‘Upanishad’—meaning

  KaThopanishad. S.B. Introduction--- saderdhatoH vis’araNa---- vidyaa uchyate.

The word ‘Upanishad’ is derived by adding the prefixes ‘upa’ (near) and ‘ni’ (with certainty) and the suffix ‘kvip’ to the root ‘sad’ meaning ‘ to destroy, to go to and to loosen’. By the word ‘Upanishad’ is meant the knowledge that destroys the seeds of worldly existence such as ignorance in the case of those seekers of liberation who, after cultivating detachment towards all enjoyments, approach (upa,sad) this knowledge  and then deliberate on it with steadiness and certainty (ni). Though this knowledge is the primary meaning of the word, it is used also to denote the book that contains this knowledge, in a secondary sense.   

Br.up.1.1.S.B.Introduction—saa iyam brahmavidyaa ----upanishad uchyate.

The knowledge of Brahman is called ‘upanishad’ because it entirely removes this relative world together with its cause from those who take to this study; for the root ‘sad’ prefixed by ‘upa’ and ‘ni’ means that. Books also are called ‘upanishad’ as they have the same end in view.

There is no contradiction between the upanishads and the ritualistic portion (karma kanda) of the Vedas.

             Br.up.2.1.20.S.B—tasmaat na brahmaikatvam---------------------------- pramaaNaani s’rotraadivat.  Therefore the Vedaanta texts that teach the oneness of Brahman are not antagonistic to the ritualistic portion. Nor are the latter deprived of their scope by the former. Neither do the ritualistic scriptures, which are based on differences such as the factors of an action, take away the authority of the upanishads as regards the oneness of Brahman. For the means of knowledge are exclusively powerful in their respective spheres, just as the ear alone has the power to hear sounds and the eye alone to see forms, etc.

             The ritualistic portion of the Vedas ceases to apply only after a person has attained Self-knowledge and has become liberated from the cycle of birth and death. Till then it remains applicable.

 
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