Chandogya Upanisha
The Chāndogya Upaniṣad, one of the oldest and most influential Upaniṣads of the Sāma Veda, is a vast text of eight chapters blending symbolic interpretations of rituals with profound philosophical insights, centered on the unity of the individual self (Ātman) and ultimate reality (Brahman). It teaches through parables and dialogues, such as the story of Satyakāma Jābāla, which upholds truth as the highest virtue, and the instruction of sage Uddālaka to his son Śvetaketu, declaring the mahāvākya “Tat Tvam Asi” (“That Thou Art”), affirming the essential oneness of the Self with Brahman. The Upaniṣad also emphasizes meditation, ethical living, the sacredness of sound (Om), and the interconnectedness of life. Rich in both metaphysics and practical wisdom, it portrays liberation as realizing the infinite within oneself and living in harmony with the eternal truth.
