The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda, Edit.by J. Donald Walters-Hardcover
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Unlock the Mystery of One of the Great Spiritual Treasures of the Ages. Omar Khayyam's famous poem, The Rubaiyat, is loved by Westerners as a hymn of praise to sensual delights. In the East, his quatrains enjoy a very different reputation: they are known as a deep allegory of the soul’s romance with God. Even there, however, the knowing is based on who and what Omar Khayyam was: a sage and mystic. As for what the quatrains actually mean, most of them have remained a mystery in the East as much as in the West. After eight centuries, Paramhansa Yogananda, one of the great mystics of our times, a master of yoga, and the author of the now-classic Autobiography of a Yogi, explained the mystery behind Omar’s famous poem. This book contains the essence of that great revelation. Unavailable in book form since its first penning more than sixty years ago, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Explained is finally available, edited by one of Yogananda’s close disciples, Swami Kriyananda.
Religion & Spirituality, Literature & Fiction, Poetry, Islam Spirituality, Sufism, Persian Poetry, Iranian Sufi, Love Poems,
About the Author
Paramhansa Yogananda (1893–1952) was an Indian yogi and spiritual master, widely hailed as the “father of Yoga in the West.” In 1920, he traveled to the United States to share the timeless teachings of yoga, meditation, and Kriya Yoga with seekers around the world. His best-selling spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, has inspired millions and continues to serve as a gateway to Eastern spirituality for Western readers.
Yogananda founded the Self-Realization Fellowship to spread his universal message of harmony between science and religion, and of the essential unity among all faiths. His teachings emphasize inner realization, balance between material and spiritual life, and direct experience of God.
In The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Explained, Yogananda turned his insight to the Persian poet’s famous verses. While many Western readers interpreted the Rubaiyat as a celebration of wine, pleasure, and earthly pursuits, Yogananda revealed its deeper meaning: a spiritual allegory of the soul’s eternal journey toward union with God. With clarity and vision, he uncovered the hidden truths woven into Khayyam’s poetry, showing how its timeless wisdom reflects the universal quest for divine love and self-realization.
This work, carefully edited and completed by his disciple J. Donald Walters (Swami Kriyananda), stands as part of Yogananda’s lifelong mission: to reveal the universal spiritual principles underlying all religions and to guide seekers toward the direct experience of the Divine.
About Omar al-Khayyam
Omar al-Khayyam, renowned as a Persian polymath, poet, and astronomer, remains a figure of profound intellectual and cultural significance. Born in Nishapur, Iran, around 1048, Khayyam's life and works epitomize the flourishing of knowledge and creativity during the Islamic Golden Age.
At the heart of Khayyam's legacy lies his remarkable prowess in mathematics and astronomy. His contributions were wide-ranging, from developing a new calendar (the Jalali calendar) that more accurately calculated leap years to pioneering work on algebra and geometry. His treatise on algebra, "Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra," elucidated solutions to cubic equations—a groundbreaking achievement in medieval mathematics.
Yet, it is through his poetic expression that Khayyam resonates most deeply with the world. His quatrains, captured in the "Rubaiyat," explore themes of existence, mortality, and the fleeting nature of life with poignant simplicity. Through these verses, he philosophizes on the human condition, urging readers to embrace the present moment while contemplating the transience of life's pleasures.
Khayyam's poetry is imbued with a Sufi-like reverence for wine, not merely as a literal drink, but as a metaphor for spiritual intoxication and the liberation of the soul. His verses invite readers to ponder the mysteries of the universe and their place within it, often tinged with a melancholic acceptance of life's impermanence.
Despite his scholarly achievements and poetic prowess, Khayyam's work was not widely recognized during his lifetime. It was through later translations, particularly by Edward FitzGerald in the 19th century, that his "Rubaiyat" gained global acclaim and sparked a renewed interest in his multifaceted genius.
Omar al-Khayyam's enduring influence extends beyond his era, touching upon diverse disciplines from literature to science. His ability to seamlessly blend rigorous intellectual inquiry with profound philosophical insights makes him a timeless figure whose legacy continues to inspire and captivate generations worldwide. In celebrating Khayyam, we honor not just a brilliant mind but a poetic soul whose words transcend time, inviting us to contemplate the profound mysteries of life.
