# Muktika

Der Sanskritbegriff Muktika bezieht sich auf den gleichnamigen Kanon von insgesamt 108 Upanishaden. Das genaue Entstehungsdatum der einzelnen Upanishaden ist unbekannt, die ältesten dürften aber noch vor dem 6. Jahrhundert v. Chr. verfasst worden sein, wohingegen die jüngsten erst im Mittelalter zusammengestellt wurden. Die älteren Upanishaden wurden von Generation zu Generation mündlich weitergegeben. Die Niederschrift des Kanons muss noch vor der persischen Abschrift des Philosophen Dara Shikoh im Jahre 1656 erfolgt sein.

## Etymologie

Das Sanskritwort muktikā bedeutet Perle. Im spirituellen Kontext kann es mit Mukti bzw. moksha - मोक्ष (mokṣa), die Befreiung, Erlösung, Erleuchtung bedeuten, in Verbindung gebracht werden. Eine freie Übersetzung für die Muktika-Upanishad wäre demzufolge Perle der Befreiung unter den Upanishaden.

## Der Kanon

Der aus 108 Upanishaden bestehende Muktika-Kanon findet sich in der Muktika-Upanishad. Die Zahl 108 ist eine mystische Zahl im Hinduismus (108=1$^1$•2$^2$•3$^3$).
In den Versen 30-39 der Muktika-Upanishad werden folgende Upanishaden aufgelistet:
Anmerkung: Die verwendeten Abkürzungen sind: AV= Atharvaveda, RV=Rigveda, SV=Samaveda, SYV = Schwarzer Yajurveda, WYV = Weißer Yajurveda,
| N° | Upanishad | IAST-Transliteration | Sanskritbezeichnung | Kategorie | Assoziierter Veda |
| 1. | Isha-Upanishad (Ishopanishad, auch Ishavasya-Upanishad) | īśā-upaniṣad īśopaniṣad, īśāvāsya-upaniṣad | ईशा उपनिषद् ईशावास्य उपनिषद् | Mukhya | WYV |
| 2. | Kena-Upanishad | kena-upaniṣad | केन उपनिषद् | Mukhya | SV |
| 3. | Katha-Upanishad | kaṭha-upaniṣad | कठ उपनिषद् | Mukhya | SYV |
| 4. | Prashna-Upanishad | praśna-upaniṣad | प्रश्न उपनिषद् | Mukhya | AV |
| 5. | Mundaka-Upanishad | muṇḍaka-upaniṣad | मुण्डक उपनिषद् | Mukhya | AV |
| 6. | Mandukya-Upanishad | māṇḍukya-upaniṣad | माण्डुक्य उपनिषद् | Mukhya | AV |
| 7. | Taittiriya-Upanishad | taittirīya-upaniṣad | तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद् | Mukhya | SYV |
| 8. | Aitareya-Upanishad | aitareya-upaniṣad | ऐतरेय उपनिषद् | Mukhya | RV |
| 9. | Chandogya-Upanishad | chāndogya-upaniṣad | छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् | Mukhya | SV |
| 10. | Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad | bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad | बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् | Mukhya | WYV |
| 11. | Brahma-Upanishad | brahma-upaniṣad | ब्रह्म उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | SYV |
| 12. | Kaivalya-Upanishad | kaivalya-upaniṣad | कैवल्य उपनिषद् | Shaiva | SYV |
| 13. | Jabala-Upanishad | jābāla-upaniṣad | जाबाल उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | WYV |
| 14. | Svetasvatara-Upanishad | śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad | श्वेताश्वतर उपनिषद् | Samanya | SYV |
| 15. | Hamsa-Upanishad | haṃsa-upaniṣad | हंस उपनिषद् | Yoga | WYV |
| 16. | Aruneya-Upanishad | āruṇeya-upaniṣad | आरुणेय उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | SV |
| 17. | Garbha-Upanishad | garbha-upaniṣad | गर्भ उपनिषद् | Samanya | SYV |
| 18. | Narayana-Upanishad | nārāyaṇa-upaniṣad | नारायण उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | SYV |
