SUMMARY 108 UPANISHADS - Vedanta Students

1 SUMMARY108 UPANISHADSI ndexS. [i]S. [ii]INTRODUCTION NotlessimportantorvastthanthePuranasorIt ihasas,theUpanishadshaveagreaterwealthof philosophicalteachingscomparedtothestori esandareindividuallyshorter,becausetheya reappendixestothefourVedicsamhitas("coll ections"ofhymns). are 108 main UPANISHADS , classified as (1) Mukya(10)Most Important(2) Sannyasa (19)On renunciation(4) Samanya(25)Of universal value(5) Vaishnava (14)On Vishnu(6) Shaiva (14)On Shiva(7) Shakta (9)On Shakti or the Mother Goddess(3) Yoga (17)On Yoga 1 Rig VedaSuklyaYajurVedaKrishna YajurVedaSama VedaAtharva Veda1. MukhyaUpanishad (10)Aitareya Upanishad (1)IsavasyaUpanishad (4)Katha Upanishad (6)ChandogyaUpanishad (2)Prasna Upanishad (8)BrihadaranyakaUpanishad (5)TaittriyaUpanishad (7)KenaUpanishad (3)Mundaka Upanishad (9)Mandukya Upanishad (10)2.

2 Sannyasa Upanishad (19)Yajnavalkya Upanishad (16)Teji Bindu Upanishad (22)Nirvana Upanishad (11)Parivrata (Narada Parivrajaka) Upanishad (27)Satyayani Upanishad (17)AvadhutaUpanishad (23)Maitreyaor MaitrayaniyaUpanishad (12)Paramahamsa Parivajaka Upanishad (28)Jabala (Yajur) Upanishad (18)Katha Rudra Upanishad (24)Sannyasa Upanishad (13)Para Brahma Upanishad (29)Paramahamsa Upanishad (19)Varaha Upanishad (25)Kundika Upanishad (14)Bhikshaka (or Bhikshuka) Upanishad (20)Brahma Upanishad (26)Aruneya Upanishad (15)Turiyatita Upanishad (21)2 Rig VedaSuklyaYajurVedaKrishna YajurVedaSama VedaAtharva Veda3. Yoga Upanishad (17)Nada Bindu Upanishad (30)Hamsa Upanishad (33)Amrita bindu Upanishad (36)Yoga Chudamani Upanishad (31)Sandilya Upanishad (44)Trishikaor TrishikiBrahmana Upanishad (34)Amrita Nada Upanishad (37)Darshana Upanishad (32)Pashupata Upanishad (45)Mandala Brahmana Upanishad (35)Kshurika Upanishad (38)Mahavakya Upanishad (46)Dhyana bindu Upanishad (39)Brahma Vidya Upanishad (40)Yoga Tattva Upanishad (41)Yoga Sikha Upanishad (42)Yoga Kundali Upanishad (43)3 Rig VedaSuklyaYajurVedaKrishna YajurVedaSama VedaAtharva Veda4.

3 SamanyaUpanishads (25)Kausitaki Upanishad (47)Subala Upanishad (54) Svetasvatara Upanishad (60) Maitreyani or Maitreyi Upanishad (50)Atma Upanishad (70)Atma bodha Upanishad (48) Mantrika or Chulika Upanishad (55) Garbha Upanishad (61) Vajra suci Upanishad (51) Surya Upanishad (71)Mugdala Upanishad (49) Niralamba Upanishad (56)Narayana Upanishad (62)Maha or Mahata Upanishad (52) Paingala Upanishad (57)Sarvasara Upanishad (63)Savitri Upanishad (53)Adhyatma Upanishad (58) Suka rahasya Upanishad (64)Muktika Upanishad (59)Skanda (Tripada vibhuti) Upanishad (65)Sariraka Upanishad (66)Ekakshara Upanishad (67)Akshi Upanishad(68)Pranagni hotra Upanishad (69)4 Rig VedaSuklyaYajurVedaKrishna YajurVedaSama VedaAtharva Veda5. Vaishnava UPANISHADS (14)Vasudeva Upanishad (72) Kali santaranaUpanishad (76)Nrisimha tapani Upanishad (77)Avyakta Upanishad (73)Mahanarayana Upanishad (78)Advaya taraka Upanishad (74)Rama rahasya Upanishad (79)Tarasara Upanishad (75)Rama tapani Upanishad (80)Gopala tapani Upanishad (81)Krishna Upanishad (82)Hayagriva Upanishad (83)DattatreyaUpanishad (84)Garuda Upanishad (85) 5 Rig VedaSuklyaYajurVedaKrishna YajurVedaSama VedaAtharva Veda6.

