Upanishad

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

noun Hinduism.

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.

Origin of Upanishad

< Sanskrit upaniṣad, equivalent to upa near + ni- down + -ṣad, sandhi variant of sad- sit1

OTHER WORDS FROM Upanishad

U·pan·i·shad·ic, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for upanishads

British Dictionary definitions for upanishads

Upanishad
/ (uːˈpʌnɪʃəd, -ˌʃæd, juː-) /

noun

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

Derived forms of Upanishad

Upanishadic, adjective

Word Origin for Upanishad

C19: from Sanskrit upanisad a sitting down near something, from upa near to + ni down + sīdati he sits

Cultural definitions for upanishads

Upanishads
[ (ooh-pah-nuh-shahdz, ooh-pan-uh-shadz) ]

A group of writings sacred in Hinduism concerning the relations of humans, God, and the universe.