Ahaṃkāra

अहंकार

पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine) · अहम् (aham — I) + कार (kāra — maker, from कृ kṛ — to do) · तत्पुरुष समास

ahaṃkāra

Mind and Psychology

The sense of individuality — 'the maker of I'

Ahaṃkāra is the mental function that constantly produces the notion 'I am this', 'I do that', 'this is mine'. It is not the ego as villain — it is a natural and necessary function of the mind. The problem arises when ahaṃkāra identifies with body and mind, taking itself for ātman. Vedānta knowledge does not destroy ahaṃkāra but corrects its identification.

Related terms

Ātmanआत्मन्Avidyāअविद्या Māyāमाया

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