AHAM BRAHMASMI

In the language of religiousness there are two positive

words – One word is “Sathya” the truth and the other is
the word “The Brahmacharya” God like behavior.
Attainment is positive . If the darkness is dispelled , light
is attained. When untruth is lost , truth is attained.

Possessiveness is not about having things , it refers to

the feeling of ownership over things. Possessiveness
means a desire of ownership. Why there is such desire in
man’s heart to possess? When someone becomes his own
master the idea of ownership or the possession
disappears. A desire can be described as sorrowful as it
reveals a deficiency , a lack of wanting of what we don’t
have.

According to Srikrishna “Desires are bound to come”.

Arjuna asks question to Krishna out of desire and Krishna
explained it to him elaborately. It is a natural phenomen
to have desires. If a person has no desire he has nothing
to satisfy and get rid of it. Having desire is not a problem
,but one should have full control over his desires.

Even one become the master of whole world, he never

gets the satisfaction. When one desire is fulfilled the start
of another desire starts. It is the desire that leads to
action. With the action brought by desire comes
attachment and the attachment is what that causes
further desire. As we doesn’t fulfill our desires or doesn’t
get satisfaction of desire in outward things we are bound
to come again and again. That means we take rebirth
until we find that satisfaction can be attained only with
god within and not outward things. One who attains
peace, is self controlled ,who approaches objects with
senses devoid of love and hatred and brought under his
own control.

The delusion of outward consciousness leads us to

ignorance . Ignorance is the greatest sin as it doesn’t
allow us from understanding the fact that we are the
God’s children. We are the soul and it prevents us from
enjoying the freedom of soul.

We are not our own masters, throughout our life we try

to compensate for this lack by possessing others. To be
master of oneself is bliss but to be the master of others
brings misery and suffering.

Krishna clearly explains how to say goodbye to your

desires that come in your way.

“प्रजाहति यदि कामां ,सर्वं पार्था मनो-गठन ,आत्मने एवत्माना तु सतह “

(2.55)

It means one who is satisfied , content with oneself, he is

the one who centered, who has enlightened. One who is
into desires but not very keen and cries over them, just
he takes it as they come and says “Okay, fine, Goodbye”.
A person who wishes that no desire should arise to him is
also a desire. According to ancient saints and Gurus when
sunlight comes ,candle has no meaning. We need not
blow candle , instead bring it to sunlight it loses its
significance by itself. Thus when a person has greater
vision in his mind then the small desires will
automatically lose its significance. He will immediately
say goodbye to the smaller desires.

The thoughts that hover in our mind are really not

important but it appears to be big due to “Maya” the
illusion.

This illusion is described by Kabir

कस्तूरी कुंडली बसै ढूँढै वन माहि I
ऐसे घटी घटी राम है दुनिया दे खै नाहिं II

Nothing is simple. The musk deer roams in the jungle in

search of the perfume fragrance. It actually gets the
fragrance from the gland near the deer’s navel. The musk
deer thinks that it is coming from somewhere else.
Similarly a person can find god in himself when he
realizes that the god is in his heart. But due to maya he
searches the god or satisfaction outside. This clearly
explains the illusion a person is living in. It is very hard
to over come the illusion. It explains that you are
searching for satisfaction everywhere , however it comes
from the being.
In peace there is an end of all miseries ,the reason of
tranquil minded soon it becomes steady. When there is
no wisdom to the unsteady and to un meditative there is
no peace and how can we have happiness?

When a mind which yields to the roving senses carries

away his knowledge is steady and whose senses are
entirely restrained from sense-objects.

What is night to all beings therein self controlled one is

awake .When all the beings are awake, that is the night
of the sage who sees. The person who attains peace is
whom whose desires enter as water enters the ocean
which is filled from all sides and remains unaltered .

A man attains peace ,by abandoning all desires ,moves

without attachment ,without selfishness and without
vanity.

A person who sees all his desires and the objects in a

detached way will be able to overcome the worldly
pleasures , will attain the pure knowledge of bliss and
will realise the inner peace will give satisfaction.

We often tend to hear the word as a philosophical

famous quote “AHAM BRAHMASMI” in hinduism.
Hinduism is a compilation of many traditions and
philosophy and the oldest religion. It includes six systems
–Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and
Vedanta. In Indian tradition the word used for philosophy
is Darshana from Sanskrit root word Drishya.
The three levels of hindu philosophy “Tatvamasi” means
you are it. It means Brahman. It depends on
karma,Dharma and rituals.

This quote is taken from the Upanishads, four

Mahakavyas. Epic extracts the essence of life values from
spiritual scriptures. Upanishads are considered to be
important and the foremost spiritual scared book.

The meaning that is understood by all is “Iam Brahma”.

Vedic sanskriti is accepted by all as world’s oldest
scripture . Hinduism is the religion with various Gods
and Goddess. The three gods who rule the world are
Brahma the creator, Vishnu to the protector and Shiva
the destroyer.

According to this scripture God has created the world.

God is omnipotent. He is all around.

We all are aware that action comes from “Brahman” the

creator and the Brahman comes from the imperishable.
The person who rejoices in himself who is satisfied with
oneself and who is content in the self alone for him there
is nothing to do. He has no interest in what is done or
what is not done nor in living beings and nor in objects.
He performs his action without attachment and this is a
state of “Prabrahmam “. He is in a void state and will
attain Supreme knowledge.

As Lord Krishna says “Do your duty and don’t worry

about results”. A man should do his duty (Karma) without
thinking about results then only he will be free from all
desires and he has no worries about the end result. He
has the true knowledge that the all actions are happening
as per Supreme and a person has to perform his duties.