| 19. | Paramahamsa-Upanishad | paramahaṃsa-upaniṣad | परमहंस उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | WYV |
| 20. | Brahma-bindu-Upanishad (Amritabindu-Upanishad) | brahma-bindu-upaniṣad amṛtabindu-upaniṣad | ब्रह्म-बिन्दु-उपनिषद् | Yoga | SYV |
| 21. | Amrita-nada-Upanishad (Nada-Bindu-Upanishad) | amṛta-nāda-upaniṣad nāda-bindu-upaniṣad | अमृत-नाद उपनिषद् | Yoga | SYV |
| 22. | Atharva-shira-Upanishad (Siropanishad) | atharva-śira-upaniṣad śiropaniṣad | अथर्व-शिर उपनिषद् | Shaiva | AV |
| 23. | Atharvashikha-Upanishad | atharva-śikha-upaniṣad | अथर्व-शिख उपनिषद् | Shaiva | AV |
| 24. | Maitrayani-Upanishad (Maitrayaniya-Upanishad) | maitrāyaṇi-upaniṣad | मैत्रायणि उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | SV |
| 25. | Kaushitaki-Upanishad | kauṣītaki-upaniṣad | कौषीतकि उपनिषद् | Samanya | RV |
| 26. | Brihajjabala-Upanishad | bṛhajjābāla-upaniṣad | बृहज्जाबाल उपनिषद् | Shaiva | AV |
| 27. | Nrisimha-tapani-Upanishad (Nrisimha-tapaniyopanishad) | nṛsiṃha-tāpanī-upaniṣad | नृसिंहतापनी उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | AV |
| 28. | Kalagni-Rudra-Upanishad | kālāgni-rudra-upaniṣad | कालाग्निरुद्र उपनिषद् | Shaiva | SYV |
| 29. | Maitreyi-Upanishad | maitreyi-upaniṣad | मैत्रेयि उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | SV |
| 30. | Subala-Upanishad | subāla-upaniṣad | सुबाल उपनिषद् | Samanya | WYV |
| 31. | Kshurika-Upanishad | kṣurika-upaniṣad | क्षुरिक उपनिषद् | Yoga | SYV |
| 32. | Mantrika-Upanishad | māntrika-upaniṣad | मान्त्रिक उपनिषद् | Samanya | WYV |
| 33. | Sarva-sara-Upanishad | sarva-sāra-upaniṣad | सर्व-सार उपनिषद् | Samanya | SYV |
| 34. | Niralamba-Upanishad | nirālamba-upaniṣad | निरालम्ब उपनिषद् | Samanya | WYV |
| 35. | Shuka-rahasya-Upanishad | śuka-rahasya-upaniṣad | शुक-रहस्य उपनिषद् | Samanya | SYV |
| 36. | Vajra-suci-Upanishad (Vajra-sucikopanishad) | vajra-sūci-upaniṣad | वज्रसूचि उपनिषद् | Samanya | SV |
| 37. | Tejo-bindu-Upanishad | tejo-bindu-upaniṣad | तेजो-बिन्दु उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | SYV |
| 38. | Nada-bindu-Upanishad | nāda-bindu-upaniṣad | नाद-बिन्दु उपनिषद् | Yoga | RV |
| 39. | Dhyana-bindu-Upanishad | dhyāna-bindu-upaniṣad | ध्यानबिन्दु उपनिषद् | Yoga | SYV |
| 40. | Brahmavidya-Upanishad | brahmavidya-upaniṣad | ब्रह्मविद्या उपनिषद् | Yoga | SYV |
| 41. | Yogatattva-Upanishad | yogatattva-upaniṣad | योगतत्त्व उपनिषद् | Yoga | SYV |
| 42. | Atma-bodha-Upanishad | ātma-bodha-upaniṣad | आत्मबोध उपनिषद् | Samanya | RV |
| 43. | Parivrat-Upanishad (Narada-parivrajaka-Upanishad) | parivrāt-upaniṣad nārada-parivrājaka-upaniṣad | परिव्रात् उपनिषद् (नारदपरिव्राजक) | Sannyasa | AV |
| 44. | Trishikhi-Upanishad | triṣiki-upaniṣad | त्रिषिखि उपनिषद् | Yoga | WYV |
| 45. | Sita-Upanishad | sītā-upaniṣad | सीता उपनिषद् | Shakta | AV |
| 46. | Yoga-cudamani-Upanishad | yoga-cūḍāmaṇi-upaniṣad | योगचूडामणि उपनिषद् | Yoga | SV |
| 47. | Nirvana-Upanishad | nirvāṇa-upaniṣad | निर्वाण उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | RV |
| 48. | Mandala-brahmana-Upanishad | maṇḍala-brāhmaṇa-upaniṣad | मण्डलब्राह्मण उपनिषद् | Yoga | WYV |
| 49. | Dakshina-murti-Upanishad | dakṣiṇā-mūrti-upaniṣad | दक्षिणामूर्ति उपनिषद् | Shaiva | SYV |
