The ''Atma Upanishad'' ( sa, आत्मा उपनिषत्), is one of the minor
Upanishad
The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...
ic texts of
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
, written in
Sanskrit language
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the lat ...
. It is one of the 31 Upanishads, associated with the ''
Atharvaveda''. It is classified as a
Samanya (general) and Vedantic Upanishad.
The Upanishad describes three types of Self (''
atman''): the ''Bahya-atma'' or external self (body), the ''Antar-atma'' or inner self (individual soul) and the ''Param-atma'' or highest self (the
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
, Purusha). The text asserts that one must meditate, during
Yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
, on the highest self as one's self that is partless, spotless, changeless, desireless, indescribable, all-penetrating.
The text has also been referred to as ''Atmopanishad''.
[Rajendralala Mitra]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts
Government of Bengal (1871), page 56 In the Telugu language
anthology of 108 Upanishads of the
Muktika canon, narrated by
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
to
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...
, it is listed at number 76.
Structure
The Upanishad is a short text, structured as a mix of prose and verse poetry. It is presented as a sermon by the Vedic sage
Angiras
Angiras or Angira ( Sanskrit: / ', pronounced ) was a Vedic rishi (sage) of Hinduism. He is described in the '' Rigveda'' as a teacher of divine knowledge, a mediator between men and gods, as well as stated in other hymns to be the first ...
on body, mind, soul and ''Paramatma''.
[
]
Contents
The text opens with Sage Angiras stating Purusha
''Purusha'' (' or ) is a complex concept whose meaning evolved in Vedic and Upanishadic times. Depending on source and historical timeline, it means the cosmic being or self, awareness, and universal principle.Karl Potter, Presuppositions of Ind ...
manifests itself as three types of '' atman'' (Self): ''Ajayat-Atma'' or ''Bahya-atma'' or external atman (born self, body), ''Antar-Atma'' or the internal atman (individual soul), and the '' Param-atma'' or the highest atman (Brahman, the universal soul).[Michael Nagler (2007), in ''The Upanishads'' (editor: Eknath Easwaran), Blue Mountain, , pages 280, 286-287, 375]
The external or outer self, states the text is composed of the anatomical organs and parts to see, perceive, act, react and procreate. The outer Self is the physical body, it is born and it perishes.[
The internal self is what perceives the five elements: ]Prithvi
Prithvi or Prithvi Mata (Sanskrit: पृथ्वी, ', also पृथिवी, ', "the Vast One") is the Sanskrit name for the earth, as well as the name of a devi (goddess) in Hinduism and some branches of Buddhism. In the Vedas, her cons ...
(Earth), Ap (water)
''Ap'' (') is the Vedic Sanskrit term for "water", which in Classical Sanskrit only occurs in the plural ' (sometimes re-analysed as a thematic singular, '), whence Hindi '. The term is from PIE "water".The word has many cognates in archaic E ...
, Vayu
Vayu (, sa, वायु, ), also known as Vata and Pavana, is the Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine massenger of the gods. In the '' Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king of ...
(air), Agni
Agni (English: , sa, अग्नि, translit=Agni) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu ...
(fire) and Akasha (ether). This inner self, asserts the text, is discerned as consciousness, through activities such as perceiving the empirical world, speaking, dancing, singing, yawning; manifestations such as memory; it is the victim of ambition, likes and dislikes, anger, fear, greed, pleasure and pain, doubts and delusion.[ The inner self discriminates and distinguishes between philosophies such as Nyaya, Mimamsa, Puranas and various Dharmashastras. These abilities, the mind (''Manas'') and consciousness (''Cit'') constitute the inner self, defines the Atma Upanishad.][
The highest Self is the one who is venerated by syllables of the Om, and adored in the ]Veda
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
s.[ One mediates over this highest Self by practising ]yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
: breath-control, withdrawing in the mind and other yogic exercises. Like the seed of the ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extendi ...
tree or millet cannot be comprehended by even by breaking into 100,000 parts, similarly Paramatman cannot be comprehended by breaking it into parts, as it is partless, it has no property and no quality (Guna), it is pure and is not the effect of works. It is the infinite Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
, the Purusha
''Purusha'' (' or ) is a complex concept whose meaning evolved in Vedic and Upanishadic times. Depending on source and historical timeline, it means the cosmic being or self, awareness, and universal principle.Karl Potter, Presuppositions of Ind ...
that is neither born nor dies nor decays, states the text.[ It cannot be divided, burnt or destroyed. It has no limbs, no stains, no conflicts, no expectations and is untouched by the feelings of the sensory organs or ego.][ It is detached from outer self and inner self, it is all pervading, pure, changeless.][
]
Commentary
The German Indologist Paul Deussen states the ''Atma Upanishad'' converts the "beautiful poetic" section on the Atman in the '' Chandogya Upanishad'', into "most dry" scholastic description. The Upanishad explains and references hymn fragments from ancient texts, including classical Upanishads. The description of Paramatman in this text is derived from the ''Chandogya Upanishad'', the '' Shvetashvatara Upanishad'', the '' Prashna Upanishad'', the '' Bhagavad Gita'',[ the '']Katha Upanishad
The ''Katha Upanishad'' (Sanskrit: कठोपनिषद् or कठ उपनिषद्) (') is one of the ''mukhya'' (primary) Upanishads, embedded in the last eight short sections of the ' school of the Krishna Yajurveda.Paul Deussen. ...
'', the ''Dhyanabindu Upanishad
The ''Dhyanabindu Upanishad'' (Sanskrit: ध्यानबिन्दू उपनिषत्, IAST: Dhyānabindu Upaniṣad) is an ancient Sanskrit text and a minor Upanishad of Hinduism. It is one of twenty Yoga Upanishads in the four Veda ...
'', the '' Yogashikha Upanishad'' and the '' Maitrayaniya Upanishad''.
References
Bibliography
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External links
Atma Upanishad
in Sanskrit
{{Mukhya Upanishads
Upanishads
Sanskrit texts