Work / monument · text

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

c. 7th century BCE · 7th century BCE

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is one of the oldest and longest Upanishads, part of the Shatapatha Brahmana of the White Yajurveda, usually dated to around the 7th century BCE. Its dialogues, many featuring the sage Yajnavalkya, set out ideas of the self (atman), brahman, karma and rebirth that became central to Hindu philosophy. It also tells of the learned king Ajatashatru of Kashi.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Image: Ms Sarah Welch · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

VidehaKingdom of Kashi

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/brihadaranyaka-upanishad
MLA
“Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/brihadaranyaka-upanishad. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/brihadaranyaka-upanishad.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Brihadaranyaka Upanishad’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/brihadaranyaka-upanishad (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