Ahaṅkāra

The Ego and Indian culture

-MANISH RAJAN WALVEKAR
(MA-1 DECCAN COLLEGE, POST
GRADUATE AND
RESEARCH INSTITUTE, PUNE)

ĀīūṚṛḥñṭṇḍṅśṣḷ√ā

Main key words- Indian Culture

Secondary key word- मोक्ष (Mokṣa- Salvation)

Just imagine that you are standing on the road side. Observe each
and every person, and you will enjoy the different patterns of behaviour. Let us
think about these patterns. Why such patterns exist? What is the reason? We can
comprehend a reason which is ego! When we say ‘ego’ we always commit a
mistake to restrict this concept upto ‘pride’. But don’t you think that it is one of
the meanings ego? Of course, it is! Ego is a dynamic concept when we try to fit
this concept in the frame of Indian schools of philosophy. Branches of Indian
philosophies call this ego as Ahaṅkāra. But what do we exactly mean by
Ahaṅkāra (ego)? In Indian culture, it is not restricted to limited meanings.
That’s why we can state that it is impossible to translate the complete meaning
of Ahaṅkāra (ego) to any other language than Indo-European set of languages.
The reason behind this statement is- Indian culture deals with this concept at
different levels.
All the branches of Indian philosophy aim at a common goal i.e. Moksha.
But they all differ in their preachings. We will try to find out the borderline
between such philosophies when we study Ahaṅkāra.
Now everyone is eager to know different shades of ego. Let us start with
the one of the scientific schools of philosophy i.e. Sāṅkhya School of
philosophy
According to the Sāṅkhya School of philosophy, Ahaṅkāra is a
resultant of Mahat (महत्) / Buddhi (बुद्धि) which further goes on to create the
universe.
प्रकृ तेर्महांस्ततोऽहङ्कारस्तस्माद्गणश्च षोडशकः |
तस्मादपि षोडशकात् पञ्चभ्यः पञ्चभूतानि ||
prakṛtermahāmstato’ haṅkārastasmādgaṇaśca ṣoḍaśakah
tasmādapi ṣoḍaśakāt pañcabhyah pañcabhūtāni
(From the nature, great one takes birth, and then egotism and from the egotism
the sixteen fold set takes place. And from the five among the sixteen proceed
five elements)
{ Henry Thomas Colebrooke also the Gauḍapāda-bhāśya or commentary of
original comment by Horace Hagman Wilson, 1887, Sāṅkhya Kārikā or
Sāṅkhya-Yoga, Indological Book house, Sāṅkhya-kārikā, 22}

One may feel that this is gobbledygook. But in simpler words, Ahaṅkāra is
responsible in the creation of the universe. No matter whether it is UNIVERSE
or YOU-NIVERSE Ahaṅkāra does play a vital role!

This diagram gives us an exact flow-

Prakṛti (प्रकृ ति)

Mahat (महत्)

Ahaṅkāra (अहङ्कार-ego)

The universe

This is how Sāṅkhya-s comprehended Ahaṅkāra. Next we will discuss

about the Vedānta. The concept of Ahaṅkāra in Sāṅkhya philosophy resembles
with the concept of one of the Mahāvākya-s of Upaniṣad – अहं ब्रह्मास्मि | (Aham
Brahmāsmi- I am the Brahma). Here we imagine ourselves as Brahman. This
ego has a different shade, shade of positive and constructive supremacy. As well
as there are six stages of a human life- जायते, अस्ति, विपरिणमते, वर्धते, अपक्षीयते विनश्यति.
[ Jāyate (process of birth), Asti (asserts the existence of the humans),
Vipariṅamate (change that takes place in an existing humans), Vardhate
(growth), Apakṣīyate (reverse of Vardhate), Vinaśyati (dissolution) ]. The
notion of struggle that occurs between Jāyate and Asti can be termed as
Ahaṅkāra. Because between these stages we strive to survive. We all know
‘survival of the fittest’. And the fittest one has to have constructive egotism.
Yoga too describes this concept in the same manner. So, assuming ourselves as
Brahman and using our Ahaṅkāra to survive are another two aspects of ego.
Whenever we feel nervous or we lose our self-confidence we must keep these
two things in mind. See! How our ancient wisdom is still applicable and
motivating too.
Then what about that ego which is our inner enemy? The ego, one
of the inner enemies of the human is different than Ahaṅkāra. Let us draw a
diagram-

