The Upanishads were written by different sages of India between the eighth and fourth centuries BC. They are the final part of the Vedas and the basis for the philosophy of Vedanta. The most ancient Upanishads are, in fact, part of the Vedas, and are therefore a part of the Shruti. So they constitute the fundamentals, the essence of the Hindu philosophy. They are connected to the whole of Knowledge and contain within them the exposition of the origin of the Universe, the nature of Brahman and the jivatman, the relation between the mind and matter, the true nature of happiness and it’s analysis etc… therefore, the main topic of the Upanishads is the ultimate Knowledge: the identity of the Brahman and the jivatman—"Tat tvam asi"—You are That (Chandgogya Upanishad), the quest for unity in diversity «That by which the whole Universe is known (Mundaka Upanishad). The Upanishads are the first scriptures where the law of Karma first appeared as taught by Yajnavalkya (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad). The word Upanishad literally means "sitting down near" and implies studying with a spiritual teacher. The Gods referred to in these Upanishads are Agni the God of fire, Vayu the God of air or wind, Indra the God of heroic power and storms, Rudra a God of destruction and of healing, Savitri a sun God or Goddess, Brahma the creator, and Vishnu the preserver.

Types of Upanishads The characteristics of the Upanishads are their universality and the total absence of any dogmatism. They are the highest philosophy ever conceived by the human mind. Traditionally, there are 108 Upanishads (major), which are as follows:

1.Twelve major Upanishads, •Aitareya and the Kauhsitaki which belong to Rg Veda •Chandogya and Kena to Samaveda •Taittiriya, Katha, Shvetashvatara, Brhadaranyaka and Isha to Yajur Veda •Prashna, Mundaka and Mandukya to Atharvaveda. 2.Twenty—three samanayayuvedanta Upanishads 3.Twenty Yoga Upanishads 4.Seventeen samnyasa Upanishads 5.Fourteen vaishnava Upanishads 6.Fourteen shaiva Upanishads 7.Eight shakta Upanishads If there are more than 200 texts titled as Upanishads, it is advised to stick to the traditional, specially, to the Vedic Upanishads. Upanishads are the work of different authors and, apart the ‘great Upanishads’ belonging to the sruti and which are in prose, we cannot say that they constitute a strictly speaking system of philosophy, some of them being connected to certain particular sects, such as the cult of Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Ganesha, Surya, etc. The Major Upanishads The following are the major ten Upanishad: Isavasya Upanishad, or Vajasaneyi Upanishad Kena Upanishad, or Talavakara Upanishad Katha Upanishad Prasna Upanishad Mundaka Upanishad Mandukya Upanishad (smallest of all only 12 Mantras) Taittiriya Upanishad Aitareya Upanishad Chhandogya Upanishad Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (biggest of all)

Major Upanishads These ten have sometimes been called the old and genuine Upanishads. They are the classical Upanishads or the fundamental Upanishads of the Vedanta Philosophy. Sri Sankara and other Acharyas have written commentary on the ten Upanishads only. The Isavasya Upanishad is a beautiful Upanishad. The very first line of the first Mantra, "Isavasyamidam sarvam-This whole world is covered by the Lord," induces a thrilling inspiration in the minds of the readers. Meditation on this one idea alone will lead to the attainment of the Knowledge of the Self. He who contemplates on the significance of the first line will become a Seer of Oneness, a Knower of the Self. He will have a direct vision of the Reality and inner Illumination. The Upanishad, though apparently simple and intelligible, is in reality one of the most difficult to understand properly. The spirant should sit at the lotus-feet of an experienced teacher, a Brahma-Srotri, a Brahma-Nishtha, and study this Upanishad with one-pointed and pure mind. Then everything will become quite clear. The reader should try to grasp clearly the meanings of the terms Vidya, Avidya, Vinasa, Death, Immortality, Krato, etc. Immortality here means relative immortality, not absolute Immortality. This Upanishad prescribes two paths, viz, the path of renunciation or Jnana Yoga for Sannyasins and the path of action or Karma Yoga for those who cannot renounce the world (Grouhastha). The desirability of combining Karma with the worship of deity (inferior knowledge of God) and of combining worship of Hiranyagarbha with the worship of Avyaktam or unborn prakriti is mentioned in this Upanishad. Live in the Spirit of this Upanishad. Realise the Self. Rejoice in Sat-Chit-Ananda Atman. May the blessings of the seers of the Upanishad be upon you all! The whole is all That. The whole is all This. The whole was born of the Whole. Taking the Whole from the Whole, what remains is the Whole. Om Peace! Peace! Peace! Every Veda has its particular peace-chant for its Upanishads. These chants are recited in the beginning and at the end of the Upanishad. The oneness of the universe with the Brahman is beautifully described in this chant.

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