Samanya Upanishads
| Part of a series on |
| Hindu scriptures and texts |
|---|
 |
| Related Hindu texts |
Samanya Upanishads or Samanya Vedanta Upanishads are minor Upanishads of Hinduism that are of a generic nature, in comparison to other minor Upanishads grouped as the Yoga Upanishads which are related to Yoga, the Samnyasa Upanishads which are related to Hindu renunciation and monastic practice, the Shaiva Upanishads which are related to Shaivism, the Vaishnava Upanishads which are related to Vaishnavism, and the Shakta Upanishads which are related to Shaktism.[1][2] The Samanya Upanishads also are newer and generally classified as distinct from the thirteen major Principal Upanishads, considered to be more ancient and connected to the Vedic tradition.[1] The term samanya literally means "generic, universal".[3]
The Samanya Vedanta Upanishads are variously classified, ranging from a list of 21 to 24.[4] The variation in count is based on whether some of the older Principal Upanishads are included as Samanya. In the Telugu language anthology of 108 Upanishads of the Muktika canon, narrated by Rama to Hanuman, the following major Upanishads are counted as Samanya Upanishads bringing the list to 24: 14. Shvetashvatara Upanishad; 24. Maitrayaniya Upanishad; and 25. Kaushitaki Upanishad.[5]
The Principal Upanishads are dated to be between eighth and first century BCE, the estimates for the minor Upanishads vary. According to Mahony, the minor Upanishads are approximately dated to be from about 100 BC to 1100 AD.[6]
List of 21 Samanya Upanishads
| Serial number in the Muktika and Title of the Upanishad | Attached Veda | Period of creation |
| 17. Garbha Upanishad | Krishna Yajurveda | |
| 24. Maitrayaniya Upanishad | Krishna Yajurveda | 1st millennium BCE |
| 25. Kaushitaki Upanishad | Rigveda | Before the middle of the 1st millennium BCE |
| 30. Subala Upanishad | Shukla Yajurveda | 2nd millennium CE |
| 32. Mantrika Upanishad | Shukla Yajurveda | 1st millennium BCE |
| 33. Sarvasara Upanishad | Atharvaveda also Krishna Yajurveda | 1st millennium BCE |
| 34. Niralamba Upanishad | Shukla Yajurveda | Late medieval text |
| 35. Shukarahasya Upanishad | Krishna Yajurveda | |
| 36. Vajrasuchi Upanishad | Samaveda | Likely in the 8th-century |
| 42. Atmabodha Upanishad | Rigveda | |
| 51. Skanda Upanishad | Krishna Yajurveda | |
| 57. Mudgala Upanishad | Rigveda | Post-Vedic |
| 59. Paingala Upanishad | Atharvaveda, and Shukla Yajurveda | Early medieval era |
| 61. Maha Upanishad | Samaveda also in Atharvaveda | |
| 62. Sariraka Upanishad | Krishna Yajurveda | |
| 69.Ekakshara Upanishad | Krishna Yajurveda | |
| 70. Annapurna Upanishad | Atharvaveda | |
| 71. Surya Upanishad | Atharvaveda | |
| 72. Akshi Upanishad | Krishna Yajurveda | |
| 73. Adhyatma Upanishad | Shukla Yajurveda | |
| 75.Savitri Upanishad | Samaveda | |
| 76. Atma Upanishad | Atharvaveda | |
| 94. Pranagnihotra Upanishad | Atharva Veda | |
| 108. Muktika Upanishad | All four Vedas | From about 800 BC and the youngest probably composed after the 15th-century AD |
References
- ^ a b William K. Mahony (1998). The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination. State University of New York Press. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-7914-3579-3.
- ^ Moriz Winternitz; V. Srinivasa Sarma (1996). A History of Indian Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 217–224 with footnotes. ISBN 978-81-208-0264-3.
- ^ Roshen Dalal (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
- ^ Rabindranath Tagore (1941). The Visva-bharati Quarterly. p. 97.
- ^ AL Sastri (1918). Report.
- ^ Mahony 1998, p. 290.
Bibliography
- Aiyar, K. Narayanasvami (1914). Thirty Minor Upanishads. Archive Organization. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Deussen, Paul (1997). Sixty Upanishads of the Veda. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-1467-7.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Mahony, William K. (1998). The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-3579-3.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Nair, Shantha N. (2008). Echoes of Ancient Indian Wisdom. Pustak Mahal. ISBN 978-81-223-1020-7.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)