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Questions tagged [atma]

Atma or Atman means our soul (Jivatma) or the supreme soul (Paramatma)

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Where does a Soul attach to the Body?

A human is identified in terms of 3 bodies, 3 States and 5 Koshas or Sheaths. The Atman or soul is covered by three bodies, which are: Karana sharira (Causal body), Sukshma sarira (Subtle body) ...
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22 votes
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What is difference between Aatma, Jeevatma and Paramatma?

Jivatma – Soul Atma– Self Paramatma - God Jivatma is the individual, and Atma and Paramatma are Universal. What is difference between Aatma, Jeevatma and Paramatma?
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What is the life cycle of a soul (atma) in Hinduism?

I am confused about the life cycle in Hinduism. What is the starting point of a soul? Yes, a soul exchanges bodies, but when does a soul take birth and how will fate be written to it (as it has no ...
Avis's user avatar
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17 votes
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Are new souls created? [duplicate]

According to Hinduism, Reincarnation (Rebirth) does occur, but it is somewhat related to Karma. Also, I felt that Human is ultimate species in Hinduism, so now the question arises that does god create ...
Mr. Alien's user avatar
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13 votes
6 answers
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How can we know that an Aatma got Moksha?

As per Adwaitha - Siddhantha, after a person's death, Aatma will merge with supreme one, called Paramathma. My question is, how can we know that an Aatma got Moksha? Is there any way to identify it?
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19 votes
9 answers
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What is the difference between Buddhi (बुद्धि) and Mann (मन)?

I know Buddhi (बुद्धि) means intelligence/intellect and Mann (मन) means mind. But what is difference between them?
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38 votes
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In which month of pregnancy does a soul enter a new body (foetus)?

When I was going through this question and this question I found out that after the death of a body, the soul has three choices: heaven, hell and moksha. It is said that if soul/atma left the body ...
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34 votes
7 answers
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What happens after death?

Does a human being have a soul after death? What will happen after death according to Hinduism?
w͏̢in̡͢g͘̕ed̨p̢͟a͞n͏͏t̡͜͝he̸r̴'s user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is the relation/difference between Brahman(ब्रह्म) & Parabrahm(परब्रह्म)?

Actually first thing to know is: The relation/difference between Atman & Brahman but that question is closed as the duplicate of this. I don't know the exact reason may be Brahman of a question ...
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Does Karma (going from a higher life-form to a lower one) only apply to humans?

As most of you might know that in Hinduism, it is believed that you and every other living thing consist of two things one is "a soul" which is indestructible, true and reality. No harm can be done to ...
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6 votes
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Number of Jivatmas according to Vishishtadvaita

According to Advaita, the individual self (Atman) is nothing but Brahman (only one). But due to avidya/maya there are many individual selves (Atmas) appearing. Now, According to Vishsishtadvaita, ...
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12 votes
4 answers
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According to Hinduism, who am I?

I have spent good time understanding what is Atma or Self. Scriptures say Self is in every being and every being is in Self. However if someone asks me "Who am I?" then what should be my response? ...
Dheeraj Verma's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
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What exactly is a loka? Is it a place that be physically reached?

How to visualize the Hindu lokas, Satya-loka or Brahma-loka, Pātāla-loka etc.? What exactly are they? Are they like planets or galaxies made up of atoms and chemical elements? I am not asking why ...
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8 votes
2 answers
7k views

Are there references to Out of Body experiences in Hinduism or its texts in detail?

It is known from research/work of several organizations in the world, one in ten people have at least had one Out-of-body experience (OBE). OBE by Wikipedia definition is: An out-of-body ...
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Is every Jeeva "eternal" like the ultimate God (nirguna Brahman) or "temporary" within cycle?

"Temporary" vs "Eternal": "Temporary" (may be sat-asat) means, something which keeps changing. It survives by repetition. "Eternal" (may be param akshara) means,...
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3 answers
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Does a soul have any gender?

Normally we consider Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh as the Supreme God and as stated below all souls are part of this Supreme soul. yathā sudīptāt pāvakādvisphuliṅgāḥ sahasraśaḥ prabhavante sarūpāḥ ...
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9 votes
2 answers
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What is the difference between living beings and dead matter according to scriptures?

