ISO 9001:2015

ATMAN - A SELF - EVIDENT ENTITY (ACCORDING TO SHANKRACHARYA)

Dr. Renu Rani Sharma

It is not that vedas or Sastras that reveal the self but that in fact Atman is self- evident. The self of man is ‘knower’ of all, even of knowledge and ignorance. Themselves are objects of knowledge to this “knower" only with this knower as the basis can any search for knowledge begin. Self is different from the mind. It understands the state of mind, that it is sad, it is glad. But Atman is the light and the witness, for different from the consciousness of the mind. So, it is not with the aid of the Sastras that man comes to know his self. It is never an unknown factor first which was made known later by Sastra. But there is a mist round the Atman. Sastra aid to clear the mist. One cannot obtain his self for the self is obtainer. One can not give up his self. It is ever existent and self evident first principle. This is the gist of the section. And that other entity which reveals consciousness is the self. The intelligence different from the consciousness.¹ The self is not a thing unknown to anybody at any time, not a thing to be reached or got rid of or aquired. Just as there is not need for any external evidence to know one's own body, so also there is no need for any external evidence to know one's self which is nearer than the body. So for the wise practice Jnana (knowledge of divine reality) is also equally well known automatically.²

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Keywords: Vedas, Sastras, Atman, State of Mind, Self Evident, Consciousness.


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