Exploring Upanishads, A Much Heard Term But Less Defined

Astrologist, Vastu consultant & Psychic

Part of Mahabharata, Upanishads has played a significant role in the culture of Hindus and their ancestors. But what are Upanishads, from where they came into being, and who created them and why?

Find the answer to all those questions in the blog below:

1. The term Upanishad is made of upa and nishad, that means near and sit, respectively. Thus, the word can be interpreted as “sitting down near”.

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2. The knowledge given by a teacher sitting at a higher position to a student who used to sit down near their feet is said to be as Upanishad. In other words, the teaching of the Guru to a Shishya, sitting near at a respectable distance from him, near the teacher’s feet, (or lower than him) is called Upanishad.

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3. In the present day context, Upanishads are a collection of religious texts and philosophical nature.

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4. The total number of Upanishads is 1180, out of which 200 are lesser ones, and only 13 are main.

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5. Names of the 13 most significant upanishads are, Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, Taittiriya, Aitariya, Kaushitaki, Kena, Katha, Isa, Svetasvatara, Mundaka, Prasana, Mandukya and Maitri.

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6. It is believed that Upanishads were written in India in 800-400 BC.

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7. The endings of the 4-Vedas, that are, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda, also are Upanishads.

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8. The Vedas on which Sanatana Dharma is based has three sections: Karma Kanda (ritualistic section), Upasana Kanda (worship section) and Jnana Kanda (knowledge section). The Jnana Kanda is called a Upanishads.

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9. The Upanishad is also known as Vedanta, it means the end of the Vedas. Its knowledge was confined to a few teachers who were either Kshatriya or Brahmanas.