Śvetāśvatara Upanishad

The Svetasvatara Upanishad is one of the Upanishads, which are philosophical texts within the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of Hinduism. Composed roughly between 700 and 500 BCE, the Upanishads marked a shift from Vedic ritualism to a focus on knowledge, particularly the understanding of the ultimate identity of all phenomena.123

A central concept in the Upanishads is the relationship between atman* (the self) and brahman* (the Absolute). The texts explore the idea that the true self (atman) is identical with the universal principle (brahman), and realizing this unity is key to escaping the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara). The Svetasvatara Upanishad, specifically, is noted for its focus on a supreme deity and its exploration of the concept of brahman.1452