The उपनिषद् Upaniṣad's are part of the Vedas. There are four Vedas: ऋग्वेद Ṛg Veda, यजुर वेद Yajur Veda, साम वेद Sāma Veda, and अथर्वा वेद Atharva Veda.
Each Veda consists of for parts: namely Saṁhita संहिता, Brāhmaṇā ब्राह्मणा आरण्यक, Araṇyaka आरण्यक and Upaṇisad.
Upaniṣad means knowledge of the self.
The word Upaniṣad means knowledge, particularly knowledge of the self. This meaning is conveyed by the three elements that make up the word Upaniṣad – सद sad is the verbal root and उप upa and ni नि are the prefixes. Between these three elements, a lot is conveyed about what Upaniṣad is.
Upa has the sense of सामिप्य sāmipya, proximity, nearness, Upaniṣad is the knowledge of that which is proximate, How proximate? The proximate, and that amounts to my own self, which is the most proximate. So Upaniṣad ts the knowledge of the self.
The other prefix, mi, reveals the nature of this knowledge. It is niscitam jananam निश्चितम् ज्ञानं, a knowledge that is niscitam, free from any vagueness, doubts or errors. It is a firm, steady, abiding knowledge. This firm knowledge comes through श्रवणं मननं निदिध्यासं sravanam, mananam, and nididhydsanam. By sravanam, listening to the teaching, ignorance is removed. By mananam, clarifying what has been heard, doubts are removed. By nididhydsanam, contemplation, habitual error is removed. This is how you gain the knowledge that is a firm, abiding knowledge, niscitam jnanam.
The root sad reveals what this knowledge does for us. Sad has three meanings: गति gati, विसर्णं visaraṇa, and अवसदन avasadana.
Gati means going. This knowledge takes us to the end that we want to reach, namely, the limitlessness that is happiness. The knowledge takes us to happiness by revealing that happiness or limitlessness is our own self. We’ve already reached it. It is a matter of discovering what we are. It is owning what is.
Visaraṇam विसर्णंम is loosening. As this knowledge becomes assimilated, the notions that are binding me are loosened. What is restricting me in my life is nothing but my own notions or conclusions about myself. In the wake of the true knowledge of myself, these notions or conclusions keep dropping off. I become freer and freer.
Avasadanam अवसदनं means destruction. The knowledge first loosens and then completely destroys the bondage created by ignorance. The knowledge destroys the ignorance and frees me from my own notions and conclusions about myself.
Therefore, the word Upaniṣad means knowledge of the self a knowledge that is free from vagueness, doubts or error; to certain, abiding knowledge; a knowledge that brings us to our true nature.
We are seeking happiness, freedom, limitlessness. The Upanisads bring us to this end by revealing the fact that we are happiness, we are limitlessness, we are free. So truly speaking, the Upanisads bring us to ourselves.
Swami Viditatmanand Saraswati
