Editing Ātman (Hinduism) (section)

===Upanishads===
''Ātman'' is a central topic in all of the [[Upanishads]], and "know your Ātman" is one of their thematic foci.<ref name=ptraju>PT Raju (1985), Structural Depths of Indian Thought, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-0887061394}}, pages 35-36</ref> The Upanishads say that ''Atman'' denotes "the ultimate essence of the universe" as well as "the vital breath in human beings", which is "imperishable Divine within" that is neither born nor does it die.{{sfn|Grimes|1996|p=69}} Cosmology and psychology are indistinguishable, and these texts state that the core of every person's Self is not the body, nor the mind, nor the ego, but ''Ātman''.

The Upanishads express two distinct, somewhat divergent themes on the relation between Atman and Brahman. Some teach that Brahman (highest reality; universal principle; being-consciousness-bliss) is identical with ''Ātman'', while others teach that ''Ātman'' is part of Brahman but not identical to it.{{sfn|Koller|2012|p=99-102}}<ref>[[Paul Deussen]], {{Google books|B0QzAQAAMAAJ|The Philosophy of the Upanishads}}, Dover Publications, pages 86-111, 182-212</ref> This ancient debate flowered into various dual and non-dual theories in Hinduism. The [[Brahmasutra]] by Badarayana (~100 BCE) synthesized and unified these somewhat conflicting theories, stating that ''Atman'' and Brahman are different in some respects, particularly during the state of ignorance, but at the deepest level and in the state of self-realization, ''Atman'' and Brahman are identical, non-different (advaita).{{sfn|Koller|2012|p=99-102}} According to Koller, this synthesis countered the dualistic tradition of Samkhya-Yoga schools and realism-driven traditions of Nyaya-Vaiseshika schools, enabling it to become the foundation of Vedanta as Hinduism's most influential spiritual tradition.{{sfn|Koller|2012|p=99-102}}

The ''atman'', according to several Upaniṣadic texts, is present within the human body, extending even to the extremities such as the tips of the nails (''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad'' 1.4.7). Though the ''atman'' pervades the entire body, the Upanishads often emphasize the heart, not as a physical organ but as an inner "cave" or ''guha'', as the atman's special locus. It is described as lying deep within the heart (''Chandogya Upanishad'' III.14.3-4).<ref>{{Citation |last=Mitra |first=Arpita |title=Ātman, Hinduism |date=2018 |work=Hinduism and Tribal Religions |pages=1–8 |editor-last=Jain |editor-first=Pankaj |url=https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_172-1 |access-date=2025-05-17 |place=Dordrecht |publisher=Springer Netherlands |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_172-1 |isbn=978-94-024-1036-5 |editor2-last=Sherma |editor2-first=Rita |editor3-last=Khanna |editor3-first=Madhu}}</ref>

====''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad''====
The ''[[Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]'' (800-600 BCE<ref name=olivelleintro>[[Patrick Olivelle]] (2014), The Early Upanishads, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0195124354}}, page 12-13</ref>) describes ''Atman'' as that in which everything exists, which is of the highest value, which permeates everything, which is the essence of all, bliss and beyond description.<ref>Raju, Poolla Tirupati. Structural Depths of Indian Thought. SUNY Series in Philosophy. P. 26. {{ISBN|0-88706-139-7}}.</ref> In hymn 4.4.5, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad describes ''Atman'' as ''Brahman'', and associates it with everything one is, everything one can be, one's free will, one's desire, what one does, what one doesn't do, the good in oneself, the bad in oneself.
{{blockquote|That ''Atman'' (self, soul) is indeed Brahman. It [Ātman] is also identified with the intellect, the Manas (mind), and the vital breath, with the eyes and ears, with earth, water, air, and ākāśa (sky), with fire and with what is other than fire, with desire and the absence of desire, with anger and the absence of anger, with righteousness and unrighteousness, with everything — it is identified, as is well known, with this (what is perceived) and with that (what is inferred).

As it [Ātman] does and acts, so it becomes: by doing good it becomes good, and by doing evil it becomes evil. It becomes virtuous through good acts, and vicious through evil acts. Others, however, say, "The self is identified with desire alone. What it desires, so it resolves; what it resolves, so is its deed; and what deed it does, so it reaps.|Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5, 9th century BCE<ref>Sanskrit Original: [http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/brinew-proofed.html?lang=sa बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्] मन्त्र ५ [IV.iv.5], Sanskrit Documents;<br />'''Translation 1''': [https://archive.org/stream/Brihadaranyaka.Upanishad.Shankara.Bhashya.by.Swami.Madhavananda#page/n739/mode/2up Brihadāranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5]  Madhavananda (Translator), page 712;<br />'''Translation 2''': [https://archive.org/stream/The_Brihad_aranyaka_upanishad_Sankarabhashya_English/The_brihad_aranyaka_upanishad-SankarabhashyaEnglishforChapter1Only-1849#page/n243/mode/2up Brihadāranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5]  Eduard Roer (Translator), page 235</ref>}}

