Allopanishad

Last updated

Allah-Upanishad or Allopanishad is a Sanskrit apocryphal text with many Arabic words generally argued and believed to be written in India in 16th century during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar. [1] [2] It describes Akbar as a messenger or prophet of God. [3] The word Allah is used in Sanskrit to denote the Shakti or devi or female aspect of the god.[ citation needed ] It is mainly used in the tantric scriptures of devi worship.[ citation needed ] Hum is a bija mantra and is attached to the word Allah and forms Allahumma.[ citation needed ]

Contents

The Allopanishad was the importance part of upnishad until 19th century. After 19th century scholars denied Allopanishad as part of the Upanishad canon, traditionally containing 108 Upanishads, and does not appear in any Vedas. In an issue of The Theosophist, R. Ananthakrishna Sastri wrote that the work was written by Pandits for monetary rewards during the time of Muslim rule in India. He further remarked that the work was not in the style of ordinary Upanishads and its words appear to sound more like Arabic. [4] Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya and B. K. Sarkar categorize Allopanishad as an Islamic Work and write that it was written by a Hindu courtier of Akbar, as an apocryphal chapter of the Atharvaveda. Swami Vivekananda said, "I have been told that Allopanishad was written during the reign of Akbar, to bring the Hindus and Mahommedans together, and sometimes they got hold of some word, as Allah, or Illa in the Samhitas, and made an Upanishad on it. So in this Allopanishad, Mahomet is the Rajasulla, whatever that may mean." [5]

Text

  1. I take refuge in our Allah [La, "to perish", and alla, "eternal"] who protects Mitra [sun] and Varuna [the god of water].
  2. There is but one God [Illelle]; the king, Varuna, again takes refuge (in him).
  3. Everything is God; sun and stars.
  4. Everything is God; Varuna, the sun, the illuminator.
  5. The Great Breath, the Lord, is the Sacrificer. The Lord is the Sacrificer.
  6. Allah is the first and best, the highest; Omnipresent; Highest of all Gods.
  7. He is only One; ever remaining.
  8. By sacrifice is Allah to be propitiated.
  9. Allah is sun, moon and all stars.
  10. Allah is (the God) of Rishis and all other deities, and of Indra, the first Maya [primordial matter] and the ether.
  11. Allah is in the earth and in heaven and in multifarious forms.
  12. Everything is Allah. Everything is Allah and everything is He.
  13. Om is Allah. Everything is He. By nature eternal. Atharvan [the Rishi] bows down to such.
  14. Give us water, cattle, siddhis, and things that live in water, and Phut [a mantra].
  15. The slayer of enemies. Hum, Hrim. Nothing but Allah; nothing but Allah. Thus ends the Allopanishad.

Views on authorship and authenticity

In an issue of The Theosophist, R. Ananthakrishna Sastri wrote that the work was written by Pandits for monetary rewards during the time of Muslim rule in India. He further remarked that the work was not in the style of ordinary Upanishads and its words appear to sound more like Arabic. [4] Bhattacharya and Sarkar categorize Allopanishad as an Islamic Work and write that it was written by a Hindu courtier of Akbar, as an apocryphal chapter of the Atharvaveda. Charles Eliot suggested that the work may have been written in connection with the Din-i-Ilahi movement, and wrote that the work can hardly be described as other than a forgery. [3] Author S. N. Sadasivan says, "When emperor Akbar was toying the idea with new religion Din-i Ilahi, the Brahmins had written for him a new upanishad called "Allopanishad" (upanishad of Allah) which strangely was not acceptable for him". [6] Swami Vivekananda wrote that Allopanishad was evidently of a much later date and that he was told that it was written in the reign of Akbar to bring Hindus and Muslims together. [5] Sadasivan writes that it was written by Brahmins for Akbar when he was experimenting with a new religion. [7] Debendranath Tagore wrote in his autobiography that Allopanishad was composed in the days of Akbar with the objective of converting Hindus into Muslims. [8] Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote that the Allopanishad was the shameless production of some brahmin sycophant of Muslim rulers of India. [9] Abraham Eraly states that the book was symbolic of the various cross-cultural pollination between Hindu and Muslim cultures during the time of the Mughals and was meant to bring the two communities together. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raja Ram Mohan Roy</span> Indian reformer and writer (1772–1833)

Ram Mohan Roy was an Indian reformer and writer who was one of the founders of the Brahmo Sabha in 1828, the precursor of the Brahmo Samaj, a socio-religious reform movement in the Indian subcontinent. He has been dubbed the "Father of Indian Renaissance." He was given the title of Raja by Mughal emperor Akbar II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swami Vivekananda</span> Indian Hindu monk and philosopher (1863–1902)

Swami Vivekananda, born Narendranath Datta was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. He is credited with raising interfaith awareness and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion in the late nineteenth century.

