Can you explain the difference between God and atma according to the Bhagavad-Gita?

Last Updated: 01.07.2025 09:43

Can you explain the difference between God and atma according to the Bhagavad-Gita?

Krishna sums the relationship up in two verses:-

So these verses affirm the identity of God and the Individual Self and there are three views according to the three major schools of Vedānta.

Priyam = Love.

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Dvaita Vedānta - (Duality) God and the individual Self are absolutely distinct and separate.

Visiṣṭhādvaita Vedānta - (Qualified non-duality) They are one but ontologically distinct, like a flower and its smell or like a picture and its pixels.

Advaita Vedānta - (Non-duality) God (Paramātma) and the individual Self (jīvātma) are one and the same = identical.

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Bhāti = illumination - consciousness

One may ask which of these three views is correct - well each school argues its case in depth and prolixity. The summary and take away information is that Param-ātma and jīvātma are intimately and inseparably related to each other and share three qualities:-

Asti = being

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