108 Upanishad in English

Upanishads: An Introduction

The importance of religious texts like Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata and Ramcharitmanas in Hinduism is the same as that of Upanishads. Upanishads are important Shruti texts of Sanatan Dharma and are also called Vedanta. The total number of Upanishads is 108. According to Shankaracharya, the main meaning of Upanishad is Brahmavidya and the secondary meaning is the text that propounds Brahmavidya.

Etymology and meaning of Upanishad
The word ‘Upanishad’ is formed from the metal ‘up’ (near), ‘ni’ (below) and ‘sad’ (to sit). Its literal meaning is to receive education by sitting near the Guru.

The metal ‘sad’ has three main meanings:

Visharan (to perish),

Gati (to attain),

Vasadan (to become loose).

Technically, Upanishads are called spiritual knowledge. By studying it, people seeking salvation can destroy ignorance, the root of the world.

Main 13 Upanishads
Although the total number of Upanishads is considered to be 108, most scholars consider 13 Upanishads to be major:

Ishavasya Upanishad
Kenopanishad
Kathaopanishad
Prashnopanishad
Mundakopanishad
Mandukya Upanishad
Taitreya Upanishad
Aitareya Upanishad
Chandogya Upanishad
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Shvetashvatara Upanishad
Kaushitaki Upanishad
Maitrayani Upanishad
Composition period of Upanishads
Upanishads are considered to be an integral part of the Vedas. Therefore, the time of creation of Vedas is also considered to be that of Upanishads.

According to western scholars, the period of creation of Upanishads is kept between 700 to 600 BC.

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak proved on the basis of astronomy that the period of creation of Upanishads should be 1900 BC.

Importance of Upanishads

Upanishads explain the deep secrets of spirituality, Brahmagyan and soul.

In these, principles like Advaita and Bhakti of Vedanta have been explained.

Upanishads give the message of coordination of knowledge, devotion and karma.

Purpose of Upanishads

Upanishads are studied to know the relation between soul and God. It shows the path to destroy the attachment, illusion and ignorance of the world and to attain salvation in life.

Therefore, Upanishads are the basic pillars of Indian philosophy and culture, which take us to the highest peak of spirituality and knowledge.