Concept

Atman: FAQ & Sources

आत्मन्

Atman is the innermost self of every living being: the unchanging witness behind body, mind and experience. In the Gita, Krishna teaches it first to calm Arjuna's grief.

Updated 14 Nov 20263 sources

Frequently asked questions

What is atman?

The innermost self of a being, understood as eternal, unchanging and the witness of body and mind.

Is atman the same as the soul?

Often translated as soul or self, but atman is not the personality or ego; it is the conscious witness behind them.

What does the Bhagavad Gita say about atman?

Krishna says the self is never born and never dies, and that it passes from body to body like a person changing clothes (see 2.20 and 2.22).

What is the difference between atman and Brahman?

Brahman is ultimate reality. Advaita holds atman and Brahman are one; Ramanuja and Madhva teach forms of difference.

Why does knowing atman matter?

It loosens fear of death and attachment, and is the heart of the path to moksha.

Sources and further reading

The Upanishads (Katha, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka)
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2 and Chapter 15
Commentaries of Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhva

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