The Significance of Atman in Hindu Mythology

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Date: October 9, 2018
The Atman
“There are two selves, the separate ego and the indivisible Atman. When one rises above
I and me and mine, the Atman is revealed as one’s real self” (Katha, page 51).
The above lines represent the journey of the Self rising above the ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘mine’
notion and attaining the true Self that is Atman. In the Upanishads, the concept of the Self or the
Atman has been given immense prominence because the Hindus believe that God or Brahman
resides in every individual. The realization of the true Self leads to the realization of Atman, the
Self that rises above trivial things and selfishness.
The Taittiriya Upanishad mentions that body is the first layer of the human personality
amongst the many layers that include the mind, intellect, emotions and will. Another revelation
the Upanishad makes is that the mind has no conscious or life of its own and that is acts as only
an instrument of consciousness. As these layers are uncovered, each trace of individuality is
removed and the individual attains purity or Brahman, as the sages call it. Brahman comes from
the word brih meaning ‘to expand’. With the discovery of Brahman, the sages also found that
this thought or concept is intrinsic to core of human personality as well. They named this thought
or ground from where Brahman occurs as Atman. When the Self attains the ability to expand his
thoughts beyond the physical, visible world, it transforms into Atman.

“Those who deny the Self are born again, blind to the Self, enveloped in darkness, utterly
devoid of love for the Lord” (Isha, page 29). When humans deny the existence of the Self or
Atman, they deny the very existence of God himself and this leads their lives into darkness.
When the Atman denies the existence of Brahman, it breaks the dharma or law that “expresses
and maintains the unity of creation”. Recognizing the presence of Atman makes it possible for
the individual to understand the cycle of birth and death that is, samsara. When an individual
attains the power to move beyond the first layer, which is the human body, and embrace the
Atman, he becomes equal to the Godhead that is Brahman.
In the Hindu mythology, the concept of Atman holds immense significance because it is
considered the most fundamental aspect. Many accounts of Atman are inscribed in ancient Hindu
scripts including the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. In the Gita, Lord Krishna in an attempt
to make Arjuna understand the need to fight explains the true meaning of the body and Atman.
He explains that similar to the humans changing old and dirty clothes and putting on new ones,
the Atman too casts off old body to reside in a new one (BG, 2:22). Hence, the physical body
holds no significance, the Atman that makes humans, human. People should not cry over the loss
of the physical body rather they should let go and embrace a new beginning.
“Those who know they are neither the body nor mind but the immemorial Self, the divine
principle of existence, find the source of all joy and live in joy abiding” (Katha, page 41). People
who attain the knowledge of the true Self are able to alleviate themselves from the trivial things
that make them sad or happy and embrace the true happiness. When they realize that they are
beyond the body and the mind, the power of the timeless Self, the gates to true happiness opens
for them. I have hardly ever given thought to realizing the power of Atman or the true Self.
Gradually, as I came to know more about Atman, I have found myself more at peace. I used to