Introduction
Who am I, really? This is not just a philosophical query — it’s the foundational question of spiritual life. The Bhagavad Gita, one of the world’s most revered scriptures, boldly answers it:
You are not this body; you are the ātmā — the eternal soul.
Understanding the soul’s nature is the cornerstone of Vedic philosophy, and it's essential for attaining peace, detachment, and liberation (mokṣa). In this blog, we explore the meaning of ātmā as described in the Bhagavad Gita, enriched with deep insights by Swami Mukundananda, Upanishadic teachings, and striking real-life examples like near-death experiences and the journey of King Bharata.
Let’s embark on this journey of discovering the eternal self.
1. What Is the Ātmā? The Eternal Identity of Every Being
The Sanskrit word ātmā refers to the spiritual self, distinct from the physical body, mind, intellect, and ego. According to the Bhagavad Gita, the ātmā is:
- Eternal (nityaḥ)
- Unchanging (avikāri)
- Indestructible (avyaya)
- Beyond birth and death (ajā)
It is the source of consciousness that animates the body. Without the ātmā, the body is nothing more than dead matter.
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
“The soul is neither born, nor does it ever die; nor having once existed, does it ever cease to be. The soul is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”
👉 Bhagavad Gita 2.20
Swamiji explains this beautifully using the analogy of a driver and car. Just as the driver uses the car but is not the car, we are occupants of the body, but we are not the body. The ātmā is the real ‘I’ — unchanging through the cycles of birth and death.
2. The Mistaken Identity: Why We Think We Are the Body
From early childhood, we’re conditioned to identify ourselves with our name, gender, nationality, and roles. This leads us to falsely believe, “I am this body.” This is the beginning of spiritual ignorance, or avidyā.
dehino ’smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
“Just as the embodied soul continuously passes from childhood to youth to old age, similarly, at the time of death, the soul passes into another body. The wise are not deluded by this.”
👉 Bhagavad Gita 2.13
Swamiji explains that the soul is like the unchanging observer, while the body and mind are like changing garments. He shares that our suffering comes not from the outside world, but from our wrong identification with these temporary layers of existence.
3. Why Can’t We See the Soul? The Role of a Pure Mind
In his discourse on the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Swamiji emphasizes that the ātmā can only be perceived when the mind is pure and still.
“When the mind becomes purified, you will be able to say — I am the soul. But when it is impure, filled with desires, attachments, fear, and hatred — the soul is no longer visible.”
He uses the metaphor of a muddy lake. When the water is still and clear, we can see the bottom. But if it’s filled with mud or stirred up, visibility is lost. Similarly, when the mind is agitated, we mistakenly believe we are the body or the mind, forgetting our divine nature.
This is where yoga, meditation, and scriptural study play an essential role — they help purify the mind, making it a suitable lens through which the soul can be seen.
4. Science and the Soul: Why the Ātmā Cannot Be Measured
In the lecture “Vedic Proof You Had a Past Life”, Swamiji asks:
“If the soul exists, why can’t we see it with scientific instruments?”
The answer is simple but profound: Science works with material tools, and the soul is non-material.
Just as the eyes cannot hear and ears cannot see, material gadgets cannot perceive spiritual entities. This category error leads science to dismiss the soul, even though consciousness — the primary evidence of the soul — is clearly present in all living beings.
Swamiji cites data from George Gallup Jr. (1981) where:
- 15% of Americans reported near-death or out-of-body experiences.
- 9% said they encountered divine beings during those experiences.
Despite science’s limitations, human experience and Vedic knowledge consistently affirm the reality of a soul beyond the body.
5. Evidence from Near-Death Experiences
Swami Mukundananda shares compelling real-life cases that suggest the presence of the ātmā:
✨ Case 1: Blind Woman in Surgery
A woman, blind from birth, had a cardiac arrest. Her brain had no activity, yet she accurately described:
- Doctors’ positions
- Conversations
- A pen falling from a surgeon’s pocket
Such details would be impossible to know unless her consciousness (ātmā) had temporarily left her body and witnessed the scene from outside — offering strong evidence that awareness exists independently of physical senses.
