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Tamas (Inertia)

Darkness or Ignorance.
One of the 3 qualities of everything in Nature.
 
[cf: Index - Prakrti (Nature)]

Tanmatra (Subtle Elements)

The esssence of:

1. Sabda (Sound)
2. Sparsa (Touch)
3. Rupa (Form)
4. Rasa (Flavour)
5. Gandha (Odour)

[cf: Panchamahabhutas (Great or Gross Elements)]

Tejas (Fire)

Lustre, Brilliance, Majesty.

The 3rd element of the panchamahabhutas (5 Great Elements) of the universe.

Upanishad

upa (near) + ni (down) + shad (to sit) i.e. sitting down near.
 
The inner or mystic teaching. Groups of pupils sit near the teacher to learn from him the secret doctrine.

The Upanishads are a continuation of the Vedic philosophy. They elaborate on how the soul (Atman) can be united with the ultimate truth (Brahman) through contemplation and mediation, as well as the doctrine of Karma - the cumulative effects of a persons' actions.

Vata (Air Bio-energy)

"Wind".

One of the 3 Doshas (Bio-energies).
A combination of the elements Akasha (Ether) & Vayu (Air).
 
[cf: Dosha (Bio-energy)]

Vayu (Air)

The vital airs, the wind.

The 2nd of the panchamahabhutas (5 Great Elements).

Vedas (Knowledges)

The sacred scriptures of the Hindus, classified as Sruti (revealed literature), consisting of 4 collections:
1. Rgveda (hymns to gods)
2. Samaveda (priests' chants)
3. Yajurveda (sacrificial formulae in prose)
4. Atharvaveda ( magical chants)

The Vedas are said to have been written 10,000 years ago. [cf: Ayurveda pages/The Vedas subpage)
Therefore, the knowledge they contain were previously transmitted orally for many hundreds to thousands of years, by the Seers of the Himalayan mountains.

The Vedas contain the 1st philosophical insights & are regarded as the final authority.

Each Veda has broadly 2 divisions:
- Mantras (hymns)
- Brahmana (precepts), which include Aranyaka (theology) & Upanisads (philosophy).

Vedanta Philosophy

  Indian Philosophy

The more abstruse Vedanta is the essence of the Vedas, as encapsulated in the Upanishads.

Vedantic thought drew on Vedic cosmology, hymns and philosophy. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is believed to have appeared as far back as 3,000 years ago.

While thirteen or so Upanishads are accepted as principal, over a hundred exist.

The Vedanta school concentrates on the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads rather than the ritualistic injunctions of the Brahmanas.

While the traditional Vedic rituals continued to be practised as meditative and propitiatory rites, a more knowledge-centered understanding began to emerge.

These were mystical aspects of Vedic religion that focused on meditation, self-discipline, and spiritual connectivity, more than traditional ritualism.