Atmajanam the right preaching-God is the current human incarnation Shankara preached Atmajnanam to His disciples in the sense that they should identi

[dattaswami]

Atmajanam the right preaching-God is the current human incarnation

 

Shankara preached Atmajnanam to His disciples in the sense that they should identify Him as the human form of the God. The word Atman means an individual human being. But, the disciples took the word Atman in the sense of themselves and thought that they were the human forms of the God. Thus, they thought that Atmajnanam means the analysis of themselves. When Shankara told “I am God” (Aham Brahmaasmi), the disciples took the word ‘I’ applying to each individual self and thought that each one of them was God. When Shankara told “you are God” (tat tvam asi), it means that every disciple is expected to become God shortly. Here, the verb in the present tense does not mean the actual present time but means immediate future as per Sanskrit grammar. But, the disciple took the verb in the present tense only and thought that he is already God. Shankara told “this human being is God” (Ayam Atmaa Brahma). Shankara means that a specific human being like Himself or Krishna is God. But, the disciple took this to mean that every human being is God.