Upanishad

The Upanishads ("Sittings Near [a Teacher]") is part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures primarily discuss philosophy and "cosmic reality"; they also contain transcripts of various debates. There are 123 books argued to be part of the Upanishads; however, only 13 are accepted by all Hindus. Prominent topics, which are discussed within these texts, are those regarding Atman and Brahman.

The term, Upanishad, is derived from the Sanskrit words upa (near), ni (down) and s(h)ad (to sit), i.e., sitting down near; implying the act of listening to a spiritual teacher. The Upanishads are sometimes argued to be a part of the Vedas; and are thus known as Vedanta ("End of the Veda").

The oldest and longest of the Upanishads are the Brihad-Aranyaka and the Chandogya from about the 7th century B.C. Initially there were over two hundred Upanishads but only fifteen were considered important by the philosopher Shankara. The Upanishads were not fully recorded until 1656, at the order of Dara Shakoh.

List of Upanishads


iisha = shukla yajurveda, mukhya upanishhad

kena =  saama veda, mukhya upanishhad

kaTha = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, mukhya upanishhad

prashna = atharva veda, mukhya upanishhad

muNDaka = atharva veda, mukhya upanishhad

maaNDukya = atharva veda, mukhya upanishhad

taittiriiya = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, mukhya upanishhad

aitareya = R^ig veda, mukhya upanishhad

chhaandogya =  saama veda, mukhya upanishhad

bR^ihadaaraNyaka (10) = shukla yajurveda, mukhya upanishhad

brahma = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

kaivalya = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, shaiva upanishhad

jaabaala(yajurveda) = shukla yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

shvetaashvatara = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

ha.nsa = shukla yajurveda, yoga upanishhad

aaruNeya = saama veda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

garbha = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

naaraayaNa = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, vaishhNava upanishhad

paramahaMsa = shukla yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

amR^ita-bindu (20) = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, yoga upanishhad

amR^ita-naada = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, yoga upanishhad

atharva-shira = atharva veda, shaiva upanishhad

atharva-shikha = atharva veda, shaiva upanishhad 

maitraayaNi = saama veda, saamaanya upanishhad

kaushhiitaaki = R^ig veda, saamaanya upanishhad

bR^ihajjaabaala = atharva veda, shaiva upanishhad 

nR^isiMhataapanii =  atharva veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

kaalaagnirudra = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, shaiva upanishhad

maitreyi = saama veda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

subaala (30) = shukla yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

kshurika = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, yoga upanishhad

maantrika = shukla yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

sarva-saara = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

niraalamba = shukla yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

shuka-rahasya = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

vajra-suuchi = saama veda, saamaanya upanishhad

tejo-bindu = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

naada-bindu = R^ig veda, yoga upanishhad

dhyaanabindu = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, yoga upanishhad

brahmavidyaa (40) = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, yoga upanishhad

yogatattva = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, yoga upanishhad

aatmabodha = R^ig veda, saamaanya upanishhad

parivraat (naaradaparivraajaka) = atharva veda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

tri-shhikhi = shukla yajurveda, yoga upanishhad 

siitaa = atharva veda, shaakta upanishhad

yogachuuDaamaNi = saama veda, yoga upanishhad

nirvaaNa = R^ig veda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

maNDalabraahmaNa = shukla yajurveda, yoga upanishhad

dakshiNaamuurti = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, shaiva upanishhad

sharabha (50) = atharva veda, shaiva upanishhad 

skanda (tripaaDvibhuuTi) = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad 

mahaanaaraayaNa = atharva veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

advayataaraka = shukla yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

raamarahasya = atharva veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

raamataapaNi = atharva veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

vaasudeva = saama veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

mudgala = R^ig veda, saamaanya upanishhad

shaaNDilya = atharva veda, yoga upanishhad

pai.ngala = shukla yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

bhikshuka (60) = shukla yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

mahat = saama veda, saamaanya upanishhad

shaariiraka = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

yogashikhaa = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, yoga upanishhad

turiiyaatiita = shukla yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

sa.nnyaasa = saama veda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

paramahaMsa-parivraajaka = atharva veda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

akshamaalika = R^ig veda, shaiva upanishhad

avyakta = saama veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

ekaakshara = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

annapuurNa (70) = atharva veda, shaakta upanishhad

suurya = atharva veda, saamaanya upanishhad

akshi = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

adhyaatmaa = shukla yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad 

kuNDika = saama veda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

saavitri = saama veda, saamaanya upanishhad

aatmaa = atharva veda, saamaanya upanishhad

paashupata = atharva veda, yoga upanishhad

parabrahma = atharva veda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

avadhuuta = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

tripuraatapani (80) =  atharva veda, shaakta upanishhad

devi = atharva veda, shaakta upanishhad

tripura =  R^ig veda, shaakta upanishhad

kaTharudra = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

bhaavana =  atharva veda, shaakta upanishhad

rudra-hR^idaya = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, shaiva upanishhad

yoga-kuNDalini = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, yoga upanishhad

bhasma =  atharva veda, shaiva upanishhad

rudraaksha = saama veda, shaiva upanishhad

gaNapati =  atharva veda, shaiva upanishhad

darshana (90) = saama veda, yoga upanishhad

taarasaara = shukla yajurveda, vaishhNava upanishhad

mahaavaakya = atharva veda, yoga upanishhad

paJNcha-brahma = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, shaiva upanishhad

praaNaagni-hotra = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

gopaala-tapaNi = atharva veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

kR^ishhNa = atharva veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

yaaGYavalkya = shukla yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

varaaha = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

shaatyaayani = shukla yajurveda, sa.nnyaasa upanishhad

hayagriiva (100) = atharva veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

dattaatreya = atharva veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

gaaruDa = atharva veda, vaishhNava upanishhad

kali-saNTaaraNa = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, vaishhNava upanishhad

jaabaala(saamaveda) = saama veda, shaiva upanishhad

saubhaagya = R^ig veda, shaakta upanishhad

sarasvatii-rahasya = kR^ishhNa yajurveda, shaakta upanishhad

bahvR^icha = R^ig veda, shaakta upanishhad

muktika (108) = shukla yajurveda, saamaanya upanishhad

19 upanishhads are from Shukla Yajur veda and have the Shaanti beginning 'puurNamada.'

32 upanishhads are from krishna yajurveda and have the Shaanti beginning 'sahanaavavatu.'

16 upanishhads are from Saama veda and have the Shaanti beginning 'aapyaayantu.'

31 upanishhads are from Atharva veda and have the Shaanti beginning bhadram-karNebhiH.

10 upanishhads are from Rig veda and have the Shaanti beginning vaNme-manasi.

The list of the 108 upanishhads can be found in Muktika 1: 30-39. Please note that the classification of each upanishhad is not give in the muktika.

Upanishad

List of Upanishads

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