| 50. | Sarabha-Upanishad | sarabha-upaniṣad | शरभ उपनिषद् | Shaiva | AV |
| 51. | Skanda-Upanishad (Tripadvibhuti) | skanda-upaniṣad tripāḍvibhūṭi | स्कन्द उपनिषद् (त्रिपाड्विभूटि) | Samanya | SYV |
| 52. | Mahanarayana-Upanishad | mahānārāyaṇa-upaniṣad | महानारायण उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | AV |
| 53. | Advayataraka-Upanishad | advayatāraka-upaniṣad | अद्वयतारक उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | WYV |
| 54. | Rama-rahasya-Upanishad | rāma-rahasya-upaniṣad | रामरहस्य उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | AV |
| 55. | Rama-tapani-Upanishad | rāma-tāpani-upaniṣad | रामतापणि उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | AV |
| 56. | Vasudeva-Upanishad | vāsudeva-upaniṣad | वासुदेव उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | SV |
| 57. | Mudgala-Upanishad | mudgala-upaniṣad | मुद्गल उपनिषद् | Samanya | RV |
| 58. | Shandilya-Upanishad | śāṇḍilya-upaniṣad | शाण्डिल्य उपनिषद् | Yoga | AV |
| 59. | Paingala-Upanishad | paiṃgala-upaniṣad | पैंगल उपनिषद् | Samanya | WYV |
| 60. | Bhikshuka-Upanishad | bhikṣuka-upaniṣad | भिक्षुक उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | WYV |
| 61. | Mahat-Upanishad | mahat-upaniṣad | महत् उपनिषद् | Samanya | SV |
| 62. | Shariraka-Upanishad | śārīraka-upaniṣad | शारीरक उपनिषद् | Samanya | SYV |
| 63. | Yoga-shikha-Upanishad | yoga-śikhā-upaniṣad | योगशिखा उपनिषद् | Yoga | SYV |
| 64. | Turiyatita-Upanishad | turīyātīta-upaniṣad | तुरीयातीत उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | WYV |
| 65. | Sannyasa-Upanishad | saṃnyāsa-upaniṣad | संन्यास उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | SV |
| 66. | Paramahamsa-parivrajaka-Upanishad | paramahaṃsa-parivrājaka-upaniṣad | परमहंस-परिव्राजक उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | AV |
| 67. | Akshamalika-Upanishad (Malika) | akṣamālika-upaniṣad | अक्षमालिक उपनिषद् | Shaiva | RV |
| 68. | Avyakta-Upanishad | avyakta-upaniṣad | अव्यक्त उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | SV |
| 69. | Ekakshara-Upanishad | ekākṣara-upaniṣad | एकाक्षर उपनिषद् | Samanya | SYV |
| 70. | Annapurna-Upanishad | annapūrṇa-upaniṣad | अन्नपूर्ण उपनिषद् | Shakta | AV |
| 71. | Surya-Upanishad | sūrya-upaniṣad | सूर्य उपनिषद् | Samanya | AV |
| 72. | Akshi-Upanishad | akṣi-upaniṣad | अक्षि उपनिषद् | Samanya | SYV |
| 73. | Adhyatma-Upanishad | adhyātma-upaniṣad | अध्यात्मा उपनिषद् | Samanya | WYV |
| 74. | Kundika-Upanishad | kuṇḍika-upaniṣad | कुण्डिक उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | SV |
| 75. | Savitri-Upanishad | sāvitri-upaniṣad | सावित्रि उपनिषद् | Samanya | SV |
| 76. | Atma-Upanishad | ātmā-upaniṣad | आत्मा उपनिषद् | Samanya | AV |
| 77. | Pashupata-Upanishad | pāśupata-upaniṣad | पाशुपत उपनिषद् | Yoga | AV |
| 78. | Parabrahma-Upanishad | parabrahma-upaniṣad | परब्रह्म उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | AV |
| 79. | Avadhuta-Upanishad | avadhūta-upaniṣad | अवधूत उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | SYV |
| 80. | Tripuratapanopanishad | tripurātapani-upaniṣad | त्रिपुरातपनि उपनिषद् | Shakta | AV |
