The Upanishads are a collection of philosophical writings of Hinduism and are part of the Veda. In Sanskrit, Upanisad literally means "to sit down near," referring to sitting at the feet of a teacher (Guru), or it can also denote a secret, instructive session. The Upanishads are parts of the Indian holy scriptures and represent the final and philosophical section. The oldest of the 108 Upanishads were composed around 800 BC. Hermann Oldenberg describes in this 1915 published volume, among other topics, the Brahmin caste, the science of sacrifice, death and the afterlife, the older Upanishads, karma, liberation, the beginnings of yoga, and the beginnings of Buddhism. This is a reprint of the original edition from 1915.