The Meaning of Ātmahano Janāḥ in Īśā Upaniṣad 3

The third verse of Īśā Upaniṣad contains the expression ātmahano janāḥ. Most scholars, following Śaṅkara, take the word ātmahan in the metaphorical sense of one who denies or disregards the ātman. P. Thieme proposed in 1965 that it could and should be understood as referring to one who literally kills the ātman. The present investigation suggests that the word ātmahan can and has been literally understood in yet another sense-as denoting someone who kills oneself, that is to say, commits suicide.