Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1How people might or could or should have elaborated religious ideas, is a topic most warmly discussed among psychologists and theologians, but a study of the documents, in which alone the actual growth of religious thought can be traced, is much neglected. SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST. xliii A faithful, unvarnished prose translation of the Sacred Books of India, Persia, China, and Arabia, though it may interest careful students, will never, I fear, excite a widespread interest, or command a circulation large enough to make it a matter of private enterprise and commercial speculation. No doubt there is much in these old books that is startling by its very simplicity and truth, much that is elevated and elevating, much that is beautiful and sublime; but people who have vague ideas of primeval wisdom and the splendour of Eastern poetry will soon find themselves grievously disappointed. It cannot be too strongly stated, that the chief, and, in many cases, the only interest of the Sacred Books of the East is historical; that much in them is extremely childish, tedious, if not repulsive; and that no one but the historian will be able to understand the important lessons which they teach. It would have been impossible to undertake a translation even of the most important only of the Sacred Books of the East, without the support of an Academy or a University which recognises the necessity of rendering these works more generally accessible, on the same grounds on which it recognises the duty of collecting and exhibiting in Museums the petrifactions of bygone ages, little concerned whether the public admires the beauty of fossilised plants and broken skeletons, as long as hard-working students find there some light for reading once more the darker pages in the history of the earth. ‘ Having been so fortunate as to secure that support, having also received promises of assistance from some of the best Oriental scholars in England and India, I hope I shall be able, after the necessary preparations are completed, to publish about three volumes of translations every year, selecting from the stores of the six so-called ‘Book-religions’ those works which at present can be translated, and which are most likely to prove useful. All translations will be made from the original texts, and where good translations exist already, they will be carefully revised by competent scholars. Such is the bulk of the religious literature of the Brahmans and the Buddhists, that to attempt a complete translation would be far beyond the powers of one generation of scholars. Still, if the interest in the work itself should continue, there is no reason why this series of translations should not be carried on, even after those who commenced it shall have ceased from their labours. What I contemplate at present, and I am afraid at my time of life even this may seem too sanguine, is no more than a Series xliv PREFACE TO THE
2What I contemplate at present, and I am afraid at my time of life even this may seem too sanguine, is no more than a Series xliv PREFACE TO THE of twenty-four volumes, the publication of which will probably extend over eight years. In this Series I hope to comprehend the following books, though I do not pledge myself to adhere strictly to this outline :— 1. From among the Sacred Books of the Brahmans I hope to give a translation of the Hymns of the Rig-veda. While I shall continue my translation of selected hymns of that Veda, a traduction raisonnée which is intended for Sanskrit scholars only, on the same principles which I have followed in the first volume’, explaining every word and sentence that seems to require elucidation, and carefully examining the opinions of previous commentators, both native and European, I intend to contribute a freer translation of the hymns to this Series, with a few explanatory notes only, such as are absolutely necessary to enable readers who are unacquainted with Sanskrit to understand the thoughts of the Vedic poets. The translation of perhaps another Samhita, one or two of the Brahmaaas, or portions of them, will have to be included in our Series, as well as the principal Upanishads, theosophic treatises of great interest and beauty. There is every prospect of an early appearance of a translation of the Bhagavad-git4, of the most important among the sacred Law-books, and of one at least of the Purdsas. I should have wished to include a translation of some of the Gain books, of the Granth of the Sikhs, and of similar works illustrative of the later developments of religion in India, but there is hardly room for them at present. 2. The Sacred Books of the Buddhists will be translated chiefly from the two original collections, the Southern in Pali, the Northern in Sanskrit. Here the selection will, no doubt, be most difficult. Among the first books to be published will be, I hope, Satras from the Digha Nik4ya, a part of the Vinaya-pifaka, the Dhammapada, the Divy4vadana, the Lalita-vistara, or legendary life of Buddha. ; 3. The Sacred Books of the Zoroastrians lie within a smaller compass, but they will require fuller notes and commentaries in order to make a translation intelligible and useful. 4. The books which enjoy the highest authority with the followers of Khung-fd-3ze are the King and the Sha. Of the former the Sh King or Book of History; the Odes of the Temple and ? Rig-veda-sanhité, The Sacred Hymns of the Brahmans, translated and explained by F. Max Miller. Vol. i. Hymns to the Maruts or the Storm-Gods. London, 1869. SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST. xlv
