59. Facets of Ahankaar
K rishna observes that Arjuna is overwhelmed by the feeling of aham-karta (I am doer)- ahankaar and this was responsible for his despondency. Awareness about ahankaar will help us overcome it. Ego is a small part of ahankaar . It is called arrogance when one experiences pleasure polarity of success, win or profit and falls into depression, unhappiness, anger when one goes through pain polarity of failure, defeat or loss. It is jealousy when others are experiencing pleasure polarity and sympathy in pain polarity. It is there when we are gathering physical possessions and may also motivate us to shed them. It is responsible for action as well as inaction. It is the cause of destruction as well as creation. It is in knowledge as well as in ignorance. Ahankaar gets boosted with praise and gets hurt by criticism. Both states make us amenable to manipulation by others. Ahankaar is behind every emotion in some sense or the other and these emotions influence our external ...