4 Shaiva UPANISHADS (14)AkshamalikaUpanishad (86)Pancha brahma Upanishad (89)Jabala (Sama) Upanishad (87)Atharva sira Upanishad (94)Kaivalya Upanishad (90) Rudraksha jabala Upanishad (88) Atharva sikha Upanishad (95)Kalagni rudra Upanishad (91)Brihajjabala Upanishad (96)Dakshinamurti Upanishad (92)SarabhaUpanishad (97)Rudra hridaya Upanishad (93)Bhasma(or Bhasmajabala) Upanishad (98)Ganapati Upanishad (99)7. Shakta UPANISHADS (9)Tripura sundariUpanishad (100)Sarasvati rahasyaUpanishad (103) Sita Upanishad (104)SaubhagyalakshmiUpanishad (101)Annapurna Upanishad (105)BahurichaUpanishad (102)Tripura tapaniUpanishad (106)Devi Upanishad (107)Bhavana Upanishad (108)6 Other less famous UPANISHADS are listed here in alphabetical order: AchamanaUpanishad (109)Chakra Upanishad (121)HerambaUpanishad (133) Krishna uttaratapaniUpanishad (145)Advaita AchamanaUpanishad (110)ChakshuUpanishad (122)KalaghniUpanishad (134)LangulaUpanishad (146)AranyaUpanishad (111)ChaturvedaUpanishad (123)KalikaUpanishad (135)LaghujabalaUpanishad (147)AruniUpanishad (112)ChitiUpanishad (124)KalimedhaadikshitaUpanishad (136)LingaUpanishad (148)ArsheyaUpanishad (113)DasaslokiUpanishad (125)KamalakaUpanishad (137)Mahachakra varanaUpanishad (149)Ashrama Upanishad (114)DvayaUpanishad (126)Kama raja kilitoddharaUpanishad (138)MahavajyavivarahaUpanishad (150)AtmapujaUpanishad (115)Gayatri Upanishad (127)KathasrutiUpanishad (139)Mantra Upanishad (151)BaskalamantraUpanishad (116)Gayatri rahasyaUpanishad (128)KanthasrutiUpanishad (140)

5 MathamnayaUpanishad (152)BatukaUpanishad (117)GopichandanaUpanishad (129)KathasikaUpanishad (141)MrityulangalaUpanishad (153)BilvaUpanishad (118)GorakshaUpanishad (130)KathakasikshaUpanishad (142)NaradaparivrajakaUpanishad (154)Brahma binduUpanishad (119)GuhyakaliUpanishad (131)KatyayaniUpanishad (143)NilarudraUpanishad (155)Brahma jijnasaUpanishad (120)GuhyashodanyasaUpanishad (132)KaulaUpanishad (144)NiruktaUpanishad (156)7 ParayanaUpanishad (157)SatachakraUpanishad (170)SvetamritikaUpanishad (183)PanchabrahmaUpanishad (158)Srikrishna purushottama siddhanta Upanishad (171)TripadvibhutimahanarayanaUpanishad (184) ParabrahmaUpanishad (159)Shiva Upanishad (172)TulasiUpanishad (185)ParamaUpanishad (160)SodhaUpanishad (173)TuriyaUpanishad (186)PitambaraUpanishad (161)SrividyamnayaUpanishad (174)UrdhvapundraUpanishad (187)PindaUpanishad (162)SrividyatarakaUpanishad (175)VanadurgaUpanishad (188)PranavaUpanishad (163) SyamaUpanishad (176)Vastusutra Upanishad (189)Rama Upanishad (164)SiddhantaUpanishad (177)VisramaUpanishad (190)Rama Krishna Upanishad (165)SiddhantasaraUpanishad (178)VriddhajabalaUpanishad (191)Rudra Upanishad (166)SiddhantasikhaUpanishad (179)YajnopavitaUpanishad (192)SadanandaUpanishad (167)SumukhiUpanishad (180)YogarajaUpanishad (193)SaunakaUpanishad (168)SuvarnadharmaUpanishad (181)ShaktayanaUpanishad (169)SvasamedhyaUpanishad (182) SomealsomentionaRadhikaUpanishad,aChaita nyopanishadandevenoneAllahopanishad(that issupposedtospeakaboutAllah)

6 , ,too,issometimesconsideredoneoftheUpanis hadsbecauseofitsrichphilosophicalcontent ; AitareyaUpanishad ItispartoftheAitareyaAranyakaintheRigVed aandisconstitutedby3chapters(beginningwi thchapter4ofthesecondAranyaka), ("greataphorism")prajnanambrahma( ),"Brahmanisperfectknowledge", : "Om!Maymywordsbeinaccordancewithmythough ts, , (thoughtsandwords)bringtheVeda(knowledge )tome,andmaywhatIhaveheardremain(inmymem ory).Iwilljoindayandnightinthisstudy,and Iwillsaywhatistrue, ,mayitprotecthewhospeaks."(invocation) " ,'Iwillcreatetheworlds',andcreatedambhas (the"higher"orthesubtlewaters,alsoknowna stheoceanKarana"ofthecauses"),marici(the space),mara("whatismortal",ortheworldsth ataresubjecttothecyclicdestruction)andap ah(the"lower"waters,orthegrossmaterialel ementofwater,thatiscommontothebodiesofal lspeciesoflife).