🧠 Case 2: Dr. Eben Alexander
A world-renowned Harvard neurosurgeon, Dr. Eben Alexander, fell into a 7-day coma after his neocortex shut down due to a brain infection. During this time, he experienced divine realms — despite having previously dismissed such experiences as hallucinations. He later wrote about his spiritual awakening in the bestselling book "Proof of Heaven."
These examples support the Vedic teaching that consciousness arises from the soul, not the body.
avināśi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
vināśam avyayasyāsya
na kaścit kartum arhati
“That which pervades the entire body, know it to be indestructible. No one can cause the destruction of the imperishable soul.”
👉 Bhagavad Gita 2.17
6. The Soul’s Journey Across Lifetimes: King Bharat’s Story
One of the most powerful illustrations of the soul’s continuity across lives comes from the story of King Bharat, as explained by Swamiji in his lectures.
King Bharat was a pious ruler who renounced his kingdom to seek God in the forest. But during his sādhanā, he developed a deep attachment to an orphaned baby deer. This emotional bond consumed his thoughts, and at the time of death, he was thinking only of the deer.
As a result, he was reborn as a deer in his next life.
This reflects Bhagavad Gita 8.6:
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
“Whatever one remembers upon giving up the body at the time of death, O son of Kunti, one attains that state, being always absorbed in such contemplation.”
👉 Bhagavad Gita 8.6
In his deer birth, Bharat retained the memory of his past life and frequented the hermitages of sages, avoiding worldly entanglements.
In his third life, he was born as Jad Bharat, a spiritually enlightened soul who chose to live as if insane, avoiding worldly attention. One day, he was forced to help carry the palanquin of King Rahugan. Because Jad Bharat walked slowly and carefully — avoiding stepping on insects — the palanquin shook. The king, irritated, mocked and scolded him. At that moment, Jad Bharat broke his silence and spoke profound spiritual truth, saying:
“You see me as a weak servant, but I am not this body. I am the eternal soul — unborn, changeless, and free.”
This unexpected wisdom stunned the king, who humbled himself before Jad Bharat. The episode is a powerful reminder of how true saints remain detached from ego and bodily identity, even when insulted.
7. Where Does the Soul Reside? What Do the Upanishads Say?
The Upanishads state that the soul resides in the region of the heart, but is not physically tied to the heart as an organ.
Swami Mukundananda explains using this example:
“Just as a lamp resides in one place but spreads light throughout a room, the soul resides in the heart region and spreads consciousness across the whole body.”
sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛidi sanniviṣṭo
“I am seated in the hearts of all living beings.”
👉 Bhagavad Gita 15.15
This explains why, even if you prick your finger, you feel pain — because consciousness pervades the entire body, despite the ātmā being seated in one region.
8. The Soul’s Immortality and Rebirth
Just as we change clothes when they’re old, the soul discards a worn-out body and accepts a new one. This is the natural process of transmigration:
vasāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛihṇāti naro ’parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāni
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī
“As a person sheds worn-out garments and wears new ones, likewise, at the time of death, the soul casts off its worn-out body and enters a new one.”
👉 Bhagavad Gita 2.22
This verse proves that death is not an end, but a transition — a gateway to another chapter in the soul’s eternal journey.
9. Purifying the Mind: The Gateway to Self-Realization
According to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Swamiji’s commentary, mental vṛttis (disturbances) — such as desire, fear, greed, and ego — obstruct self-realization.
Swamiji compares the mind to a wick dipped in ghee. If the wick is dirty, it will produce black smoke. But a pure wick burns bright and clean.
Likewise, a pure mind allows the soul to shine through, enabling us to live as the soul, not the body.
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
“One situated in the transcendental Brahman realization becomes mentally serene, neither grieving nor desiring. Being equitably disposed toward all living beings, such a yogi attains supreme devotion unto Me.”
👉 Bhagavad Gita 18.54
Conclusion: You Are the Ātmā — Realize It
The Bhagavad Gita, supported by the Upanishads and real-life experiences, reveals that we are not these bodies — we are the eternal, indestructible ātmā. This knowledge is not just philosophical — it’s deeply practical and liberating.
When we internalize the truth of the soul:
- Suffering reduces
- Attachments dissolve
- Purpose deepens
- Devotion flourishes
The highest goal of human life is to realize the soul and reunite it with the Divine.
🙏 Call to Action
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