Paramatman, Paramatma, Paramātman, Paramātmā, Parama-atman: 28 definitions

Introduction:

Paramatman means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)

Source: archive.org: A History of Indian Philosophy (vaishnavism)

Paramātman (परमात्मन्, “supreme soul”).—The realization of the nature of ultimate reality may again be of a twofold nature: abstract, i.e., as Brahman, and concrete, i.e., as personal God or the supreme soul (paramātman). In the latter case the richness of the concrete realization is further increased when one learns to realize God in all His diverse forms. In this stage, though the devotee realizes the diverse manifold and infinite powers of God, he learns to identify his own nature with the nature of God as pure bliss.

Source: humindian: 108 names of Lord Krishna

One of the 108 names of Krishna; Meaning: "Lord Of All Beings"

Source: Pure Bhakti: Brhad Bhagavatamrtam

Paramātmā (परमात्मा) refers to:—The Supersoul situated in the hearts of all living entities as a witness and the source of remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness. (cf. Glossary page from Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta).

Vaishnavism book cover
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Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).

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Samkhya (school of philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Samkhya glossary
Source: archive.org: A History of Indian Philosophy (samkhya)

Paramātman (परमात्मन्).—This puruṣa, called also paramātman, is beginningless and it has no cause beyond itself. The self is in itself without consciousness. Consciousness can only come to it through its connection with the sense organs and manas. By ignorance, will,antipathy, and work, this conglomeration of puruṣa and the other elements takes place. Knowledge, feeling, or action, cannot be produced without this combination.

Samkhya book cover
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Samkhya (सांख्य, Sāṃkhya) is a dualistic school of Hindu philosophy (astika) and is closeley related to the Yoga school. Samkhya philosophy accepts three pramanas (‘proofs’) only as valid means of gaining knowledge. Another important concept is their theory of evolution, revolving around prakriti (matter) and purusha (consciousness).

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Yoga (school of philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Yoga glossary
Source: archive.org: A History of Indian Philosophy (yoga)

Paramātman (परमात्मन्, “higher self”).—The duality involved in this conception of a friend and a foe, of conqueror and conquered, of an uplifting power and a gravitating spirit, naturally involves a distinction between a higher self (paramātman) and a lower self (ātman). It is only when this higher self conquers the lower that a self is a friend to itself. In a man who has failed to conquer his own passions and self-attachments the self is its own enemy. The implication, however, is that the lower self, though it gravitates towards evil, has yet inherent in it the power of self-elevation.

Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason Birch

Paramātman (परमात्मन्) refers to the “supreme self”, according to the Kulārṇavatantra (verse 9.15, 17).—Accordingly: “Just as water poured into water, milk into milk and ghee into ghee, so there is no distinction between the individual self and the supreme self (paramātman)”.

Yoga book cover
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Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).

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Vedanta (school of philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Vedanta glossary
Source: archive.org: A History of Indian Philosophy (vedanta)

Paramātman (परमात्मन्, “highest soul”).—It is just and proper that the scriptures should command the individual souls to seek knowledge so as to attain liberation; for it is the desire for the highest soul (paramātman) or God or Brahman that is the cause of liberation, and it is the desire for objects of the world that is the cause of bondage.

Vedanta book cover
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Vedanta (वेदान्त, vedānta) refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).

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Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Shaivism glossary
Source: A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 5: The Śaiva Philosophy in the Śiva-mahāpurāṇa

Paramātman (परमात्मन्).—In the paramātman there is both the Śiva-aspect and the śakti- aspect. It is by the connection of Śiva and Śakti that there is ānanda or bliss. The Atman is pure consciousness and this consciousness holds within it all knowledge and all energy; it is independent and free, and that is its nature.

Shaivism book cover
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Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

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Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Purana glossary
Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Paramātmā (परमात्मा).—The Supreme Spirit. The vitality behind Jīvātmā (soul). (See under Jīvātmā and Brahman).

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Paramātman (परमात्मन्) or Paramātmā refers to the “[greatest] supreme soul”, and represents an epithet of Śiva used in Sandhyā’s eulogy of Śiva, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.6. Accordingly:—“[...] Directly perceiving the lord of Durgā she [viz., Sandhyā] eulogised the lord of the worlds: [...] Thou art, the greatest (paras) supreme soul (paramātman). Thou art Śiva, the various lores, the pure Brahman, the supreme Brahman and the utmost object of deliberation”.

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Paramātmā (परमात्मा) or Paramātman refers to the “[greatest] supreme soul”, and represents an epithet of Śiva used in Sandhyā’s eulogy of Śiva, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.6. Accordingly:—“[...] Directly perceiving the lord of Durgā she [viz., Sandhyā] eulogised the lord of the worlds: [...] Thou art, the greatest (paras) supreme soul (paramātmā). Thou art Śiva, the various lores, the pure Brahman, the supreme Brahman and the utmost object of deliberation”.

