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Mandukya Upanishad
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Mandukya Upanishad

Hindu text
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The Mandukya Upanishad is a foundational text in Hinduism, specifically within the Vedanta school of philosophy. It is one of the earliest Upanishads, dating to around the 5th century BCE. The text is known for its focus on the sacred syllable om, which it explores as a representation of the universe and ultimate reality.1234

The Mandukya Upanishad is also significant for its commentary, the Mandukya-karika, written by Gaudapada. Gaudapada, influenced by Buddhist philosophy, argued for a nondualistic reality (advaita), suggesting that the perceived world is an illusion (maya). The philosopher Shankara further developed these ideas, emphasizing that the ultimate reality is brahman, and the individual self (atman) is identical to brahman, leading to spiritual release (moksha) through this realization.1567

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7 Britannica Sources
  1. Advaita
  2. Indian philosophy - Fragments from the Mandukya-karika until Shankara
  3. Shankara
  4. om
  5. Upanishad
  6. om
  7. Yajnavalkya

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