3Of the former the Sh King or Book of History; the Odes of the Temple and ? Rig-veda-sanhité, The Sacred Hymns of the Brahmans, translated and explained by F. Max Miller. Vol. i. Hymns to the Maruts or the Storm-Gods. London, 1869. SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST. xlv the Altar, and other pieces illustrating the ancient religious views and practices of the Chinese, in the Shih King or Book of Poetry; the Yi King; the Lt Xf; and the Hsiao King or Classic of Filial Piety, will all be given, it is hoped, entire. ‘Of the latter, the Series will contain the Xung Yung or Doctrine of the Mean; the Ta Hsio or Great Learning; all Confucius’ utterances in the Lun Yi or Confucian Analects, which are of a religious nature, and refer to the principles of his moral system; and Mang-3ze’s Doctrine of the Goodness of Human Nature. 5. For the system of L&o-3ze we require only a translation of the T4o-teh King with some of its commentaries, and, it may be, an authoritative work to illustrate the actual operation of its principles. 6. For Islam, all that is éssential is a trustworthy translation of the Koran. It will be my endeavour to divide the twenty-four volumes which are contemplated in this Series as equally as possible among the six religions. But much must depend on the assistance which I receive from Oriental scholars, and also on the interest and the wishes of the public. .. F. MAX MULLER. Oxrorp, October, 1876. The following distinguished scholars, all of them occupying the foremost rank in their own special departments of Oriental literature, are at present engaged in preparing translations of some of the Sacred Books of the East: S. Beal, R. G. Bhan-: darkar, G. Bihler, A. Burnell, E. B. Cowell, J. Darmesteter, T, W. Rhys Davids, J. Eggeling, V. Fausbdéll, H. Jacobi, J. Jolly, H. Kern, F. Kielhorn, J. Legge, H. Oldenberg, E. H. Palmer, R. Pischel, K. T. Telang, E. W. West. The works which for the present have been selected for translation are the following: I. AncieENT VeEpic RELIGION. Hymns of the Azg-veda. The Satapatha-brahmaza. xlvi PREFACE TO THE The Upanishads. The Grzhya-sitras of Hirazyakesin and others. II. Law-Books IN PROSE. The Sttras of Apastamba, Gautama, Baudhdyana, Vasish¢ha, Vishau, &c. TIL LAW-BOOKS IN VERSE. The Laws of Manu, Yagfiavalkya, &c. IV. Larter BRAHMANISM. The Bhagavad-gita. The Vayu-puraza. V. Buppuism. 1. Pali Documents. The Mah4parinibbana Sutta, the Tevigga Sutta, the Mahasudassana Sutta, the Dhammagakkappavattana Sutta; the Suttanipdta; the Mahdvagga, the Xullavagga, and the Patimokkha. 2. Sanskrit Documents. The Divyavadana and Saddharmapuzaartka. 3. Chinese Documents. The Phf-y4o King, or life of Buddha. 4. Prakrit Gaina Documents. The Afaranga Sdtra, Dasavaik4lika Sdtra, Satrakrvztanga, and Uttaradhyayana Satra. VI. Parsi REtIcIon. 1. Zend Documents. The Venditdad. SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST. xlvii 2. Pehlevi and Parsi Documents.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1How people might or could or should have elaborated religious ideas, is a topic most warmly discussed among psychologists and theologians, but a study of the documents, in which alone the actual growth of religious thought can be traced, is much neglected. SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST. xliii A faithful, unvarnished prose translation of the Sacred Books of India, Persia, China, and Arabia, though it may interest careful students, will never, I fear, excite a widespread interest, or command a circulation large enough to make it a matter of private enterprise and commercial speculation. No doubt there is much in these old books that is startling by its very simplicity and truth, much that is elevated and elevating, much that is beautiful and sublime; but people who have vague ideas of primeval wisdom and the splendour of Eastern poetry will soon find themselves grievously disappointed. It cannot be too strongly stated, that the chief, and, in many cases, the only interest of the Sacred Books of the East is historical; that much in them is extremely childish, tedious, if not repulsive; and that no one but the historian will be able to understand the important lessons which they teach. It would have been impossible to undertake a translation even of the most important only of the Sacred Books of the East, without the support of an Academy or a University which recognises the necessity of rendering these works more generally accessible, on the same grounds on which it recognises the duty of collecting and exhibiting in Museums the petrifactions of bygone ages, little concerned whether the public admires the beauty of fossilised plants and broken skeletons, as long as hard-working students find there some light for reading once more the darker pages in the history of the earth. ‘ Having been so fortunate as to secure that support, having also received promises of assistance from some of the best Oriental scholars in England and India, I hope I shall be able, after the necessary preparations are completed, to publish about three volumes of translations every year, selecting from the stores of the six so-called ‘Book-religions’ those works which at present can be translated, and which are most likely to prove useful. All translations will be made from the original texts, and where good translations exist already, they will be carefully revised by competent scholars. Such is the bulk of the religious literature of the Brahmans and the Buddhists, that to attempt a complete translation would be far beyond the powers of one generation of scholars. Still, if the interest in the work itself should continue, there is no reason why this series of translations should not be carried on, even after those who commenced it shall have ceased from their labours. What I contemplate at present, and I am afraid at my time of life even this may seem too sanguine, is no more than a Series xliv PREFACE TO THE
