Answered from scripture
What are the Upanishads?
In short
The Upanishads are the philosophical texts that form the end of the Vedas (Vedanta). They turn from ritual to inner knowledge, exploring the nature of Brahman (the ultimate reality) and the atman (the self), and their ultimate oneness — captured in the great statement 'Tat Tvam Asi', 'That thou art'.
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The verse
“tat tvam asi”
Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 · Sama VedaThat thou art — the boundless Divine that pervades all is your own true Self.
Taught by the sage Uddalaka Aruni to his son Shvetaketu — again and again he repeats 'that thou art,' pointing to the boundless Self within.
In depth
Composed as dialogues between teachers and students, the Upanishads ask the deepest questions: what is the self, what is the ground of all reality, and how are they related. There are traditionally 108, of which a dozen or so principal Upanishads are most studied.
Their central insight is the identity of atman and Brahman — the self and the absolute are one. The 'great statements' (mahavakyas) express it: 'Tat Tvam Asi' (That thou art), 'Aham Brahmasmi' (I am Brahman). This is the foundation of the Vedanta schools of Hindu philosophy.
Related questions
What are the Upanishads about?
The nature of Brahman (ultimate reality) and the atman (the self), and their ultimate oneness — the philosophical core of the Vedas (Vedanta).
What is 'Tat Tvam Asi'?
'That thou art' — a great Upanishadic statement affirming that the essence of the individual self and the ultimate reality are one.
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