Brihajjabala Upanishad

Brihajjabala
A Shaiva sadhu marked with Bhasma lines
Devanagari	बृहजजाबाल
IAST	Bṛhajjābāla
Title means	Great Jabala
Date	late medieval era
Type	Shaiva
Linked Veda	Atharvaveda
Chapters	8

The Brihajjabala Upanishad (Sanskrit: बृहज्जाबाल उपिनषद, Bṛhajjābāla) is one of the minor Upanishads, written in Sanskrit language. This Hindu text is attached to the Atharvaveda, and is one of 14 Shaiva Upanishads.

It describes the process of producing Vibhuti (Bhasma), or sacred ash, methods of using it for tilaka Tripundra on various parts of the body, and its meaning in Shaivism. The text also mentions Rudraksha as prayer beads.

Klaus Klostermaier classifies the Brihajjabala Upanishad along with the Bhasmajabala Upanishad, the Rudrakshajabala Upanishad, the Kalagni Rudra Upanishad and the Akshamalika Upanishad as Shaiva texts that explain symbolism of rites and objects of worship in Shaivism.

It is also spelled as Brihad jabala Upanishad, Brihajjabalopanishad and Brihat Jabala Upanishad.

The date of composition and the author of this text are unknown. It is likely a late medieval, post-12th century era Upanishad and it is neither part of the 17th century compilation of 50 important Hindu Upanishads published by Mughal era Dara Shikoh, nor part of the 18th-century anthology of 52 popular Upanishads in North India published by Colebrooke, nor is it found in the Bibliotheca Indica anthology of popular Upanishads in South India by Narayana.

In a Telugu language anthology of 108 Upanishads of the Muktika in the modern era, narrated by Rama to Hanuman, it is listed at serial number 26.