2What I contemplate at present, and I am afraid at my time of life even this may seem too sanguine, is no more than a Series xliv PREFACE TO THE of twenty-four volumes, the publication of which will probably extend over eight years. In this Series I hope to comprehend the following books, though I do not pledge myself to adhere strictly to this outline :— 1. From among the Sacred Books of the Brahmans I hope to give a translation of the Hymns of the Rig-veda. While I shall continue my translation of selected hymns of that Veda, a traduction raisonnée which is intended for Sanskrit scholars only, on the same principles which I have followed in the first volume’, explaining every word and sentence that seems to require elucidation, and carefully examining the opinions of previous commentators, both native and European, I intend to contribute a freer translation of the hymns to this Series, with a few explanatory notes only, such as are absolutely necessary to enable readers who are unacquainted with Sanskrit to understand the thoughts of the Vedic poets. The translation of perhaps another Samhita, one or two of the Brahmaaas, or portions of them, will have to be included in our Series, as well as the principal Upanishads, theosophic treatises of great interest and beauty. There is every prospect of an early appearance of a translation of the Bhagavad-git4, of the most important among the sacred Law-books, and of one at least of the Purdsas. I should have wished to include a translation of some of the Gain books, of the Granth of the Sikhs, and of similar works illustrative of the later developments of religion in India, but there is hardly room for them at present. 2. The Sacred Books of the Buddhists will be translated chiefly from the two original collections, the Southern in Pali, the Northern in Sanskrit. Here the selection will, no doubt, be most difficult. Among the first books to be published will be, I hope, Satras from the Digha Nik4ya, a part of the Vinaya-pifaka, the Dhammapada, the Divy4vadana, the Lalita-vistara, or legendary life of Buddha. ; 3. The Sacred Books of the Zoroastrians lie within a smaller compass, but they will require fuller notes and commentaries in order to make a translation intelligible and useful. 4. The books which enjoy the highest authority with the followers of Khung-fd-3ze are the King and the Sha. Of the former the Sh King or Book of History; the Odes of the Temple and ? Rig-veda-sanhité, The Sacred Hymns of the Brahmans, translated and explained by F. Max Miller. Vol. i. Hymns to the Maruts or the Storm-Gods. London, 1869. SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST. xlv
3Of the former the Sh King or Book of History; the Odes of the Temple and ? Rig-veda-sanhité, The Sacred Hymns of the Brahmans, translated and explained by F. Max Miller. Vol. i. Hymns to the Maruts or the Storm-Gods. London, 1869. SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST. xlv the Altar, and other pieces illustrating the ancient religious views and practices of the Chinese, in the Shih King or Book of Poetry; the Yi King; the Lt Xf; and the Hsiao King or Classic of Filial Piety, will all be given, it is hoped, entire. ‘Of the latter, the Series will contain the Xung Yung or Doctrine of the Mean; the Ta Hsio or Great Learning; all Confucius’ utterances in the Lun Yi or Confucian Analects, which are of a religious nature, and refer to the principles of his moral system; and Mang-3ze’s Doctrine of the Goodness of Human Nature. 5. For the system of L&o-3ze we require only a translation of the T4o-teh King with some of its commentaries, and, it may be, an authoritative work to illustrate the actual operation of its principles. 6. For Islam, all that is éssential is a trustworthy translation of the Koran. It will be my endeavour to divide the twenty-four volumes which are contemplated in this Series as equally as possible among the six religions. But much must depend on the assistance which I receive from Oriental scholars, and also on the interest and the wishes of the public. .. F. MAX MULLER. Oxrorp, October, 1876. The following distinguished scholars, all of them occupying the foremost rank in their own special departments of Oriental literature, are at present engaged in preparing translations of some of the Sacred Books of the East: S. Beal, R. G. Bhan-: darkar, G. Bihler, A. Burnell, E. B. Cowell, J. Darmesteter, T, W. Rhys Davids, J. Eggeling, V. Fausbdéll, H. Jacobi, J. Jolly, H. Kern, F. Kielhorn, J. Legge, H. Oldenberg, E. H. Palmer, R. Pischel, K. T. Telang, E. W. West. The works which for the present have been selected for translation are the following: I. AncieENT VeEpic RELIGION. Hymns of the Azg-veda. The Satapatha-brahmaza. xlvi PREFACE TO THE The Upanishads. The Grzhya-sitras of Hirazyakesin and others. II. Law-Books IN PROSE. The Sttras of Apastamba, Gautama, Baudhdyana, Vasish¢ha, Vishau, &c. TIL LAW-BOOKS IN VERSE. The Laws of Manu, Yagfiavalkya, &c. IV. Larter BRAHMANISM. The Bhagavad-gita. The Vayu-puraza. V. Buppuism. 1. Pali Documents. The Mah4parinibbana Sutta, the Tevigga Sutta, the Mahasudassana Sutta, the Dhammagakkappavattana Sutta; the Suttanipdta; the Mahdvagga, the Xullavagga, and the Patimokkha. 2. Sanskrit Documents. The Divyavadana and Saddharmapuzaartka. 3. Chinese Documents. The Phf-y4o King, or life of Buddha. 4. Prakrit Gaina Documents. The Afaranga Sdtra, Dasavaik4lika Sdtra, Satrakrvztanga, and Uttaradhyayana Satra. VI. Parsi REtIcIon. 1. Zend Documents. The Venditdad. SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST. xlvii 2. Pehlevi and Parsi Documents.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
No commentary for this page.