# Sacred Books of the East

The Sacred Books of the East is a monumental 50-volume set of English translations of Asian religious texts, edited by Max Müller and published by the Oxford University Press between 1879 and 1910. It incorporates the essential sacred texts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, and Islam.
All of the books are in the public domain in the United States, and most or all are in the public domain in many other countries. Electronic versions of all 50 volumes are widely available online.
Volumes of the Sacred Books of the East :
| Vol. | Group | Published | Translator | Title and contents |
| 1 | Hindu | 1879 | Max Müller | The Upanishads, part 1/2: Khândogya Upanishad Talavakâra or Kena-Upanishad Aitareya-Âranyaka Kaushîtaki-Brâhmana Vâjasaneyi-Sâmhita Upanishad |
| 2 | Hindu | 1879 | Georg Bühler | The Sacred Laws of the Âryas (Dharmaśāstra), part 1/2: Âpastamba Gautama Vâsishtha Baudhâyana |
| 3 | China | 1879 | James Legge | The Sacred Books of China, part 1/6 – the texts of Confucianism: The Shû King (Classic of History) Book of Thang Books of Yü Books of Hsiâ Books of Shang Books of Kâu Shih King, the Book of Odes (Classic of Poetry) I. Odes of the Temple and the Altar II. Minor Odes of the Kingdom III. Major Odes of the Kingdom IV. Lessons from the States The Hsiâo King (Classic of Filial Piety) |
| 4 | Zor | 1880 | James Darmesteter | Zend-Avesta, part 1/3: Vendîdâd |
| 5 | Zor | 1880 | E. W. West | Pahlavi Texts, part 1/5: Bundahis selections of Zâd-sparam Bahman Yast Shâyast lâ-Shâyast |
| 6 | Islam | 1880 | E. H. Palmer | Qur'an part 1/2 – chapters I-XVI |
| 7 | Hindu | 1880 | Julius Jolly | The Institutes of Visnu. |
| 8 | Hindu | 1882 | Kâshinâth Trimbak Telang | The Bhagavadgîtâ: Sanatsugâtîya Anugîtâ. |
| 9 | Islam | 1880 | E. H. Palmer | The Qur'an, part 2/2 – chapters XVII-CXIV |
| 10 | Bud | 1881 | Max Müller (Dhammapada from Pāli, Sutta-Nipata from Pāli) | Dhammapada: a collection of verses Sutta-Nipâta: a collection of discourses, one of the canonical books of the Buddhists |
| 11 | Bud | 1881 | T. W. Rhys Davids | Buddhist Suttas: Mahā-parinibbāṇa Suttanta Dhamma-kakka-ppavattana Sutta Tevigga Sutta'anta Âkankheyya Sutta'a Ketokhila Sutta'a Mahâ-Sudassana Sutta'anta Sabbâsava Sutta'a |
| 12 | Hindu | 1882 | Julius Eggeling | Satapatha Brahmana, part 1/5: Mâdhyandina Shakha I-II |
| 13 | Bud | 1881 | T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg | Vinaya Texts, part 1/3: Pāṭimokkha Mahâvagga, I–IV. |
| 14 | Hindu | 1882 | Georg Bühler | The Sacred Laws of the Âryas, part 2/2: Vâsishtha Baudhâyana Parisishta |
| 15 | Hindu | 1884 | Max Müller | The Upanishads, part 2/2: Katha Upanishad Mundaka Upanishad Taittiriya Upanishad Brhadaranyaka Upanishad Svetasvatara Upanishad Prasña Upanishad Maitrayani Upanishad |
| 16 | China | 1882 | James Legge | The Sacred Books of China, part 2/6 – the texts of Confucianism: Yi King (I Ching). |
| 17 | Bud | 1882 | T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg | Vinaya Texts, part 2/3 Mahavagga, V–X Kullavagga, I–II |
| 18 | Zor | 1882 | E. W. West | Pahlavi Texts, part 2/5 Dâdistân-î Dinik Epistles of Mânûskîhar |
| 19 | Bud | 1883 | Samuel Beal | The Fo-sho-hing-tsan-king: a life of Buddha, by Ashvaghosha, Bodhisattva; translated from Sanskrit into Chinese by Dharmakṣema (A. D. 420). |
| 20 | Bud | 1885 | T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg | Vinaya Texts, part 3/3: Kullavagga, IV–XII. |
| 21 | Bud | 1884 | H. Kern | The Saddharma-Pundarika or The Lotus of the True Law. |
| 22 | Jain | 1884 | Hermann Jacobi from the Prâkrit | Jaina Sûtras, part 1/2 Âkârânga Sûtra Kalpa sûtra |
