Episode 01 - Arrangement of the Upanishads.

Arrangement of the Upanishads

Depending upon the substance of the content and their comprehensiveness, of the 108 upanishads, ten (even out of the fourteen mentioned earlier) have been classified as more important ones. They are listed out below with the branch of the Veda they belong to.

ISa (Sukla yajur veda - vAjasanEya SAkA)

kena (sAma - thalavakAra SAkA)

kata (kriShna yajur veda - thaithireeya SAkA)

praSna (atharvaNa veda)

mundaka (atharvaNa veda)

mAndookya (atharavaNa veda)

aitharEya (rig veda - aitharEya SAkA)

thaithireeya - (kriShna yajur veda - thaithireeya SAkA)

brahadAraNyaka - (Sukla yajur veda - kANva SAkA , mAdhyandhina SAkA)

chAndOgya (sAma veda - Cauthama SAkA)

The other 98 are further regarded in different categories, depending on their considered age and substance:

24 - ordinary upanishads

20 - yOga upanishads

17 - sanyAsa upanishads

14 - vaiShnava upanishads,

14 - Saiva upanishads,

  9 - SAktha Upanishads (rituals, prayers and philosophy based on the propagation of Sakthi as the prime force).

A comprehensive list of the Upanishads, grouped according to the different  segments of Hindu religion, like Sri Vaishnavam, Saivam, Saaktham, etc. and denoting the affiliated sakha,  is in Annexure I.