[Solved] Persian Translation of Upanishads by Dara Shikoh

Upanishadas were translated into Persian during the reign of:

[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2009]

Detailed Solution & Historical Context

Concept

The 17th century saw a unique intellectual synthesis in the Mughal court, spearheaded by Prince Dara Shikoh, who sought to find a common ground between Islamic Sufism and Hindu Upanishadic philosophy.

Authentic Source Evidence

During the reign of Shah Jahan, his eldest son Dara Shikoh translated 52 Upanishads into Persian. He titled this collection 'Sirr-i-Akbar' (The Great Secret).

Analytical Breakdown

Logic 1: Dara Shikoh believed the 'Hidden Book' mentioned in the Quran was actually the Upanishads.

Logic 2: This effort was part of his larger project, Majma-ul-Bahrayn (The Mingling of the Two Oceans), aiming for religious harmony.

Note: This Persian translation later reached Europe and became the first source of Upanishadic knowledge for Western scholars like Schopenhauer.

Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic

"What was the Persian title of the Upanishad translation?"

It was titled 'Sirr-i-Akbar', which means 'The Great Secret'.

Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip

"Dara Shikoh’s work was the first attempt at a systematic cross-cultural comparison of Islamic and Hindu metaphysical traditions."

Topic Clusters (click to see related topic questions)

Dara Shikoh 7 Sirr-i-Akbar 3

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