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Upanishads (Samskrit : उपनिषद्) are the concluding segments, available as a part of [[Aranyaka (आरण्यकम्)|Aranyakas]].<ref name=":42222">Gopal Reddy, Mudiganti and Sujata Reddy, Mudiganti (1997) ''[https://archive.org/stream/SAMSKRUTAKAVIJEEVITAMULUByMALLADISURYANARAYANASASTRIGARU/SAMSKRUTA%20SAHITYA%20CHARITRA%20BY%20MUDUGANTI%20GOPALA%20REDDI%26SUJATA%20REDDI%20#page/n33/mode/2up Sanskrita Saahitya Charitra] (Vaidika Vangmayam - Loukika Vangamayam, A critical approach)'' Hyderabad : P. S. Telugu University</ref><ref name=":4">Upadhyaya, Baldev. (1958) ''[https://archive.org/stream/VaidikSahityaBaldevUpadhyaya1958/Vaidik%20Sahitya%20Baldev%20Upadhyaya%201958#page/n263/mode/2up Vaidik Sahitya]''.</ref> Since they expound the various spiritual and dharmika siddhantas and tattvas that leads a sadhaka to the highest purpose of Moksha and because they are present at the end of the Vedas, they are also referred to as the Vedanta (वेदान्तः) . They do not forbid the rituals or rites prescribed in the Karmakanda but expound that only through Jnana one can attain moksha.<ref name=":42222" /><blockquote>वेदान्तो नामोपनिषत्प्रमाणं तदनुसारीणि। शारीरकसूत्राणि च । vedānto nāmopaniṣatpramāṇaṁ tadanusārīṇi। śārīrakasūtrāṇi ca ।<ref>Prof. K. Sundararama Aiyar (1911) ''Vedantasara of Sadananda with Balabodhini Commentary of Apadeva.'' Srirangam : Sri Vani Vilas Press</ref></blockquote>Sadananda Yogindra, in his Vedantasara says that''"Vedanta has the Upanishads for its evidence and includes the Sharira Sutras (Vedanta Sutras or Brahma Sutras) and other works which corroborate it".'' <ref>Sastri, M. N. Dutt (1909)  ''[https://archive.org/details/VedantasaraOfSadanandaDuttM.N./page/n4 Vedanta-sara. A Prose English translation and Explanatory notes and Comments.]'' Calcutta : Elysium Press.</ref>

Upanishads (Samskrit : उपनिषद्) are the concluding segments, available as a part of [[Aranyaka (आरण्यकम्)|Aranyakas]].<ref name=":42222">Gopal Reddy, Mudiganti and Sujata Reddy, Mudiganti (1997) ''[https://archive.org/stream/SAMSKRUTAKAVIJEEVITAMULUByMALLADISURYANARAYANASASTRIGARU/SAMSKRUTA%20SAHITYA%20CHARITRA%20BY%20MUDUGANTI%20GOPALA%20REDDI%26SUJATA%20REDDI%20#page/n33/mode/2up Sanskrita Saahitya Charitra] (Vaidika Vangmayam - Loukika Vangamayam, A critical approach)'' Hyderabad : P. S. Telugu University</ref><ref name=":4">Upadhyaya, Baldev. (1958) ''[https://archive.org/stream/VaidikSahityaBaldevUpadhyaya1958/Vaidik%20Sahitya%20Baldev%20Upadhyaya%201958#page/n263/mode/2up Vaidik Sahitya]''.</ref> Since they expound the various adhyatmik and dharmika siddhantas and tattvas that leads a sadhaka to the highest purpose of Moksha and because they are present at the end of the Vedas, they are also referred to as the Vedanta (वेदान्तः) . They do not forbid the rituals or rites prescribed in the Karmakanda but expound that only through Jnana one can attain moksha.<ref name=":42222" /><blockquote>वेदान्तो नामोपनिषत्प्रमाणं तदनुसारीणि। शारीरकसूत्राणि च । vedānto nāmopaniṣatpramāṇaṁ tadanusārīṇi। śārīrakasūtrāṇi ca ।<ref>Prof. K. Sundararama Aiyar (1911) ''Vedantasara of Sadananda with Balabodhini Commentary of Apadeva.'' Srirangam : Sri Vani Vilas Press</ref></blockquote>Sadananda Yogindra, in his Vedantasara says that''"Vedanta has the Upanishads for its evidence and includes the Sharira Sutras (Vedanta Sutras or Brahma Sutras) and other works which corroborate it".'' <ref>Sastri, M. N. Dutt (1909)  ''[https://archive.org/details/VedantasaraOfSadanandaDuttM.N./page/n4 Vedanta-sara. A Prose English translation and Explanatory notes and Comments.]'' Calcutta : Elysium Press.</ref>

==परिचयः ॥ Introduction==

==परिचयः ॥ Introduction==

The Vedas have been divided into four styles of texts – the Samhitas, the Aranyakas, the Brahmanas and the Upanishads. The subject matter of the whole Veda is divided into Karma-Kanda, Upasana-Kanda and Jnana-Kanda. The Karma-Kanda or Ritualistic section deals with various sacrifices and rituals. The Upasana-Kanda or Worship section deals with various kinds of worship or meditation. The Jnana-Kanda or Knowledge-Section deals with the highest knowledge of Nirguna Brahman. The Samhitas and the Brahmanas constitute Karma-Kanda; the Aranyakas constitute Upasana-Kanda; and the Upanishads constitute Jnana-Kanda<ref>Swami Sivananda, All About Hinduism, Page 30-31</ref><ref name=":02">Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamiji, (2000) ''[http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part19/chap6.htm Hindu Dharma (Collection of Swamiji's Speeches between 1907 to 1994)]''Mumbai : Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan</ref>The Upanishads along with the Bhagavadgita and Brahmasutras constitute the Prasthana Trayi (प्रस्थानत्रयी) and both the Gita and Brahmasutras are based again on the Upanishads. They are also the foundational sources for all Darshana shastras and including the Jain and Buddhist philosophies.

