Aitareya Upanishad

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series on
Hindu scriptures
Aum

Rigveda · Yajurveda · Samaveda · Atharvaveda
Divisions
Samhita · Brahmana · Aranyaka · Upanishad

Aitareya · Brihadaranyaka · Isha · Taittiriya · Chandogya · Kena · Mundaka · Mandukya · Katha · Prashna · Shvetashvatara

Shiksha · Chandas · Vyakarana · Nirukta · Jyotisha · Kalpa

Mahabharata · Ramayana

Smriti · Śruti · Bhagavad Gita · Purana · Agama · Darshana · Pancharatra · Tantra · Sutra · Stotra · Dharmashastra · Divya Prabandha · Tevaram · Ramacharitamanas · Shikshapatri · Vachanamrut · Ananda Sutram
This box: view • talk • edit

The Aitareya Upanishad is one of the older, "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. It is a Mukhya Upanishad, associated with the Rigveda. It figures as number 8 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads.

The Aitareya Upanishad is a short prose text in three chapters and contains 33 verses in total. It comprises the fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the second book of the older vedic text, Aitareya Aranyaka.

The Rishi of the Aitereya Aranyaka and the Aitereya Brahmana is Aitereya Mahidasa. In Chandogya Upanishad, Aitereya Mahidasa is said to have lived 116 years(Chhandogya 3.16.7).

In the first chapter of the text, Atman, the inner self, is portrayed as a divine creator. In the second chapter, the three births of the Atman are described.

The third chapter deals with the qualities of the Self or Brahman. It contains one of the most famous expressions of the Vedanta, "Prajnanam Brahma", which is one of the Mahāvākyas.

[edit] External links

 This article about Hindu theology, scripture or ceremony is a stub. See the WikiProject Hinduism for article coordination. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.