The word "upanishad"

[thompson at jlc.net]

>I'd had the same question Neb or no--and Steve Lindquist of UChicago
>directed me to an etymology discussed in an article in French by Renou,
>as u + pari + sad . . . I was hoping to get the citation from him before
>he left for Benares . . . NB--does anyone know how to reach him?
>
>Thanks to previous postings for citations of which I'd not been aware on
>this matter.  If Anyone has the Renou citation, TYIA
>
>John Robert Gardner
>University of Iowa

John,

The Renou article that you refer to is probably "'Connexion' en ve'dique,
'cause' en boudhique" [in C. Kunhan Raja Presentation Volume, Adyar Library
1946] -- but there's no proposed etymology: u + pari + sad [?].

Renou's article is very brief, and might best be read in conjunction with
another brief note by him on ba'ndhu [Renou: "E'tudes ve'diques, 3.
quelques termes du R.gveda" in Journal Asiatique, 241, 1953].

The important point, I think, of Renou's articles, as well as Falk's [etc.]
cited by Witzel, is that the term upanis.ad refers, like bandhu  nidaana,
etc., to the system of correlations, homologies, equations, which dominates
late Vedic hermeneutics.  The passages cited by Falk, et al., demonstrate
that the term upanis.ad, as it is used in the texts themselves, is *not*
illuminated by the popular etymologies, such as "to sit down nearby"
--cited by Martin.  Check out Olivelle's new translation of the Upanis.ads,
and his discussion of the term at pp.lii-lvi.  upanis.ad is a technical
term of Vedic hermeneutics.

Best wishes,
George