Atma (आत्मा, IAST: ātmā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “The Self; the universal, indwelling Soul”. Derived from the root 'an' (to breathe) or 'at' (to pervade), Ātmā denotes the innermost Self, and as Lalitā, she is that very Self dwelling within all living beings.

Meaning, etymology & significance

In Vedantic philosophy, Ātmā signifies both the individual self (jīvātmā) and the universal Self (paramātmā); in the Lalitā Sahasranāma, this name declares that the Goddess herself is that non-dual, all-pervading consciousness. The feminine nominative Ātmā here underscores that the source of selfhood is the Divine Mother herself. She is not separate from the seeker — she is the innermost reality the seeker seeks.

This epithet appears in many Śākta texts affirming Lalitā as the ground of all conscious beings. As a given name, Atma carries deep philosophical resonance; pronounced AHT-mah, it is simple yet spiritually weighty.

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Scriptural source

Atma appears in the Lalitha Sahasranama, among the sacred names of Lalitha.

Astrology — nakshatra, rashi & numerology

By the standard Vedic correspondence between a name’s first syllable and the lunar mansion, Atma aligns with the Krittika nakshatra, under the Mesha rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 1.