Śruti — the revealed foundation

Yajur Veda

The Veda of ritual formulae, and the home of several of the most-quoted Upaniṣadic lines.

c. 1200–800 BCE

When: c. 1200–800 BCE
Where it sits: Śruti — the revealed foundation

The mahāvākya "that thou art" tradition draws on this layer; the Īśāvāsya and Kaṭha Upaniṣads sit inside it.

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Commentaries worth trusting

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Īśa Upaniṣad Bhāṣya (the Yajur Veda's own closing chapter) — Ādi Śaṅkara, translated by Swami Gambhirananda The ritual Veda ends in an Upaniṣad; Śaṅkara shows how action hands the enquiry over to knowledge.

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