The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1783 page)

 
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(Skt., ‘Supreme Self’). The Supreme Spirit, i.e.
Brahman
. In the
Pañcada
, the param
tman is defined as ‘the substratum on which the individual souls (
j
vas
) are superimposed’.
Among Jains, param
tman takes on a comparable significance, especially after the work of
Kundakunda
. The self, freed from all impediment of
karma
, in its unconditioned and absolute state, is realized by liberated
j
vas
. Since this param
tman pre-exists all manifestations and is unaffected (however much impeded) by them, the param
tman becomes an object of reverence for Jains: it can be revered in all beings, but especially in the
t
rtha
karas
(ford-makers).

 
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