Vedānta

Vedānta (devanāgarī: वेदान्त) is a Sanskrit term originally used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for the texts known as the Upanishads, found in the last part of the Vedas. The meaning comes from Veda-anta = "Veda-end" meaning "the appendix to the Vedic hymns", although it is also speculated that it means "the purpose or goal [end] of the Vedas".

By the 8th century, the word came to be used to describe a group of philosophical traditions concerned with the realization of the ultimate nature of reality (Brahman). There are several schools of Vedanta (also known as Uttara-Mīmāṃsā), the most popular being the Advaita Vedānta.