The Upanishads are said to be divine revelations received by seers and saints. They not only shaped Hinduism but also influenced the thought of several other spiritual leanings. According to Valerie Roebuck, ˜Probably at least half the people in the world have been affected in some way or the other by the ideas of the Upanishads.
The knowledge in the Upanishads is not aimed at material gains or even intellectual satisfaction but at enabling one to become free of worldly sufferings and limitations; to attain fearlessness, and to dig up the supreme treasures of the mind. The Upanishads attempt the emancipation of the individual soul from the bondage of ignorance.
Sayings from the Upanishads attempts to help us gain true knowledge leading to infinite joy. Purification of the mind and body by clean and light food, self-control, detachment, active practice of all virtues and meditation on the Supreme Being during life and death—this is the path that the Upanishads propose to the seeker of truth.