| 23 | Zor | 1883 | James Darmesteter | Zend-Avesta, part 2/3: Sîrôzahs Yasts Nyâyis |
| 24 | Zor | 1884 | E. W. West | Pahlavi Texts, part 3/5: Dinai Mainög-i khirad Sikand-Gümanik Vigar Sad Dar |
| 25 | Hindu | 1886 | Georg Bühler | The Laws of Manu: with extracts from seven commentaries. |
| 26 | Hindu | 1885 | Julius Eggeling | Satapatha Brahmana, part 2/5 Mâdhyandina Shakha III–IV |
| 27 | China | 1885 | James Legge | The Sacred Books of China, part 3/6 – the texts of Confucianism: The Lî Kî I (Book of Rites) |
| 28 | China | 1885 | James Legge | The Sacred Books of China, part 4/6 – the texts of Confucianism: The Lî Kî Ii (Book of Rites) |
| 29 | Hindu | 1886 | Hermann Oldenberg | Grihya-sutras, part 1/2 – rules of Vedic domestic ceremonies: Sankhyayana-Grihya-sutra Āśvalāyana-Grihya-sutra Paraskara-Grihya-sutra Khadia-Grihya-sutra |
| 30 | Hindu | 1892 | Hermann Oldenberg (Apstamba), Max Müller (Yajna) | Grihya-sutras, part 2/2 – rules of Vedic domestic ceremonies: Gobhila Hiranyakesin Apastamba Yajña Paribhashasutras |
| 31 | Zor | 1887 | Lawrence Heyworth Mills | Zend-Avesta, part 3/3: Yasna Visparad Afrînagân Gâhs miscellaneous fragments |
| 32 | Hindu | 1891 | Max Müller | Vedic Hymns, part 1/2 Hymns to the Maruts Hymns to Rudra Hymns to Vâyu Hymns to Vâta Bibliographical list of the more important publications on the Rigveda |
| 33 | Hindu | 1889 | Julius Jolly | The Minor Law-Books: Brihaspati |
| 34 | Hindu | 1890 | George Thibaut | Vedanta-Sutras, part 1/3 Commentary by Sankaracharya, part 1 of 2 Adhyâya I–II (Pâda I–II). |
| 35 | Bud | 1890 | T. W. Rhys Davids | The Questions of King Milinda, part 1/2 Milindapañha |
| 36 | Bud | 1894 | T. W. Rhys Davids | The Questions of King Milinda, part 2/2 Milindapañha |
| 37 | Zor | 1892 | E. W. West | Pahlavi Texts, part 4/5 Contents of the Nasks |
| 38 | Hindu | 1896 | George Thibaut | Vedanta-Sutras, part 2/3 Commentary by Sankaracharya, part 2 of 2 Adhyâya II (Pâda III–IV)–IV |
| 39 | China | 1891 | James Legge | Texts of Taoism, part 1/2 Tâo Teh King (Tâo Te Ching) of Lâo Dze (Lao Tsu) The Writings of Kwang-tze (Chuang-tse), I–XVII |
| 40 | China | 1891 | James Legge | Texts of Taoism, part 2/2 The Writings of Kwang Tse, XVII–XXXIII The Thâi-shang tractate of actions and their retributions Other Taoist texts the Index to vols. 39 and 40 |
| 41 | Hindu | 1894 | Julius Eggeling | Satapatha Brahmana, part 3/5: Mâdhyandina Shakha V–VII |
| 42 | Hindu | 1897 | Maurice Bloomfield | Hymns of the Atharvaveda, Together With Extracts From the Ritual Books and the Commentaries |
| 43 | Hindu | 1897 | Julius Eggeling | Satapatha Brahmana, part 4/5: Mâdhyandina Shakha VII, IX, X. |
| 44 | Hindu | 1900 | Julius Eggeling | Satapatha Brahmana, part 5/5: Mâdhyandina Shakha XI–XIV. |
| 45 | Jain | 1895 | Hermann Jacobi (from Prâkrit) | Jaina Sûtras, part 2 of 2: Uttarâdhyayana Sûtra Sûtrakritânga Sûtra |
| 46 | Hindu | 1897 | Hermann Oldenberg | Vedic Hymns, part 2/2: Hymns to Agni (Mandalas I–V) |
| 47 | Zor | 1897 | E. W. West | Pahlavi Texts, part 5/5: Marvels of Zoroastrianism |
| 48 | Hindu | 1904 | George Thibaut | Vedanta-Sutras, part 3/3, with the commentary of Râmânuja |
| 49 | Bud | 1894 | Edward Byles Cowell (part 1, from Sanskrit), Max Müller, and Takakusu Junjiro (Amitâyur) | Buddhist Mahâyâna Texts, part 1/2: Buddha-karita of Aśvaghoṣa Buddhist Mahâyâna Texts, part 2/2: Longer Sukhâvatî-vyûha Shorter Sukhâvatî-vyûha Vagrakkhedikâ the longer Pragñâ-pâramitâ-hridaya-sûtra the shorter Pragñâ-pâramitâ-hridaya-sûtra Amitâyur dhyâna-sûtra |
| 50 | Index | 1910 | Moriz Winternitz, with a preface by Arthur Anthony Macdonell | General index to the names and subject-matter of the Sacred Books of the East. |