Ahamkara (अहंकारम्)

Ahamkara (Samskrit: अहंकारम्) is one of the functions of the mind. It is a concept related to self and identity. Inquiry concerning human nature has centered on the fundamental question 'Who am I'. The answer is the I-feeling whose nature the questioner is interested in is 'aham'. It is considered a function of the mind or mental apparatus known as antahkarana. In the Indian tradition, the experience of personal identity or the self-sense is termed 'aham,' translated to 'I' in English. It is debatable that the term 'ego' conveys the same meaning as 'aham,' a Sanskrit term.

In layman's language, Ahamkara is commonly referred to as False ego, Pride, or Arrogance. But the spiritual understanding of Ahamkara lies beyond such terms. For example, ‘Ego’ refers to an individual’s sense of self-esteem. ‘Pride’ refers to an individual’s feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction from one’s achievements. ‘Arrogance’ on the other hand refers to an individual’s exaggerated sense of self-importance.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

Attempts at answering the question, 'Who am I,' have progressed in two distinct directions, in Indian traditions,

• inwardly through introspection and intuition
• outwardly in terms of empiricism and intellectual understanding.

Here the I-feeling is called 'aham' and it is the function of the mind or antahkarana. The function is known as Ahamkara; at the psychological level, it refers to all our day-to-day feelings and thoughts about ourselves.

While modern psychology has relied exclusively on empiricism and intellectual analysis, in the Indian tradition both methods have been employed leading to findings at two levels of awareness.

1. Empirical level (based on observations in the physical realm and scientific testing) - A level at which subject-object distinction operates.
2. Transcendental level (beyond ordinary experience, thought or belief, non-physical realm) - A level at which subject-object distinction is transcended.

In the Indian tradition, there are many concepts related to identity and self, other than the generic term 'aham,' used in different contexts with specific meaning and significance.

• Ontologically (based on existence) 'aham,' represents 'being.'
• Transcendentally, 'aham,' is referred to as Atman and Purusha.
• Empirically, 'aham,' is referred to as Jiva (person), Dehin (physical body), Kshetrajna
• Psychologically, 'aham,' is referred to as Ahamkara, Jnatr (knower), Bhoktr (enjoyer/sufferer), Karta (doer), and so on.

Ahamkara in Various Texts

Upanishads

In Prashnopanishad, ahamkara is listed along with buddhi, manas, and chitta.

....मनश्च मन्तव्यं च बुद्धिश्च बोद्धव्यं चाहङ्कारश्चाहङ्कर्तव्यं च चित्तं च चेतयितव्यं च .... (Pras. Upan. 4.8)

...The manas (with senses) and its objects, the buddhi (intellect) consisting in determination and its objects, ahamkara, i.e., the mind characterized by egotism and its objects, Chittam, i.e., the intelligent mind and its objects...

Chandogya Upanishad speaks about ahamkara as self-sense and points out that those who fail to discriminate between atman and body will confound the self-sense with the body.

स एवाधस्तात्स उपरिष्टात्स पश्चात्स पुरस्तात्स दक्षिणतः स उत्तरतः स एवेदँ सर्वमित्यथातोऽहङ्कारादेश एवाहमेवाधस्तादहमुपरिष्टादहं पश्चादहं पुरस्तादहं दक्षिणतोऽहमुत्तरतोऽहमेवेदँ सर्वमिति ॥ १ ॥ (Chan. Upan. 7.25.1)

That (infinite) alone is below; it is above; it is behind; it is in front; it is to the right; it is to the left. All this is it. Now, as regards self-sense (ahamkara): I am below; I am above; I am behind; I am in front; I am to the right; I am to the left. I am all this.

Vedanta

According to Upanishads and Vedanta, all the problems start when this nonessential factor adds its influence in our life. Therefore, ahamkara is bad and we find more slokas denigrating ahamkara (Ahamkara Ninda) (14 as against 3 describing its nature) in Viveka Chudamani. Ahamkara is looked down upon with following metaphors and descriptions (Slokas 297-310): It is vikara, dushta, rahu, powerful wild serpent, a residue of poison in the body even after it is purged from a body, a thorn in the throat of a person taking food, an enemy to be slayed with the sword of vijnana, and fashioned out of moodha buddhi (dull intellect). Even after it is completely rooted out, if it is thought for a while, it sprouts hundreds of vrttis (mental modes). It should not be given scope through sense objects even after it is completely controlled. If it is given, it is like watering a withering lemon plant that will come to life.

Ahamkara - Self and Identity

The fundamental questions - who identifies with non-self, who has to discriminate between non-self and Self, and who has to consciously attempt to dis-identify with non-self, have always challenged the mankind. Ancient Indian seers posit ahamkara, regarded as one of the antahkaranas ("the inner instrument," mind) as the one involved in this process.

Schools differ in the number of functions included under antahkarana.

Manas	Sankhya named it Antahkarana. Yoga named it Chitta	Nyaya named the three components Manas	Vedanta named all four together as Antahkarana.
Buddhi
Ahamkara
Chitta

Ahamkara manifests as the "me" in each person. Personal identity or the self-sense is its defining characteristic. It is the source of the distinction between the self and the other.

Nature and Function of Ahamkara

Nature and function of ahamkara are lucidly explained in Viveka Chudamani of Shankaracharya. Shankaracharya defines ahamkara, thus:

अन्तःकरणमेतेषु चक्षुरादिषु वर्ष्मणि । अहमित्यभिमानेन तिषठत्याभासतेजसा ॥ १०५ ॥

Antahkarana itself dwells in the sensory and motor organs and in the body as aham with abhimana (अहमित्यभिमानेन) in the reflected brightness of atman.

अहङ्कारः स विज्ञेयः कर्ता भोक्ताभिमान्ययम् । सत्त्वादिगुणयोगेन चावस्थात्रयमश्नुते ॥ १०६ ॥ (Vive. Chud. 105-106)

That itself is to be understood as ahamkara, which due to abhimana becomes karta (doer) and bhokta (enjoyer) and also due to its association with sattva and other gunas will have avasthatraya (waking, dream and sleep states).

From this text it is clear that ahamkara is the cause of a Jiva's experience of happiness and sadness under favorable and unfavorable circumstances and therefore sukha and dukkha are the dharmas of ahamkara and not that of atman which has ananda as its characteristic. Thus ahamkara is related to the bio-psycho-social aspects of human nature. Abhimana (identification with I-sense) is the essence of ahamkara.

Prof. Rao describes Ahamkara in modern terms as follows:

The general consciousness which is undifferentiated and rudimentary in course of time gets individuated. It acquires a subjective frame of reference and the process of individuation is afoot. This state, a further development of the capacity to be conscious of objects may be designated as self-consciousness. The Samkhya theory has brought into currency, the expression―ahamkara” to denote this. This is a word which superficially signifies "I making."

Components of Ahamkara

Four sub-concepts of ahamkara based on Indian tradition have been described:

• individuality (vaishishtya)
• separation-differentiation (dvaita bhava)
• agency (kartatva)
• identification (abhimana)

While ‘individuality’ represents uniqueness, ‘separation-differentiation’ marks the feeling of being different from others, ‘agency’ signifies the sense of doer-ship and ‘identification’ indicates relationship with worldly objects, involving associations and companionship (sanga), attractions and attachments (moha) and mineness or ownership (mamkara) (Salagame et al. 2005, p. 75).