The Vedanta school of Hinduism is based on which texts?

• A. Vedas
• B. Puranas
• C. Upanishads
• D. Ramayana

Answer: (C)

Vedanta centers its ideas on the Upanishads, the concluding portions of the Vedas that explore the deepest nature of reality, the self (atman), and ultimate we see as Brahman. The term Vedanta literally means “end of the Vedas,” signaling that this school’s core teachings come from these philosophical dialogues rather than the broader rituals of the Vedas or the mythic narratives found in other texts. While the Vedas lay the broader foundation and the Puranas and Ramayana offer myth, legend, and devotion, Vedanta uses the Upanishads as its primary source to explain the unity of the self and the ultimate reality. Different Vedanta schools interpret these passages in various ways, but their common anchor is the Upanishadic instruction.