7 "( )9 Fromthewatersofthecausalocean,theBrahman createdanegg-theViratPurushaoruniversalf orm(alsocalledbrahmanda,"theeggofBrahman ").Theeggopenedinthemiddlelikeamouth,and Soundemerged,thenfromSoundFireemergedand soon,onebyonefromthecausalelementsthemat erialelementsmanifested, (thearchetypesofthepowersthatconstitutet heuniverse)chosethehumanformtoexpressthe iractivities, (" ,Isoaredquicklyintothesky,asaFalcon,leav ingthedemonsbehind, "). ThisBrahmanmanifestedintheuniversetakest heformofPrajapati("theLordofthecreatures "),oftheVisvedeva("alltheDevasoftheunive rse"),ofthehumanbeingsandalllivingbeings , ,themiddleandtheendofalllife; ChandogyaUpanishad ItisthelongestoftheUpanishads,andconsist sof8chaptersattachedtothefirstpartoftheC handogyaBrahmanaintheSamaVeda, ( )themahavakyaconsideredtheessenceofSamaV eda:tattvamasi,"youareThat(Brahman)".

8 ItalsonarratesthefamousstoryofSatyakamaJ abala,aboysonofamaidservant, ,buthere( ) ,especiallyinregardtothefiresacrificeand themantrasinrelationtothelifeenergyinthe humanbodyandinthesenses,andinrelationtot heSun. "Ifsomeoneoffersthesacrificetothefirewit houtknowingthese(things), (things)eventheactofofferingone'sfoodlef toverstoachandalabecomesanofferingtoVais vanaraAtman(thesacredfireoftheSelf)."( ,4)11 "OnemustmeditateonthesyllableOm,thatgive sorigintotheUdgita(thesongsoftheSamaVeda ).Theessenceofallbodiesistheearth,theess enceofearthiswater,theessenceofwaterisve getation,theessenceofvegetationisthehuma nbeing,theessenceofthehumanbeingisspeech ,theessenceofwordismantra(rik),theessenc eofrikisSama."( ) Thenthetextillustratesmeditationonsounda ndpranaandtheiridentitywiththeSun,thatis svaraandpratyasvara("comingandgoing", )andstatesthattherealizationofthePranava Omkara,itssubtlemanifestation,awardsimmo rtality.

9 Thenitexplainsthesymbolicmeaningofsyllab lesinvedicdefinitions,thepowerofpranaand sound,andthesubtleelementknownasakasha(" etericspace")thatsupportsboth. The4thchapterrepeatstheexplanationofcrea tionstartingfromBrahman(Being), ,thenfromfirewaterwascreatedandfromwater thenutritioussubstances,andthenthese3div ineessencesmanifestedallthebodiesofthebe ings,whenBrahmanenteredintothem,inthefor mofJivaAtman. Whatisredisfire(passion),whatiswhiteiswa ter(goodnessorpurification)andwhatisblac kisfood(earth,ignorance), ThetextalsoofferstheconversationbetweenS vetaketuandhisfatherUddalakaAruni, ,"truthfulness"or"truth":saindicateswhat iseternal,tiindicateswhatistemporary,and ayamistheconnectionbetweenthetwo. Thenthe8thchapterteachesthanonlybrahmach arya("behavingasBrahman")enablesonetorea lizeBrahman, KenaUpanishad Ittakesitsnamefromthefirstwordinthefirst verse,keneshitam,"bywhomitisdesired", ,ofwhich2areinverse(describingthenirguna Brahman,orBrahman"withoutattributes")and 2inprose(describingthesagunaBrahman,orBr ahman"withattributes").

10 Herearesomeextracts: "Bywhomisdirected(bydesireorwill)themove mentofthemind(towardstheobjectofcontempl ation)?Whodirectsthelifeforcethatprecede seachaction(towardsduty)?Bywhomtheactofs peakingisdesired,whenapersonisexpressing himself?Whoistheresplendentbeingthatdire cts(theactivitiesof)eyesandears?This(Atm an/Brahman)istheear'sear,themind'smind,t hewordofspeech,life'slife,andtheeye'seye ,thereforethosewhoareintelligentabandon( theidentificationwiththegrossbody) ,butbywhichthemindispervaded,knowthatthi sisBrahman,andnotwhatpeopleworshipasanob ject."( ,2,6) "Idonotthink,'IknowBrahmanwell'.Ithink,' It'snotthatIdonotknowit-IknowitandIdonot knowitatthesametime.'Onewhounderstandthi s(statement)knows(Brahman)..Itisreallykn ownwhenitisknowninternallyineachofthesta tesofawareness,becauseinthiswayoneattain simmortality.