Atman
Ātman (IAST)Translation: "The Self"
From Mandukya Upanishad (Verses 2, 7, 8, 12)
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Sanskrit: आत्मन्
Transliteration: Ātman
Translation: “breath” (from the verb root at – “to breath”) or (from the verb root ap – “to pervade, reach up to”); the inner Self
Definition:- The Reality which is the substrate of the individual and identical with the Absolute (Brahman), according to Advaita Vedānta. It cannot be doubted, for it is the basis of all experience. It cannot be known by thought, as the knower cannot be the known. Yet there is no experience without it. It is the basis of all proofs, yet cannot be proved itself, though it can be experienced.
- Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika call it the substratum in which cognition inheres. It is of two kinds: supreme Soul and individual soul. It is a substance which is revealed in one’s inner perceptual experience arising through the inner sense of mind, independently of the external senses.
- Sāṅkhya and Yoga define it as an unrelated, attribute-less, self-luminous, omnipresent entity which is identical with consciousness.
- The Upaniṣad say that it denotes the ultimate essence of the universe as well as the vital breath in human beings.
- It is the unseen basis which is the reality within the five sheaths. It is the spark of the Divine within. It is the reality behind the appearance, and universal and immanent in every entity. It is not born nor does it die. It is imperishable, according to the Upaniṣad.
- In the Indian philosophical systems, the Self is said to be of one of three sizes: Dvaita Vedānta and Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta call it atomic (Aṇu-Parimāṇa); Advaita Vedānta and Sāṅkhya call it all-pervasive (Vibhuparimāṇa); Jainism calls it neither atomic nor all-pervasive but of medium size (Madhyama-Parimāṇa).
- Buddhism denies any reality to the Self altogether.
The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy
Transliteration: Ātman
Definition: "Ātman, in Hindu thought, the individual, viewed by Advaita Vedānta as numerically identical to, and by other varieties of Vedānta as dependent on and capable of worship of, Brahman. Sometimes in Hinduism conceived as inherently conscious and possessed of intrinsic mental qualities, and sometimes viewed as having mental qualities only in the sense that the composite of Ātman-embodied-in-a-physical-body has this feature, Ātman beginninglessly transmigrates from life to life (or, for Advaita, appears to do so). It is embodied in successive bodies, accumulating Karma and possibly achieving enlightenment with its consequent release from Saṃsāra, the transmigratory wheel."
Glossary to the Record of Yoga (Sri Aurobindo)
Transliteration: Ātman
Translation: self; “a Self that is neither our limited ego [Ahaṅkāra] nor our mind, life or body, world-wide but not outwardly phenomenal, yet to some spirit-sense... more concrete than any form or phenomenon, universal yet not dependent for its being on anything in the universe or on the whole totality of the universe”; Brahman known in its subjective aspect as “the Self or immutable existence of all that is in the universe,” as “the cosmic Self, but also as the Supreme Self transcendent of its own cosmicity and at the same time individual-universal in each being.”
Mundaka and Mandukya Upanishads (Swami Sharvananda)
Sanskrit: आत्मन्
Transliteration: Ātman
Commentary: "Here [Verse 6] Ātman, with its primary condition or Upadhi called Māyā, is referred to. In that state, He is the creator, preserver, and destroyer of the whole Universe. He is immanent in all beings. As He is the origin of the Universe, so also is He its final dissolution after Pralaya. This is the Īśvara aspect of the Ātman. But in its individualistic aspect, He is conditioned by Avidyā or ignorance. From that standpoint, He cannot be called the Lord of the Universe, etc., but the Śruti, by stating that it is the Prajñā spoken of in the previous Mantram, who is also the Lord and origin of the Creation, distinctly asserts the unity of the Jīva or the Individual Soul with the Universal. In fact, Ātman by itself, as will be definitely stated hereafter by the Śruti Herself, is one undivided whole Ekamevādvitīyam. But He appears as macrocosmic (Samāpti) or microcosmic (Vyapti) by producing the phenomena of time, space and causation within Himself by his Māyā-Śakti, so this differentiation in the Ātman is only phenomenal and not real. And for Self-realization, the unity of the Ātman should alone be meditated upon. This is the import of the Śruti."
