自在奥义书 (2008)

自在奥义书（梵语：īśa upaniṣad，或译为伊莎奥义书、至尊奥义书）婆罗门教诸奥义书中最短的之一，全书只有17至18颂。其名字“īśā”意为“出自神灵的”，“出自至高者的”或“精神的”（该词在佛教中的意思即“自在”）。

自在奥义书传统上附属于《白夜柔吠陀》，是所谓“主要奥义书”（即成书较早、与吠陀联系密切的奥义书）之一。它通常被放在《白夜柔吠陀》的最后一章中。不过，自在奥义书是13部主要奥义书中成书较晚的，可能晚至孔雀王朝时期才出现。该书的内容基本上是在讨论哲学和宗教祭祀，并写到了一个至高的存在“自在”（īśā），也就是无上我：

“唵！自在居住在存在于这个世界的所有一切中。”

The Isha Upanishad (Sanskrit: ईशोपनिषद्, IAST: Īśopaniṣad), also known as Shri Ishopanishad, Ishavasya Upanishad, or Vajasaneyi Samhita Upanishad, is one of the shortest Upanishads, embedded as the final chapter (adhyāya) of the Shukla Yajurveda. It is a Mukhya (primary, principal) Upanishad, and is known in two recensions, called Kanva (VSK) and Madhyandina (VSM). The Upanishad is a brief poem, consisting of 17 or 18 verses, depending on the recension.

It is a key scripture of the Vedanta sub-schools, and an influential Śruti to diverse schools of Hinduism. It is the 40th chapter of Yajurveda. The name of the text derives from its incipit, īśā vāsyam, "enveloped by the Lord", or "hidden in the Lord (Self)". The text discusses the Atman (Self) theory of Hinduism, and is referenced by both Dvaita (dualism) and Advaita (non-dualism) sub-schools of Vedanta.

It is classified as a "poetic Upanishad" along with Kena, Katha, Shvetashvatara and Mundaka by Paul Deussen (1908).

Etymology

Isha (ईशा, Īśā) is the instrumental singular form of the noun Īt (ईट्), which is derived from the Sanskrit root Īś (ईश्), meaning "to command", "to rule, reign". The root is traditionally listed in Sanskrit grammatical texts as Īśa aiśvarye (ईशँ ऐश्वर्ये), indicating that its fundamental sense pertains to lordship, mastery, or the power to command. The term vāsyam (वास्यम्), in Ānandagiri's Isha Upanishad commentary, is explicitly glossed as vyāptam (व्याप्तम्), meaning "pervaded by". When compounding these two words, this Upanishad is also known as Ishavasya Upanishad. Thus, this Upanishad can be translated as "pervaded by the God".

The Isha Upanishad is found in the last (40th) chapter of the Shukla Yajurveda, the Vajasaneyi Samhita. Thus, the Isha Upanishad is also referred to as the Vajasaneyi Samhita Upanishad.

Chronology

The chronology of Isha Upanishad, along with other Vedic era literature, is unclear and contested by scholars. All opinions rest on scanty evidence, assumptions about likely evolution of ideas, and on presumptions about which philosophy might have influenced which other Indian philosophies.

Scholars of Buddhism such as Richard King date Isha Upanishad's composition roughly to the second half of the first millennium BCE, chronologically placing it after the first Buddhist Pali canons.

Scholars of Hinduism such as Stephen Phillips note the disagreement between modern scholars. Phillips suggests that Isha Upanishad was likely one of the earliest Upanishads, composed in the 1st half of 1st millennium BCE, after Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya, but before Taittiriya, Aitareya, Kaushitaki, Kena, Katha, Manduka, Prasna, Shvetashvatara and Maitri Upanishads, as well as before the earliest Buddhist Pali and Jaina canons.

Earlier 19th- and 20th-century scholars have similarly expressed a spectrum of views. Isha Upanishad has been chronologically listed by them as being among early Upanishads to being one among the middle Upanishads. Deussen suggested, for example, that Isha was composed after ancient prose Upanishads – Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Kaushitaki and Kena; during a period when metrical poem-like Upanishads were being composed. Further, he suggests that Isha was composed before other prose Upanishads such as Prasna, Maitri, Mandukya and all post-Vedic era Upanishads.

Winternitz, suggests that Isha Upanishad was probably a pre-Buddha composition along with Katha, Shvetashvatara, Mundaka and Prasna Upanishad, but after the first phase of ancient Upanishads that were composed in prose such as Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Kaushitaki and Kena. Winternitz states that Isha was likely composed before post-Buddhist Upanishads such as Maitri and Mandukya.