The Message of the "Upanishads": The World’s Most Ancient Philosophic Thoughts

The word ‘Upanishad’ is derived from Sanskrit; upa (near), ni (down) and sad (to sit). In short, ‘to sit down near’. In the tranquil atmosphere of the forest, Rishis, disseminated their philosophical thoughts on various subjects to their pupils sitting near them. The term Upanishad is also believed to be originated from the root ‘sad’- meaning ‘to loosen’, ‘to reach’, or ‘to destroy’, with ‘upa’ and ‘ni’ as prefixes. According to this though, Upanishad means Brahma-knowledge by which ignorance is loosened or destroyed. These ancient philosophic thoughts are as relevant to life as they were 8000 years ago. The author cuts across the 11 most important of the Upanishads written over a period of 2000 years and presents, what they convey about the most intriguing concepts like the creation of the universe, The Supreme Power, Brahma, Pran, Jeeva, The Omkar, Life after death and more.