Word

Atma Upanishad

Sanskrit

आत्मा उपनिषत्

IAST

ātma upaniṣad

In General

Atmopanishad is a minor U. belongs to Atherva Veda. It has got 3 parts in prose and some texts provide an additional 31 verses describing the same philosophy that of the prose. The description of body, mind and paramatman is the main theme of this U.

Veda

Atmopanishad is an ascetic U. which introspect on the real Being called Atma which dwell in our body and beyond. That which dwells in our body is the bahyatma (outeratman) and that dwell in our mind and other subtle elements is antaratma (inner atman).

The U. talk about a third atman called Paramatman or the Purusha which is the supreme self. Paramatman is the infinite self where as the other two works in limited sphere of body or thinking-feeling-willing mechanism. Purusha is subtler than the subtlest and beyond all cause and effect. It is eternal, pure, infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, changeless and indestructible. The meditating on syllable OM and performing yogic practices are helpful to understand the Paramatma.