Upanishads

What are Upanishads?

The Upanishads were composed during the period of about 700 to 400 BCE. Upanishads are the Sanskrit texts of Hinduism that help to develop spiritual knowledge among the ancient people. It is not a single text or book; it is a composition of texts. Upanishads are also called Vedanta, which satisfies the term, the end of the Vedic period. The existence of Upanishads can be found during the end of the Vedic period. Upanishads fulfil the target of Vedas, which is Moksha.

There are about two hundred Upanishads; among them, the well-known ones are Aitareya Upanishad, Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, Chandogya Upanishad, Isha Upanishad, Katha Upanishad, Kausitaki Upanishad, Kena Upanishad, Maitri Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad, Prashna Upanishad, Svetasvatara Upanishad, and Taittiriya Upanishad. The main goal of the Upanishads was to develop spiritual knowledge among the people and develop Indian culture.

Importance of Upanishads in History

Upanishads had a great role in the development of Hinduism. Since Vedas were interpreted by Brahmins, which were difficult to understand by common people. Therefore, in order to make people understand, the summary of the Vedas was written in a simplified way by saints with new questions and ideas in the form of Upanishads.

The philosophical knowledge of Hindus is contained in the Upanishads. The only scripture that has inspired and sustained Hindus for a long time is the Upanishads. The Upanishads have created, strengthened, and preserved a great tradition of spirituality through the ultimate victory of the soul over matter, man over nature. They have done so not only by their fearless attitude of searching for logical conclusions but also by intuitive imperceptible experiences beyond the limits of intellect. The experiences are almost always transformed into a unified principle.

Upanishads are concerned with the theory of spiritual realization of human beings, such as the goal of their lives, their existence, birth, death, etc. It helped people to check their thoughts and add value to their lives. Upanishads are the ultimate source of knowledge about self-realization and the reality of life. Not only in India but also the effect of Upanishads spread to other countries.

Indian Lifestyle and Upanishads

By combining the different Upanishads, it is possible to get a good idea about the existence of the type of society and the lifestyle of people in the age of the Upanishads. The kings were experts in war and administration at that time. They not only sheltered the wise men and sages but also tried to spread the knowledge of Vedic religion. The caste system was very prevalent during the period of the Upanishads. As for the Ashram system, Brahmacharya, Garhasthya, and Vanaprastha were more common though it is believed that Sannyasa was also being practised. Emphasis was laid on the purity and integrity of the personal life of the people. In ancient Hindu India, the position of women in society was quite good. They were highly respected. Women like Gargi and Maitreyi also participated in spiritual debates during the period of the Upanishads.

The Upanishads were composed during a time of much social, political, and economic uprising. The rural tribal society was on the way to extinction, and the integration of the people into urban life under the monarchy probably encouraged many psychological and religious reactions. During that period, many mystics, apostates, and forest dwellers appeared in India, among whom some became the writers of the Upanishads.

Lessons From Upanishads

The Upanishads are considered to be the direct teachings of the ancient Indian sages. The learnings one can get from the Upanishads are as follows −

• The first and foremost important lesson of Upanishads is to have a deeper understanding of reality. Human beings are unable to understand the complex reality of life, which was described in the Vedas. Upanishads help a person to rectify his thoughts and encourage him to think differently with the vision of the inner soul.

• The knowledge of the self-existence of Brahman and Atman is described in the Upanishads. Brahman is the universal soul, and Atman is an individual soul. Through Upanishads, people came to know about their existence and understand that Brahman and Atman together formed the essence of "permanence" (which existed forever)

• Upanishads' work is based on the four theories such as dharma, karma, samsara, and moksha. Dharma signifies the duties and responsibilities of a person towards society, whereas Karma signifies the reaction of a person over an action. Karma leads to the rising of Samsara, the cycle of both and death. Moksha is the ultimate destination for a person to escape from the cycle of rebirth and death.

• Lastly, the theory of self-realization is explained in the Upanishads. People can reduce their pain and suffering by understanding the essence of life. Upanishads help a person to identify himself and his goal in life.

  
  

Unknown Facts of Upanishads

Upanishads are concerned with the philosophy of Hinduism in ancient India. It brought light to the lives of ancient people. Some facts that should be known to get a good idea about Upanishads. Those are as follows −

• Upanishads state that a spiritually ambitious person must consider the symbolic sacrifices which take place in the mind without focusing on external sacrifices.

• Most of the Hindu texts refer to only 108 Upanishads, but in reality, there are almost 200 Upanishads. These Upanishads were amongst the oldest philosophical texts in the world, which even preceded Bible by 800 years and Quran by 1300 years.

• According to the Upanishads, Hindu sages believed in unity and took the initiative to unite different Gods. Vedic Gods like Agni, Indra, and Rudra are equated with the highest reality and are given a spiritual direction.

• Upanishads helped in the rising of different Vedanta differed from the aspects of Brahman and Atman.

• There is a controversy over the authors of the Upanishads. From different sources, we can find the names of some authors, such as Aruni, Balaki, Sanatkumara, Yajnavalkya, etc., who contributed to the writing of the Upanishads.

Conclusion

Upanishads are the ancient texts which encouraged the evolution of the philosophy of Hinduism. It is believed to have been composed during the period about 700 to 400 BCE. Several texts were composed together over a long period. Upanishads represent the last stage of the Vedic tradition, and education based on them is called Vedanta. In general, the Upanishads are concerned with the nature of reality, Atman is the individual soul, and Brahman is the universal soul. Upanishads describe the principles of humanity, such as dharma, karma, samsara, and moksha, where moksha is the ultimate goal to escape from the cycle of rebirth and death.

During the period of the Upanishads, society was quite advanced. People integrated themselves from a rural society into urban life. Women at that time used to hold a great position in society. They were respected and given freedom. The main goal of the Upanishads was to spread spiritual knowledge among the people of ancient India. Moreover, the Upanishads played a great role in furnishing Indian culture, especially the Hindu culture.

FAQs

Q1. Name the author of the Upanishads.

Ans. The author of the Upanishads is still unknown. It is believed that more than one person wrote the Upanishads. The great sages like Aruni, Balaki, Sanatkumara, Yajnavalkya, etc., had contributed to writing the scriptures.

Q2. What was the position of women in society during the Period of Upanishads?

Ans. There was a respectful position of women in society during the period of the Upanishads. It is evident from the fact that the composition of Upanishads by women like Maitreyi and Gargi is as well.

Q3. Explain the four ashramas of the later Vedic period.

Ans. The four ashramas of the later Vedic period are −

• Brahmacharya − A stage for receiving education in Gurukul.

• Grihastha − A man was expected to live a married and family life.

• Vanaprastha − A phase of life in which man was expected to overcome materialistic desires and moved to forests.

• Sanyasa − A man seeking only spiritual goals by retreating from worldly desires.

Q4. Name the four Vedas of the Vedic Period. Which is the oldest Veda?

Ans. The four Vedas of the Vedic period are Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda. The Rig Veda is the oldest among them.

Q5. Which was the last Upanishad and recorded by whom?

Ans. The most recent was Muktika Upanishad recorded by Dara Shikoh(brother of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb)in 1656. He even translated many other Upanishads into the Persian language.