What is upanishad?

The upanishads are the ancient sanskrit sacred text of spiritual teachings and the philosophy of the vedas. Next to the Vedas, Upanishads are the most important repositories of Vedic thought. Why this ancient sacred text called as upanishad? The word Upanishad means is ‘that by which one can come close to God, the supreme reality or the supreme spirit’. Upanishads have inspired people all over the world with spiritual knowledge.

The Principle Upanishads

The following are the major Upanishads:

1. Isha Upanishad or Isavasya Upanishad (Vajasaneyi Upanishad)
2. Kena Upanishad (Talavakara Upanishad)
3. Katha Upanishad
4. Prasna Upanishad
5. Mundaka Upanishad
6. Mandukya Upanishad
7. Taittiriya Upanishad
8. Aitareya Upanishad
9. Chhandogya Upanishad
10. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Quintessence of the Upanishads

The quintessence of the Upanishads lies in the realisation of two things. First that the body is not the soul, Second, that the matter is not the God.