Asmita

Asmita

from asmi meaning "I am"

1. Egoism, an erroneous worldview caused by identifying oneself with the body, as a result of which the concept of thinking "I" and "mine" develops. One of the five kleshas, misfortunes that darken and pollute the consciousness and prevent it from perceiving reality.

2. The self, the sense of individual existence. In the philosophy of sankhya and yoga, it acts as a synonym for ahamkara, a manifestation of personal consciousness.

3. In Vyasa's commentary on the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali describes the state of pure being, in which the "I" is inseparably united with the intellect (buddhi).