The Sanskrit term Upaniṣad from upa “by” and ni-ṣad “sit down” means “sitting down near”, referring to the student sitting down near the teacher while receiving spiritual knowledge.(Gurumukh)

They are the part of the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, the Vedas, that deal with meditation, philosophy, and spiritual knowledge; other parts of the Vedas deal with mantras, benedictions, rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices.