The Upanishads: A New Translation by Vernon Katz and Thomas Egenes (Tarcher Cornerstone Editions)

I bought this version, then the versions of Gambhirananda and Nikhilinanda. Compare Isa Upanisad 3:Katz & Egenes:Sunless are those worlds calledcovered in blinding darkness;there, after departing, go those menwho are slayers of the Self.It has a footnote saying this verse translated by Mahesh Yogi, their guru.here is Gambhirananda:Those worlds of devils are covered by blinding darkness, Those people that kill the Self go to them after giving up this body.and Nikhilanada:Verily, those worlds of the asuras are enveloped in blind darkness; and thereto they all repair after death who are slayers of Atman.Both of the swamis include Sankaracharya's commentary. The only commentary offered by Katz is that the translation by Mahesh Yogi. Without the commentary it is hard to make sense of the verse, even with multiple readings. Both of the swamis offer some introduction to the Sanskrit words in the verse. This is where the Katz version begins to look like a waste of money. The Sanskrit has the word "asura" in it, which means demon. G. translates it properly, and N. just uses the Sanskrit word, with commentary beneath explaining the word. The connotation of that word should not be avoided, as one loses an important meaning of the passage.Here is Easwaran:Those who deny the Self are born againBlind to the Self, enveloped in darkness,Utterly devoid of love for the LordEaswaran at least has notes. Mascaro and Easwaran get the feel for the passage, but Katz is so slick the meaning is very hard to access.Since the Upanishads are for study, get something where you can get a sense of the original words of the passage. Easwaran and Mascaro i would avoid too because of loose use of the word "Lord" for example. That word tell you nothing, because in Sanskrit there are many words that can be translated by that one English word, and they all have different connotations. In this case translating Atman as "Lord" is close to being irresponsible. Better to have left it alone, or to follow the more standard translation "Self" (with a capital s). Both G and N have Sankaracharya's commentary, which is very authoritative. You will not be able to read the text straight through easily, but both have some summary information about the Upanishad, so you will be able to have a grasp of the whole thing as you read the parts. This is more complicated though with longer Upanishad, although those are broken up into various parts.

This is the most profound translation of the Upanishads that I have ever read. Besides being fun to read and true to the original, the translators clearly have the experiences that are being discussed in the Upanishads. When a translation comes from direct experience, as this does, I notice that some quality of that experience comes to the reader. For example, the conversation in the Katha Upanishad and Death are good to read for anyone who is experiencing a loss of a family member or facing a serious illness--well presented, beautifully phrased, and profoundly enlightening. I hope that Profs. Vernon Katz and Thomas Egenes translate more of the Vedic literature soon.

So beautifully written. Clear and concise. Accurate translation.The problem with translations is that normally, the depth of knowledge is missing. Translators select words and sentence structure that misses the subtleties. This way the essence of the original thought is lost. Vernon and Thomas have so beautifully captured the essence of these Upanishads. Truly a joy.I really appreciated the introduction to the book. Without it I would have been lost. The authors notes and references throughout the book were also very helpful. The Upanishads can be very difficult, if not impossible to understand unless you are looking from the right perspective. Vernon and Thomas have done a wonderful job of setting up the reader so he can possibly understand.The value of the experience of transcendence cannot be understated. Without a mature understanding of the transcendental field through experience, the Upanishads become a bunch of unfathomable dogma. There are so many misunderstandings about Hinduism because scholars don't have an intimate understanding of Vedic literature through experience. The orientation the authors have provided in their notes and intro allow those with experience of transcendence to really appreciate the subtle beauty and fulfillment of contemplating the Upanishads.I would like to thank Vernon, Thomas and their team for a truly beautiful experience. Very well done.

This is the best translation I've read of these Upanishads. The authors were very careful to translate the Sanskrit into English meticulously and parsimoniously, adding words in brackets only rarely, when essential to convey the intended meaning. Yet their treatment, while scholarly and correct, is nonetheless new and revealing. Sanskrit by nature is a very rich language -- a word or expression can be interpreted in multiple ways and on several levels at once. For that reason alone, various renderings can give rise to quite different understandings. Katz and Egenes have the advantage of being versed not only in Sanskrit grammar and lore, but also in deep familiarity with Vedic knowledge, both on the level of precept (they both spent many years studying with the renowned Vedic scholar Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) and direct experience. In this light, the Upanishads that they have translated ring true and give rise to "Aha" experiences that I have not found with any other versions. I was particularly taken with their take on the Katha Upanishad, which I found to be much more direct and lucid than any other translation I have read.I can only encourage them to lend their same expertise to the great Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanishads. That would be a great treat.

Excellent translation; easy to read/digest... Well presented and enjoyable; as all books by Vernon KatzHope Vernon and his chums do the same for the rest of the Upanishads

Just read the introduction and you will realise that you have a gem in your hands.

Illuminating.

The most beautiful and powerful translation available.

A wonderful translation. Truly uplifting.