A History of Indian Literature v1.c8.s8.73

v1.c8.s8.73

² See Deussen, AGPh. I, 2, pp 14 ff., with whom I fully agree in rejecting Oldenberg's explanation of *Upaniṣad* (ZDMG. 50, 1896, 458 ff.; 54, 1990, 70 ff.; Die Lehre der Upanishaden, etc., pp. 36 f., 155 ff, 348 f.) as "a form of worship." *Upaniṣad* is used frequently enough as a synonym of *rahasyam*, but never synonymous with *upāsanā*. Besides, E. Senart (Florilegium Melchior de Vogüé, Paris, 1909, pp. 575 ff.) has shown that even the verb *upās* in the Upaniṣads does not mean "to worship," but "to have a profound knowledge, to know or to believe for certain." But even his translation of *upaniṣad* by "knowledge, belief" ("connaissance, croyance") does not hit the meaning of the word as well as "secret doctrine." M. R. Bodas (JBRAS., 22, pp. 69 f.) takes the original meaning of *upaniṣad* to be "sitting down near the sacrificial fire," as the conversations contained in the Upaniṣads are said to have taken place at the great sacrifices. This is not more probable than the explanation of J. W. Hauer (Anfänge der Yoga-praxis, p. 27), who gives "mysterious wisdom obtained by Tapas and meditation" as the original meaning of *upaniṣad*, connecting it with the quiet sitting as part of the Yoga practice. Nārāyaṇa in his commentary on Manu, VI, 29, defines upaniṣad as "that which is recited seated near," *i.e.* "(a text) which is recited (while the pupils are) seated near (the teacher)"; *s.* Bühler. SBE., Vol. 25, pp. 203 n. *Cf.* also Macdonell and Keith, Vedic Index, I, pp. 91 f.