The Philosophy of the Upanishads c5.s3.12

c5.s3.12

According to S'ankara, the Upanishads were so named because they “destroy” inborn ignorance,¹ or because they “conduct” to Brahman.² Apart from these interpretations, justifiable neither on grounds of philology nor of fact, the word Upanishad is usually explained by Indian writers by *rahasyam* (i.e. “secret,” Anquetil's *secretum tegendum*). Thus it is said, for example, in Nṛisiṃh. 8 four times in succession *iti rahasyam*, instead of the earlier usual form *iti upanishad* (as is found *e.g.* at the close of Taitt. 2 and 3, Mahânâr. 62. 63. 64). In older passages also, where mention is made of Upanishad texts, such expressions are used as *guhyâ âdes'âḥ*,³ *paramam guhyam*,⁴ *vedaguhya-upanishatsu gûḍham*,⁵ *guhyatamam*.⁶