Mandukya Upanishad (James Swartz)
Definition: "the limitless I"
“If I’m real, I have to exist all the time.” – The answer to “Who am I” is that I am not any of these egos or ego states. If I’m real, I have to exist all the time. I can’t suddenly be one thing one minute and something else the next; I experience life as a simple single complete conscious being. In fact, I exist in the waking, dream, and deep sleep states independent of the waker, dream, and deep sleeper.
As what?
As the limitless I, the Awareness, the common factor and witness to the three states."
The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad (Swami Krishnananda)
Transliteration: Ātman
Definition: "The Ātman is like an oceanic flood without a surface or a limit. The Ātman is the sole Seer, Knower, Beholder, Experiencer, without a counterpart objective to it. It knows itself, not ‘others’, for the ‘others’ is also part of itself. Hence, knowledge of the Ātman is the knowledge of the whole of existence. It is not knowledge of this Ātman, that Ātman, this Self, that self, this person, that person. It is the knowledge of The Ātman, which can only be One. The Ātman is single – Ekātma-Pratyaya-Sāraṃ. The One Ātman is called the Paramātman as distinguished from the multitudinousness of the so-called Ātman, called Jīvātman. It is Paramātman, because it is the Supreme Self. Brahmeti Paramātmeti Bhagavāniti Śabdyat, says the Śrimad Bhāgavata. From the absolute, universal and personal standpoints, it is called Brahman, Paramātman and Bhagavān. In itself it is Brahman, the Absolute; and as the Supreme Creator, Preserver, Destroyer, it is the Paramātman; as the Beloved of devotees, it is Bhagavān. It is all this – Dvaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita and Advaita points of view come together here in this Ātman, and the conclusions of the schools of thought merge into the single truth of a blend of various standpoints. Quarrels cease, arguments come to a stop, philosophies are hushed, and silence prevails. This Ātman is Silence, said a great Master. When a devotee came, and asked the Guru, ‘Tell me the Ātman’, the Guru kept quiet. When the disciple queried again, ‘Master, tell me the Ātman’, the Guru kept quiet, again. A third time the question was raised and the Guru kept quiet, once more. When for the fourth time the disciple put the same question, ‘Tell me the Ātman’; the Guru said, ‘I am telling you, you are not hearing; because Silence is the Ātman’."
The Māndūkyopanishad with Gauḍāpada's Kārikā and Śankara's Commentary (Swami Nikhilananda)
Gauḍapāda Kārikā
Chapter III: Advaita Prakaraṇa, Verse 3-12)
Chapter III: Advaita Prakaraṇa, Verse 3-12)
3. Ātman, which is like Ākāśa (infinite space), is said to be manifested in the form of Jīvas, which may be likened to the Ākāśas enclosed in pots. The bodies, also, are said to be manifested from Ātman, just as a pot and the like are created out of Ākāśa. As regards the manifestation of Ātman, this is the illustration.
4. As, on the destruction of the pot etc., the Ākāśa enclosed in them merge in the great Ākāśa, so the Jīvas merge in Ātman.
5. As the dust, smoke, etc., soiling the Ākāśa enclosed in a particular pot do not soil the other Ākāśas enclosed in other pots, so also the happiness, miseries, etc., of one Jīva does not affect the other Jīvas.
6. Though the diversity of forms, functions and names of the Ākāśas associated with different receptacles is admitted, yet this does not imply any real differentiation in Ākāśa itself. The same is the conclusion regarding the Jīvas.
7. As the Ākāśa enclosed in a pot is neither an effect nor a part of the real Ākāśa, so the Jīva is neither an effect nor a part of Ātman.
8. Children regard Ākāśa as being soiled by dirt; likewise, the ignorant regard Ātman as being similarly soiled.
9. Ātman, in regard to Its birth and death, Its going and coming, i.e., rebirth and Its dwelling in different bodies, is not unlike Ākāśa.
