|
by Jayaram V
Collectively, the Upanishads are known as Vedanta (end of the vedas). The
name has struck, because they constitute the concluding part of the Vedas. The word 'upanishad' is derived from a combination of three words, namely upa+ni+sad. 'Upa' means near, 'ni' means down and 'sad' means to sit.
In ancient India the knowledge of the Upanishads was imparted to students of highest merit only and that also after they spent considerable time with their teachers and proved their sincerity beyond doubt. Once the selection was done, the students were allowed to approach their teachers and receive the secret doctrine from them directly. Since the knowledge was imparted when the students sat down near their teachers and listened to them, the word 'Upanishad', became vogue.
The Upanishads played a very significant role in the evolution of ancient Indian thought. Many schools of Hindu philosophy, sectarian movements and even the later day religions like Buddhism and Jainism derived richly from the vast body of knowledge contained in the Upanishads. Even today if Hinduism is able to attract the attention of many deep thinking minds of the world, not only in India but else where, the credit goes mainly to the spiritual and philosophical depth of the Upanishads. Even the Bhagavad gita was recognized and categorized as an Upanishad in order to make it more appealing and universally acceptable as a religious scripture of par excellence.
It is difficult to determine the age of the Upanishads. Some Upanishads, such as Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, Taittiriya etc., are definitely much older, while some were composed as late as the Mauryan period. The Upanishadic philosophy evolved over a period of time, through the contribution of many seers and self-realized souls, resulting in the complexity and variety of thought for which they are well known today.
There is no definite opinion as to the number of the Upanishads. The principal upanishads are said to be 108, of which the classical upanishads are said to be ten or twelve in number. The total number of Upanishads may exceed 300.
The Upanishads do not contain coherent and homogenous philosophical system, but many divergent ideas joined together loosely. They deal with various subjects such as the nature of Brahman, the ideal human conduct, the practice of yoga, the nature of Atman, creation of the world, creation of man, the nature of reality, the nature of true knowledge (vidya) and ignorance (avidya), the nature of consciousness, the concept of karma, incarnation of soul and so on.
They also deviate from the Samhita portions of the Vedas in many ways. Some Upanishads even declare the Samhitas of the vedas as inferior knowledge and urge the students not to waste their time in mere performance of rituals, but to seek refuge in the Higher knowledge or the knowledge of Brahman only.
Truly, in the field of religion and philosophy the Upanishads are the greatest contribution of India to the world heritage. It is unfortunate that many people in the world, including many Hindus, are largely ignorant of these sacred scriptures. There is no exaggeration when we say that even a cursory study of the Upanishads is bound to change our thinking and ways of living.
|