I am trying to understand from a spiritual point of view what distinguishes the dead from the living. I read in Bhagavad Geeta 7.5 that there is an inferior and superior nature of the self. The ...
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How many souls are there in our universe?

When Lord Krishna was advising Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, Sri Krishna told that no one dies if we kill them.Those who are killed, start their journey as jiva and these jiva cannot be destroyed or ...
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15 votes
1 answer
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Moksha for the Soul of Brahma

The life of Brahma is 100 years of Brahma. More information on Hindu Cosmology We are in 51st year of the current Brahma's Life Year. I also know that after Brahma dies, Brahma (the soul in that ...
Bhavin's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
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Soul (Atma) of Arjuna

It is said that Nara-Narayana sages were born as Arjuna and Krishna respectively. But at the same time Arjuna is biological son of Indra. Also it is said that Draupadi is incarnation of wives of ...
The Destroyer's user avatar
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16 votes
4 answers
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Do plants have atman?

Animals and humans have atman. killing animals is a sin because it has a soul. Do plants have Souls? Is the killing of Plants Sin or not?
Keerthi S's user avatar
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1 answer
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What will happen if all souls inhabiting Earth attain Moksha?

What will happen if all souls inhabiting Earth attain Moksha? Would new souls be created? They also say that only a human is capable of attaining Moksha (in extremely rare cases, animals too). In ...
Prashanth Bl's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
21k views

Will the atma get moksha if a person dies unnaturally?

Will the atma get moksha if a person dies in unnatural ways such as suicide, murder, etc?
Kiran RS's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
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Does the soul remain at home for 10 days after death?

When a person dies, what happens after that? Does he go to Yama Loka like this answer suggest: What happens after death? or he remains at "familiar" places for 10 days? Swami Sivananda says: The ...
Pinakin's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
608 views

Which scripture says that a sannyāsi can liberate 21 generations of ancestors without performing the śrāddha?

As most people know when a Hindu takes up sannyāsa, he no longer performs the daily and other rituals like the śrāddha that normal householders do. Swami Chandrasekarendra Saraswati in the book Hindu ...
Say No To Censorship's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

According to Hinduism, what do we carry into afterlife and next birth?

In our life we accumulate many things like memories, beliefs, knowledge, etc. But after death what do we actually carry from current life into afterlife, and what things will fill the next body after ...
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6 votes
6 answers
4k views

Does Atman hear, speak, taste and see after we die?

It is said that Atman is one's true Self. It remains in existence after we die, for Atman never takes birth nor does it die. My question is : does Atman hear, speak, taste and see after we die? If ...
Dheeraj Verma's user avatar
20 votes
2 answers
5k views

When does a soul lose its memory of its previous birth?

I have studied in our texts that a soul will have the memory of its previous births after death, and before birth. My question is when does the soul lose its memory when entering into a body for a ...
Agamas Tantras's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
1k views

How does the soul returns in the dead body when a dead person is revived using Amrita?

There are many references in our scriptures when deads are revived to life using Amrita and Mrita Sanjeevani Vidya.. A common accepted vedic doctrine is that soul (along with manomaya, vijnamaya and ...
Tezz's user avatar
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11 votes
5 answers
2k views

Why man is mortal irrespective of good or bad activity?

Why man is mortal? Suppose one person is very religious and very responsible family person as well.He is very much dedicated/ respectful to god and he loves his family very much and he don't want to ...
Gopal Biswas's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
667 views

How does the soul control the intellect (buddhi)?

Why does not the soul, that is so powerful, stop the intellect from choosing the wrong path/decision/karma? How does the soul control the intellect (buddhi)?
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10 votes
1 answer
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How many times jeeva gets human birth?

As per Hinduism we get 84 lakh yoni time birth on this earth. So how many times we get birth as human being ? is it true that we get human birth only once out of 84 lakh yoni ? Please let me know If ...
Devanshi's user avatar
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8 votes
5 answers
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What are the main arguments in favor of the Ātman view over the Anātman view?

The main difference (I know) between Hinduism and Buddhism is that the first defends Ātman theory whereas the second defends Anātman theory. Shankara is known for having debated (and won) with ...
Sebastien Palcoux's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
1k views

How can Brahman/consciousness be all pervading including living and non living things?