10. All aggregates are produced by Ātman’s Māyā, as in a dream. No rational argument can be given to establish their reality, whether they are of equal status or whether some are superior to others.
11. The Supreme Self is the self of the five sheaths, such as the physical and the vital, which have been described in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad. That the Supreme Self is like Ākāśa has already been stated.
12. The same Ākāśa dwells within both the earth and the stomach; likewise, the same Brahman dwells within the pairs described in the Madhu Brahmana.
4. As, on the destruction of the pot etc., the Ākāśa enclosed in them merge in the great Ākāśa, so the Jīvas merge in Ātman.
5. As the dust, smoke, etc., soiling the Ākāśa enclosed in a particular pot do not soil the other Ākāśas enclosed in other pots, so also the happiness, miseries, etc., of one Jīva does not affect the other Jīvas.
6. Though the diversity of forms, functions and names of the Ākāśas associated with different receptacles is admitted, yet this does not imply any real differentiation in Ākāśa itself. The same is the conclusion regarding the Jīvas.
7. As the Ākāśa enclosed in a pot is neither an effect nor a part of the real Ākāśa, so the Jīva is neither an effect nor a part of Ātman.
8. Children regard Ākāśa as being soiled by dirt; likewise, the ignorant regard Ātman as being similarly soiled.
9. Ātman, in regard to Its birth and death, Its going and coming, i.e., rebirth and Its dwelling in different bodies, is not unlike Ākāśa.
10. All aggregates are produced by Ātman’s Māyā, as in a dream. No rational argument can be given to establish their reality, whether they are of equal status or whether some are superior to others.
11. The Supreme Self is the self of the five sheaths, such as the physical and the vital, which have been described in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad. That the Supreme Self is like Ākāśa has already been stated.
12. The same Ākāśa dwells within both the earth and the stomach; likewise, the same Brahman dwells within the pairs described in the Madhu Brahmana.
The Upanishads: Volume I (Swami Nikhilananda)
Katha Upanishad
PART I, CHAPTER II
PART I, CHAPTER II
Verse 7
Many are there who do not even hear of Ātman; though hearing of Him, many do not comprehend. Wonderful is the expounder and rare the hearer; rare indeed is the experiencer of Ātman taught by an able preceptor.
Verse 8
Ātman, when taught by an inferior person, is not easily comprehended, because It is diversely regarded by disputants. But when It is taught by him who has become one with Ātman, there can remain no more doubt about It. Ātman is subtler than the subtlest and not to be known through argument.
Verse 16
This syllable Om is indeed Brahman. This syllable is the Highest. Whosoever knows this syllable obtains all that he desires.
Verse 17
This is the best support; this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this support is adored in the world of Brahmā.
Verse 18
The knowing Self is not born; It does not die. It has not sprung from anything; nothing has sprung from It. Birthless, eternal, everlasting, and ancient, It is not killed when the body is killed.
Verse 19
If the killer thinks he kills and if the killed man thinks he is killed, neither of these apprehends aright. The Self kills not, nor is It killed.
Verse 20
Ātman, smaller than the small, greater than the great, is hidden in the hearts of all living creatures. A man who is free from desires beholds the majesty of the Self through tranquillity of the senses and the mind and becomes free from grief.
Verse 21
Though sitting still, It travels far; though lying down, It goes everywhere. Who but myself can know that luminous Ātman who rejoices and rejoices not?
Verse 22
The wise man, having realized Ātman as dwelling within impermanent bodies but Itself bodiless, vast, and all-pervading, does not grieve.
Verse 23
This Ātman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one, Ātman reveals Its own form.
Verses 10-11
Beyond the senses are the objects; beyond the objects is the mind; beyond the mind, the intellect; beyond the intellect, the Great Ātman; beyond the Great Ātman, the Unmanifest; beyond the Unmanifest, the Puruṣa. Beyond the Puruṣa there is nothing: this is the end, the Supreme Goal.
Verse 12
That Self, hidden in all beings, does not shine forth; but It is seen by subtle seers through their one-pointed and subtle intellects.
