The Upanishads are the culminating teachings of the Vedas, dialogues between teacher and student that destroy ignorance and reveal the Self as Brahman.

Svabhava means “one’s own nature.” In worldly life it refers to tendencies shaped by gunas. In Vedanta, one’s absolute svabhava is identical with svarupa — Brahman, pure existence-consciousness-limitlessness.

Triguṇa yoga is Krishna’s teaching in the Bhagavad Gita about sattva, rajas, and tamas. By observing their play and cultivating sattva, the seeker prepares for Self-knowledge, ultimately recognizing the Self as beyond all guṇas.

Sat-cit-ananda describes Brahman as existence, consciousness, and bliss. These are not attributes but synonyms pointing to one reality. Bliss here means fullness or limitlessness, not a passing joy.

Yoga prizes samadhi as the pinnacle of meditation. Advaita Vedanta honors it as discipline but insists that true freedom lies not in a state but in knowledge: recognizing that the Self illumines all states without ever changing.

Paramarthika refers to absolute reality, Brahman alone. Unlike dreams or the waking world, which depend on other factors, Brahman is independent, unchanging, and eternal — the “truth of truth.”

Nirvikalpa samadhi is absorption without distinctions, praised in yoga as the highest state. Vedanta clarifies: it is an impermanent experience, a reflection of the Self in a sattvic mind, but not liberation. Moksha comes only through Self-knowledge.

Mithya means dependent reality. It is that which changes, appears and disappears, or is made of parts. The world is mithya: experienced, functional, but not absolute. Only Brahman is satya — changeless, ever-present, and partless.

Panchikarana means the fivefold combination — the process by which subtle elements mix to form the gross world. It shows that all bodies and objects are temporary composites, while the Self stands apart as pure awareness.

The pancha mahabhuta — space, air, fire, water, and earth — are the building blocks of the universe. They reveal that every body is made of the same elements: we are “walking earth,” contents of the cosmos, while the Self stands beyond them.

Svarupa means intrinsic nature. In Vedanta, it is pure consciousness, limitless being, fullness. While colloquially it can mean temperament or inclination, true svarupa belongs only to the Self, not to conditioning.

The panchakosha teaching of the Taittiriya Upanishad describes five sheaths — body, life-force, mind, intellect, and bliss — in which the Self is mistakenly identified. They are pedagogical tools for discrimination, not literal coverings.

Neti-neti means “not this, not this.” By negating both the gross and subtle universes, Vedānta reveals the one thing that cannot be negated: the witnessing Self, evident as “I am.”

Mumukshutva means the intense longing for liberation. More than curiosity, it is the fire that makes freedom the top priority, like gasping for air while drowning. It is the engine of all Vedantic pursuit.

Mahavakya means “great statement.” Tradition highlights four Upanishadic declarations, but many others exist, and later Advaita sayings like Brahma satyam jagan mithya also function as teaching mahavakyas. All reveal the oneness of Self and Brahman.

Lila means play. In Vedanta, it describes creation as a spontaneous manifestation of fullness, not a project of need. The wise, too, live life as lila — engaged in action, yet free.

Karta means doer, bhokta means experiencer. These roles define saṃsara: “I act, I reap.” Vedanta teaches that the Self is neither doer nor experiencer, but pure awareness.

A jivanmukta is one who, having realized the Self, lives free while the body continues due to prarabdha karma. Experiences of pleasure and pain occur, but without bondage, as the sage knows the Self is ever free.

Jagat means “that which is born and that which goes.” Vedanta teaches the jagat is mithya — inseparable from Ishvara but not identical with Him. Creation is Ishvara, but Ishvara is not exhausted by creation.

Hiranyagarbha means “Golden Womb,” the cosmic subtle body. It is Brahman reflected in the total mind, sustaining the dreamlike subtle universe. Vedanta honors it as a teaching concept, while pointing beyond it to the Self.