Types Of Upanishads
Traditionally there are 108 Upanishads present in our culture. Upanishads were written between 700 and 400 B.C.E in Classical Sanskrit language. These are the subparts of ancient Vedas. The term “Upanishad” means “to sit down near”. It emphasizes the importance of the learners sitting close to the guru and paying close attention while the guru recites the significant lessons. According to Swami Vivekananda, “The Gita is a commentary text of the Upanishads”. The Upanishads are considered as the Bible of India. The major input of the Bhagavad Gita is the philosophy of karma. Here are some major Upanishads as mentioned below with their themes and significance.
Major 13 Upanishads – Significance And Major Theme |
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Upanishad Name |
Significance |
Theme |
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad |
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is the one of the oldest Upanishads that is a part of the Yajur Veda. This Upanishad explores the metaphysical concepts of our life. The Upanishad contains the famous “Aham Brahmasmi” declaration. |
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad explores the nature of reality. It specifically explores the self and the ultimate reality. |
Chandogya Upanishad |
Chandogya Upanishad is belongs to the Sama Veda. It tells about the importance of knowledge and the importance of meditation in a persons life. |
Chandogya Upanishad focuses on the unity of the individual soul with the cosmic soul. Chandogya Upanishad also explores the various meditation techniques. |
Taittiriya Upanishad |
Taittiriya Upanishad is a part of the Yajur Veda. This Upanishad is also known for its philosophical discussions. It specifically discuss on the nature of reality. The Upanishad also express the importance of knowledge in a person’s life. |
The Upnishad explores the concept of Brahman. It also emphasizes the pursuit of knowledge, virtue, and self-discipline. |
Aitareya Upanishad |
Aitareya Upanishad is belongs to the Rig Veda and it deals with the nature of the self and the universe. Teach the mening of our life. |
Aitareya Upanishad explores the creation of the universe, the nature of the self. It also explains the relationship between the individual and the cosmic reality. |
Kausitaki Upanishad |
Part of the Rig Veda and It focuses on rituals and philosophical discussions of our society. |
Discusses about meditation and sacrifice. It also discuss about the importance of knowledge in attaining spiritual realization. |
Kena Upanishad |
It is a part of the Sama Veda. The Upanishad explains the nature of Brahman. It also explore the concept of the reality of life. |
The Upanishad examines the idea that the ultimate reality is beyond human. It helps to understand their comprehension and understanding. |
Katha Upanishad |
This Upanishad is a part of the Yajur Veda. It contains the famous story of Nachiketa and Yama. The text also helps us to explore the nature of life and death in detail. |
The Upanishad states about the impermanence of life and the nature of the soul. This text helps an individual in pursuit of spiritual wisdom. |
Isha Upanishad |
This Upanishad tells us how to balance the spiritual and material aspects of our life. |
The Upanishad also explores the concept of the divine within everything. The main concept is to understand the importance of detached action of our life. |
Difference between Vedas and Upanishads
Difference between Vedas and Upanishads: Vedas and Upanishads are the collection of ancient sacred manuscripts that are the foundation of Hinduism. These are the oldest religious texts of the world those are a great source of knowledge in various fields like philosophy, science, ritual, etc. The Vedas were composed between 1200 and 400 B.C.E., while the Upanishads were written between 700 and 400 B.C.E. The Vedas talk about the rites, customs, and applications. On the other hand the Upanishads are attached with the different spiritual enlightenment. The Vedas are the foundation of Vedic religion, while the Upanishads establish the fundamental philosophical principles of Hinduism. Each of the four Vedas is divided into Samhitas, Aranyakas, Brahmanas, and Upanishads.
The Vedas are the large body of religious texts of Indo-Aryan culture that was composed in Vedic Sanskrit. On the other side, Upanishads are the late Vedic Sanskrit texts that convey religious teachings and ideas mostly based on philosophy.
In this article, we are going to discuss the difference between Vedas and Upanishads in detail along with their types and similarities between them.
Table of Content
- Difference between Vedas and Upanishads
- What are Vedas?
- What are Upanishads?
- Types Of Vedas
- Types Of Upanishads
- Similarities Between Vedas and Upanishads