What does the term Upanishad mean?

What does the term Upanishad mean?

The term means knowledge received by the student ‘sitting close to’ the teacher. Education involving the student ‘sitting close to’ the teacher means the most intimate student-teacher commu­nion. The higher the knowledge sought, greater is this communion and greater the silence accompanying the knowledge-communication.


These values reach their maximum when the knowledge that is sought and imparted is of the highest kind, namely, atmajnana or brahmajnana, knowledge of the Atman or Brahman.


Reference: The Message of the Upanishads by Swami Ranganathananda (p.12,13)