Upanishads". They Are As Follows
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santosh kumarUpanishads". They Are As Follows
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santosh kumar The Upanishads are late Vedic Sanskrit texts of religious teachings and ideas still revered
in Hinduism. The Upanishads played an important role in the development of spiritual
ideas in ancient India, marking a transition from Vedic ritualism to new ideas and
institutions.
The Upanishads are philosophical texts dealing with topics like the soul, the absolute,the
origin of the world and the mysteries of nature. It criticizes the rituals and lay stress on
the value of right belief and knowledge. The language of the Upanishads was classical
Sanskrit and not the Vedic Sanskrit. It states that goal of the life is to attain salvation
which is possible through self control.
The Upanishads were written over a time period ranging from 700 to 400 B.C.E
Upanishads focused on Spiritual enlightenment.
Upanishad is derived from the words upa (near) and shad (to sit). It is derived from the
concept of sitting near the feet of the teacher.
More than 200 Upanishads have been discovered. Each Upanishad is associated with a
certain Veda. There are 14 Upanishads which are most well known or most important –
Katha, Kena, Isa, Mundaka, Prasna, Taittiriya, Chhandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Mandukya,
Aitareya, Kaushitaki, Svetasvatara and Maitrayani.
Upanishads are in the last section of any Vedas. Upanishads are a subcategory of a Veda.
Upanishads is one among the 4 major text types of Vedas. Upanishads are texts on
spiritual knowledge and philosophy. Upanishads originated from each branch of Vedas.
Upanishads deals with the philosophical aspects of life
The word Upanishad means to sit down near someone and denotes a student sitting near
his guru to learn. Eventually the word began to be used for the secret knowledge imparted
by the guru to his selected pupils. A number of treatises were prepared, first orally and
then in writing, and were called by the same name of Upanishad. Today Upanishads
specify philosophical knowledge and spiritual learning.
The main motto of the Upanishads is “Knowledge Awards Salvation”
Upanishads are called Vedanta (the end of the Veda) firstly, because they denote the last
phase of the Vedic period and secondly, because they reveal the final aim of the Veda.
The Oldest Upanishads are Brhadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanishads which date as
back as the first millennium BC. Latest were composed in the medieval and early modern
period. The latest Upnishad is Muktikā Upnishad and was recorded by Dara Shikoh.It
dates to 1656. Dara Shikoh was son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and is known to have
translated fifty Upanishads into Persian. There are 108 Upanishads and they are also
called Vedanga. “Upa” means nearby and “sada” means sit. So Upanishads contain the
knowledge imparted by the gurus to their disciples.
There are 108 Upanishad. 11 are predominant and they are called “Mukhya
Upanishads“. They are as follows:
MukhyaUpnishad Veda
Aitareya Rig-Veda
MukhyaUpnishad Veda
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Shukla Yajurveda
Taittirīya Krishna Yajurveda
Chāndogya Sam Veda
Kena Sam Veda
Īṣa Shukla Yajurveda
Śvetāśvatara Krishna Yajurveda
Kaṭha Krishna Yajurveda
Muṇḍaka Atharva Veda
Māṇḍūkya Atharva Veda
Praśna Atharva Veda
Aitareya Upanishad
Talks about the creation of Atman (Soul) and Consciousness.Aitareya Upanishad should
be noted for one of the 4 Mahavakyas viz. “Prajanam Brahama” or “Consciousness is
Brahman”. The Four Mahavakyas of Vedas are as follows:
Prajnanam Brahma – “Consciousness is Brahman” (Aitareya Upanishad of the Rig
Veda)
Ayam Atma Brahma – “This Self (Atman) is Brahman” (Mandukya Upanishad of the
Atharva Veda)
Tat Tvam Asi – “Thou art That” (Chandogya Upanishad of the Sama Veda)
Aham Brahmasmi – “I am Brahman” (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad of the Yajurveda)
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad
It is contained in the Shatpath Brahman. It contains the following Famous Shloka:
असतो मा सद्गमय
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय
मृत्योर् मा अमृतं गमय
ॐ शांति शांति शांति
बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् 1.3.28.
The meaning of the above Shloka is : Lead Us From the Unreal To the Real, Lead Us
From Darkness To Light, Lead Us From Death To Immortality, OM , Let There Be Peace
Peace Peace. Talks about the transmigration of Atman; passages on metaphysics and
ethics.
Taittirīya Upanaishad
This Upanishada is associated with the Taittiriya school of the Yajurveda. The Taittiriya
Upanishad describes the various degrees of happiness enjoyed by the different beings in
creation
Chāndogya Upanishad
Deals with rhythm and chanting of Mantras. This Upanishad is associated with the
Kauthuma Shakha of the Samaveda. Along with Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, the
Chandogyopanishad is an ancient source of principal fundamentals of Vedanta
philosophy.
Kena Upanisahda
“Ken” literally means ‘by whom’. It belongs to the Talavakara Brahmana of Sama Veda
and is therefore also referred to as Talavakara Upanishad.
Īsa Upanishad
It is one of the latest Mukhya Upanishads, dating approximately to Mauryan times.
Śvetāśvatara Upanishad
Upanishads are sources of serious philosophical thought; however, this Upanishad differs
from other Upanishads by explaining the same principles in a very simple, easy-going
and poetic way.
Kathopnishad
It was translated by Max Müller in 1879. It was rendered in verse by Edwin Arnold as
“The Secret of Death”. The central story is immortality and covers the story of encounter
of Nachiketa, son of sage Vajasravasa, with Yama, God of death. Tells the story of
Nachiketa and Yama. Their conversation evolves into discussion of Man, Atman (soul),
Knowledge, and Moksha (liberation)
Muktika Upnishad
This Upanishad deals with the Para Vidya and Apara Vidya. The Para Vidya is
knowledge that leads to Self Realization , Apara Vidya deals with everything else or the
material knowledge. Mundaka Upanishad is notable as the source of the phrase
Satyameva jayate (3.1.6). Contains the mantra “Satyameva Jayate” (truth alone triumphs)
which is borrowed in the National Emblem of India
Mandūkya
Mandukya is the Shortest Upnishad. It contains twelve verses expounding the mystic
syllable Aum, the three psychological states of waking, dreaming and sleeping, and the
transcendent fourth state of illumination.
Prashna
Six pupils interested in knowing divinity or Brahman come to sage Pippalada and
requests him to clarify their spiritual doubts. Therefore, this Upnishad is in Question
Answer format.