Ahaṅkāra

Pride Śuddha-Ahaṅkāra

Upaniṣad Buddhism

Pride majorly consists of over confidence which is harmful. In day-to-day life

too this pride misleads us. On the other hand Śuddha-Ahaṅkāra is highly
essential. And here concept of Jīvanmukta comes. When a person attains the
eternal bliss he possesses the Śuddha-Ahaṅkāra. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
had suffered from throat cancer during the later years of his life. It was easier
for him to cure this pain with the help of his Yoga-vidyā. But he didn’t, as he
had attained the Brhaman and for him this cancer was a tool to clear his life-
balance-sheet of Prārabdha (fate, destiny). In Buddhism too, in Vajrayāna sect
when a monk assumes himself as ‘God’ or ‘Tathāgata’, he bears Śuddha-
Ahaṅkāra. You can compare this concept with अहं ब्रह्मास्मि | (Aham Brahmāsmi- I
am the Brahma). (Jośī, Mahādevaśāstrī, 1962, Bhāratīya Sanskṛtikośa,
Bhāratīya Sanskṛtikośamaṇḍala, Puṇe, Prathamāvṛttī entry- Ahaṅkāra.) So as
far as our day-to day life is concerned we must strive to attain Śuddha-Ahaṅkāra
than mere pride.
Various Upaniṣad-s have different views about ego. It is said in
Prāṇāgnihotropaniṣad (4.1)- अहङ्कारोऽध्वर्युः (Ahaṅkāro’ dhwaryuh) (Śrī. Paṇaśīkar,
Vāsudeva Lakṣmaṇ, 2010, Īśādyaṣtottaraśatopanīṣad, Coukhambā
Vīdyābhavan, Punarmudrit Sanskaraṇ, pg.513) means ego is Adhwaryu
(Adhwaryu is an officiating priest) of our body. Adhwaryu is important in the
completion of any sacrificial work and so, Ahaṅkāra in our body. Without this
‘I’, one cannot sustain or move ahead. Maitreyyupaniṣad (1.12) states to throw
out your Ahaṅkāra (अहङ्कारसुतं......त्यजेद् | Ahaṅkāra-sutam tyajed) (Śrī. Paṇaśīkar,
Vāsudeva Lakṣmaṇa, 2010, Īśādyaṣtottaraśatopanīṣad, Coukhambā
Vīdyābhavan, Punarmudrit Sanskaran, pg. 203 ). Here Ahaṅkāra resembles
with pride. It means here we must throw out pride and we should put a step
towards the constructive or pure Ahaṅkāra i.e. Śuddha-Ahaṅkāra. Whereas in
Kaṭharudropaniṣad – अहं ब्रह्माऽहं यज्ञोऽहं ... (Aham brahmā’ ham yajño’ ham….I am
the Brahma, I am the sacrifice) (Śrī. Paṇaśīkar, Vāsudeva Lakṣmaṇa, 2010,
Īśādyaṣtottaraśatopanīṣad, Coukhambā Vīdyābhavan, Punarmudrit Sanskaran,
pg. 473 ) or in Bhagwadgītā when Bhagwān says several times ‘I’ am the sole
principal in this world (Ref. 11th adhyāya), we should not call this Ahaṅkāra as
‘pride’. This is Ahaṅkāra of the supreme deity which is a developed and divine
form of Śuddha -Ahaṅkāra. There are so many references and several angles of
ego in these texts, but just to give you an idea we have dealt with few mantra-s.

