The Upanishads उपनिषद्
The inward turn — Atman, Brahman, and the great truth Tat Tvam Asi, 'That Thou Art'.
ज्ञान-वचन · Vedas, philosophy & scriptures
असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय॥
असत्य से सत्य की ओर, अंधकार से प्रकाश की ओर, मृत्यु से अमरता की ओर ले चलो।
“Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.”
Where knowledge turns inward
The Upanishads are the concluding portion of the Vedas — which is why they are called Vedanta, 'the end of the Vedas'. Where the earlier hymns look outward at the cosmos, the Upanishads turn inward to ask the deepest question of all: Who am I?
Their central discovery is that the individual self (Atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman) are one. Of the 108 traditional Upanishads, around thirteen are considered principal, each a dialogue between seeker and teacher.
Dialogues that awaken the self
Isha Upanishad ईश
The whole universe is pervaded by the Divine; act without attachment, renounce and enjoy.
Kena Upanishad केन
'By whom?' — an inquiry into the power behind mind, speech and senses.
Katha Upanishad कठ
Nachiketa's dialogue with Death on the immortal Self and the razor-edged path of wisdom.
Prashna Upanishad प्रश्न
Six seekers, six questions — on life-breath (prana), creation and the syllable Om.
Mundaka Upanishad मुण्डक
Higher and lower knowledge — 'Satyameva Jayate', truth alone triumphs, is from here.
Mandukya Upanishad माण्डूक्य
The shortest and deepest — the four states of consciousness held within the sound Om.
असतो मा सद्गमय, तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय, मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।
Asato mā sad gamaya, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya, mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya
“Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.”
— Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28