Source: Shodhganga: The saurapurana - a critical study

1) Paramātman (परमात्मन्) is the ultimate goal of Yogins, resulting in Ātyantika-Pralaya (“liberation of the individual soul”), according to the 10th century Saurapurāṇa: one of the various Upapurāṇas depicting Śaivism.—Ātyantika-Pralaya is the result of the knowledge of God, that is to say when Yogins lose themselves in paramātman, then occurs the Ātyantika-pralaya. Thus liberation of the individual soul as a result of right knowledge and his absorption in The Supreme Soul is called Ātyantika-pralaya. [...]

2) Paramātman (परमात्मन्) refers to one of the names for the “sun” [viz., Sūrya], according to the eulogy of the Sun by Manu in the Saurapurāṇa.—Accordingly, the Saurapurāṇa which is purely a Śaivite work, though it purports to be revealed by the Sun, contains some references to practices of Saura Sects, and here and there it identifies Śiva with the Sun. From the eulogy of the Sun by Manu it appears that the sun is the Supreme deity. He is [viz., Paramātman] [...] In another passage Manu while eulogizing the Sun god expresses that the Sun is another form of Lord Śiva. [...]

Purana book cover
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The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

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General definition (in Hinduism)

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Hinduism glossary
Source: archive.org: A History of Indian Philosophy

Paramātman (परमात्मन्).—The individual soul exists in the paramātman in an undifferentiated state in the sense that the paramātman is the essence or ground-cause of the jīvas ; and the texts which emphasize the monistic side indicate this nature of paramātman as the ground-cause. This does not imply that the individual souls are identical with Brahman.

Since paramātman is always the same and does not undergo any change or transformation or dissolution, He is more real than the prakṛti or puruṣa or the evolutes of prakṛti. This idea has also been expressed in the view of the Purāṇas that the ultimate essence of the world is of the nature of knowledge which is the form of the paramātman. It is in this essential form that the world is regarded as ultimately real and not as prakṛti and puruṣa which are changing forms.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Jainism glossary
Source: WikiPedia: Jainism

Paramātman (परमात्मन्).—In Jainism, each ātman or individual self is a potential Paramātman or God, both are essentially the same. It remains as atman only because of its binding “karmic” limitations, until such time as those limitations are removed. As Paramātman, the atmand represents the ultimate point of spiritual evolution.

Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Paramātman (परमात्मन्) refers to the “supreme soul”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Or, the Supreme Soul (paramātman) is not perceived through its own nature which is unknown. The individual self is to be ascertained first in order to discern the Supreme Soul. Further, there may not be an abiding in the self for one who is ignorant of the real state of the self. Hence he fails to distinguish between the nature of the body and the self”.

General definition book cover
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Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

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Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Marathi glossary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

Paramātmā (परमात्मा).—m (S) The Supreme Being considered as the soul of the universe. 2 The highest or most excellent soul of animated beings,--the Divine emanation (Divina particula aura) quickening and sustaining the subject. See jīvātmā.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

Paramātmā (परमात्मा).—m The Supreme. Being con- sidered as the soul of the universe.

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Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

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Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Paramātman (परमात्मन्).—m. the Supreme Spirit or Brahman; न च योगविधेर्नवेतरः स्थिरधीरा परमात्मदर्शनात् (na ca yogavidhernavetaraḥ sthiradhīrā paramātmadarśanāt) R.8.22; स्वर्गापवर्गयो- र्मार्गमामनन्ति मनीषिणः । यदुपास्तिमसावत्र परमात्मा निरूप्यते (svargāpavargayo- rmārgamāmananti manīṣiṇaḥ | yadupāstimasāvatra paramātmā nirūpyate) || Kusum.

Paramātman is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms parama and ātman (आत्मन्).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Paramātman (परमात्मन्).—m.

(-tmā) The Supreme Being, considered as the soul of the universe. E. parama first, ātman spirit or soul.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Paramātman (परमात्मन्).—m. the universal soul.

Paramātman is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms parama and ātman (आत्मन्).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Paramātman (परमात्मन्).—[masculine] the supreme spirit, the soul of the universe; [abstract] tmatva.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Paramātma (परमात्म):—[from parama > para] a m. a [particular] personification, [Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā 2.]

2) [v.s. ...] b in [compound] = tman

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Paramātman (परमात्मन्):—[from parama > para] m. all the heart (only [instrumental case] = parameṇa cetasā, [column]1), [Mahābhārata]

2) [v.s. ...] the Supreme Spirit, [Upaniṣad; Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc. (cf. [Religious Thought and Life in India 37]).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Paramātman (परमात्मन्):—[paramā+tman] (tmā) 5. m. The Supreme.

[Sanskrit to German]

Paramatman in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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Hindi dictionary

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Hindi glossary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Paramātmā (परमात्मा) [Also spelled parmatma]:—(nm) God, the Supreme Self/Being/Spirit; ~[tma tattva] the Universal Soul, the Supreme Spirit/Being; ~[tmā kī kṛpā se] by the grace of God.

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Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Paramatman in Kannada glossary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Paramātma (ಪರಮಾತ್ಮ):—

1) [noun] the Supreme Being.

2) [noun] (jain.) the Jina spiritual teacher.

3) [noun] he who has the supreme knowledge, the knowledge of the Supreme Being.

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Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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