The History of Indian Literature c8.513

c8.513

The *Rámatápaníyopanishad* (72, 73), in which Ráma is worshipped as the Supreme God, shows a great resemblance to the Nṛisiṅhatápaníyop., especially in its second part. This second part, which is in prose, is, properly speaking, nothing but a collection of pieces from the Tárakopanishad, Máṇḍúkyopanishad, Jábálopanishad, and Nṛisiṅhopanishad, naturally with the necessary alterations. Yájnavalkya here appears as the proclaimer of the divine glory of Ráma. A London MS. adds at the close a long passage which is unknown to the commentator Ánandavana (a native of the town Kuṇḍina). The crowning touch of the sectarian element in this Upanishad is found in the circumstance that Ráma is implored by Śiva (Śaṃkara) himself to spare those a second birth who die in Maṇikarṇiká or in the Gaṅgá generally, the two principal seats of the Śiva worship. The first part, in ninety-five *ślokas*, contains at the beginning a short sketch of Ráma's life, which bears a great similarity to that at the beginning of the Adhyátmarámáyaṇa (in the Brahmáṇḍa-Puráṇa). The Mantrarája is next taught by the help of a mystical alphabet, specially invented for the purpose.[^asterisk] This Upanishad evidently belongs to the school of Rámánuja, possibly to Rámánuja himself, consequently its earliest date would be the eleventh century A.D.¹⁹⁰