This theme of ''Ātman'', that the essence and Self of every person and being is the same as Brahman, is extensively repeated in Brihadāranyaka Upanishad. The Upanishad asserts that this knowledge of "I am Brahman", and that there is no difference between "I" and "you", or "I" and "him" is a source of liberation, and not even gods can prevail over such a liberated man. For example, in hymn 1.4.10,<ref name=bu1410/>
{{blockquote|
Brahman was this before; therefore it knew even the Ātma (soul, himself). I am Brahman, therefore it became all. And whoever among the gods had this enlightenment, also became That. It is the same with the sages, the same with men. Whoever knows the self as "I am Brahman," becomes all this universe. Even the gods cannot prevail against him, for he becomes their Ātma. Now, if a man worships another god, thinking: "He is one and I am another," he does not know. He is like an animal to the gods. As many animals serve a man, so does each man serve the gods. Even if one animal is taken away, it causes anguish; how much more so when many are taken away? Therefore it is not pleasing to the gods that men should know this.
|Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10<ref name=bu1410>Sanskrit Original: [http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/brinew-proofed.html?lang=sa बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्], Sanskrit Documents;<br />'''Translation 1''': [https://archive.org/stream/The_Brihad_aranyaka_upanishad_Sankarabhashya_English/The_brihad_aranyaka_upanishad-SankarabhashyaEnglishforChapter1Only-1849#page/n107/mode/2up Brihadāranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10]  Eduard Roer (Translator), pages 101-120, Quote: "For he becomes the soul of them." (page 114);<br />'''Translation 2''': [https://archive.org/stream/Brihadaranyaka.Upanishad.Shankara.Bhashya.by.Swami.Madhavananda#page/n173/mode/2up Brihadāranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10]  Madhavananda (Translator), page 146;</ref>}}

====''Chandogya Upanishad''====
The ''[[Chandogya Upanishad]]'' (7th-6th c. BCE) explains ''Ātman'' as that which appears to be separate between two living beings but isn't, that essence and innermost, true, radiant self of all individuals which connects and unifies all.  Hymn 6.10 explains it with the example of rivers, some of which flow to the east and some to the west, but ultimately all merge into the ocean and become one. In the same way, the individual souls are pure being, states the ''Chandogya Upanishad''; an individual soul is pure truth, and an individual soul is a manifestation of the ocean of one universal soul.<ref>[[Max Müller]], Upanishads, Wordsworth, {{ISBN|978-1840221022}}, pages XXIII-XXIV</ref>

====''Katha Upanishad''====
Along with the ''Brihadāranyaka'', all the earliest and middle Upanishads discuss ''Ātman'' as they build their theories to answer how man can achieve liberation, freedom and bliss. The ''[[Katha Upanishad]]''  (5th to 1st century BCE) explains ''Atman'' as the imminent and transcendent innermost essence of each human being and living creature, that this is one, even though the external forms of living creatures manifest in different forms.  Hymn 2.2.9 states:
{{blockquote|As the one fire, after it has entered the world, though one, takes different forms according to whatever it burns, so does the internal Ātman of all living beings, though one, takes a form according to whatever He enters and is outside all forms.
|Katha Upanishad, 2.2.9<ref>Original Sanskrit: अग्निर्यथैको भुवनं प्रविष्टो, रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव । एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्त'''रात्मा''', रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बहिश्च ॥ ९ ॥;<br />'''English Translation 1''': Stephen Knapp (2005), The Heart of Hinduism, {{ISBN|978-0595350759}}, page 202-203;<br />'''English Translation 2''':[[s:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 15/Katha-upanishad|Katha Upanishad]] Max Müller (Translator), Fifth Valli, 9th verse</ref>}}

Katha Upanishad, in Book 1, hymns 3.3-3.4, describes the widely cited proto-Samkhya analogy of chariot for the relation of "Soul, Self" to body, mind and senses.<ref name=kathaup2>Sanskrit Original: आत्मानँ रथितं विद्धि शरीरँ रथमेव तु । बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥ ३ ॥ इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयाँ स्तेषु गोचरान् । आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ ४ ॥, [http://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/कठोपनिषद् Katha Upanishad] Wikisource;<br />English Translation: Max Müller, [https://archive.org/stream/SacredBooksEastVariousOrientalScholarsWithIndex.50VolsMaxMuller/15.SacredBooksEast.VarOrSch.v15.Muller.Hindu.Mull.Upanishads.p2.KathMundTait..Mait.Oxf.1884.#page/n71/mode/2up Katha Upanishad] Third Valli, Verse 3 & 4 and through 15, pages 12-14</ref> Stephen Kaplan<ref name=stevekaplan>Stephen Kaplan (2011), The Routledge Companion to Religion and Science, (Editors: James W. Haag, Gregory R. Peterson, Michael L. Speziopage), Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0415492447}}, page 323</ref> translates these hymns as, "Know the Self as the rider in a chariot, and the body as simply the chariot. Know the intellect as the charioteer, and the mind as the reins. The senses, they say are the horses, and sense objects are the paths around them". The Katha Upanishad then declares that "when the Self [Ātman] understands this and is unified, integrated with body, senses and mind, is virtuous, mindful and pure, he reaches bliss, freedom and liberation".<ref name=kathaup2/>