khya (Yoga) (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1975); Mircea
Eliade, Yoga, Immortality and Freedom. Translated from
the French by Willard R. Trask, Bollingen Series 56
(Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1973);
Georg Feuerstein, The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (Roch-
ester, Vt.: Inner Traditions International, 1989); K. S.
Iyengar, Light on Yog: Yoga Pradipika (Boston: Unwin
Paperbacks, 1979); Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Yoga Mala
(New York: North Point Press, 2002); Ian Whicher,
The Integrity of the Yoga Darsana: A Reconsideration of
Classical Yoga (Albany: State University of New York
Press, 1998).
ashva medha See HORSE SACRIFICE.
Ashvins
The Ashvins (horsemen) are twin gods of the sky
in the VEDAS, depicted as young and beautiful
males. They seem to have been associated with
the predawn light. The Ashvins do not play a
great role in later epic and Puranic mythology (see
PURANAS), though they are ubiquitous as minor
characters. In the Vedas they are called the chil-
dren of the Sun (SURYA) or of the sky. But they also
are said to emerge from the tears of AGNI or from
VISHNU. They are said to have a wife in common,
the daughter of another Sun divinity (SAVITRI);
they won her in a race contest.
Most commonly the Ashvins are known as
the physicians of the gods; they are everywhere
connected with healing. In the Vedas they make
an iron leg for Vishpala, restore Kanva’s eyesight,
and restore the youth of Cyavana (after trying
to seduce his wife). Through the latter feat they
are said to have earned the Vedic SOMA libation,
which is offered to them.
Further reading: Alfred Hillebrandt, Vedic Mythology
(Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990); E. Washburn Hop-
kins, Epic Mythology (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1986);
G. C. Jhala, Asvina in the Rgveda and Other Indological
Essays (New Delhi: Mushiram Manoharlal, 1978); K.
P. Jog, Asvin: The Twin Gods in Indian Mythology, Lit-
erature and Art (Delhi: Pratibha Prakashan, 2005); W.
J. Wilkins, Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Puranic, 2d ed.
(Calcutta: Rupa, 1973).asura See DEMONIC BEINGS.
Atharva See VEDAS.
atman
The atman is the self or soul. The word is derived
either from the root at (to move) or the root an (to
breathe). It is used both for the individual self or
soul and for the transcendent “Self” or “All-soul,”
which is all reality. Often the individual self is
referred to as the jivatman, “the life self,” and the
transcendent Self is referred to as the paramatman,
or “Ultimate Self.”
The Upanishads and Vedanta philosophy focus
on realizing the unity between the individual self
and the ultimate Self, by means of various prac-
tices. When one realizes (not just intellectually
knows) the unity of individual self and Ultimate
Self, one breaks the bonds of KARMA and escapes
from further rebirth.
Some sort of meditation or contemplation
is always necessary to realize the unity of Ulti-
mate Self and individual self. Some Indian paths
emphasize “knowledge,” or transcendental real-
ization; some paths emphasize devotion; some
look to combine devotion and action, or knowl-
edge, action, and devotion, to reach this final goal.
Though ADVAITA (non-dual) Vedanta emphasizes a
total identity between the individual atman and
the large atman, other Indian traditions under-
stand that there are an infinite number of totally
distinct individual selves or atmans that never
merge into each other at the highest level. VAISH-
NAVISM generally holds this view, as does SHAIVA
SIDDHANTA.atman 51 J