Upanishad

American  

[oo-pan-i-shad, oo-pah-ni-shahd] / uˈpæn ɪˌʃæd, uˈpɑ nɪˌʃɑd /

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.

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Upanishad British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• Upanishadic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Upanishad

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

Example Sentences

"In the embrace of his beloved, a man forgets the whole world, everything both within and without," states the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2014

The thunder's single syllable that was interpreted differently by the gods, men and demons in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

From The Guardian • Jul. 30, 2012

He attended sessions for six years and never spoke a word, preferring instead to make drawings of his fellow legislators, which he published in the satirical “Sansad Upanishad: The Scriptures of Parliament.”

From New York Times • Jun. 9, 2011

Like Ulysses or the Upanishad, Satanic Verses remains more read about than read.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Maitrâyana Upanishad says that the sixfold Yoga consists of restraint of the breath, restraint of the senses, meditation, fixed attention, investigation, absorption.

From Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 1 by Eliot, Charles, Sir