for sectarian purposes, it had originally quite a different significance, which had nothing to do with the misapplication of it afterwards made; originally, indeed, it was not an Upanishad at all.§ A real exception, however, is the *Śvetáśvataropanishad* (13), which is in any case wrongly classed with the Black Yajus; it is only from its having incorporated many passages of the latter that it has been foisted in here. It belongs to about the same rank and date as the Kaivalyopanishad. Nor can the *Maitráyaṇa-Upanishad* (14) reasonably claim to be ranked with the Black Yajus; it belongs rather, like the Śvetáśvataropanishad, only to the Yoga period. Still it does not, at least in the part known to me,¹⁷³ pursue any sectarian aim (see pp. 96–99).