This is called ahankara

Expressions researched:
"ahankara this is called" |"is also called ahankara" |"is called ahankara" |"is called false ahankara"

SB Canto 1

This enlightenment perfectly enables the devotee to distinguish spirit from matter because the knot of spirit and matter is untied by the Lord. This knot is called ahaṅkāra, and it falsely obliges a living being to become identified with matter.

SB 1.2.21, Purport:

Perfect knowledge is called paramparā, or deductive knowledge coming down from the authority to the submissive aural receiver who is bona fide by service and surrender. One cannot challenge the authority of the Supreme and know Him also at the same time. He reserves the right of not being exposed to such a challenging spirit of an insignificant spark of the whole, a spark subjected to the control of illusory energy. The devotees are submissive, and therefore the transcendental knowledge descends from the Personality of Godhead to Brahmā and from Brahmā to his sons and disciples in succession. This process is helped by the Supersoul within such devotees. That is the perfect way of learning transcendental knowledge.

This enlightenment perfectly enables the devotee to distinguish spirit from matter because the knot of spirit and matter is untied by the Lord. This knot is called ahaṅkāra, and it falsely obliges a living being to become identified with matter. As soon as this knot is loosened, therefore, all the clouds of doubt are at once cleared off. One sees his master and fully engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, making a full termination of the chain of fruitive action. In material existence, a living being creates his own chain of fruitive work and enjoys the good and bad effects of those actions life after life. But as soon as he engages himself in the loving service of the Lord, he at once becomes free from the chain of karma. His actions no longer create any reaction.

SB Canto 3

The knot of doubtfulness is tied when the soul identifies with the material world. That knot is also called ahaṅkāra, the junction of matter and spirit.

SB 3.24.18, Translation and Purport:

Lord Brahmā then told Devahūti: My dear daughter of Manu, the same Supreme Personality of Godhead who killed the demon Kaiṭabha is now within your womb. He will cut off all the knots of your ignorance and doubt. Then He will travel all over the world.

Here the word avidyā is very significant. Avidyā means forgetfulness of one's identity. Every one of us is a spirit soul, but we have forgotten. We think, "I am this body." This is called avidyā. Saṁśaya-granthi means "doubtfulness." The knot of doubtfulness is tied when the soul identifies with the material world. That knot is also called ahaṅkāra, the junction of matter and spirit. By proper knowledge received from the scriptures in disciplic succession and by proper application of that knowledge, one can free himself from this binding combination of matter and spirit. Brahmā assures Devahūti that her son will enlighten her, and after enlightening her He will travel all over the world, distributing the system of Sāṅkhya philosophy.

Consciousness polluted by material contamination is called ahaṅkāra.

SB 3.26.14, Translation and Purport:

The internal, subtle senses are experienced as having four aspects, in the shape of mind, intelligence, ego and contaminated consciousness. Distinctions between them can be made only by different functions, since they represent different characteristics.

The four internal senses, or subtle senses, described herein are defined by different characteristics. When pure consciousness is polluted by material contamination and when identification with the body becomes prominent, one is said to be situated under false ego. Consciousness is the function of the soul, and therefore behind consciousness there is soul. Consciousness polluted by material contamination is called ahaṅkāra.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Ahaṅkāra means my identification, what I am. That is called ahaṅkāra. Now my identity is with this material world.

Lecture on BG 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974:

Ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra means my identification, what I am. That is called ahaṅkāra. Now my identity is with this material world. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that." That should be negativated. We must come to the right conclusion that "I belong to Kṛṣṇa, I am the son of Kṛṣṇa, I do not belong to anyone." This is called nirahaṅkāra. Sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ. This material happiness and distress. Because I am not this material body, if I am actually convinced, so the pains and pleasure of this material world is due to this body.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

In the past also, those who were entrapped by the modes of material nature, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, the material conception of life, false ego... Ahaṅkāra this is called... Ahaṅkāra there is. But when we are in a false ahaṅkāra, that is our cause of all trouble, miseries.

Lecture on SB 1.7.41-42 -- Vrndavana, October 2, 1976:

The ultimate aim of life is how to become connected with Kṛṣṇa. That is the ultimate. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. If I say to anybody that "Your ultimate goal of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu," naturally there will be inquiries: "Who is Kṛṣṇa? What is Kṛṣṇa? What does He do?" So many questions. That question is recommended in the Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is life. So the boys and girls should be trained up how to inquire about the ultimate goal of life, Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That they do not know in the modern civilization. That they do not know. Not merely in the modern civilization. In the past also, those who were entrapped by the modes of material nature, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, the material conception of life, false ego... Ahaṅkāra this is called... Ahaṅkāra there is. But when we are in a false ahaṅkāra, that is our cause of all trouble, miseries. Ahaṅkāra, ahaṅ... If we become entrapped in false ahaṅkāra, then we are vimūḍhātmā, entrapped by nature. That is the difficulty.

