Muktikā
The Muktikā refers to the canon of 108 Upaniṣads. The date of composition of each is unknown, with the oldest probably from about 800 BCE. The Principal Upanishads were composed in the 1st millennium BCE, most Yoga Upanishads composed probably from the 100 BCE to 300 CE period, and seven of the Sannyasa Upanishads composed before the 3rd century CE.
The Canon
The canon is part of a dialogue between Rama and Hanuman. Rama proposes to teach Vedanta, saying "Even by reading one verse of them with devotion, one gets the status of union with me, hard to get even by sages." Hanuman enquires about the different kinds of "liberation", to which Rama answers that "the only real type is Kaivalya".The list of 108 Upanishads is introduced in verses 26-29:
Some scholars list ten as principal – the Mukhya Upanishads, while most consider twelve or thirteen as principal, most important Upanishads.
The list of 108 names is given in verses 30-39. They are as follows:
- Isha Upanishad
- Kena Upanishad
- Katha Upanishad
- Prashna Upanishad
- Mundaka Upanishad
- Mandukya Upanishad
- Taittiriya Upanishad
- Aitareya Upanishad
- Chandogya Upanishad
- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
- Brahma Upanishad
- Kaivalya Upanishad
- Jabala Upanishad
- Shvetashvatara Upanishad
- Hamsopanishad
- Aruneya Upanishad
- Garbhopanishad
- Narayanopanishad
- Paramahamsopanishad
- Amritabindu Upanishad
- Amritanada Upanishad
- Atharvashiras Upanishad
- Atharvashikha Upanishad
- Maitrayaniya Upanishad
- Kaushitaki Upanishad
- Brihajjabala Upanishad
- Nrisimha Tapaniya Upanishad
- Kalagni Rudra Upanishad
- Maitreya Upanishad
- Subala Upanishad
- Kshurika Upanishad
- Mantrika Upanishad
- Sarvasara Upanishad
- Niralamba Upanishad
- Shukarahasya Upanishad
- Vajrasuchi Upanishad
- Tejobindu Upanishad
- Nada Bindu Upanishad
- Dhyanabindu Upanishad
- Brahmavidya Upanishad
- Yogatattva Upanishad
- Atmabodha Upanishad
- Naradaparivrajaka Upanishad
- Trishikhibrahmana Upanishad
- Sita Upanishad
- Yogachudamani Upanishad
- Nirvana Upanishad
- Mandala-brahmana Upanishad
- Dakshinamurti Upanishad
- Sharabha Upanishad
- Skanda Upanishad
- Mahanarayana Upanishad
- Advayataraka Upanishad
- Rama Rahasya Upanishad
- Rama tapaniya Upanishad
- Vasudeva Upanishad
- Mudgala Upanishad
- Shandilya Upanishad
- Paingala Upanishad
- Bhikshuka Upanishad
- Maha Upanishad
- Sariraka Upanishad
- Yogashikha Upanishad
- Turiyatitavadhuta Upanishad
- Brihat-Sannyasa Upanishad
- Paramahamsa Parivrajaka Upanishad
- Malika Upanishad
- Avyakta Upanishad
- Ekakshara Upanishad
- Annapurna Upanishad
- Surya Upanishad
- Akshi Upanishad
- Adhyatma Upanishad
- Kundika Upanishad
- Savitri Upanishad
- Atma Upanishad
- Pashupatabrahma Upanishad
- Parabrahma Upanishad
- Avadhuta Upanishad
- Tripuratapini Upanishad
- Devi Upanishad
- Tripura Upanishad
- Kathashruti Upanishad
- Bhavana Upanishad
- Rudrahridaya Upanishad
- Yoga-Kundalini Upanishad
- Bhasma Upanishad
- Rudraksha Upanishad
- Ganapati Upanishad
- Darshana Upanishad
- Tarasara Upanishad
- Mahavakya Upanishad
- Pancabrahma Upanishad
- Pranagnihotra Upanishad
- Gopala Tapani Upanishad
- Krishna Upanishad
- Yajnavalkya Upanishad
- Varaha Upanishad
- Shatyayaniya Upanishad
- Hayagriva Upanishad
- Dattatreya Upanishad
- Garuda Upanishad
- Kali-Santarana Upanishad
- Jabali Upanishad
- Saubhagyalakshmi Upanishad
- Sarasvati-rahasya Upanishad
- Bahvricha Upanishad
- Muktikā Upanishad
Transmission
Categories
In this canon,- 10 upaniṣads are associated with the Rigveda and have the śānti beginning '.
