In Kundakunda’s works (like Samayasāra, Pravacanasāra, Rayaṇasāra, Mokṣapāhuḍa), bahirātman (bahirātmā) means:

The soul that is turned outward and mistaken about itself.

More clearly:

1. Identification with body and possessions

- The jīva thinks: “I am this body, this mind, these senses, this name, this family, my wealth, my status.” - Taking what is non‑self (body, thoughts, things) as self – this deluded state is called bahirātman.

1. Engrossed in sense-objects and passions

- Runs after sights, sounds, tastes, comforts, praise, etc. - Acts under rāga–dveṣa (attachment and aversion). - Has no real interest in knowing the pure soul; its attention is always outside.

1. Spiritually, it is the lowest stage of the soul

- In Kundakunda’s classification, soul is spoken of as: - Bahirātman – outward‑turned, ignorant, bound in saṃsāra. - Antarātman – beginning to turn within, seeing difference between soul and non‑soul. - Paramātman – completely pure, liberated soul. - Kundakunda says that bahirātman and even early antarātman are still “para‑samaya” – impure / non‑real standpoint; only paramātman is the real self (sva‑samaya).

1. Relation to guṇasthānas (spiritual stages)

- Souls in the first three guṇasthānas (false belief, vows absent or only apparent) are called bahirātman in this scheme – fully outward, not yet truly turned to the self.

1. Digambar / Śvetāmbara usage

- Kundakunda is a Digambar ācārya, so this threefold division (bahirātman–antarātman–paramātman) is mainly elaborated in Digambar literature. - Śvetāmbara authors also accept this idea when commenting on Kundakunda’s thought. - The basic meaning does not differ: in both, bahirātman = the soul that takes body and externals as “I” and lives for them.

In very simple words:

• Bahirātman = the soul in its ordinary, worldly, mistaken condition – living outside, not knowing its real, pure nature.