The tradition counts 108 Upanishads, listed in the Muktika Upanishad (1.30-39); texts called Upanishad are far more, over 200. Ten of them are taken as the principal ones: Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka, on which commentaries under the name of Adi Shankaracharya survive. Some counts add the Shvetashvatara, Kaushitaki and Maitri to make 11, 12 or 13 principal Upanishads.
| # | Name | Veda | In which count | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isha UpanishadIshavasya | Shukla Yajurveda | The 10 | Opens with ‘isha vasyam idam sarvam’: all that is, is pervaded by the Lord |
| 2 | Kena Upanishad | Samaveda | The 10 | Opens with the question ‘keneshitam’ (by whom impelled?); the episode of the yaksha and Uma Haimavati |
| 3 | Katha Upanishad | Krishna Yajurveda | The 10 | The dialogue of the boy Nachiketa and Yama |
| 4 | Prashna Upanishad | Atharvaveda | The 10 | Six seekers go to the sage Pippalada and ask six questions |
| 5 | Mundaka Upanishad | Atharvaveda | The 10 | Higher and lower knowledge (1.1.4); ‘satyameva jayate’ is its line (3.1.6) |
| 6 | Mandukya Upanishad | Atharvaveda | The 10 | Om and the four quarters of the self; ‘ayam atma brahma’ (verse 2) |
| 7 | Taittiriya Upanishad | Krishna Yajurveda | The 10 | The Shiksha, Brahmananda and Bhrigu sections; the five layers from food to bliss; ‘satyam vada, dharmam chara’ |
| 8 | Aitareya Upanishad | Rigveda | The 10 | Creation and the self; ‘prajnanam brahma’ (3.1.3) |
| 9 | Chandogya Upanishad | Samaveda | The 10 | Uddalaka’s teaching to his son Shvetaketu, ‘tat tvam asi’ (6.8.7) |
| 10 | Brihadaranyaka Upanishad | Shukla Yajurveda | The 10 | Yajnavalkya’s dialogue with Maitreyi (2.4); ‘aham brahmasmi’ (1.4.10) and ‘asato ma sadgamaya’ (1.3.28) |
| 11 | Shvetashvatara Upanishad | Krishna Yajurveda | In the counts of 11, 12 and 13 | Calls the one Rudra the lord of the worlds (3.2); ends with supreme devotion to God and to the guru (6.23) |
| 12 | Kaushitaki Upanishad | Rigveda | In the counts of 12 and 13 | The episodes of Chitra Gargyayani and of Pratardana and Indra |
| 13 | Maitri UpanishadMaitrayani | Krishna Yajurveda (Muktika: Samaveda) | In the count of 13 | The dialogue of King Brihadratha and the sage Shakayanya |
The 108 Upanishads and the Muktika
In the Muktika Upanishad, Rama tells Hanuman that the Mandukya alone is enough for liberation; if knowledge does not arise, read the ten Upanishads, then thirty-two, and for liberation at death the hundred and eight (1.26-29). The 108 names follow in order, the first ten being these principal Upanishads (1.30-39).
The Muktika’s count by Veda: 10 of the Rigveda, 19 of the Shukla Yajurveda, 32 of the Krishna Yajurveda, 16 of the Samaveda and 31 of the Atharvaveda, 108 in all. Scholars date this list of the Muktika to before 1656 CE.
What the word Upanishad means
From upa (near) and ni-shad (to sit down): knowledge received sitting near a teacher. The Upanishads are the last layer of the Vedas, and the Vedanta school rests on them.
Where the sources differ
- 10, 11, 12 or 13: the count of ten comes from the Muktika (1.30) and Shankara’s commentaries. A commentary on the Shvetashvatara also carries Shankara’s name, though scholars doubt it is his; adding it gives 11. Robert Hume (1921) calls the twelve including the Kaushitaki and Shvetashvatara ‘the usual group’ and adds the Maitri to make 13.
- The commentary on the Mandukya carries Shankara’s name, but some scholars (such as Nakamura) take it to be by someone else.
- The Veda of the Maitri Upanishad: the Muktika puts it under the Samaveda, while it is usually assigned to the Maitrayani branch of the Krishna Yajurveda.
Frequently asked questions
How many Upanishads are there?
The tradition’s standard list has 108 (the Muktika Upanishad). Texts called Upanishad number over 200. The principal Upanishads are taken as 10, or 11 to 13 in some counts.
What are the names of the 10 principal Upanishads?
Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka. This order is that of the Muktika Upanishad’s verse (1.30).
Which Upanishads hold the four mahavakyas?
‘Prajnanam brahma’ is in the Aitareya (3.1.3), ‘aham brahmasmi’ in the Brihadaranyaka (1.4.10), ‘tat tvam asi’ in the Chandogya (6.8.7) and ‘ayam atma brahma’ in the Mandukya (2); these are Upanishads of the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas in turn.
Which Upanishad is ‘satyameva jayate’ from?
From the Mundaka Upanishad (3.1.6).
Which Upanishads did Shankaracharya comment on?
Commentaries on the ten principal Upanishads survive under his name. Scholars differ on who wrote the commentaries on the Mandukya and the Shvetashvatara.
Sources
- Muktika Upanishad, chapter 1 (sanskritdocuments.org)
- Sanskrit texts of the Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Shvetashvatara, Kaushitaki and Maitri Upanishads (sanskritdocuments.org)
- Robert Ernest Hume, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford 1921 (archive.org)
- Wikipedia articles on Adi Shankara’s works and on the Upanishads (authenticity of the commentaries, over 200 Upanishads, date of the Muktika)
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