Acharya Prashant explains a verse from the Ashtavakra Gita: "I am not this body, nor is this body mine. I am of the nature of consciousness. One who knows this for certain attains Kaivalya (liberation) and no longer remembers what was done or not done." He clarifies that the Atman (Self) has no relationship with the body. The Atman is Bodh (consciousness). Citing the Upanishads, he states "Prajnanam Brahma" (Consciousness is Brahman) and "Ayam Atma Brahma" (This Atman is Brahman), concluding that consciousness itself is the Atman. The speaker elaborates that the body is Prakriti (nature), and the Atman is beyond Prakriti. The false relationship between the two is Maya, which is the root of all suffering. To consider oneself as the body (Dehi) is the fundamental cause of sorrow. He contrasts the Vedantic understanding with popular beliefs, such as the idea of an individual soul residing within the body. He refutes notions like "one soul loving another," explaining that there is only one Atman, not multiple souls. The word 'Atman' is often misused in popular culture; its meaning as intended by the ancient sages is different. The popular understanding of Atman is a product of Smriti (remembered texts like Puranas), which can be flawed, whereas the true understanding comes from Shruti (heard texts like the Upanishads), which is the ultimate authority. Acharya Prashant further explains that the belief in a continuous self is a delusion created by memory, which gives a false sense of continuity. The body is constantly changing, like a bubble of Prakriti. He points out that even memories can be erased or implanted, proving their unreliability. The ego (Ahankar) is a natural element of the inner mechanism (Antahkaran) whose function is to claim doership, which in turn makes it the experiencer of suffering. The entire purpose of spirituality is to address this suffering ego and help it realize its non-existence. The dissolution of the ego is symbolically referred to as realizing the Atman. The Atman is not a thing; the very dissolution of the ego is metaphorically called Atman.