ATMAN ALSO MEANS GOD

[Shri C Bala Krishna Murthy asked a question “How Upanishads frequently say that Atman (Self) is Paramatman (God)?”]

Swami replied: How do you take the word Atman as self? The word Atman means that which pervades. The awareness pervades all over the body and hence, it is called as Atman. Since the body also pervades in space, it is also called Atman in Sanskrit language. Therefore, the word Atman stands either for the soul or for the total human being. Suppose, you say that the Prime Minister is in house. Does it mean that he is in your house? Does it mean that he is in every house? It only means that the Prime Minister, who is out of his residence on tour, is now present in his residence, which is a specific house. Similarly, Atman means a specific soul like Krishna. Such a specific soul is said to be God since God charges it in a specific generation. God is beyond the creation and hence, is beyond any soul. Such God can be compared to the Prime Minister, who is on tour. When God charged a specific soul, such specific soul can be treated as God just like the electric wire, which is a wire charged by electricity, can be treated as electricity itself. This does not mean that your soul is God and this also does not mean that every soul is God. It only means that God is not out of the soul as God is in the soul. It is just like saying that the Prime Minister is not out of his specific residence since he is in his residence.

Unity Among Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhva

Shankara says that the soul is God. Ramanuja and Madhva say that the soul is not God. This seems to be a contradiction. But, on careful analysis, we can easily find out that there is no contradiction at all. Krishna played with other boys. In the case of Krishna, His soul is God. In the case of other boys, their souls are not God. Shankara stands for Krishna, where as the other two stand for other boys. The Advaitins should distinguish even Shankara from the other souls. Shankara swallowed molten lead and declared Himself alone as God (Shivah kevaloham). Other students could not swallow it and fell on His feet. Advaita is true in the case of Krishna and Shankara, who are the human incarnations of God. Dvaita is true in the case of others. Hence, both the concepts are true, applied in their corresponding cases.

Shankara says that the unlimited space (Mahaakaasha) is not different from space limited by a room (Mathaakaasha) or by a pot [Ghataakaasha]. The unlimited space stands for the absolute God, who is beyond the creation. The room-space stands for Lord Narayana [Ishvara] and the pot-space stands for Krishna, the human incarnation and not for every human being. Narayana is energetic body charged by absolute God and Krishna is human body (or physical body) charged by absolute God. In any case, the charged body is treated as God like the wire charged by current is current itself. Narayana and Krishna are also one and the same, since the media (energy and matter) are essentially one and the same.

It is said that God is associated with Maya (Mayinamtu Maheshvaram…). Maya means wonderful, which means unimaginable. Since God is unimaginable, He is indicated by His unimaginable power. The unimaginable power also cannot be perceived like the unimaginable God. Moreover, there cannot be two unimaginable items as God and Maya. But, for the sake of convenience of explanation, we have separated God and Maya for easy grasping. Even though we cannot isolate a person and his power, we say that this work indicates the power of the person. It is just for the convenience of explanation, the distinction is assumed. Therefore, we cannot perceive the unimaginable item, be it God or Maya. An imaginable medium is necessary for the expression of unimaginable item. A boy called Krishna lifted a huge mountain with His tender finger. Here, the boy, the mountain, tender finger and work of lifting the mountain are imaginable items (Prakruti) only. But, the work of lifting a huge mountain by a tender boy is unimaginable (Maya). Unless the imaginable Prakruti is there, the unimaginable Maya (or God) cannot be expressed. Here, the unimaginable Maya (or God) charged the imaginable Prakruti for its expression so that we can experience the unimaginable through the imaginable medium. When the unimaginable charges the imaginable, the imaginable can be treated as unimaginable (Mayamtu prakrutim viddhi… Gita) just like the electric wire is treated as electricity. Through the imaginable medium (Prakruti), the unimaginable medium (Maya) is expressed and experienced. Through the experienced unimaginable medium, the unimaginable God is inferred. This inference is called as the Divine knowledge (Vidya). Hence, God is said to be the Lord (Ishvara) through the unimaginable Maya (Mayaavachchinnah, Mayopadhih…).

An ordinary boy lifts a small stone and here such inference of the Lord (Vidya) does not exist. Therefore, the entire medium is called as Avidya, which means the medium that lacks Vidya. The ordinary soul is said to be inferred through such Avidya (Avidyaavachchinnah…, Avidyopadhih…). This difference is made by Shankara Himself. Krishna Himself is an ordinary soul. When Arjuna asked Him to repeat the Gita after the war, Krishna expressed His inability to repeat the Gita, saying that He was not in the state of God charging Him (Yogesvarasthiti…). He could say Anu Gita only, which is just the knowledge of a scholar. Hence, Krishna is an ordinary soul originally. But, this Krishna became God while doing miracles and while singing the Gita. In that time, He was charged by God just like a wire is charged by current. An electrified wire is not at all different from the current since the current and wire cannot be isolated. In this state, Krishna as an ordinary soul cannot be distinguished from God and hence, the Advaita of Shankara applies here. Therefore, in this state, Krishna is the absolute God or Parabrahman. God existed always in Krishna, but withdrew Himself from expression so that Krishna will mingle with the other souls as an ordinary soul. If God was expressed in Krishna all the times, devotees will not mix with Him as near and dear due to fear. Whenever there is necessity, God expressed Himself in Krishna. Thus, even in the same Krishna, the Advaita is applicable while dictating the Gita and Dvaita is applicable while dictating Anu Gita. However, if you treat the non-expression state also as the state of hidden existence, the Advaita is applicable in Krishna all the times. Similarly, an ordinary soul without charged by God will be an example of Dvaita all the times. Sometimes, an ordinary soul also can become an example of Advaita, when God charges him temporarily for a specific purpose as in the case of Parashurama. In any case, Advaita is purely due to the will of God only as said by Shankara (Ishvaraanugrahaadeva...). The deservingness of the devotee for such a divine will is also an equally important parameter. The deservingness comes only when you do not aspire at all for Advaita and dedicate yourself in the service of contemporary human incarnation like Hanuman in the service of Rama. The Advaita philosophers take Advaita as the ancestral property that is already associated with them, which can never be snatched by any force and is brought to their memory by a lawyer! In their view, God is only the lawyer reminding them regarding their forgotten property!

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