In Baghavad Gita Srikrishna himself says “Sarvasya

chaham hridhi shanivisto” means that he resides in the
heart of all the living beings.

This clearly gives the clear meaning of Aham Brahmasmi.

God the creator has created the world’s nature such as
rivers, mountains, plants, animals, oceans etc. I am also
the smallest part of his creature.

Hinduism believes in reincarnation. The basic belief is

that a person’s fate is determined according to his deed.
This deed in Hinduism is called Karma. The people who
does wrong deeds are punished and would take rebirth
again and again, people who do good deed attains
Moksha meaning they are liberated from taking birth.

The canon of Hinduism is basically defined by what

people do rather than what they think.

The people may be divided into two groups who seek the
reward of this world (health, wealth,children and
rebirth)and those who seek release from the world
(sanyasa).

Aham Brahmasmi is one of the main Mahakavyas

shortest statement known as “Great Utterances” from
Upanishads.
One who seek to release from the world attain this by
bhakti and meditation. The yogic meditation helps him
realise the real power the god . These utterances are
considered as part of self exploration and used in
association with prayer , meditation and mantra chanting
. Jnana yoga concentrates on attaining the ultimate jana
(the superior).

The Sankaracharya in his bashyam of Advaita says that if

a person realises that we are one with Brahman (the
reality) we start loving each other and start loving living
and non living beings.

Once a person attains the Jnana Iam divine or Iam

scared thereby reflecting an understanding of one’s
connection with higher self, then he will be a saint and
start loving each other. He won’t have hatred or enemity
with anyone. He would realise all are the children of God.

The Advaita Vedanta branch of hindu philosophy provides

a treatise on the concept of Atman and Brahman.

Aham Brahmasmi unites the macrocosmic ideas of God

with universal consciousness with the microcosmic
individual expression of the self.

Aham Brahmasmi helps in self realisation that Atman and

Brahman are one and are intimately connected to
universal energy and cannot be separated from it .

I the ego in the person is destroyed on the realisation of

Brahmam or the universal power (the truth). Once the
ego is destroyed the person gains “AtmaJnanam”. He
feels he is the small anu in this world and God alone is
superior. When a person attains the self realisation he
comes out of the worldly pleasure and directs his path
towards the ultimate pleasure of uniting the Atman with
Brahman. When he realises the Atman, I never exists it
is the ultimate survivor directs us and we act according
to his action. The Brahman makes the Atma to act
according to karma (deeds ) . The saying “Avanindri oru
anuvum Asaiyadhu” clearly states that the action in the
world are directed by the superior power. I the ego
makes us to think that we are power and with our power
we make the action complete. The individual ego helps
him to think he is superior. In reality the Atman revolves
around Brahmam which is not realised by commonmen.

When one person realises this concept then he

understands both are united.(Atma and Paramatha)

The four principles are

1) Prajnanam Brahma-conscious is Brahma

2) Ayam Atma Brahma- This self is Brahman
3) Tat Tvam Asi- God or You are one
4) Aham Brahmasmi-I am Brahma or Iam divine

These four realisations helps us to get the pure

knowledge the Ultimate realisation that Aham and
Brahmam are inseparable, will lead a sansya life and will
not react to worldly pleasures. This realisation makes him
to be calm and poised with sad and happiness. He will
treat the joy and sarrow as one and will be immune of
worldly joy.

In Baghavad Gita Srikrishna says to Arjuna

अहमात्मा गु डाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्तित I
अहमादिश्चा मध्यम च भूतानां अंत एव च II
I am the Atman, O Arjuna , Iam seated in the heart of all living entities.
Iam the beginning ,middle and end of all living beings.

Once the person has attained the “Atmaanubuthi” he has

gained the ultimate Jnana he will direct his deeds
towards attainment of MOKSHA.
 How to attain Moksha
There is no specific way to achieve moksha. You need to choose
the right path as you wish then focus on achieving it by self
control, letting go of your desires, and selflessly serving others.

Moksha means attaing God. In other words moksha means

getting liberated from rebirth.

Hinduism believes in the principle of Karma . According to this

doctrine , the four aims in life are dharma (duty),Artha(wealth),
Kama (desire) and Moksha (Salvation). All the four have equal
importance.

Karma or the deeds decide our fate or destiny. If a person does

wrong deeds or sin he is punished and he has rebirth. According
to Hinduism one has a cycle of rebirth until his karma (wrong
deeds) come to an end.

Our destiny is determined by our karma. Karma plays a vital role

in our choosing path.Moksha is the ultimate ideal of human
life(Purusartha). If one attains moksha one is free from cycle of
birth and rebirth.

Goods deeds, pious feelings and living life according to dharma

will help us to attain moksha.

Moksha’s concept emerges from the concept of purushartha.

Purush refers to primal man who is the source of universe.

Purush is non gender specific and can be used for both the
genders.

Artha means the “Aim of life”. Purushartha means the Aim in

life.We should fix the aim and the ways of attaining our aim.
The ways of attaining our aim should be simple . One should have
a perseverance and focus in achieving the aim of our life.

One should not feel sad when he is unable to achieve his aim, he
has to try hard in achieving it. The better we fulfill our
purushartha the higher are the chances of attaining moksha.

Attaining moksha is important for liberating the soul from rebirth.

Our soul is never dies it is the body that dies. Our soul is eternal
it simply passes to another body.

According to Baghavad Gita “For the soul there is neither birth

nor death at any time. He has not come into being ,does not
come into being and will not come into being. He is unborn,
eternal, ever existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body
is slain.”