---
type: Reference
bundle: upanishadic-core
id: atmabodha
title: "Ātmabodha"
description: "Short Advaita primer attributed to Shankara; self-knowledge as the sole means of liberation."
tradition: Advaita Vedānta
author: "Attributed to Śaṅkarācārya (c. 788–820 CE)"
language: Sanskrit
approximate_date: "c. 8th–10th century CE"
key_concepts_in_bundle: [pancha-kosha, upadhi, sakshin, sat-chit-ananda]
timestamp: "2026-07-01"
okf_version: "0.2"
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

# Ātmabodha — आत्मबोध

"Knowledge of the Self." A short text (68 verses) attributed to Śaṅkara, designed as a concise primer on Advaita Vedānta for qualified students. Covers the Pañcakośa analysis, the three bodies, the distinction of Sākṣin from the mental apparatus, and the nature of Ātman as Sat-Cit-Ānanda.

## Key Passages for Bundle Concepts

| Verses | Concept | Content |
|--------|---------|---------|
| 15–20 | Pañcakośa | Analysis of each sheath as Anātman |
| 24–32 | Upādhi | Three bodies as three Upādhis; crystal analogy |
| 33–40 | Sākṣin | The Ātman as pure witness; unchanged by the states |
| 55–60 | Sat-Cit-Ānanda | As the Ātman's own nature |

## Format and Pedagogical Use

The Ātmabodha is structured as a sequence of independent propositions (each verse largely self-contained), making it useful as a memorization text and as a structure for systematic Vedāntic instruction. Monastic teachers often use it as a foundational teaching text before moving students to the Vivekacūḍāmaṇi or the Brahmasūtra Bhāṣya.

The Pañcakośa analysis (vv. 15–20) is particularly concise and clear, covering what the longer Taittirīya Upaniṣad and VCM treat in extended expositions. For this reason, pancha-kosha.md cites the Ātmabodha alongside the Taittirīya Upaniṣad.

## Recommended Editions

- Swami Nikhilananda translation (Ramakrishna Math)
- Raphael translation (Aurea Vidyā)