| 81. | Devi-Upanishad | devi-upaniṣad | देवि उपनिषद् | Shakta | AV |
| 82. | Tripura-Upanishad | tripura-upaniṣad | त्रिपुर उपनिषद् | Shakta | RV |
| 83. | Katha-rudra-Upanishad | kaṭha-rudra-upaniṣad | कठरुद्र उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | SYV |
| 84. | Bhavana-Upanishad | bhāvana-upaniṣad | भावन उपनिषद् | Shakta | AV |
| 85. | Rudra-hridaya-Upanishad | rudra-hṛdaya-upaniṣad | रुद्र-हृदय उपनिषद् | Shaiva | SYV |
| 86. | Yoga-Kundalini-Upanishad | yoga-kuṇḍalini-upaniṣad | योग-कुण्डलिनि उपनिषद् | Yoga | SYV |
| 87. | Bhasma-Upanishad | bhasma-upaniṣad | भस्म उपनिषद् | Shaiva | AV |
| 88. | Rudraksha-Upanishad | rudrakṣa-upaniṣad | रुद्राक्ष उपनिषद् | Shaiva | SV |
| 89. | Ganapati-Upanishad | gaṇapati-upaniṣad | गणपति उपनिषद् | Shaiva | AV |
| 90. | Jabaladarshana-Upanishad (Darshana-Upanishad) | jābāladarśana-upaniṣad darśana-upaniṣad | जाबालदर्शन उपनिषद् | Yoga | SV |
| 91. | Tara-sara-Upanishad | tāra-sāra-upaniṣad | तारसार उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | WYV |
| 92. | Maha-vakya-Upanishad | mahā-vākya-upaniṣad | महावाक्य उपनिषद् | Yoga | AV |
| 93. | Panca-brahma-Upanishad | pañca-brahma-upaniṣad | पञ्च-ब्रह्म उपनिषद् | Shaiva | SYV |
| 94. | Pranagni-hotra-Upanishad | prāṇāgni-hotra-upaniṣad | प्राणाग्नि-होत्र उपनिषद् | Samanya | SYV |
| 95. | Gopala-Tapani-Upanishad | gopāla-tapaṇi-upaniṣad | गोपाल-तपणि उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | AV |
| 96. | Krishna-Upanishad | kṛṣṇa-upaniṣad | कृष्ण उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | AV |
| 97. | Yajnavalkya-Upanishad | Yajñavalkya-upaniṣad | याज्ञवल्क्य उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | WYV |
| 98. | Varaha-Upanishad | varāha-upaniṣad | वराह उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | SYV |
| 99. | Shatyayani-Upanishad | śātyāyani-upaniṣad | शात्यायनि उपनिषद् | Sannyasa | WYV |
| 100. | Hayagriva-Upanishad | hayagrīva-upaniṣad | हयग्रीव उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | AV |
| 101. | Dattatreya-Upanishad | dattātreya-upaniṣad | दत्तात्रेय उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | AV |
| 102. | Garuda-Upanishad | gāruḍa-upaniṣad | गारुड उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | AV |
| 103. | Kali-Santarana-Upanishad | kali-saṇṭāraṇa-upaniṣad | कलि-सण्टारण उपनिषद् | Vaishnava | SYV |
| 104. | Jabala-Upanishad | jābāla-upaniṣad | जाबाल उपनिषद् (सामवेद) | Shaiva | SV |
| 105. | Saubhagya-Upanishad | saubhāgya-upaniṣad | सौभाग्य उपनिषद् | Shakta | RV |
| 106. | Sarasvati-rahasya-Upanishad | sarasvatī-rahasya-upaniṣad | सरस्वती-रहस्य उपनिषद् | Shakta | SYV |
| 107. | Bahvrica-Upanishad | bahvṛca-upaniṣad | बह्वृच उपनिषद् | Shakta | RV |
| 108. | Muktika-Upanishad | muktika-upaniṣad | मुक्तिक उपनिषद् | Samanya | WYV |

### Unterteilungen

Die Upanishaden des Muktika-Kanons lassen sich anhand ihrer Zugehörigkeit zu den einzelnen Veda wie folgt unterteilen:
* 10 Upanishaden sind mit dem Rigveda assoziiert. Ihre eingängliche शान्ति shānti (Friedensformel) beginnt mit den Verszeilen vaṇme-manasi (meine Rede ruht in meinem Geist).
* 16 Upanishaden sind mit dem Samaveda verknüpft und ihr shānti lautet āpyāyantu (mögen die unsichtbaren Kräfte uns nähren).