But, philosophy and practical aspects should go hand in hand because

philosophy is to guide us should not be used for futile discussions. Here we
have a perfect blending-
In Kaṭhopaniṣad,
 आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव च |
बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च || (1.3.3)
(Śrī. Paṇaśīkar, Vāsudeva Lakṣmaṇa, 2010, Īśādyaṣtottaraśatopanīṣad,
Coukhambā Vīdyābhavan, Punarmudrit Sanskara, pg. 6-7)
Ātmānam rathinam viddhi sharīram rathameva ca |
Buddhim tu sārathim viddhi manah pragrahameva ca ||
(See the Self as the Lord of the chariot, the body as the
Chariot, the intellect as the charioteer and the mind as the reins)
&

अशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपमव्ययं तथारसं नित्यमगन्धवत्त्व यत् |

अनाद्यनन्तं महतः परं ध्रुवं निचाय्य तन्मृत्यमुखात्प्रमुच्यते || (1.3.15)
(Śrī. Paṇaśīkar, Vāsudeva Lakṣmaṇa, 2010, Īśādyaṣtottaraśatopanīṣad,
Coukhambā Vīdyābhavan, Punarmudrit Sanskaran, pg.7)

Aśabdamasparśamarūpamavyayam tathārasam nityamagandhavattva yat .

Anādyanantam mahatah param dhruvam nicāyya
tanmṛutyumukhātpramuchyate.
(Know that which is soundless, tasteless, touchless, formless, imperishable,
beginningless and endless, beyond the Unmanifest and free yourself from the
jaws of death)

These two Mantra-s assert the perfect blend of practical and philosophical
approach to the ego. The ego comes from the Buddhi but the second Mantra
tells us to go beyond the Buddhi with the help of the ego. Instead of knowing
that my soul is rathī, we must try to attain Mokṣa. Without realisation the
conscience, it is impossible to attain the eternal bliss. What तत्त्वमसि tells us?
It coveys us a message that ‘Universe is the You-niverse.

What is the fruit of our discussion? Ahaṅkāra has a relation with origin of
the world. Our world of self-realisation is also influenced by Ahaṅkāra. We
should mould our ego in a constructive manner. To know our self, to know our
powers, to know our weaknesses, to vanish off our weaknesses, to destroy
inferiority complexes, to grow, to stabilize, to attain the utmost achievement, to
have positive approach, to kill our inner enemies, to cut the roots of our
negativity, to enjoy golden moments of our life, POSITIVE USE OF Ahaṅkāra
IS A MUST.
To conclude, we can state that for our betterment, the meaning of
Ahaṅkāra should be considered as ‘Self’ instead of pride. And also we should
keep in mind following mantra from Adhyātmopaniṣad (11)-
अहङ्कारग्रहान्मुक्तः स्वरूपमुपपद्यते |
चन्द्रवद्विमलः पूर्णः सदानन्दः स्वयम्प्रभः ||
Ahaṅkāragrahānmuktah swarūpamupapadyate
Chadravadvimalah pūrnah sadānandah swayamprabhah
(Liberated from the grip of egoism, like the moon (after the eclipse),
Full, ever blissful, self-luminous, one attains one’s essence)
(Śrī. Paṇaśīkar, Vāsudeva Lakṣmaṇa, 2010, Īśādyaṣtottaraśatopanīṣad,
Coukhambā Vīdyābhavan, Punarmudrit Sanskaran, pg.446)
Thus, we can say that we should use this ego for our personal betterment.
Through ego we get the knowledge of ‘self’. Now-a-days we are not paying
enough attention to the development of our ‘self’. But we must not forget
‘Śuddha- Ahaṅkāra’, highly helpful for our inner development. With the help of
the knowledge of ‘self’ we can easily decide- where I want to reach, what I
want to attain, what is my need, and what is my passion……
So, ego should be used for our enlightenment to achieve both, practical and
spiritual goals.
LET US MOVE TOWARDS THIS FULL MOON!!!!!!!

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