Upanishad

Upnishad contain the core teachings of the Vedang. They are Mystic writings.

The Oldest Upanishads are Brhadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanishads which date as back as the first millennium BC. Latest were composed in the medieval and early modern period.

• The latest Upnishad is Muktikā Upnishad and was recorded by Dara Shikoh.It dates to 1656.
• Dara Shikoh was son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and is known to have translated fifty Upanishads into Persian.

There are 108 Upanishads and they are also called Vedanga.

"Upa" means nearby and "sada" means sit. So Upanishads contain the knowledge imparted by the gurus to their disciples.

There are 108 Upanishad. 11 are predominant and they are called "Mukhya Upanishads" They are as follows:

• Aitareya : This Brahman consists the "Prajanam Brahama" or "Consciousness is Brahman", one of the great saying or Mahāvākyas of the 4 vedas. The Mahavakyas are as follows:
  
  • Prajnanam Brahma - "Consciousness is Brahman" (Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 of the Rig Veda)
    
  • Ayam Atma Brahma - "This Self (Atman) is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad 1.2 of the Atharva Veda)
    
  • Tat Tvam Asi - "Thou art That" (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the Sama Veda)
    
  • Aham Brahmasmi - "I am Brahman" (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the Yajur Veda)
    
• Bṛhadāraṇyaka : It is contained in the Shatpath Brahman. It contains the following Famous Shloka:
  

असतो मा सद्गमय
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय
मृत्योर् मा अमृतं गमय
ॐ शांति शांति शांति

• बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् 1.3.28.
  

The meaning of the above Shloka is

Lead Us From the Unreal To the Real,

Lead Us From Darkness To Light,

Lead Us From Death To Immortality,

OM , Let There Be Peace Peace Peace

• Taittirīya
  
• Chāndogya
  
• Kena : "Ken" literally means 'by whom'. It belongs to the Talavakara Brahmana of Sama Veda and is therefore also referred to as Talavakara Upanishad
  
• Īṣa : It is one of the latest Mukhya Upanishads, dating approximately to Mauryan times
  
• Śvetāśvatara : Upanishads are sources of serious philosophical thought, however, this Upanishad differs from other Upanishads by explaining the same principles in a simple, easy-going and poetic way.
  
• Kaṭhopnishad: It was translated by Max Müller in 1879. It was rendered in verse by Edwin Arnold as "The Secret of Death". The central story is immortality and covers the story of encounter of Nachiketa, son of sage Vajasravasa, with Yama, God of death.
  
• Muṇḍaka : This Upanishad deals with the Para Vidya and Apara Vidya. The Para Vidya is knowledge that leads to Self Realization , Apara Vidya deals with everything else or the material knowledge. Mundaka Upanishad is notable as the source of the phrase Satyameva jayate (3.1.6)
  
• Māṇḍūkya : Mandukya is the Shortest Upnishad. It contains twelve verses expounding the mystic syllable Aum, the three psychological states of waking, dreaming and sleeping, and the transcendent fourth state of illumination.
  
• Praśna : Six pupils interested in knowing divinity or Brahman come to sage Pippalada and request him to clarify their spiritual doubts. So this Upnishad is in Question Answer format.
  

The Above Upanishads are from the following Vedas:

The main motto of the Upanishads is " Knowledge Awards Salvation"