Question

What does the term 'Upa' in the term Upanishad denote?

• A. Nearness
• B. Happiness
• C. Totality
• D. Secret

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Nearness

In Sanskrit, ‘Upa’ means “nearness,” implying a close or intimate knowledge, as is taught in the Upanishads. The two prefixes ‘upa’ and ‘ni’ are added to this root for the coinage of the term Upaniṣad. The prefix ‘upa’ means nearness and ‘ni’ means both nearness and affirmation