उपनिषद्upaniṣad

उपनिषद् (upaniṣad) is a Sanskrit word meaning to sit down near, to approach or set about, the mystery underlying the external system of things, esoteric or secret doctrine, true knowledge, a neighbouring mansion. Its 23 recorded definitions are grouped into 8 contexts, among them Class of Philosophical/Religious Writings (Texts), Secret or Esoteric Doctrine/Meaning, Term Explanation: Etymology & Core Derived Meanings.

Root: सद् (sad)
Etymology: E. उप and नि prefixed to षद to go, affix क्विप्; in which abide the essential parts of religion, &c
Definitions: 23

View Declension Tables , 72 forms

Meanings by context

Class of Philosophical/Religious Writings (Texts)

8 definitions

a class of philosophical writings attached to the Brahmanas aimed at explaining the secret meaning of the Veda and serving as the source of the Vedanta and Samkhya philosophies

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

A class of mystical philosophical writings attached to the Brahmanas that explore the secret meaning of the Vedas.

उपनिषद् (upaniṣad) [Printed book page 0323-c] 1 N. of certain mystical writings attached to the Brāhmaṇas, the chief aim of which is to ascertain the secret meaning of the Vedas; Bhāminīvilāsa (Bombay) 2. 40 ; Mālatīmādhava (Bombay) 1. 7 ; other etymologies also are given to explain the name:-(1) उपनीय तमात्मानं ब्रह्मापास्तद्वयं (upanīya tamātmānaṃ brahmāpāstadvayaṃ) यतः । निहंत्यविद्यां तज्जं च तस्मादुपनिषद्भवेत् ॥ (yataḥ . nihaṃtyavidyāṃ tajjaṃ ca tasmādupaniṣadbhavet ..) or (2) निहत्यानर्थमूलं स्वाविद्यां प्रत्यक्तया परं । (nihatyānarthamūlaṃ svāvidyāṃ pratyaktayā paraṃ .) नयत्यपास्तसंभेदमतो वोपनिषद्भवेत् ॥ (nayatyapāstasaṃbhedamato vopaniṣadbhavet ..) or (3) प्रवृत्तिहेतून्निःशेषांस्तन्मूलोच्छेदकत्वतः । (pravṛttihetūnniḥśeṣāṃstanmūlocchedakatvataḥ .) यतोवसादयेद्विद्या तस्मादुपनिषद्भवेत् ॥ (yatovasādayedvidyā tasmādupaniṣadbhavet ..). In the मुक्तकोपनिषद् (muktakopaniṣad) 108 Upaniṣads are mentioned, but some more have been added to this number. They are said to have been the source of the six Darśanas or systems of philosophy, particularly of the Vedānta philosophy. The more important Upaniṣads are: -ईशकेनकठप्रश्नमुंडमांड्क्यतित्तिरः । ऐतरेयं च छांदोग्यं बृहदारण्यकं (īśakenakaṭhapraśnamuṃḍamāṃḍkyatittiraḥ . aitareyaṃ ca chāṃdogyaṃ bṛhadāraṇyakaṃ) तथा ॥ (tathā ..). [ID=8671]

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Secret or esoteric doctrine. 2. A class of works treating of the secret meaning of the Veda.

— Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. A theological portion of the Vedas. 2. Virtue or moral merit. 3. Divine truth. 4. A neighbouring mansion. 5. A lonely place.

— Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. The theological part of Hindu scriptures. 2. Virtue or truth. 3. A near or lonely place.

— Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. A philosophical portion of the Vedas, including the Vedanta. 2. Virtue or moral merit. 3. Truth as the principle of divine being. 4. A neighboring mansion. 5. A lonely place.

— Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

A portion of the religious writings of the Hindus

— Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. A secret doctrine. 2. A class of Vedic writings intended to reveal hidden meanings.

— Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Secret or Esoteric Doctrine/Meaning

5 definitions

the mystery underlying the external system of things

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

esoteric or secret doctrine

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

1. An esoteric or secret doctrine, mystical meaning, or words of mystery. 2. Mystical knowledge or instruction.

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Sacred or religious lore

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Secrecy or seclusion.

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Term Explanation: Etymology & Core Derived Meanings

3 definitions

secret knowledge given by sitting at the feet of a teacher to listen, or knowledge that destroys ignorance by revealing the supreme spirit

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

1. Esoteric or secret doctrine. 2. A mystical writing attached to the Brahmanas aimed at revealing the secret sense of the Veda. 3. True knowledge. 4. A neighbouring mansion. 5. A lonely place.

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)

1. The secret sense of a word or text. 2. A class of philosophical writings.

उपनिषद् (upaniṣad) [Printed book page 1-091]
Upa-niṣad in the Brāhmaṇas¹ normally denotes the ‘secret

sense’ of some word or text, sometimes the ‘secret rule’ of the

mendicant. But in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad² it is already

used in the plural as the designation of a class of writings, no

doubt actually existing and similar to the Upaniṣads in the

nature of their subject-matter and its treatment. Similarly

the sections of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad end with the words

ity upaniṣad. The Aitareya Āraṇyaka³ commences its third

part with the title ‘The Upaniṣad of the Saṃhitā,’ and the

title occurs also in the Śāṅkhāyana Āraṇyaka.⁴ The exact

primary sense of the expression is doubtful. The natural

derivation, adopted by Max Müller⁵ and usual ever since,

makes the word mean firstly a session of pupils, hence secret

doctrine, and secondly the title of a work on secret doctrine.

Oldenberg,⁶ however, traces the use of the word to the earlier
Page1-092+ 42

sense of ‘worship’ (cf. upāsana). Deussen⁷ considers the

original sense to have been ‘secret word,’ next ‘secret text,’

and then ‘secret import,’ but this order of meaning is im-

probable. Hopkins⁸ suggests that Upaniṣad denotes a sub-

sidiary treatise, but this sense does not account naturally for

the common use as ‘secret meaning,’ which is far more

frequent than any other.
[Footnote: 1) Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, x. 3, 5, 12;

4, 5, 1; 5, 1, 1; xii. 2, 2, 23, etc.;

Chāndogya Upaniṣad, i. 1, 10; 13, 4;

viii. 8, 4. 5; Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad,

ii. 1, 20; iv. 2, 1; v. 5, 3; Aitareya

Āraṇyaka, iii. 1, 6; 2, 5; Kauṣītaki

Upaniṣad, ii. 1, etc.]

[Footnote: 2) ii. 4, 10; iv. 1, 2; 5, 11.]

[Footnote: 3) iii. 1, 1.]

[Footnote: 4) vii. 2. Cf. Taittirīya Upaniṣad,

i. 3, 1.]

[Footnote: 5) Sacred Books of the East, 1, xxxiii

et seq. Cf. St. Petersburg Dictionary,

s.v.; Macdonell, Sanskrit Literature,

204.]

[Footnote: 6) Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgen-

ländischen Gesellschaft, 50, 457; 54, 70;

Die Literatur des alten Indien, 72.]

[Footnote: 7) Philosophy of the Upaniṣads, 16 et seq.]

[Footnote: 8) Religions of India, 218.]
[ID=363]

— The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects

Essence or Secret of a Subject (Figurative)

2 definitions

secret doctrine, mystery

— Index to the Names in the Mahabharata

essence of the Upanishads

— The Purana Index

Physical Locations (Place)

2 definitions

A neighbouring mansion.

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

A lonely place.

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Abstract Qualities (Virtue, Observance)

1 definition

A religious observance

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Act of Sitting Down Near (Etymology)

1 definition

1. To sit down near. 2. To approach or set about.

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Knowledge of the Supreme Spirit / Divine Truth

1 definition

True knowledge regarding the Supreme Spirit

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

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Definitions on this page come from 12 works: Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872), Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary, The Purana Index, The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon.