Essence of the Upanishads

Through his interpretation of one important Upanishad, an ancient wisdom text, Eknath Easwaran shows how the timeless Indian tradition offers guidance on how to live today. Lyrical, dramatic, and inspiring, the Katha Upanishad presents the core ideas of Indian mysticism in a mythic story all can relate to the adventure of a young hero, Nachiketa, who passes into the kingdom of Death in search of immortality.

The King of Death tests his resolve, but the teenager stands firm, demanding answers to the age-old questions, What is the purpose of life? What happens to me when I die? Death emerges as the perfect spiritual guide ? direct, uncompromising, and challenging.

Easwaran's approach to the Katha is both practical and universal. He explains key Sanskrit terms like karma and prana, illustrating them through everyday anecdotes and entertaining analogies while placing Indian spirituality into the broader context of world mysticism.

About the Author

Eknath Easwaran (1910-1999) is respected around the world as an authentic guide to universal wisdom. Author of the best-selling Classics of Indian Spirituality series, Easwaran had both a deep intuitive knowledge of his own Hindu legacy and a love of English literature. He was chairman of the English department at a major Indian university when he came to the United States on a Fulbright fellowship in 1959. His twenty-seven books on meditation and the classics of world mysticism have been translated into twenty-six languages. Through the Blue Mountain Centre of Meditation and its publishing arm, Nilgiri Press, Easwaran continues to reach an ever-growing audience around the world through publications and retreats.