Upaniṣadsउपनिषद्
The philosophical texts that close the Vedas. 14 passages in the chapters come from it.
- What it is
- Prose and verse dialogues; about a dozen early ones are treated as the principal Upaniṣads
- Composed
- The oldest, the Bṛhadāraṇyaka and Chāndogya, from around the 7th–6th century BCE; the Kaṭha, Īśa and Muṇḍaka in the last centuries BCE; the Mahā Upaniṣad is much later, of the medieval period
- By
- No single author. Teachers such as Yājñavalkya and Uddālaka Āruṇi speak in them
- References on this site
- The Upaniṣad's name and its own section numbers, which differ somewhat between editions.
The Upaniṣads ask about the self (ātman), the ground of all things (brahman), knowledge, death and how to live. Six are quoted here: the Taittirīya, with a teacher's parting advice to his students (1.11: speak the truth, follow dharma); the Bṛhadāraṇyaka; the Kaṭha, the dialogue between the boy Naciketas and Death; the Īśa, whose first verse says to enjoy by giving up and not to covet; the Muṇḍaka, whose “truth alone triumphs” (3.1.6) is India's national motto; and the Mahā Upaniṣad, source of “the world is one family” (6.71).
Read it in full
- F. Max Müller's translation, The Upanishads, Part II (1884), with the Kaṭha, Muṇḍaka, Taittirīya and Bṛhadāraṇyaka, at sacred-texts.com (free, opens another site)
Translations in print
- Patrick Olivelle, Upaniṣads (Oxford World's Classics, 1996)
Names with marks such as ā, ṣ or ṛ are explained in how to read the names and terms.
The 14 passages the chapters quote
“May we be protected together, nourished together, and work together with vigour.” सह नाववतु सह नौ भुनक्तु सह वीर्यं करवावहै । saha nāv avatu saha nau bhunaktu saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai. Taittirīya Upaniṣad, Brahmānandavallī (opening invocation); Bhagavad Gītā 12.13
Also cites: Bhagavad GītāDiscuss
- DocumentedUnit 1 · Theories of Management
Systems and the whole and mutual nourishment
Read it in its chapter“That is whole, this is whole; from the whole the whole arises.” पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते । pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idam pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate. Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 5.1.1 “Nourishing one another, you will attain the highest good.” परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ । parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha. Bhagavad Gītā 3.11; cycle at 3.14–16
- DocumentedUnit 1 · Communication
Decoding and feedback and hearing, reflecting, absorbing
Read it in its chapterश्रोतव्यो मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्यः । śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyāsitavyaḥ. “To be heard, reflected on, deeply absorbed.” Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.4.5
अन्नं न निन्द्यात् । तद्व्रतम् । annaṃ na nindyāt, tad vratam. “Do not disparage food; that is the vow.” Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.7; abundance at 3.9
सन्तोषादनुत्तमः सुखलाभः । santoṣād anuttamaḥ sukhalābhaḥ. Yoga Sūtra 2.42; Īśa Upaniṣad 1
Also cites: Yoga SūtraDiscuss
- DocumentedUnit 1 · Indifference Curve Analysis
Ranking preferences and the better and the pleasant
Read it in its chapterश्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतस्तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः । śreyaś ca preyaś ca manuṣyam etas tau samparītya vivinakti dhīraḥ. Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.2
- DocumentedUnit 1 · Business Ethics and CSR
Business ethics and the graduate's code
Read it in its chapterसत्यं वद । धर्मं चर । satyaṃ vada, dharmaṃ cara. “Speak the truth; practise right conduct.” श्रद्धया देयम् । श्रिया देयम् । ह्रिया देयम् । śraddhayā deyam, śriyā deyam, hriyā deyam. Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.11.1–3
- DocumentedUnit 1 · Corporate Governance
Stewardship and holding wealth in trust
Read it in its chapterईशावास्यमिदं सर्वम् … मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् । īśāvāsyam idaṃ sarvam… mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. Īśa Upaniṣad 1
सत्यमेव जयते नानृतम् । satyam eva jayate nānṛtam. “Truth alone triumphs, not falsehood.” Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.6
- My viewUnit 2 · Values, Learning and Motivation
Hierarchy of needs and the five sheaths
Read it in its chapter“Within it is another self.” अन्योऽन्तर आत्मा । anyo ’ntara ātmā. Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1–2.5
“Know the self as the rider, the body as the chariot, the intellect as the charioteer and the mind as the reins.” आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु । बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च । ātmānaṃ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīraṃ ratham eva tu, buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragraham eva ca. Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.3
- My viewUnit 2 · Workforce Diversity
In-groups and out-groups and the world as one family
Read it in its chapter“‘This one is kin, that one is not’ is the reckoning of the small-minded; for those of noble conduct, the whole earth is a family.” अयं बन्धुरयं नेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् । उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् । ayaṃ bandhur ayaṃ neti gaṇanā laghucetasām, udāracaritānāṃ tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam. Mahā Upaniṣad 6.71
- My viewUnit 2 · Unions and Bargaining
Working together after an agreement and may we never quarrel
Read it in its chapter“May we be protected together; may we be nourished together; may we work together with vigour; may what we have studied be bright; may we never quarrel.” सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै । saha nāvavatu; saha nau bhunaktu; saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai; tejasvināvadhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahai. Kaṭha Upaniṣad, closing peace chant (śānti-pāṭha)
- My viewUnit 4 · Financial Management
The financial manager as steward and wealth held in trust
Read it in its chapterईशावास्यमिदं सर्वम् … मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् । īśāvāsyam idaṃ sarvam… mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. Īśa Upaniṣad 1
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