Ahamkar literally, "I-making", is a Sanskrit word that means "I- Ahamkar is one of the phases in the development of prakrti (primal matter) away from its original undifferentiated oneness toward differentiation of the Self and other things, according to the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.
- The world we see around us is the end consequence of this degeneration, in which human souls are subject to reincarnation (samsara).
- Prakrti develops into mahat (“the big one”), and then into ahamkar, which is the initial stage of self-awareness and subjectivity.
- Following then, the whole degeneration is colored by this feeling of subjectivity.
- The five subtle elements (tanmatras), which are the foundation of the gross material elements, evolve as Ahamkar evolves further, forming the basis for both the subjective and objective worlds:
- on the one hand, the individual's sense (jnanendriya) and action (karmendriya) organs develop,
- and on the other hand, the five subtle elements (tanmatras), which are the basis of the gross material elements, evolve.
In everyday speech, ahamkar means "self-pride," almost often in a derogatory meaning.
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