Definition
The contemplative teachings that close the Vedas — intimate dialogues between teachers and students ("sitting down near" the teacher is what the word means) exploring the deepest questions: what is the self, what is the Divine, and are they one? Chants like Asato Ma Sad Gamaya ("lead me from the unreal to the real") and Om Purnamadah come directly from these texts, which is why chanters keep encountering their name.
Pronunciation
oo-PAH-nee-shahds
Hear It Spoken
Hear It Spoken