Abhimāna

Abhimāna (Sanskrit:अभिमान) variously means – pride, false prestige, desire, an impression, the conception, by self-conception, from the misconception; in Hindu philosophy, it means – prideful attachment of "I-sense" i.e. ''man'' (to think) + ''māna'' (too much); it also means – identify or identification and also refers to selfish conviction, for ''abhimāna'' is the function of ''ahamkara'' (ego) as the state of mind which interprets experience as " mine ".

The psychological sense of "I" am experience is ''ahamkāra'' which comes about as and when owing to '' avidya '', Brahman, the Universal transcendental Self, is distinguished from the Jiva, the empirical individual self. ''Sanga'' (one's associations), ''mamkāra'' (attachments) and ''moha'' (attractions) are the three aspects of abhimāna (ego-consciousness) which produces ''katrtva'' (the sense agency) as the deliberate consciousness of ''niścaya'' (decision) without which there would be no difference between the self and other material objects; '' buddhi '' (intellect), which manifests according to ''vāsanās'' (impressions), is deliberate decision.

Shankara tells us that the mind or manas dwells in the organs and body as ''aham'' (ego) with ''abhimāna'' – अहमित्यभिमानेन in the reflected brightness of the atman as the ''kartā'' (doer) and the ''bhoktā'' (enjoyer) experiencing all three states of consciousness but the atman, the witness of everything, limited by ''buddhi'' is not tainted by anything that ''buddhi'' does – अशेषसाक्षी for the taint of action attaches only to the actor, the ātman does not act. This ''abhimāna'' or identification with names and forms dependent on the perishable body, as also with the subtle body, needs to be given up entirely in order to realize ''akhanda ānanda'' (inseparable bliss). Vācaspati Miśra explains that it is ''ahamkāra'' (empirical ego) which presides over the objects intuited by the sense-organs and then definitely perceived by the mind; and that the sense-organ intuits the object, ''manas'' reflects on it, ''ahamkāra'' appropriates it and finally ''buddhi'' (intellect) resolves which way the intended action must proceed.

''Abhimāna'' is the false sense of "I" and "mine"; it is because of the emphatic identity (''abhimāna'') with one's body etc., that there is ''pramata'' (cognising subject) and involvement with ''pramānas'' (acts or processes of knowing, perception, inference and the rest) owing to functioning of the senses as resulting from ''avidyā'' (ignorance) and resulting in bondage. Examined from the level of social consciousness, ātman or the transcendental consciousness is certainly essential for man's being but '' upadhis'' (limitations) are its accidental parts the self-identification with which gives rise to ''abhimāna'' (identification with the body) that makes man a socio-spiritual being subjective and objective, both, and becomes the basis for his ''adhikāra'' (social and ritual eligibility). According to the Shudha Advaita school of Vallabha Acharya, ''saguna'' means – one having the ''abhimāna'' of gunas (forming part of one's own self), the ''nirguna'' is one having no abhimāna.

The Lakshmi Tantra tells us that "''ahamkāra'' which is a cognitive-sense, is identical with ''abhimāna''" and "the awareness of the knower in relating time and place to himself is called ''abhimāna''". For most people desiring success, incidental gains and weighed down by sense of self-respect ''abhimāna'' is a virtue but for those who are wise and contented, it is mere pride associated with arrogance. Bhoja, who outlined the theory of Rasa (experience of delight), attaches great importance to ''abhimāna'' or ''ahankāra'' (ego). He states that the '' rasika'' who has ''rasa'' in him has it because of ''sringara'' (peak), ''ahamkāra'' and ''abhimāna'', enjoyable as a ''guna'' of his atman; he uses the term ''abhimāna'' in a good sense. From ''ahamkāra'' rises ''abhimāna'' that originates ''sringāra'', and from ''abhimāna'' rises ''rati'' (love, amorousness), and from ''rati'' are originated all ''rasas''.

References

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