What's in the name

So, what is Taittiriya?
Three key aspects:
1) The Knowledge-Follower
The word has its roots in the Sanskrit 'Tittiri'. In order to honour his teacher's dictum, the ancient Indian sage Yajnavalkya 'gave up' all the knowledge he had gained from the Guru. In order to ensure that the knowledge is not lost to the world, the other students of the Guru assumed the form of Tittiri birds to absorb this knowledge. Tittiri symbolises the presevation and propagation of knowledge to overcome ignorance and falsehood.

2) The Shakha
In other words, the traditional Vedic school of thought. The Taittiriya Shakha has one of the largest number of followers in the traditional Vedic system . I belong to this school through a birth-lineage that goes back thousands of years tracing its roots right upto the sage to whom the truths were revealed.

3) The Upanisad
The ancient wisdom book of India. The Taittiriya Upanisad is said to be the Upanisad most commented on by Sri Samkaracharya - India's (the World's?) foremost philosopher-saint. The Taittirya Upanisad is part of the Taittiriya Shakha.