The Vedas are the earliest recorded religious literature of the world. The word Veda stems from the root ‘Vid’ which in Sanskrit means ‘to know’.
The Vedas consist of hymns in praise of the gods, various rituals and rites to be performed, their philosophic interpretations etc. The concluding part of the Vedas, (hence called Vedanta) are the Upanishads. The Upanishads contain the essence of the Vedas and are a veritable storehouse of the most profound and elevating thoughts conceived by the human brain on all aspects concerning man, such as the origin, sustenance and final dissolution of this universe, the goal of human life, the co-existence of man with other beings and with nature, the right conduct to be followed etc.
At the core of the Upanishadic teaching are contained the concepts of the Self (called Atman) and the Supreme Power or Universal Spirit (called Brahman). It is this supreme power that controls the workings of this universe, and which manifests itself in so many diverse forms. The Vedic seers also concluded that the self is not to be confused with the physical body, but which is identical with the Brahman. This is the principle of unity which forms the very basis of Indian philosophy, the principle of the non-dual truth.
According to the Upanishadic teaching, the goal of man is the realisation of this unity, of his oneness with all other forms of existence. As a means to this process of realisation, the Upanishads define certain steps to be followed.
Two ideas that dominate the teaching of all the Upanishads are a) the need for detachment and b) the value of knowledge. While talking of detachment, the Upanishads do not advocate running away from reality and ignoring social responsibilities. Rather, they stress on controlling of passions and desires, with an aim of discharging one’s duties in the midst of all the pulls and pressures of life, with an attitude of rendering service to others.
The Upanishads unequivocally state that such a realisation is possible in this life itself, through Yoga or meditation, which, if steadfastly practiced, will transform the indirect or unrealisable truth into a perceivable, direct experience.
It is this immediate or direct experience which is called ‘Jnana’ or knowledge. As repositories of the most ennobling and universal truths, the Upanishads stand unrivalled in their loftiness of concept and expression, as shining examples of the brilliance of ancient Indian thinkers and seers. Schopenhauer rightly says ‘from every sentence of the Upanishads, deep, original and sublime thoughts arise ----, they are products of the highest wisdom’.