In Hinduism, Adhyatmavada is a doctrine of knowledge of the self and a discipline of self realization. The path to know the highest secret concerning the self is adhyatma.
The self or atman, which we realize in our body is called pratyagatma, the individual self. The seeker initially enters into the experience of pratyagatma. Next, he realizes that the individual self is not different from Paramatma, the Supreme Self. A person whose mind has become pure can experience this non-differential knowledge. Thus adhyatma vada does not end with the experience of self; its goal is the realization of the Supreme Self.
In Gita Arjuna asks, “What is adhyatma?” Krishna says, “the presence of the Supreme Brahman in each individual is called adhyatma. Though the Supreme Self is formless and subtle, it expresses itself through a given embodiment, as though conditioned by it (Bhagavad Gita 8. 1, 3-4).
The self cannot be expressed in words. It is devoid of any smell or taste. It has no speech, no touch, and no form. Mind, intellect and speech cannot grasp it. It is one without a second. It (He) manifests all the cognizable forms and tastes. It is beyond all kinds of dichotomies such as male and female, sat and asat. It is nitya (eternal) and akshara (non-destructible), Para-Brahma-Paramatman. (Mahabharata Moksha 201.27).
In the Mahabharata, it is said that a man of knowledge transcends the ocean of this world (Mahabharata Shanti 194.54). Knowledge itself is the bridge here. After perfect knowledge of dharma, artha and kama, he who has renounced all these three, and who has no curiosity to know any entity other than atman, who is well established in Yoga, is able to realize Paramatma (Mahabharata Moksha 194.57).
Removal of delusion is one very important aspect of the process of knowing the truth. For the ignorant, this world is full of troubles, but a realized ‘self’ feels no fear in the same terrible world (Mahabharata Moksha 194.60).
In the Mahabharata, Manu and Brihaspati have a very insightful discussion on this subject. Manu says that if a person sees a piece of wood, he cannot find any fire or smoke in that wood and in the same way the Supreme Consciousness, hidden in the body, cannot be seen by cutting any part of the body. The ‘self’ by its nature, is different from this body (Mahabharata, Moksha 202.12). A person who knows how to burn wood is able to see both the fire and smoke. In the same way an intelligent aspirant who knows how to control his senses, mind, and the intellect, perceives the Self (Mahabharata, Shanti 202.13). The knowledge of the Self is to be experienced and lived and not to be merely informed and learnt. This consistency of living the spiritual knowledge in all worldly affairs and dwelling constantly in the Self (Bhagavad Gita 13.12; 15.5) are called adhyatmanitya in the Gita.
Svabhava Vada (a theoretical exposition of the inherent nature of the objects) is interrelated to Adhyatma Vada. In Bhagavata Purana, Sri Krishna says to this father, Nanda (10.24.16) – ‘A man is bound to his nature, svabhava, he acts according to his nature, the whole world exists in tis nature.” The nature of atma is chaitanya (pure consciousness). One who knows is nature attains the ability to become immortal.
Adhyatmavada explicates the realization of Self and its inherent identity with Paramatma.