Maitrayaniya Upanishad

Part of a series on
Hindu scriptures
Vedas
Rigveda · Samaveda Yajurveda · Atharvaveda Divisions Samhita · Brahmana Aranyaka · Upanishad
Vedangas
Shiksha · Chandas Vyakarana · Nirukta Kalpa · Jyotisha
Upanishads
Rig vedic Aitareya Yajur vedic Brihadaranyaka · Isha Taittiriya · Katha Shvetashvatara Sama vedic Chandogya · Kena Atharva vedic Mundaka · Mandukya Prashna
Puranas
Brahma puranas Brahma · Brahmānda Brahmavaivarta Markandeya · Bhavishya Vaishnava puranas Vishnu · Bhagavata Naradeya · Garuda · Padma · Agni Shaiva puranas Shiva · Linga Skanda · Vayu
Itihasa
Ramayana Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita)
Other scriptures
Manu Smriti Artha Shastra · Agama Tantra · Sūtra · Stotra Dharmashastra Divya Prabandha Tevaram Ramcharitmanas Yoga Vasistha
Scripture classification
Śruti · Smriti
Timeline
Hindu texts
v · d · e

The Maitrayaniya Upanishad (Sanskrit: मैत्रायणीय उपनिषद्, Maitrāyaṇīya Upaniṣad) or the Maitri Upanishad (Sanskrit: मैत्री उपनिषद्, Maitrī Upaniṣad) belongs to the Maitri or Maitrayaniya shakha (branch) of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda, though some texts assign it to the Sāmaveda. It figures as number 24 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads under the name of the Maitrāyaṇi Upanishad, which is included there as a Sāmānya Upanishad, associated with the Samaveda. The Dīpikā, a notable commentary on this text was written by Rāmatirtha.

Rhys Davis (n.d.: unpaginated) holds that within the manuscripts of this text is the earliest documented Sanskrit literary usage of the term 'samadhi' (Sanskrit). It was first found in the Tipitaka in Pali ^[1]

The Upanishad is post-Ashokan, and shows signs of Buddhist influence.^[2][3]

Contents

The extant recension of the text consists seven Prapāṭhakas (lessons), the last two are known as khila (appendices). But originally it consisted the first four Prapāṭhakas only. The text begins as a dialogue between the king Bṛhadratha and the sage Śākāyana which continues till vi.30. Through this dialogue, the sage Śākāyana teaches the king the philosophy of the Brahman as it was taught by the sage Maitri. As a part of his teaching, he narrates an ancient dialogue between a group of sages known as the Vālakhilyas and Prajāpati Kratu.

Primary resources

• Maitrayaniya Upanishad @ Wikisource in Unicode

Notes

1. ^ T.W.Rhys Davis (n.d.). 'Introduction to the Subha Sutta'. Source: [1] (accessed: Thursday December 24, 2009)
2. ^ A.L. Basham in Paul Williams, ed., Buddhism: Buddhist origins and the early history of Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia. Taylor & Francis, 2005, page 61.
3. ^ Florin Giripescu Sutton, Existence and enlightenment in the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra: a study in the ontology and epistemology of the Yogācāra school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. SUNY Press, 1991, page 58.

References

• Cowell, E.B. (re-issue 1935). (tr.) The Maitri or Maitrāṇīya Upanishad, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society of Bengal

External links

• Sri Aurobindo (1972). The Upanishads, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry
• Online Text : MAITRI UPANISHAD