Upanishads
Sanskrit spiritual treatises
The Upanishads are ancient Sanskrit texts forming the philosophical foundation of Hinduism.
Composed roughly 800–200 BCE, they explore the nature of reality, the self (atman), and ultimate truth (brahman).
The word means "sitting near," suggesting esoteric teachings passed from teacher to student.
The Upanishads influenced both Eastern philosophy and Western thinkers like Schopenhauer.
Release from rebirth cycle
- samsaraCycle of rebirth
- karmaSpiritual cause and effect
- dharmaCosmic moral order
- meditationFocused attention practice
yoga · realization · liberation · transcendence · awakening · reincarnation · tapas · prana
Supreme cosmic reality
- AtmanHindu eternal essence
- AdvaitaHindu philosophy denying separation
- mayaPhenomenal world's deceptive nature
- monismSingle-substance metaphysics
dualism · metaphysics · ontology · non-duality · self-inquiry · ultimate reality · cosmic consciousness · neti neti
Hindu canonical texts
- Bhagavad GitaHindu philosophical dialogue
- MahabharataSanskrit war epic
- RamayanaSanskrit heroic verse narrative
- SutrasSacred aphoristic religious texts
Of Hindu sacred writings
- SanskritAncient Indo-Aryan language
- rishiEnlightened Hindu sage
- guruRevered authority figure
- ashramHindu spiritual retreat
mantra · parampara · oral transmission · chanting · recitation · sages · forest dwellers · hermitage
moksha
Release from rebirth cycle
meditation · yoga · realization · liberation · transcendence · awakening · reincarnation · tapas · prana · chakra
Brahman
Supreme cosmic reality
- AtmanHindu eternal essence
- AdvaitaHindu philosophy denying separation
- mayaPhenomenal world's deceptive nature
monism · dualism · metaphysics · ontology · non-duality · self-inquiry · ultimate reality · cosmic consciousness · neti neti · epistemology
Vedas
Hindu canonical texts
- Bhagavad GitaHindu philosophical dialogue
- MahabharataSanskrit war epic
- RamayanaSanskrit heroic verse narrative
Vedic
Of Hindu sacred writings
ashram · mantra · parampara · oral transmission · chanting · recitation · sages · forest dwellers · hermitage · lineage
worship
Religious reverence and praise
- venerationProfound admiring respect
- pilgrimageReligious journey to shrine
- sacredWorthy of reverence
divine · holy · faith · devotion · purity · ritual · prayer · shrine · sanctity · reverence
Upanishadsempirical research
Investigation grounded in observation
materialism · empiricism · atheism · experimental method · secular humanism