<i>Rishi</i> Sanskrit term for a sage in Indian religions

In Indian religions, a rishi is an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mention in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "great yogis" or "sages" who after intense meditation (tapas) realized the supreme truth and eternal knowledge, which they composed into hymns. The term appears in Pali literature as Ishi; in Buddhism they can be either Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, Arahats or a monk of high rank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhagwan Das</span> Indian theosophist (1869–1958)

Bhagwan Das was an Indian Theosophist and public figure. For a time he served in the Central Legislative Assembly of British India. He became allied with the Hindustani Culture Society and was active in opposing rioting as a form of protest. As an advocate for national freedom from the British rule, he was often in danger of reprisals from the Colonial government. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gayatri Mantra</span> Mantra of the Vedic tradition

The Gāyatrī Mantra, also known as the Sāvitrī Mantra, is a sacred mantra from the Ṛig Veda, dedicated to the Vedic deity Savitr. It is known as "Mother of the Vedas".

Shri Purohit Swami was a Hindu teacher from Maharashtra, India.

Brahmo Samaj is the societal component of Brahmoism, which began as a monotheistic reformist movement that appeared during the Bengal Renaissance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Din-i Ilahi</span> Syncretic religion propounded by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1582

The Dīn-i Ilāhī, known during its time as Tawḥīd-i-Ilāhī or Divine Faith, was a short lived syncretic religion propounded by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1582. According to Iqtidar Alam Khan, it was based on the Timurid concept of Yasa-e Changezi, to consider all sects as one. The elements were drawn from different religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhaskararaya</span> Hindu writer and exponent of Shaktism

Bhāskararāya Makhin (1690–1785) was a religious exponent and writer known for his contributions to the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. He was born in a Maharashtrian Brahmin family at Hyderabad, Telangana. Bhaskara raya was welcomed by king Serfoji II of Bhonsle dynasty in South India, and thereupon he settled in Tamil Nadu. According to Douglas Renfrew Brooks, a professor of Religion specializing in Shaktism studies, Bhāskararāya was "not only a brilliant interpreter of Srividya, he was an encyclopedic writer", and that he was a "thinker who had the wealth of Tantric and Vedic traditions at his fingertips". He belonged to the Srividya tradition of the Shakta Tantrism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natesa Sastri</span> Tamil writer and folklorist

S. M. Natesa Sastri (1859–1906) was a polyglot, scholar in eighteen languages and authored many books in Tamil, Sanskrit and English. His scholarliness over Tamil and Sanskrit languages got him the title "Pandit'.

Saraswati P. Venkataraman Sastri , hieratically titled H.H. JagadguruShankaracharya Swami Bharatikrishna Tirtha (1884–1960), was Shankaracharya and officiating pontiff of Dwaraka Math, and then the 143rd Shankaracharya and supreme pontiff of Govardhana Math in Puri in the Indian state of Odisha, from 1925 through 1960. He is particularly known for his book Vedic Mathematics, being the first Sankaracarya in history to visit the West, and for his connection with nationalist aspirations, thus earning him the title 'Father Of The Vedic Maths'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adibhatla Narayana Dasu</span> Indian poet and musician (1864–1945)

Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Das was a multifaceted gem of a talent in diverse fields of learning and forms of fine arts in Madras Presidency, British India. He was born in Ajjada village, near Bobbili, presently in Balijipeta mandal of Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bapudeva Sastri</span> Indian scholar in Sanskrit and mathematics and translator

Bapudeva Sastri or Narasimha Deva Paranjpe (1821–1900) was an Indian mathematician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya</span> Indian academic (1836–1906)

Mahamahopadhyay Pandit Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya was an Indian scholar of the Sanskrit language and the principal of the Sanskrit College between 1876 and 1895. A friend and colleague of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, he was involved in the Bengal Renaissance.

Adi Dharm refers to the religion of Adi Brahmo Samaj the first development of Brahmoism and includes those Sadharan Brahmo Samajists who were reintegrated into Brahmoism after the second schism of 1878 at the instance of Devendranath Tagore. This was the first organised casteless movement in British India and reverberated from its heart of Bengal to Assam, Bombay State, Punjab and Madras, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.

