Ādi 7.108

It has become fashionable since the time of Sahkaracarya to explain everything regarding the sastras in an indirect way. Scholars take pride in explaining everything in their own way, and they declare that one can understand the Vedic scriptures in any way he likes. This "any way you like" method is foolishness, and it has created havoc in the Vedic culture. One cannot accept scientific knowledge in his own whimsical way. In the science of mathematics, for example, two plus two equals four, and one cannot make it equal three or five. Yet although it is not possible to alter real knowledge, people have taken to the fashion of understanding Vedic knowledge in any way they like. It is for this reason that we have presented Bhagavad-gita As It Is. We do not create meanings by concoction. Sometimes commentators say that the word kuruksetra in the first verse of Bhagavad-gita refers to one's body, but we do not accept this. We understand that Kuruksetra is a place which still exists, and according to the Vedic version it is a dharmaksetra, or place of pilgrimage. People still go there to perform Vedic sacrifices. Foolish commentators, however, say that Kuruksetra means the body and that Panca Panḍavas refers to the five senses. In this way they distort the meaning, and people are misled. Here Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms that all Vedic literatures, including the Upanisads, Brahma-sūtras and others, whether sruti, smrti or nyaya, must be understood according to their original statements. To describe the direct meaning of the Vedic literatures is glorious, but to describe them in one's own way, using imperfect senses and imperfect knowledge, is a disastrous blunder. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu fully deprecated the attempt to describe the Vedas in this way.

Regarding the Upanisads, the following eleven Upanisads are considered to be the topmost: Īsa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Munḍaka, Manḍūkya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brhad-aranyaka and Svetasvatara. However, in the Muktikopanisad, verses 30-39, there is a description of 108 Upanisads. They are as follows: (1) Īsopanisad, (2) Kenopanisad, (3) Kathopanisad, (4) Prasnopanisad, (5) Munḍakopanisad, (6) Manḍūkyopanisad, (7) Taittiriyopanisad, (8) Aitareyopanisad, (9) Chandogyopanisad, (10) Brhad-aranyakopanisad, (11) Brahmopanisad, (12) Kaivalyopanisad, (13) Jabalopanisad, (14) Svetasvataropanisad, (15) Hamsopanisad, (16) Aruneyopanisad, (17) Garbhopanisad, (18) Narayanopanisad, (19) Paramahamsopanisad, (20) Amrta-bindūpanisad, (21) Nada-bindūpanisad, (22) Sira-upanisad, (23) Atharva-sikhopanisad, (24) Maitrayany-upanisad, (25) Kausitaky-upanisad, (26) Brhaj-jabalopanisad, (27) Nrsimha-tapaniyopanisad, (28) Kalagni-rudropanisad, (29) Maitreyy-upanisad, (30) Subalopanisad, (31) Ksurikopanisad, (32) Mantrikopanisad, (33) Sarva-saropanisad, (34) Niralambopanisad, (35) Suka-rahasyopanisad, (36) Vajra-sūcikopanisad, (37) Tejo-bindūpanisad, (38) Nada-bindūpanisad, (39) Dhyana-bindūpanisad, (40) Brahma-vidyopanisad, (41) Yoga-tattvopanisad, (42) Atma-bodhopanisad, (43) Narada-parivrajakopanisad, (44) Trisikhy-upanisad, (45) Sitopanisad, (46) Yoga-cūḍamany-upanisad, (47) Nirvanopanisad, (48) Manḍala-brahmanopanisad, (49) Daksina-mūrty-upanisad, (50) Sarabhopanisad, (51) Skandopanisad, (52) Mahanarayanopanisad, (53) Advaya-tarakopanisad, (54) Rama-rahasyopanisad, (55) Rama-tapany-upanisad, (56) Vasudevopanisad, (57) Mudgalopanisad, (58) Sanḍilyopanisad, (59) Paihgalopanisad, (60) Bhiksūpanisad, (61) Mahadupanisad, (62) Sarirakopanisad, (63) Yoga-sikhopanisad, (64) Turiyatitopanisad, (65) Sannyasopanisad, (66) Paramahamsa-parivrajakopanisad, (67) Malikopanisad, (68) Avyaktopanisad, (69) Ekaksaropanisad, (70) Pūrnopanisad, (71) Sūryopanisad, (72) Aksy-upanisad, (73) Adhyatmopanisad, (74) Kunḍikopanisad, (75) Savitry-upanisad, (76) Atmopanisad, (77) Pasupatopanisad, (78) Param Brahmopanisad, (79) Avadhūtopanisad, (80) Tripuratapanopanisad, (81) Devy-upanisad, (82) Tripuropanisad, (83) Katha-rudropanisad, (84) Bhavanopanisad, (85) Hrdayopanisad, (86) Yoga-kunḍaliny-upanisad, (87) Bhasmopanisad, (88) Rudraksopanisad, (89) Ganopanisad, (90) Darsanopanisad, (91) Tarasaropanisad, (92) Mahavakyopanisad, (93) Panca-brahmopanisad, (94) Pranagni-hotropanisad, (95) Gopala-tapano-panisad, (96) Krsnopanisad, (97) Yajna-valkyopanisad, (98) Varahopanisad, (99) Satyayany-upanisad, (100) Hayagrivopanisad, (101) Dattatreyopanisad, (102) Garuḍopanisad, (103) Kaly-upanisad, (104) Jabaly-upanisad, (105) Saubhagyopanisad, (106) Sarasvati-rahasyopanisad, (107) Bahvrcopanisad and (108) Muktikopanisad. Thus there are 108 generally accepted Upanisads, of which eleven are the most important, as previously stated.