Questions tagged [atma]

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

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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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33 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
26 votes
4 answers
9k views

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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26 votes
1 answer
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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) ...
LightAchala's user avatar
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22 votes
1 answer
367 views

Can a single jiva which is whole and indivisible be cut and become many?

Is there a single jiva (life) associated with a single body or is it that many jivas are associated with a single body? Hinduism tells us that there is only one jiva to each body. If that really is ...
Kapil Vyas's user avatar
21 votes
5 answers
45k views

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?
Eshan Singh's user avatar
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21 votes
2 answers
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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
19 votes
1 answer
3k views

Conflict between Bhagwad Gita & Garuda Puran regarding the Atma/Soul

In Bhagwad gita, Lord Shri Krishna said that Our soul/spirit is so small even smallar then the size of an atom. We cannot see, harm, or kill it and it is immortal. But Garuda Purana explains ...
iGagan Kumar's user avatar
18 votes
9 answers
19k views

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?
user5155835's user avatar
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17 votes
3 answers
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Is it possible to separate Soul from the body through Yoga

I have heard that through Yoga a person can achieve inner peace and happiness. I know that It requires lots of practice to take actual benefits from yoga. I have also heard from plenty of sources (...
Atinesh'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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16 votes
2 answers
11k views

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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16 votes
3 answers
517 views

Is Atma the same as the body?

What logical arguments do our scriptures advance to show that Atma is not something material like the body? How do the six astika schools of Hindu Philosophy(Mimamsa, Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika ...
DirghaChintayanti's user avatar
15 votes
5 answers
819 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?
Tat Tvam Asi's user avatar
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15 votes
1 answer
947 views

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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15 votes
1 answer
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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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13 votes
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 ...
Just_Do_It's user avatar
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13 votes
3 answers
3k views

On what basis is a soul born as male or female?

From this question Does a soul have any gender? it is known that soul doesn't have any gender. But when a child is born from mother's womb it does have a gender (male, female, or neuter). So, why is a ...
Triyugi Narayan Mani's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
1k 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 ...
Pandya'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?
Kiran RS's user avatar
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13 votes
3 answers
3k views

Difference between Jeeva and Atman

I have read in an forum that Jeeva means Soul or individual self. Typically it contains seven layers(koshas).It is the one who was shackled in prakriti(Maya). On death of physical body it gets new ...
tekkk's user avatar
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13 votes
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
12 votes
4 answers
4k views

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
12 votes
3 answers
409 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
12 votes
4 answers
438 views

What is Advaita?

(Using the "body" and "hand" instead of "Brahman" and "Atman") Ramanuja says, "the hand is the same as the body but the hand is not the body itself". Madhu says, "the hand is not the body and the ...
Tamela's user avatar
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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
1 answer
624 views

Are the Rakshasas (demons) eternal?

God (Paratma) in Hinduism is beyond the realm of time, as a result of which He is eternal. According to the Hindu philosophy, each living creature possesses a soul (inner core of consciousness) which ...
Debasis'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
11 votes
4 answers
69k views

Does re-birth take place immediately after death according to Hinduism?

I would like to know if re-birth take place immediately after the death according to Hinduism? Some people say, if the man has done some good karma, he will be gone to heaven and then enjoy the ...
user12458's user avatar
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11 votes
3 answers
510 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
892 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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11 votes
4 answers
2k views

How can a person die if soul never leaves the body?

Soul is infinite, omnipresent, i.e, it is present in our body and outside our body. Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda [Volume 2/Jnana-Yoga/The-Atman] :- It is the Atman, beyond all, the Infinite, ...
Pinakin's user avatar
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11 votes
1 answer
28k views

What exactly happens during Parakaya Pravesha?

Parakaya Pravesha is power of entering into body of another person through Yoga. Sri Adi Sankara entered the body of King Amaruka of Benares. Tirumular in Southern India entered the body of a ...
The Destroyer's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
20k 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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10 votes
1 answer
2k views

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
  • 101
10 votes
2 answers
356 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
10 votes
2 answers
943 views

What is the highest state Swami Vivekananda is referring to?

Complete Works > Volume 7 > Conversations and Dialogues > From the Diary of a Disciple > scc_ii: Whatever man knows to be the truth is of a like nature: some are lesser truths, others, higher ones ...
Pinakin's user avatar
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10 votes
1 answer
179 views

What separates the Avatar from Atman and Paramatman

As the Avatar is seen or has been seen in his physical or ethereal body, both without and within. What separates him from Atman and Paramatman ?
Frank Hestermann's user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
1k views

Did Brahman split into multiple souls?

Here's a verse from Chandogya Upanishad , chapter six. "It (Being or Brahman) thought: ‘May I be many; may I grow forth." My question is, when Brahman, the supreme cosmic spirit , wished to ...
The Crimson Universe's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
1k views

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 ...
onephys's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
62k views

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
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
9 votes
3 answers
629 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)?
bhamsoul's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Does Adi Shankaracharya believe the existence of the soul requires scripture to establish?

In Hindu philosophy there are three main Pramanas or valid means of knowledge: Pratyaksha or sensory perception, Anumana or inference, and Shabda or revelation/scripture. And there is a hierarchy of ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
750 views

If we desire to live without desire will it be a desire?

EXPLANATION : People live with many desires and karmas of good and bad come according to the kind of desire A man who perform's his duties without any desire and submits the results to god will not ...
Sakthi's user avatar
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8 votes
5 answers
1k views

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,...
iammilind's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
6k 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 ...
Sam P's user avatar
  • 358
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why do some souls remain on earth after leaving the body after death?

When death happens, the soul should leave the body and it should go back to it's original realm (whatever or wherever that place is). But we encounter stories of ghosts or spirits on earth. Why do ...
Asutosh Panda's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
520 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
4 answers
2k views

Body is un-real and only atma is real in Hinduism?

Almost all concepts in non-dualism(advaita-siddhanta), it is believed that Human body is unreal or "maya" and only atma is real. Their claim is that without atma body is nothing. In my personal ...
Kiran RS's user avatar
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