Brian Black 
The Character of the Self in Ancient India 
Priests, Kings, and Women in the Early Upaniṣads

This groundbreaking book is an elegant exploration of the Upanisads, often considered the fountainhead of the rich, varied philosophical tradition in India. The Upaniṣads, in addition to their philosophical content, have a number of sections that contain narratives and dialogues—a literary dimension largely ignored by the Indian philosophical tradition, as well as by modern scholars. Brian Black draws attention to these literary elements and demonstrates that they are fundamental to understanding the philosophical claims of the text.



Focusing on the Upanisadic notion of the self (ātman), the book is organized into four main sections that feature a lesson taught by a brahmin teacher to a brahmin student, debates between brahmins, discussions between brahmins and kings, and conversations between brahmins and women. These dialogical situations feature dramatic elements that bring attention to both the participants and the social contexts of Upanisadic philosophy, characterizing philosophy as something achieved through discussion and debate. In addition to making a number of innovative arguments, the author also guides the reader through these profound and engaging texts, offering ways of reading the Upaniṣads that make them more understandable and accessible.

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Acknowledgments

Abbreviations



Introduction



      Opening statement

      What are the Upanisads?

      The self, life, death, and immortality

      The historical and social context

      Characterizing the self

      Literary characters

      The social conditions of knowledge

      Mystery or mystique: The character of knowledge



1. Teachers and students: The emergence of teaching as an object of discourse



      Introduction

      Sandilya and the teaching of
atman and
brahman

      Sandilya: From ritualist to teacher

      Uddalaka Aruni and the teaching of
tat tvam asi

      Uddalaka and Svetaketu: Acting out the
upanayana

      Indra as the persistent student

      Narada and Sanatkumara: Knowledge of
atman as more important than the Vedas

      Naciketas and the initiation of an Upanishadic brahmin

      The graduation of a brahmin student in the
Taittiriya Upanisad

      Satyakama and the beginnings of a brahmin hagiography

      Conclusion



2. Debates between brahmins: The competitive dynamics of the
brahmodya



      Introduction

      The
brahmodya and the sacrifice

      Uddalaka Aruni and the
brahmodya in the
Satapatha Brahmana

      Yajnavalkya and the philosophical tournament

      Yajnavalkya’s interlocutors: The social and political implications of debate

      Yajnavalkya and the tactics of debate

      Losing face or losing one’s head? The motif of head shattering

      Upanishadic teachings and material wealth

      Yajnavalkya and renunciation

      The life story of Yajnavalkya

      Conclusion



3. Kings and brahmins: The political dimensions of the Upanisads



      Introduction

      The myth of
ksatriya authorship

      Janaka and Yajnavalkya: Negotiating the brahmin’s position in the court

      Janaka and Yajnavalkya in the
Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

      Kings as teachers: Asvapati teaches a group of brahmin householders

      Uddalaka Aruni and Svetaketu: Instructions for how to seek patronage

      Conflicting agendas for how kings should teach brahmins

      Upanishadic knowledge as a political discourse

      The battle of the
pranas as a political metaphor

      Pravahana and the teaching of the five fires

      Conclusion



4. Brahmins and women: Subjectivity and gender construction in the Upanisads



      Introduction

      The gender of the self:
Atman and the male body

      The self, virility, and immortality

      Yajnavalkya and Satyakama: Competing ideals of male subjectivity

      The myth of recovering an authentic female voice

      Gargi: The debating tactics of a female philosopher

      Women and
gandharvas: The lack of authority for female speakers

      The ambiguities of Satyakama’s mother and wife

      Maitreyi and Katyayani: Knowledge of
atman versus
striprajna

      Conclusion



Conclusion



Notes

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

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Brian Black is Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.