Atman and its adjectives

ATMA AND ITS ADJECTIVES

In my book on glory of Vishnusahasranama, posted in the forum Literature in this w
ebsite, I have dealt with Atman in cha pter 6, from pgs 45 to 53.
Atman is defined as the supreme self. When the intellect maintains a perfect con
trol over the mind and senses, the prakrutitatvas, the individual, reaches the u
ltimate goal. As if the re-instate this, the word Atman, either alone or in its
different adjectivile forms appears 26 times in the vishnusahasranamam, includin
g Jeevatma and Brahman as the 25th and 26th Tatvas, to explain to the lay and un
-initiated individual in addition to the well known 24 Prakrutitatvas. Please re
fer to Para 6.1.1 of the book for details.
It is interesting to observe that the different adjectives for Atman from the fi
rst to the 106th Sloka are so chosen, as to explain first that the Atman or soul
is different from life or body, through different levels of statements like Atm
an is free from all bondages, beyond the three Gunas etc to a final statement tha
t there is only one Atman. This is similar to the approach of Lord Krishna in th
e Bhagavad Gita to slowly elevate a person from Karma Yoga to the Yoga of Libera
tion by renunciation.
In Viveka choodamani, Adi Shankara again explains the Atman and the 24 Prakruti
Tatyas in beautiful slokas (237 to 240).
Entire chapters in Brihadaranya Upanishad are devoted to the understanding of Br
ahman.
Practically every chapter in Bhagavad Gita talks about Brahman, the reality and
its indestructibility. Krishna induces Arjuna NOT to be motivated by desire and
yet to be intensely active. When duty is discharged untarnished by desire, clari
ty of understanding ensues and efficiency increases. This is the famous sloka Ka
rmany eve Adhikaras te maa phalesu kadacana maa karma phale Ketur bhur maa te Sa
ngostu akarmani. Seek to perform your duty, but lay not claim to its fruits. Be yo
u not the producer of fruits of Karma; neither shall you lean towards inaction. (
Please see the book for more details).
The Vedas speak of the interconnection between the external and the internal wor
lds.
Yogavaishta speaks of facts like,
Just as space does not have a fixed span, time does not have a fixed span.
Entire universe is contained in a sub-atomic particle.
In every atom, there are worlds within worlds.
The lord who is the infinite conciousness is the silent but alert witness of the
cosmic dance. He is not different from the dancer and the dance (Please see pgs
50 and 51 of my book)
Today, we know that a single cell after splitting 47 times, the human body has 1
0,000 trillion cells and are ready to spring forth as a human being. Each cell e
xactly knows its job. A cell will contain some 20000 different types of proteins
, though many of them live for less than an hour only. The enzymes perform a tho
usand tasks every second. This is the staggering immensity of bio-chemical activ
ity in our body. The wonder is that the cells manage everything on their own so
smoothly for decades. All this is random action directed by nothing more than el
emental rules of attraction and repulsion, without any desire or motivation behi
nd any of the action.
Which is then the Atman ? The cells ? Proteins ? Enzymes ? Or the DNA ? No, beca
use they are all finite and the Atman is beyond them. They all function in the 2

6 adjectival roles mentioned earlier, attached to Atman but Atman itself is beyo
nd all of them. What better example of Karmany eve Adhikaras te can be found in re
al life ?
Is Atman then the nucleus ??
Dear Dr Ramanathan,
At cellular level each cell is preforming its biological function specific to it
.
A conglomerate of cells..make up a --tissue--conglomerate of tissue--organ--cong
lomerate of organs--- a living being.
If you are looking at a cellular level...action just goes on as designed..
But cells eg liver/hepatic cells do not have a mind to be attached to action or
inaction and its fruits thereof.
Its the presence of the mind that makes one either attached or not attached to t
he fruits of action.
Mind is not present in cells.
Mind is in the subtle body.
The human body houses the mind and gives it the gross brain as a tool to exert i
ts effect.
Atman cannot be nucleus as Atma is Dwanda Theetam,Triguna Rahitam and has no des
cribable Physical attributes.
Goes back again the only way to describe the Atman is Neti Neti.
renu
namaste Dr.Ramanathan.
You have explained it very well. For the reasons Dr.Renuka has explained, I thin
k AtmA can t be the nucleus. A common and perhaps the nearest description of Atm
A is consciousness , which is beyond the scope of physical science. We know tha
t although AtmA is nirguNa, in order that our finite minds can somewhat comprehe
nd its nature, the phrase sat-chit-Ananda is used. These are not three but only
one combined attribute. The sat--existence, that is AtmA/Brahman knows itself by
the chit--knowledge, hidden in it and remains pUrNa prakAsha--brightness of ful
lness, and not sUnya andhakAra--darkness of emptiness, in which state it is the
Ananda--bliss, of absolute oneness and independence.
In sRShTi--Creation, every form of manifestation is built upon layers within lay
ers. The book Science of Peace by BhagavAn DAs (downloadable at Internet Archi
ve: Free Download: The Science Of Peace), originally published in 1948, gives a
comprehensive explanation of the adhyAtma vidyA. I have serialized the book, som
ewhat rearranging its main contents and the explanations in the notes, at adhyA
tmavidyA in Synthesis: 1. The Great Questioning - Hindu Dharma Forums (Saidevo)
In Avadhuta Gita a good explanation is given on the nature of Atma.
The real nature of "I" which is the Atman has been expressed in Vedanta Philosop
hy as Existence-Knowledge/Awareness-Bliss Absolute.
Sat-Chit-Ananda
Dattatreya asserts the real nature of Self 40 times in Chapter 3 of Avadhuta Git

a by this following line;

Jnanamritam Samarasam Gaganopamo ham
Jnana=knowledge;
amritam=bliss;
samarasam=existence;
gagana=space/sky
upama=as(in this context as boundless as space)
aham=I
I am Existence- Knowledge-Bliss and boundless as space.

Soul= Atma+Subtle Body.