- 16 upaniṣads are associated with the Samaveda and have the śānti beginning '.
- 19 upaniṣads are associated with the Shukla Yajurveda and have the śānti beginning '.
- 32 upaniṣads are associated with the Krishna Yajurveda and have the śānti beginning '.
- 31 upaniṣads are associated with the Atharvaveda and have the śānti beginning .
The remainder are associated with five different schools or sects within Hinduism, 20 with Sannyāsa, 8 with Shaktism, 14 with Vaishnavism, 12 with Shaivism and 20 with Yoga.
| Krishna Yajurveda | Atharvaveda | Samaveda | |||
| Mukhya; these form the core of ancient texts, predating classical Hinduism; they span the 1st millennium BCE and reflect the emergence of Vedanta from Vedic religion. | Isha Upanishad| | Katha Upanishad| Taittiriya Upanishad| Shvetashvatara Upanishad| | Prashnopanishad| Mundaka Upanishad| | Kenopanishad| Chandogya| Maitrayaniya Upanishad| | Aitareya Upanishad| |
| ; These are general Upanishads, and do not focus on any specific post-classical Hindu tradition. Some are referred to as Vedantic Upanishads. | Subāla Mantrika Upanishad| Nirālamba Paingala Upanishad| Adhyātmā | Sarvasara Upanishad| Śukarahasya Skanda Śārīraka Garbha Ekākṣara Akṣi Pranagnihotra Upanishad| | Sūrya Atma Upanishad| | Vajrasūchi Maha Upanishad| Sāvitrī | Atmabodha Upanishad| Mudgala |
These are Upanishads that focus on renunciation-related themes and the life of a sannyasi | Jabala Upanishad| Paramahaṃsa Advayatāraka Bhikshuka Upanishad| Yājñavalkya Shatyayaniya Upanishad| | Brahma Upanishad| Tejobindu Upanishad| Avadhuta Upanishad| Kathashruti Upanishad| | Nāradaparivrājaka Paramahaṃsa parivrājaka Parabrahma | Aruni Upanishad| Maitreya Brihat-Sannyasa Upanishad| Kundika Upanishad| | Nirvana Upanishad| |
These are Upanishads that focus on goddess Devi-related themes | Sarasvati-rahasya Upanishad| | Sītā Annapūrṇa Devi Upanishad| Tripurātapini Bhāvana | Tripura Upanishad| Saubhāgya Lakshmi Bahvricha Upanishad| | ||
These are Upanishads that focus on god Vishnu-related themes | Tārasāra | Narayana Upanishad| Kali-Santarana Upanishad| | Nṛsiṃhatāpanī Mahanarayana Upanishad| Rāmarahasya Rāmatāpaṇi Kṛṣṇa Hayagrīva Dattātreya Gāruḍa | Vāsudeva Avyakta | |
These are Upanishads that focus on god Shiva-related themes | Kaivalya Upanishad| Kalagni Rudra Upanishad| Dakṣiṇāmūrti Rudrahṛdaya Pañcabrahma | Atharvashikha Upanishad| Brihajjabala Upanishad| Bhasmajabala Upanishad| Gaṇapati | Rudrakshajabala Upanishad| Jabala Upanishad| | ||
| Yoga These are Upanishads that focus on Yoga-related themes | Hamsa Upanishad| Triśikhi Maṇḍalabrāhmaṇa | Amritabindu Upanishad| Amṛtanāda Kshurika Upanishad| Dhyanabindu Upanishad| Brahmavidyā Yogatattva Upanishad| Yogashikha Upanishad| Yogakuṇḍalinī Varāha | Shandilya Upanishad| Pāśupata Mahāvākya | Yogachūḍāmaṇi Darshana Upanishad| |