Chapter 1: Introduction: What is an Upani¿ad? by Signe Cohen. Chapter 2: The Date of the Upani¿ads by Signe Cohen. Chapter 3: The Authorship of the Upani¿ads by Signe Cohen. Chapter 4: The Redaction and Transmission of the Upani¿ads by Signe Cohen. Chapter 5: Ancient India: Geographical, Historical, and Cultural Background by Signe Cohen. Chapter 6: The Older Vedas and the Upani¿ads by Dermot Killingley. Chapter 7: The Religious and Ritual Background by Dermot Killingley. Chapter 8: The Upani¿ads and Early Buddhism by Signe Cohen. Chapter 9: The Social Background: Caste and Gender in the Upani¿ads by Steven Lindquist. Chapter 10: Prominent Characters in the Upani¿ads by Steven Lindquist. Chapter 11: ¿tman and brahman in the principal Upani¿ads by Jacqueline Suthren Hirst. Chapter 12: Karma and Rebirth in the Upani¿ads by Dermot Killingley. Chapter 13: Knowledge and Liberation in the Upani¿ads by Dermot Killingley. Chapter 14: The Upani¿adic Episteme by Jonardon Ganeri. Chapter 15: Mantras and Sacred Language by Signe Cohen. Chapter 16: The Upani¿ads and the Emergence of Theism by Dermot Killingley. Chapter 17: The Upani¿ads and Yoga by Dermot Killingley. Chapter 18: The Upani¿ads and the Mah¿bh¿rata by Brian Black. Chapter 19: The Upani¿ads and the Bhagavadg¿t¿ by Simon Brodbeck. Chapter 20: The Upani¿ads and Later Hinduism by Dermot Killingley. Chapter 21: Dara Shikoh and the First Translation of the Upani¿ads by Signe Cohen. Chapter 22: Schopenhauer and the Upani¿ads by Signe Cohen. Chapter 23: The B¿had¿räyaka Upani¿ad by Dermot Killingley. Chapter 24: The Ch¿ndogya Upani¿ad by Dermot Killingley. Chapter 25: The Aitareya Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 26: The The Kau¿¿taki Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 27: The Taittir¿ya Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 28: The ¿¿¿ Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 29: The Präna Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 30: The Mu¿¿aka Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 31: The Käha Upani¿ad by Elizabeth Schiltz. Chapter 32: The ¿vet¿¿vatara Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 33: The Kena Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 34: The Maitr¿ Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 35: The M¿¿¿¿kya Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 36: The Mah¿n¿r¿yäa Upani¿ad by Signe Cohen. Chapter 37: The Vai¿¿ava Upani¿ads by Signe Cohen. Chapter 38: The ¿aiva Upani¿ads by Signe Cohen. Chapter 39: The Dev¿ Upani¿ads by Signe Cohen. Chapter 40: The Säny¿sa Upani¿ads by Signe Cohen. Chapter 41: The Yoga Upani¿ads by Signe Cohen. Chapter 42: Conclusion by Signe Cohen

Signe Cohen is Associate Professor of South Asian Religions at the University of Missouri, USA.

The Upani¿ads are among the most sacred foundational scriptures in the Hindu religion. Composed from 800 BCE onwards and making up part of the larger Vedic corpus, they offer the reader "knowledge lessons" on life, death, and immortality. While they are essential to understanding Hinduism and Asian religions more generally, their complexities make them almost impenetrable to anyone but serious scholars of Sanskrit and ancient Indian culture.
This book is divided into five parts:
Composition, authorship, and transmission of the Upani¿ads;
The historical, cultural, and religious background of the Upani¿ads;
Religion and philosophy in the Upani¿ads;
The classical Upani¿ads;
The later Upani¿ads.
The chapters cover critical issues such as the origins of the Upani¿ads, authorship, and redaction, as well as exploring the broad religious and philosophical themes within the texts. The guide analyzes each of the Upani¿ads separately, unpacking their contextual relevance and explaining difficult terms and concepts. The Upani¿ads: A Complete Guide is a unique and valuable reference source for undergraduate religious studies, history, and philosophy students and researchers who want to learn more about these foundational sacred texts and the religious lessons in the Hindu tradition.