The Isha Upanishad, also known as Shri Ishopanishad, Ishavasya Upanishad, or Vajasaneyi Samhita Upanishad, is one of the shortest Upanishads, embedded as the final chapter (adhyāya) of the Shukla Yajurveda. It is a Mukhya Upanishad, and is known in two recensions, called Kanva (VSK) and Madhyandina (VSM). The Upanishad is a brief poem, consisting of 17 or 18 verses, depending on the recension.
Isha Upanishad, verses 1 to 3 (Sanskrit, Devanagari script)
A manuscript page from the Isha Upanisad.
The Upanishads are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hinduism. They are the most recent addition to the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, and deal with meditation, philosophy, consciousness, and ontological knowledge. Earlier parts of the Vedas dealt with mantras, benedictions, rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices.
Image: Guru and Disciple I
Image: Yama teaches Nasiketha
Image: Tat tvam asi
Image: Vajrasuchi Upanishad sample i, Samaveda, Sanskrit, Devanagari script, 1728 CE manuscript