Why is atma translated as the Supreme in Ishopanishad mantra 6?

Transcript

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Thank you Question Is the term Atma Overloaded to mean Different things in different context It normally means the soul But does it also refer to the super soul The supreme Why is Atma translated as the lord In text 5 of the Ishopanishad Answer In general The Meanings of words Are not statically stored in dictionaries They are dynamically determined By usage This is a fundamental point In the philosophy of language That are words Simply like pipes that convey Meaning From the speaker to the Hearer Thus for example We have the verse We have a similar verse This occurs in the 8th cant of Srimad Bhagavatam Wherein Manu is Praying to Yajna Supreme lord So now Isha refers to the controller If Atma comes in that Context then Atma refers Atma cannot refer to the Jeeva Atma refers to the self Or the soul Now The self or the soul Is normally associated to With Our inner essence But self or soul can also have a broader Essence, broader meaning Depending on the context Or the self of what If it is the self of the world That is different than the self of me Self of the universe Self of all existence Is different The word Atma In the Bhagavad Gita also Has different meanings For example There are atleast 3-4 meanings So if you consider the Atma To refer only to the self or the soul Then this verse means elevate the self with the self Don’t degrade the self with the self Self is the friend of the self and the self is the enemy of the self This is also A translation which is given by the Samacharyas where they talk about The Observer self And the experiencer self And Now Where we can There is a part of us that experiences And the part of us that observes the experience And we need to Intelligently mould our experiences In such a way that Or rather interpret Or respond to our experiences in such a way that We can elevate ourselves And not degrade ourselves So but Prabhupada uses this One Atma to refer to the mind And that is justified entirely From the context because the next verse clearly talks about The mind being the friend of the enemy Atma So here it is said that the Mind is the friend for those who have controlled it And the mind remains the enemy for those who have failed to control it In the previous verse itself The word It was the Atma that was described to be the friend of the enemy And this verse it is the Mana that is described as the friend of the enemy So in that context It is perfectly reasonable to say that the Atma Refers here to the Mana And it’s not just the context It’s also the Import, the content That the whole verse makes greater sense if we use the word Atma to refer to the Mana Now If we look at The Bhagavad Gita also The usage of Atma is Referring to something bigger than ourselves Is there We see We see All existence situated in the Atma And we see the Atma situated in all of existence And then That same describer of Relationship of being present in everything And everything being present in that thing That is described in the next verse 6.30 6.29 And it is said here to apply to Krishna So one who sees me In everything and everything in me So this is exactly what was used In the previous verse to describe the Atma Sarvabhutasthamatmanam Sarvabhutanichatmani Yomampashyati sarvatra Sarvam chamayi pashyati So the inference could be that Whatever is used in the description As the feature of Atma Described in 6.29 Is described as the feature of the Of maam, me in 6.30 And then the next verse says that We are going to see the Equality of both Sarvabhutasthamatmanam Sarvabhutanichatmani Sorry Sarvabhutasthitam Yomampashyati Sarvathamartmanopisayogimaivartate Sarvabhutasthitam Yomampashyati So there is something Which is described in 6.30 And especially 29 As being situated in all living beings And Krishna now says One who understands Sarvabhutasthitam Yomampashyati One who sees the oneness between me And that which is situated in all living beings That Atma which is situated in all living beings So that person’s yogimaivartate Sarvathavartamanopisayogi Sarvathavartamanopisayogi Such a person is well situated in all situations Now does this mean that Krishna and Atma are one No that does not Describe the meaning because Krishna has in 6.30 says that One we have to see him everywhere And then we will never be lost You know if We identify ourselves with him Then we would be lost There would be no conception of we as existent But what Krishna is The series of verses indicates If you look at the literal translation 6.29 is saying that All being is situated in the Atma And the Atma is situated in all being And Krishna says that one who sees me Everywhere and sees everything in me That person is never lost And the last verse says that one who sees the Atma As non-different from me Is never lost.
The yogi is well situated And never falls That means Krishna is referring to The Atma and him as one And the two are Pursued by us Because Are pursued by a third person which is us Which is the seeker who has arisen to the level Of becoming a seer That’s what is mentioned in 6.29 and 30 That there is someone who is perceiving That the Atma is Situated in everyone and Krishna is situated in everyone So that means the oneness Of the Atma referred to in 6.29 And Krishna Doesn’t refer to the Atma who is the perceiver It refers to the So the perceiver, Ikshatevan Who is seeing Is we the seeker and the Atma That is being referred to there is actually the Supreme being So this is the example in the Bhagavad Gita itself Of where Atma refers to the Supreme So to understand What words mean We need to look not just the dictionaries But also their context And then understand The meaning of words Now coming to the Ishopanishad verse If you see the context is Clearly referring to the supreme being The Ishopanishad starts with That it first talks about Supreme reality in the location And then It doesn’t belong to us The fourth verse is also talking about Some being higher than us नहीं जद एक मन सो जवियो नहीं देवा अपनु पूर्म मरशत So that lord who is Who moves so fast That nobody can catch him Nobody can approach him That supreme being who is there That is being described And then the next verse That’s when the word Atma is used With similar features आत्मन्येवानुपश्यत् यस्तु सर्वानि भूतानि आत्मन्येवानुपश्यत् सर्वानि भूतानि भूतानि आत्मन्येवानुपश्यत् So this Mantra 6 of the Isopanishad is very similar To 6.29 in the Bhagavad Gita And we just discussed 6.29 refers to To Bhagavan Krishna So here also It’s perfectly reasonable to say that 6.29 Mantra 6 of the Isopanishad refers to Atma And not to the Paramatma Sorry, sorry Here it refers to the Paramatma, not the Atma So the Supersoul, not the Soul itself Because not only is there a parallel to this In another scripture, but on the context also What is being discussed in the previous verse And So the Section starts with that verse Mantra 4 and 5 we are talking about The Absolute Truth who is referred to As Supreme Being, who is self-sufficient Who is referred to in the second verse तद एजति तन्यजति And then the verse 8 Will also talk about the Absolute Truth itself So if you look at The overall section From 4 to 8 It is talking about the Absolute Truth And so the Atma here Also refers to the Absolute Truth