Upanishad

[ oo-pan-i-shad, oo-pah-ni-shahd ]

noun

, Hinduism.

1. any of a class of speculative prose treatises composed between the 8th and 6th centuries b.c. and first written a.d. c1300: they represent a philosophical development beyond the Vedas, having as their principal message the unity of Brahman and Atman.

Upanishad

/ juː-; -ˌʃæd; uːˈpʌnɪʃəd /

noun

1. Hinduism any of a class of the Sanskrit sacred books probably composed between 400 and 200 bc and embodying the mystical and esoteric doctrines of ancient Hindu philosophy

Derived Forms

• Uˌpaniˈshadic, adjective

Other Words From

• U·pani·shadic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Upanishad¹

< Sanskrit upaniṣad, equivalent to upa near + ni- down + -ṣad, sandhi variant of sad- sit ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of Upanishad¹

C19: from Sanskrit upanisad a sitting down near something, from upa near to + ni down + sīdati he sits

Example Sentences

In the Khandogva Upanishad a young Brahman receives instruction from his father.

From Project Gutenberg

The second one treats of a passage in the Katha Upanishad where a being is referred to which eats everything.

From Project Gutenberg

The introduction, on the other hand, of the passage from the Prasna Upanishad treating of the akshara.

From Project Gutenberg

These passages are arranged in the order in which the text of the Upanishad exhibits them.

From Project Gutenberg

We turn to another Upanishad text likewise touching upon the point considered in what precedes, viz.

From Project Gutenberg