Skanda Upanishad
| Skanda Upanishad | |
|---|---|
The god Skanda also known as Murugan, Kartikeya states all gods and Atman are the same. | |
| Devanagari | स्कंद |
| IAST | Skānda |
| Title means | The god Kartikeya (Skanda) |
| Type | Samanya |
| Linked Veda | Krishna Yajurveda |
| Verses | 15 |
| Philosophy | Vedanta |
Skanda Upanishad or Skandopanishad (Sanskrit: स्कंदोपनिषद्) is one of the 108 Upanishads of Hinduism, written in Sanskrit. It is classified as a Samanya (general) Upanishad and is associated with the Krishna Yajurveda, one of the 32 listed Upanishads under it.
The Upanishad is told in first person by Kartikeya (Skanda), the Hindu god of war and the son of Shiva. While the Upanishad states that Skanda is the ultimate reality called Brahman, he is also described as consciousness, Atman (soul, self), and Shiva as well by the text.
The text emphasizes there is no difference between Vishnu and Shiva – the gods of Vaishnavism and Shaivism respectively, that they are one, as are all gods. The ideal worship, states the Upanishad, is to see one's innermost self as not different from Skanda, Shiva, Vishnu and Brahman.