Brahman is defined as Existance,Consiouness and Bliss(Satchitananda). Aitareya Upanishad 3.1.3 says Brahman is consciousness and pure awareness. Isa Upanishad 1 says its all pervading. 1)But how can ...
Sethu Srivatsa Koduru's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
687 views

What is the size of the soul according to the different Astika schools?

There are two kinds of schools of Indian philosophy, Astika and Nastika. Astikas accept the authority of the Vedas, whereas Nastikas reject the authority of the Vedas. The Astika schools are part of ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
368 views

Souls and Population

I read somewhere that souls are never created nor destroyed. How is that possible? If souls are never created nor destroyed , how did all of us come into existence and how is the population of the ...
user3750229's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
234 views

According Advaita philosophy, can the formless Absolute Brahman see, speak, hear and smell? [duplicate]

In the Kena Upanishad following is said about the Absolute Brahman(not Atma...if Atma and Brahman are same then probably I have asked this question before. But in my opinion Absolute Brahman is a ...
Dheeraj Verma's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
2k views

How Universe has No beginning?

Universe has No end can be understood but No beginning cannot be understood There should be a definite point that the Lord Started this process and it should work forever. Anything cannot start itself ...
Sakthi's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Atma and cells in the body

The Atma resides in the body and the body is made up of billions of cells. So lets say someone donates blood or simply some of their cells are isolated, do the blood cells and the isolated cells also ...
Nikhil Raghavendra's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

The difference between Atman and Brahman [duplicate]

Like the Brahman, the Atma also has several similar qualities like opminpresence, omnipotence, divinity etc. Then what is the difference between Brahman and individual Atma?
pappu's user avatar
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15 votes
5 answers
935 views

How can we identify a self realized person?

What are the symptoms of a self realized person? How can I know whether I realized self or not?
Crackling Cyclone's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

How and why was the first ever thought generated?

We have certain posts which discuss about how the universe was created OR how Brahman imagined to become from one to many. This Qn is about the situation earlier to that. Anything which is ...
iammilind's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
437 views

Is liberation for mind or Atman?

When we see all the practices from vedas, puranas, Yoga, and all scriptures, ithihasa, the theme has been to purify the mind and detach it from world. They never talked about on how to grow your Atman ...
Agamas Tantras's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
521 views

In Hinduism, what does "immortal" mean? Is there a limit on an immortal's lifespan?

I would like to clarify that this question is not about immortals, or about how to become an immortal. It is about the word immortal in Hinduism. We have a very brief idea, that an immortal is only a ...
Mr. K's user avatar
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11 votes
1 answer
923 views

Is human the ultimate species according to Hinduism?

Is human the ultimate species according to Hinduism? This is somewhat related to karma, hence is it considered ultimate to be reborn as a human? An individual can be reborn as any species based on ...
Mr. Alien's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
385 views

What causes eternal soul to get embodied into a body and come into material world at all?

Soul is eternal and either part of God(Madhava) or Brahma itself(Advaita).why it comes to this world? According to Christians -original sin and apple story. But according to Hinduism- Avidya or ...
Vikram Thakur's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
4k views

Do Hindus mourn the death of animals the same way they mourn their deceased relatives?

Hindus remain austere and refrain from participating in any religious ritual for a specified number of days (mostly 13) when any family member expires. The popular thought is that the home becomes "...
Vikrant's user avatar
  • 553
8 votes
4 answers
1k views

Why does the word "Atma" in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad refer to the mind rather than the actual Atma?

In Adhyaya 3 Brahmana 9 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the sage Yagnavalkya tells Vidagdha Sakalya what the eleven Rudras are associated with: katame rudrā iti । daśeme puruṣe prāṇā ātmaikādaśas ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
534 views

Size of soul in Hinduism texts

Is there any text mentioning about the size of soul in Hinduism? If there, then what is the size/volume of soul according to it? Is it a physical thing and has same size for all organisms? What I ...
honey's user avatar
  • 69
6 votes
1 answer
538 views

What liberation technique taught by Shree Ramana Maharshi?

Ramana Maharshi was an enlightened master from the last century, what technique did he prescribe to know the self or become self realized?
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