* 19 Upanishaden stehen mit dem Weißen Yajurveda in Verbindung, ihr shānti beginnt mit pūrṇamada (Fülle findet sich im Transzendentalen).
* 32 Upanishaden gehören zum Schwarzen Yajurveda mit shānti sahanāvavatu (Das Brahman möge uns beide beschützen).
* 31 Upanishaden stehen in Assoziation mit dem Atharvaveda und beginnen mit der shānti bhadram-karṇebhiḥ (lasst uns die glückbringenden Wahrheiten mit den Ohren vernehmen).
Die ersten 10 Upanishaden bilden die Mukhya-Upanishaden. Diese stellen den Kern der alten Texte und sind vor der klassischen Periode des Hinduismus entstanden, d. h. in der zweiten Hälfte des 1. Jahrtausend v. Chr. Sie spiegeln die Entwicklung des Vedanta aus der vorangegangenen vedischen Religion. Zum Sāmānya Vedānta (gemeiner Vedanta) gehören 21 Upanishaden. Diese werden von allen Vedanta-Schulen als Offenbarungsschriften (Sruti) akzeptiert und werden von keiner Sekte monopolisiert.
Die restlichen 77 Upanishaden sind Grundlagentexte verschiedener Glaubensrichtungen bzw. Sekten des Hinduismus. Hiervon sind 23 Upanishaden asketische Sannyāsa-Texte, 9 Upanishaden sind Shakti-texte, 14 Upanishaden stehen in der Vaishnava-Tradition, 14 Upanishaden in der Shiva-Tradition und 17 Upanishaden sind mit dem Yoga assoziiert.
| Kategorie | Shukla Yajurveda | Krishna Yajurveda | Atharvaveda | Samaveda | Rigveda |
| Mukhya | Isha | Katha | Prashna | Kena | Aitareya |
| | Brihadaranyaka | Taittiriya | Mundaka | Chandogya | |
| | | | Mandukya | | |
| Samanya | Subala | Sarva-sara | Surya | Vajrasuci | Kaushitaki |
| | Mantrika | Shukarahasya | Atma | Mahat | Atma-bodha |
| | Niralamba | Skanda (Tripadvibhuti) | | Savitri | Mudgala |
| | Paingala | Shariraka | | | |
| | Adhyatma | Ekakshara | | | |
| | Muktika | Akshi | | | |
| | | Pranagni-hotra | | | |
| Sannyasa | Jabala | Brahma | Parivrat | Aruneya | Nirvana |
| | Paramahamsa | Svetasvatara | Paramahamsa-parivrajaka | Maitrayani | |
| | Advayataraka | Garbha | Parabrahma | Maitreyi | |
| | Bhikshuka | Tejo-bindu | | Sannyasa | |
| | Turiyatita | Avadhuta | | Kundika | |
| | Yajnavalkya | Katharudra | | | |
| | Shatyayani | Varaha | | | |
| Shakta | | Sarasvati-rahasya | Sita | | Tripura |
| | | | Annapurna | | Saubhagya |
| | | | Devi | | Bahvrica |
| | | | Tripuratapani | | |
| | | | Bhavana | | |
| Vaishnava | Tara-sara | Narayana | Nrisimhatapani | Vasudeva | |
| | | Kali-Santarana | Mahanarayana | Avyakta | |
| | | | Rama-rahasya | | |
| | | | Rama-tapani | | |
| | | | Gopala-tapani | | |
| | | | Krishna | | |
| | | | Hayagriva | | |
| | | | Dattatreya | | |
| | | | Garuda | | |
| Shaiva | | Kaivalya | Atharva-shira (Shira) | Rudraksha | Akshamalika (Malika) |
| | | Kalagnirudra | Atharvashikha | Jabala | |
| | | Dakshina-murti | Brihajjabala | | |
| | | Rudra-hridaya | Sharabha | | |
| | | Panca-brahma | Bhasma | | |
| | | | Ganapati | | |
| Yoga | Hamsa | Brahma-bindu (Amritabindu) | Shandilya | Yoga-cudamani | Nada-bindu |
| | Trishikhi | Amritanada | Pashupata | Jabaladarshana | |
| | Mandala-brahmana | Kshurika | Mahavakya | | |
| | | Dhyana-bindu | | | |
| | | Brahmavidya | | | |
| | | Yogatattva | | | |
| | | Yoga-shikha | | | |
| | | Yoga-kundalini | | | |