The Vedas have been divided into four styles of texts – the Samhitas, the Aranyakas, the Brahmanas and the Upanishads. The subject matter of the whole Veda is divided into Karma-Kanda, Upasana-Kanda and Jnana-Kanda. The Karma-Kanda or Ritualistic section deals with various sacrifices and rituals. The Upasana-Kanda or Worship section deals with various kinds of worship or meditation. The Jnana-Kanda or Knowledge-Section deals with the highest knowledge of Nirguna Brahman. The Samhitas and the Brahmanas constitute Karma-Kanda; the Aranyakas constitute Upasana-Kanda; and the Upanishads constitute Jnana-Kanda<ref>Swami Sivananda, All About Hinduism, Page 30-31</ref><ref name=":02">Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamiji, (2000) ''[http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part19/chap6.htm Hindu Dharma (Collection of Swamiji's Speeches between 1907 to 1994)]''Mumbai : Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan</ref>The Upanishads along with the Bhagavadgita and Brahmasutras constitute the Prasthana Trayi (प्रस्थानत्रयी) and both the Gita and Brahmasutras are based again on the Upanishads. They are also the foundational sources for all Darshana shastras and including the Jain and Buddhist philosophies.

*विशरणम् (नाशनम्) to destroy : They destroy the seeds of Avidya causing samsara in a Mumukshu (a sadhaka who wants to attain Moksha), hence this Vidya is called Upanishads.<blockquote>अविद्यादेः संसारबीजस्य विशरणाद् विनाशनादित्यनेन अर्थयोगेन विद्या उपनिषदुच्यते । avidyādeḥ saṁsārabījasya viśaraṇād vināśanādityanena arthayogena vidyā upaniṣaducyate ।</blockquote>

*विशरणम् (नाशनम्) to destroy : They destroy the seeds of Avidya causing samsara in a Mumukshu (a sadhaka who wants to attain Moksha), hence this Vidya is called Upanishads.<blockquote>अविद्यादेः संसारबीजस्य विशरणाद् विनाशनादित्यनेन अर्थयोगेन विद्या उपनिषदुच्यते । avidyādeḥ saṁsārabījasya viśaraṇād vināśanādityanena arthayogena vidyā upaniṣaducyate ।</blockquote>

*गतिः (प्रपणम् वा विद्यर्थकम्) to obtain or to know : That vidya which leads to  or make the sadhaka obtain Brahma, is called Upanishad.<blockquote>परं ब्रह्म वा गमयतोति ब्रह्म गमयितृत्वेन योगाद् विद्योपनिषद् । paraṁ brahma vā gamayatoti brahma gamayitr̥tvena yogād vidyopaniṣad ।</blockquote>

*गतिः (प्रपणम् वा विद्यर्थकम्) to obtain or to know : That vidya which leads to  or make the sadhaka obtain Brahma, is called Upanishad.<blockquote>परं ब्रह्म वा गमयतोति ब्रह्म गमयितृत्वेन योगाद् विद्योपनिषद् । paraṁ brahma vā gamayatoti brahma gamayitr̥tvena yogād vidyopaniṣad ।</blockquote>

*अवसादनम् (शिथिलर्थकम्) to loosen or to dissolve : Through which cycles of birth, aging etc painful process are loosened or dissolved (that is bondages of samsara are dissolved allowing the sadhaka to attain the Brahma).<blockquote>गर्भवासजन्मजराद्युपद्रववृन्दस्य लोकान्तरेपौनपुन्येन प्रवृत्तस्य अवसादपितृत्वेन उपनिषदित्युच्यते । garbhavāsajanmajarādyupadravavr̥ndasya lokāntarepaunapunyena pravr̥ttasya avasādapitr̥tvena upaniṣadityucyate ।</blockquote>His also defines the primary meaning of Upanishad as Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या । Knowledge of Brahma) and secondary meaning as ब्रह्मविद्याप्रतिपादकग्रन्थः (Brahmavidya pratipadaka granth । texts which  teach Brahmavidya). Shankaracharya's commentaries of the Kaṭha and Brhadaranyaka Upanishad also support this explanation.

*अवसादनम् (शिथिलर्थकम्) to loosen or to dissolve : Through which cycles of birth, aging etc painful process are loosened or dissolved (that is bondages of samsara are dissolved allowing the sadhaka to attain the Brahma).<blockquote>गर्भवासजन्मजराद्युपद्रववृन्दस्य लोकान्तरेपौनपुन्येन प्रवृत्तस्य अवसादपितृत्वेन उपनिषदित्युच्यते । garbhavāsajanmajarādyupadravavr̥ndasya lokāntarepaunapunyena pravr̥ttasya avasādapitr̥tvena upaniṣadityucyate ।</blockquote>He also defines the primary meaning of Upanishad as Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या । Knowledge of Brahma) and secondary meaning as ब्रह्मविद्याप्रतिपादकग्रन्थः (Brahmavidya pratipadaka granth । texts which  teach Brahmavidya). Shankaracharya's commentaries of the Kaṭha and Brhadaranyaka Upanishad also support this explanation.

An alternative explanation of the word Upanishad is "to sit near" derived as follows <ref name=":42222" /><ref name=":4" />

An alternative explanation of the word Upanishad is "to sit near" derived as follows <ref name=":42222" /><ref name=":4" />