RAS question
The philosophical concept of 'Tat Tvam Asi' (Thou art That) expressing the identity of Atman and Brahman is found in which Upanishad?
Correct answer: (B) Chandogya Upanishad.
Tat Tvam Asi, the saying that expresses the relationship between the individual self and the Absolute, is found in the Chandogya Upanishad.
Explanation
Tat Tvam Asi is one of the four mahavakyas, or great sayings, of the Upanishadic tradition. It is located at Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7, in the dialogue where Uddalaka Aruni teaches his son Shvetaketu about ultimate reality. Encyclopaedia Britannica gives the same placement: it describes tat tvam asi as a famous expression of the relationship between the individual and the Absolute, repeated in the sixth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad while Uddalaka Aruni instructs his son on the nature of brahman, the supreme reality. That setting is why the answer is Chandogya Upanishad rather than another Upanishad: the phrase belongs to this specific Uddalaka-Shvetaketu teaching sequence.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Mundaka Upanishad is wrong because Tat Tvam Asi is placed in the sixth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad.
- (C) Katha Upanishad is wrong because the question asks for the Uddalaka Aruni teaching in which Tat Tvam Asi occurs, and that teaching is identified with the Chandogya Upanishad.
- (D) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is wrong because this mahavakya is identified here with the Chandogya Upanishad, not Brihadaranyaka.
Concept
This tests the Upanishads and Vedanta strand of ancient Indian intellectual history, especially the link between Atman and Brahman. It recurs in RAS because mahavakyas are compact, high-yield markers for matching philosophical ideas with specific texts.