So what is that false ahaṅkāra? The false ahaṅkāra is that "I am this body." This is false ahaṅkāra. "I am this body." "I am Indian." "I am American." "I am brāhmaṇa." "I am kṣatriya." "I am sannyāsī." "I am brahmacārī." And so on, so on, so on, so on. All designation of this body. This is false ahaṅkāra. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us how to become free from the false ahaṅkāra. He said that nāhaṁ vipro na yatir vā: "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a gṛhastha. I am not a vānaprastha. I am not this. I am not that." All material designations He refused, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. "I am not this, I am not this, I am not this."

This is the disease. "I am the richest. I am the powerful. I am the very intelligent." Everything, "I am." This is called ahaṅkāra.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1976:

One should not be falsely proud. Everyone... Material world means everyone is falsely proud. Everyone is thinking, āḍhyo 'smi dhanavān asmi ko 'sti mama samaḥ, everyone. This is the disease. "I am the richest. I am the powerful. I am the very intelligent." Everything, "I am." This is called ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra vimudhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). This false prestige... When one is absorbed with false things, he becomes vimūḍha, rascal. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). This is false prestige. We have to give up this false prestige. Ahaṅkāra must be there because you are a reality. You are not false. Your body is false, but you are reality. "I am soul." That realization must come. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Not that ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, "I am dog," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this." This is ahaṅkāra, this false ahaṅkāra. But giving up all these nonsense prestigious position... A dog is also thinking he's in a prestigious position: "I am dog. I can bark very loudly. Gow! Gow!" He's also thinking that. Similarly, if I also think, "I am Indian," "I am white," "I am black," "I am this," what is the difference? Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). He is completely under the control of material nature, and he's thinking falsely that "I am very advanced in...," so on, so on. This should be given up.

That false egotism—"Oh, I am very big man. I am so intelligent. I am so learned. I have got money"—this is ahaṅkāra. This is called false ahaṅkāra.

Lecture on SB 7.9.20 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1976:

(recites verse)

rakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

These rascals, vimūḍhā, mūḍhā, very strongly mūḍhās. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. That false egotism—"Oh, I am very big man. I am so intelligent. I am so learned. I have got money"—this is ahaṅkāra. This is called false ahaṅkāra. This is also... If you actually have got money, that's all right; you can say, "I have got money." But you have nothing, not a farthing, and still, somehow or other, because you have got some money, you say, "I have got money." That is not your money; that is Kṛṣṇa's money. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, you rascal. You do not know. You are thinking that it is your money. That is ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Now where you are going? You are giving up this body, so take your money with you. How can you take? The money is there, the body is there, the family is there, the house is there—everything left. Now you go and become a dog. You have treated just like a dog. You have treated just like a hog. Now you take the body of a... Now your money, your family, your society, your house—left. So how you can claim, "It is mine"? The ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. These rascals, under false egoism, thinking, "This is mine. This is..." Real sense is īśāvāsyam idam. It is all Kṛṣṇa's.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Ahaṅkāra, taking this body in the concept of ahaṅkāra, false ahaṅkāra, egotism—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that"—this is called ahaṅkāra.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110-111 -- Bombay, November 17, 1975:

This material world means full of avidyā and karma-saṁjñā, and working hard like hogs and dogs day and night. This is material world. Material world means based on ignorance that "I am this body," and working day and night like hogs and dogs. That is material life. But human life, although we have got this material life, body, we should not be, I mean to say, bewildered. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Ahaṅkāra, taking this body in the concept of ahaṅkāra, false ahaṅkāra, egotism—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that"—this is called ahaṅkāra. Vimudhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). And the whole world is going on.

So if we want to become out of this ignorance, then we have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise there is no possibility. And if we remain in ignorance, then we shall go on committing sinful activities and entangle ourselves in the karma-cakra.

Festival Lectures

They are thinking that "We are independent. We can do whatever we like." This is called ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Under false pretext, false prestige, everyone is thinking that "We are independent. We can find out the solution of the problems of life by material adjustment," so on, so on.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Avirbhava Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:

The difficulty of the present situation is that actually we are moving on account of spiritual strength, but they have no information of the spiritual strength. They are thinking of material strength. That is expressed here, that

ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā,

asatyere satya kori māni

This is due to ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Those who are vimūḍha, especially rascal... Mūḍha, rascals, and vi means viśeṣa, viśeṣanam, particularly. Ahankara-vimudhātmā. The same thing which is spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says the same thing in a plain Bengali language. Ahaṅkāre matta haiyā, nitāi-pada... By the spell of māyā-ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27)— they are thinking that "We are independent. We can do whatever we like." This is called ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Under false pretext, false prestige, everyone is thinking that "We are independent. We can find out the solution of the problems of life by material adjustment," so on, so on. So that is our material disease. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Bewildered, they do not understand that the real strength is spiritual strength.