<i>Swami Vivekananda</i> (1998 film) 1998 Indian film by G. V. Iyer

Swami Vivekananda is a 1998 Indian biographical film directed by G. V. Iyer and produced by T. Subbarami Reddy. It took Iyer 11 years to finish the research work required for the film and to write the screenplay.

<i>Kaivalya Upanishad</i> Ancient minor Upanishad, in Sanskrit

The Kaivalya Upanishad is an ancient Sanskrit text and one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. It is classified as a Shaiva Upanishad, and survives into modern times in two versions, one attached to the Krishna Yajurveda and other attached to the Atharvaveda. It is, as an Upanishad, a part of the corpus of Vedanta literature collection that presents the philosophical concepts of Hinduism.

<i>Skanda Upanishad</i> Hindu text

Skanda Upanishad or Skandopanishad is one of the 108 Upanishads of Hinduism, written in Sanskrit. It is classified as a Samanya (general) Upanishad and is associated with the Krishna Yajurveda, one of the 32 listed Upanishads under it.

In 1888, Swami Vivekananda left the monastery as a Parivrâjaka— the Hindu religious life of a wandering monk, "without fixed abode, without ties, independent and strangers wherever they go". His sole possessions were a kamandalu, staff and his two favourite books: the Bhagavad Gita and The Imitation of Christ. Narendra travelled extensively in India for five years, visiting centres of learning and acquainting himself with diverse religious traditions and social patterns. He developed sympathy for the suffering and poverty of the people, and resolved to uplift the nation. Living primarily on bhiksha (alms), Swami Vivekananda travelled on foot and by railway. During his travels he met, and stayed with Indians from all religions and walks of life: scholars, dewans, rajas, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, paraiyars and government officials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism and Theosophy</span> Parallels between Hinduism and Theosophy

Hinduism is regarded by modern Theosophy as one of the main sources of "esoteric wisdom" of the East. The Theosophical Society was created in a hope that Asian philosophical-religious ideas "could be integrated into a grand religious synthesis." Prof. Antoine Faivre wrote that "by its content and its inspiration" the Theosophical Society is greatly dependent on Eastern traditions, "especially Hindu; in this, it well reflects the cultural climate in which it was born." A Russian Indologist Alexander Senkevich noted that the concept of Helena Blavatsky's Theosophy was based on Hinduism. According to Encyclopedia of Hinduism, "Theosophy is basically a Western esoteric teaching, but it resonated with Hinduism at a variety of points."

References

  1. ↑ Raghavan, V. (1966). New catalogus catalogorum: an alphabetical register of Sanskrit and allied works and authors. Vol. 1. Madras: University of Madras. p. 410. OCLC   1163653281.
  2. ↑ "Allopaniṣad (Work) - Pandit". www.panditproject.org. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  3. 1 2 Eliot, Sir Charles (2004). Hinduism and Buddhism: An Historical Sketch, Volume 1. Philadelphia, USA: Psychology Press. p. 270. ISBN   978-0-7007-0679-2. It declares that the Allah of the prophet Muhammad Akbar (i.e., not the Allah of the Koran) is the God of Gods.
  4. 1 2 Sastri, R Ananthakrishna (1898). "Allopanishad or Mahomed Upanishad". The Theosophist. XIX. Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House: 177. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Vivekananda, Swami (1908). Lectures from Columbo to Almora: Issue 16 of Himalayan series. Madras, India: Prabuddha Bharata Press. p. 123. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  6. ↑ S. N. Sadasivan (2000). A social history of India. p. 178. ISBN   9788176481700.
  7. ↑ Sadasivan, S. N. (2000). A Social History Of India (Illustrated ed.). New Delhi, India: APH Publishing. p. 178. ISBN   978-81-7648-170-0.
  8. ↑ Tagore, Satyendranath; Devi, Indira (2006). The Autobiography Of Devendranath Tagore (Reprint ed.). Whitefish, Montana, USA: Kessinger Publishing. p. 74. ISBN   978-1-4286-1497-0.
  9. ↑ Bijlert, Viktor A. van (1996). "Sanskrit and Hindu National Identity in Nineteenth-Century Bengal". In Houben, Jan E. M. (ed.). Ideology and Status of Sanskrit: Contributions to the History of the Sanskrit Language: Volume 13 of Brill's Indological Library (Illustrated ed.). Leiden, The Netherlands: E. J. Brill. p. 358. ISBN   978-90-04-10613-0.
  10. ↑ Abraham Eraly, The Mughal World: Life in India's Last Golden Age, Penguin Books India 2007
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.