Verse 13
The wise man should merge his speech in his mind, and his mind in his intellect. He should merge his intellect in the Cosmic Mind, and the Cosmic Mind in the Tranquil Self.
Verse 15
Having realized Ātman, which is soundless, intangible, formless, undecaying, and likewise tasteless, eternal, and odorless; having realized That which is without beginning and end, beyond the Great, and unchanging—one is freed from the jaws of death.
Many are there who do not even hear of Ātman; though hearing of Him, many do not comprehend. Wonderful is the expounder and rare the hearer; rare indeed is the experiencer of Ātman taught by an able preceptor.
Verse 8
Ātman, when taught by an inferior person, is not easily comprehended, because It is diversely regarded by disputants. But when It is taught by him who has become one with Ātman, there can remain no more doubt about It. Ātman is subtler than the subtlest and not to be known through argument.
Verse 16
This syllable Om is indeed Brahman. This syllable is the Highest. Whosoever knows this syllable obtains all that he desires.
Verse 17
This is the best support; this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this support is adored in the world of Brahmā.
Verse 18
The knowing Self is not born; It does not die. It has not sprung from anything; nothing has sprung from It. Birthless, eternal, everlasting, and ancient, It is not killed when the body is killed.
Verse 19
If the killer thinks he kills and if the killed man thinks he is killed, neither of these apprehends aright. The Self kills not, nor is It killed.
Verse 20
Ātman, smaller than the small, greater than the great, is hidden in the hearts of all living creatures. A man who is free from desires beholds the majesty of the Self through tranquillity of the senses and the mind and becomes free from grief.
Verse 21
Though sitting still, It travels far; though lying down, It goes everywhere. Who but myself can know that luminous Ātman who rejoices and rejoices not?
Verse 22
The wise man, having realized Ātman as dwelling within impermanent bodies but Itself bodiless, vast, and all-pervading, does not grieve.
Verse 23
This Ātman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one, Ātman reveals Its own form.
CHAPTER III
Verses 10-11
Beyond the senses are the objects; beyond the objects is the mind; beyond the mind, the intellect; beyond the intellect, the Great Ātman; beyond the Great Ātman, the Unmanifest; beyond the Unmanifest, the Puruṣa. Beyond the Puruṣa there is nothing: this is the end, the Supreme Goal.
Verse 12
That Self, hidden in all beings, does not shine forth; but It is seen by subtle seers through their one-pointed and subtle intellects.
Verse 13
The wise man should merge his speech in his mind, and his mind in his intellect. He should merge his intellect in the Cosmic Mind, and the Cosmic Mind in the Tranquil Self.
Verse 15
Having realized Ātman, which is soundless, intangible, formless, undecaying, and likewise tasteless, eternal, and odorless; having realized That which is without beginning and end, beyond the Great, and unchanging—one is freed from the jaws of death.
References:
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- Audi, Robert (1999). The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Second Edition. New York: Cambridge University Press
- Hartz, Richard. Glossary to the Record of Yoga (Sri Aurobindo). Retrieved from http://wiki.auroville.org.in/wiki/Glossary_to_the_Record_of_Yoga
- Sharvananda, Swami (1920). Mundaka and Mandukya Upanishads: With Sanskrit Text; Paraphrase with Word-For-Word Literal Translation, English, Rendering and Comments. Mylapore, Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math
- Swartz, James (1996). Mandukya Upanishad: An ancient Sanskrit text on the nature of Reality. Retrieved from https://www.holybooks.com/mandukya-upanishad-an-ancient-sanskrit-text-on-the-nature-of-reality/
- Krishnananda, Swami (1996). The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad. Retrieved from https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/mand_0.html. p. 85-86.
- Nikhilananda, Swami (1949). The Māndūkyopanishad with Gauḍāpada's Kārikā and Śankara's Commentary. Mysore: Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama
- Nikhilananda, Swami (1949). The Upanishads: Volume I—Katha, Iśa, Kena, and Mundaka. New York, New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers.
