The Upanishads, the sacred writings of Hinduism, predate recorded history. Since they were revealed to the Rishis of the ancient Vedic civilization some 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, many have come to regard them as the greatest of all books in the history of world religions – the kernel of the mystical and philosophical truths that are the basis of understanding religion today.

Alan Jacobs has used free modern verse to convey the essential meaning and poetry of the original text, omitting Sanskrit words as much as possible and providing a clear, contemporary commentary.