Atat means

Expressions researched:
"Atat means"

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

Atat means "that which is not a fact."

SB 10.13.57, Purport:

The phrase atan-nirasana refers to the discarding of that which is irrelevant. (Atat means "that which is not a fact.") Brahman is sometimes described as asthūlam anaṇv ahrasvam adīrgham, "that which is not large and not small, not short and not long." (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 5.8.8) Neti neti: "It is not this, it is not that." But what is it? In describing a pencil, one may say, "It is not this; it is not that," but this does not tell us what it is. This is called definition by negation. In Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa also explains the soul by giving negative definitions. Na jāyate mriyate vā: "It is not born, nor does it die. You can hardly understand more than this." But what is it? It is eternal. Ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: "It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. It is not slain when the body is slain." (BG 2.20) In the beginning the soul is difficult to understand, and therefore Kṛṣṇa has given negative definitions:

nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi

nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ

na cainaṁ kledayanty āpo

na śoṣayati mārutaḥ

"The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can it be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind." (BG 2.23) Kṛṣṇa says, "It is not burned by fire." Therefore, one has to imagine what it is that is not burned by fire. This is a negative definition.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Atat means untruth, flickering, not... Atad-dhiyāham. We do not know what is our identification.

Lecture on SB 7.9.17 -- Mayapur, February 24, 1976:

Duḥkhauṣadhaṁ tad api duḥkham atad-dhiyāham. Atat. Atat means untruth, flickering, not... Atad-dhiyāham. We do not know what is our identification. Misunderstanding. Dehātma-buddhi. Asad-grahāt. Atat, asat, the same thing. We have accepted this body, identifying this body, on account of this. If you are on the spiritual platform, then there is no trouble, there is no misunderstanding. If we understand properly by education or knowledge that "You are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. I am also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Our real position is to serve the Lord," so if we serve that, then there is no misunderstanding. If we be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, there cannot be any misunderstanding. Otherwise, if we work on the platform of this body, material body, there must be misunderstanding. Atad-dhiyāham. Bhūman: "My Lord, the great," bhramāmi, "in this way I am wandering life after life, changing the body, changing the situation, and in different situation, different mentality, but there is no peace. There is no happiness, simply changing the body." Bhūman bhramāmi vada me tava dāsya-yogam: "In this way I am wandering throughout the whole universe. Now please engage me in Your service."

So this is the right prayer, that unless you engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa, you'll never get peace. This is a fact. We can discover so many plans and remedial measures, and that will not help us. Only solution is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa gives this nice advice: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). That will cure your all disease. And this mentality comes by practical experience after many, many births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyante (BG 7.19), when one understands properly that without becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, without being servant of Kṛṣṇa, there cannot be peace or happiness. Jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati. Kṛṣṇa says. Everything is directly said. Bhoktāram. Why we fight one another? I am thinking that "I shall enjoy this. I shall become the leader." And another party says, "No, no, I shall become the leader. I shall enjoy this." So there is fight. But if we understand that "Either you or me, we are not enjoyer; we are servant. The enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa," then there will be something. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). We are trying to become friend of another friend. "My dear friend, I shall help you in this way. You are in trouble." So he can help, but there will be misunderstanding. Again the friend will be enemy. So there cannot be any peace. But if we all agree that Kṛṣṇa is the friend, real friend... Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Kṛṣṇa, if He's not our friend, why He's coming down on this platform where we are living in rotten condition? He's great friend, Dīna-bandhu. His name in Dīna-bandhu. Who is very, very poor in heart, He becomes very great friend, dīna-bandhu, and advises him. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. He's always friendly. Kṛṣṇa is never enemy. But still, we create enmity. We become demon with Kṛṣṇa. That is the trouble.