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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
The Vedas
(FETE:); it is used in the sense of body or 'deha '.! It is further used in the sense of the 'intelligent principle' (cetana_779). It is described in another place as the 'controller' (urfarar). It is used in the sense of 'oneself'(swayam-F ) elsewhere. The word soul is again mainly used to mean 'breath'(prāņa-37) which is responsible for the various activities and movements. It is further used to be truthful and joy-giving. It is used as the self of various plants and animals.? Thus it has been used with many shades of meaning and generally it is supposed to be something which is intelligent, active, source of vitality, the doer or initiator of actions, abiding and the owning principle.
Some European scholars connect the word Ātman etymologically with the German word 'athmen' and derive it from the root 'an'- 'to breathe'. Deussen thinks that the word must have originally meant "This I'-'Dieses Ich'. Max Muller prefers to translate it by 'Self'-"that is the true essence of man, free as yet, from all attributes". Roth Bohtlingk and Grassmann mention 'breath' as
1 Griffith R. T, H. (Tr.): The Hymns of the RgVeda. (Rg Veda-I, 162. 20; and VII, 101.6). Tr. Vol. I, p. 217 and Vol. II, p. 96.
2 Ibid. RgVeda-I, 164.4.
* Griffith R. T, H. (Tr.): The Hymns of the RgVeda. RgVeda-VII, 87.5. Tr. Vol. II, p. 83.
* Ibid. VIII, 3.24, Vol. II, p. 113; IX, 85.3, Vol. II, p. 340. 5 Ibid. X, 16.3, Vol. II, p. 402.
Ibid. I, 73.2, Vol. I, p. 218. 7 Ibid. X, 97.4, Vol. II, p. 533.
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