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=== Nature and Function of Ahamkara ===

=== Nature and Function of Ahamkara ===

Nature and function of ahamkara are lucidly explained in Viveka Chudamani of Shankaracharya. Shankaracharya defines ahamkara, thus:<blockquote>अन्तःकरणमेतेषु चक्षुरादिषु वर्ष्मणि । अहमित्यभिमानेन तिषठत्याभासतेजसा ॥ १०५ ॥</blockquote>Antahkarana itself dwells in the sensory and motor organs and in the body as aham with abhimana (अहमित्यभिमानेन) in the reflected brightness of atman.<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>अहङ्कारः स विज्ञेयः कर्ता भोक्ताभिमान्ययम् । सत्त्वादिगुणयोगेन चावस्थात्रयमश्नुते ॥ १०६ ॥ (Vive. Chud. 105-106)<ref name=":5">[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%9A%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%83 Viveka Chudamani]</ref></blockquote>Meaning: Know that it is ahamkara, which due to abhimana (identifying itself with the body) becomes karta (doer) and bhokta (enjoyer) and in its association with sattva and other gunas will assume avasthatraya (the three states of waking, dream and sleep).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6">Swami Madhavananda. ''Vivekachudamani of Sri Sankaracharya, Text with English Translation, Notes and an Index''. Almora, Mayavati, India: The Advaitha Ashrama, 1921. (Page 43)</ref>

Nature and function of ahamkara are lucidly explained in Viveka Chudamani of Shankaracharya. Shankaracharya defines ahamkara, thus:<blockquote>अन्तःकरणमेतेषु चक्षुरादिषु वर्ष्मणि । अहमित्यभिमानेन तिषठत्याभासतेजसा ॥ १०५ ॥</blockquote>Antahkarana itself dwells in the sensory and motor organs and in the body as aham with abhimana (अहमित्यभिमानेन) in the reflected brightness of atman.<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>अहङ्कारः स विज्ञेयः कर्ता भोक्ताभिमान्ययम् । सत्त्वादिगुणयोगेन चावस्थात्रयमश्नुते ॥ १०६ ॥ (Vive. Chud. 105-106)<ref name=":5">[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%9A%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%83 Viveka Chudamani]</ref></blockquote>Meaning: Know that it is ahamkara, which due to abhimana (identifying itself with the body) becomes karta (doer) and bhokta (enjoyer) and in its association with sattva and other gunas will assume avasthatraya (the three states of waking, dream and sleep).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6">Swami Madhavananda. ''Vivekachudamani of Sri Sankaracharya, Text with English Translation, Notes and an Index''. Almora, Mayavati, India: The Advaitha Ashrama, 1921. (Page 43)</ref><blockquote>विषयाणामानुकूल्ये सुखी दुःखी विपर्यये । सुखं दुःखं च तद्धर्मः सदानन्दस्य नात्मनः ॥ १०७ ॥  (Vive. Chud. 107)<ref name=":5" /></blockquote>Meaning: When the sense-objects are favorable it (Ahamkara) becomes happy, and it becomes miserable when the case is contrary. So happiness and misery are the characteristics of Ahamkara (egoism) and the not of the ever-blissful Atman.<ref name=":6" />

सुखं दुःखं च तद्धर्मः सदानन्दस्य नात्मनः ॥ १०७ ॥  (Vive. Chud. 107)<ref name=":5" />

Prof. Rao describes Ahamkara in modern terms as follows: <blockquote>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." </blockquote>

Meaning: When the sense-objects are favorable it (Ahamkara) becomes happy, and it becomes miserable when the case is contrary. So happiness and misery are the characteristics of Ahamkara (egoism) and the not of the ever-blissful Atman.<ref name=":6" />

=== Of Bondage and Release from Punarjanma ===

 

Vivekachudamani enlightens us about the bondage of man and karmik cycle. <blockquote>अत्रानात्मन्यहमिति मतिर्बन्ध एषोऽस्य पुंसः प्राप्तोऽज्ञानाज्जननमरणक्लेशसम्पातहेतुः ।

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 [[Sukha and Ananda (सुखानन्दश्च)|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.<ref name=":0" />  

Prof. Rao describes Ahamkara in modern terms as follows: <blockquote>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." </blockquote>Vivekachudamani enlightens us about the bondage of man and karmik cycle. <blockquote>अत्रानात्मन्यहमिति मतिर्बन्ध एषोऽस्य पुंसः प्राप्तोऽज्ञानाज्जननमरणक्लेशसम्पातहेतुः ।

येनैवायं वपुरिदमसत्सत्यमित्यात्मबुद्धया पुष्यत्युक्षत्यवति विषयैस्तन्तुभिः कोशकृद्वत् ॥ १३९ ॥  (Vive. Chud. 139)<ref name=":5" /></blockquote>Summary: The misconstrual of the non-self as self ties a man to egoism, and it is this tie (bandha) which leads to the suffering of the cycle of birth and death. Having considered the body to be real and construing it to be the “me,” the jiva nurtures it and protects it by following its desires. The ego thus becomes trapped in a reality of its own (mis)construal-like a moth in its cocoon.<ref name=":7">Paranjpe, Anand C. ''Self and Identity in Modern Psychology and Indian Thought''. Path in Psychology Ser. New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2006. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1604/9780306471513</nowiki>.</ref>

येनैवायं वपुरिदमसत्सत्यमित्यात्मबुद्धया पुष्यत्युक्षत्यवति विषयैस्तन्तुभिः कोशकृद्वत् ॥ १३९ ॥  (Vive. Chud. 139)<ref name=":5" /></blockquote>Summary: The misconstrual of the non-self as self ties a man to egoism, and it is this tie (bandha) which leads to the suffering of the cycle of birth and death. Having considered the body to be real and construing it to be the “me,” the jiva nurtures it and protects it by following its desires. The ego thus becomes trapped in a reality of its own (mis)construal-like a moth in its cocoon.<ref>Paranjpe, Anand C. ''Self and Identity in Modern Psychology and Indian Thought''. Path in Psychology Ser. New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2006. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1604/9780306471513</nowiki>.</ref>

According to Sankhya, Purusa mistakenly identifies itself with the conditions of the Antahkarana Chatushtaya, and undergoes the various emotions of happiness etc., in endless cycles. It is possible, however, for the individual to use the inherent capacity for knowledge or correct discrimination, and to realize that true selfhood involves being the uninvolved witness, as purusa is in its nascent state. This implies that the end of suffering involves going beyond both pleasure and pain, elation and depression. Such is the ideal state of the “isolation” (kaivalyu), according to Sankhya.<ref name=":7" />

=== Components of Ahamkara ===

=== Components of Ahamkara ===