PURPORT

The three types of egotism (ahaṅkara) are technically known as vaikarika, taijasa and tamasa. The mahat-tattva is situated within the heart, or citta, and the predominating Deity of the mahat-tattva is Lord Vasudeva (Bhag. 3.26.21). The mahat-tattva is transformed into three divisions: (1) vaikarika, egotism in goodness (sattvika-ahaṅkara), from which the eleventh sense organ, the mind, is manifest and whose predominating Deity is Aniruddha (Bhag. 3.26.27-28); (2) taijasa, or egotism in passion (rajasa-ahaṅkara), from which the senses and intelligence are manifest and whose predominating Deity is Lord Pradyumna (Bhag. 3.26.29-31); (3) tamasa, or egotism in ignorance, from which sound vibration (sabda-tanmatra) expands. From the sound vibration, the sky (akasa) is manifest and, the senses, beginning with the ear, are also manifest (Bhag. 3.26.32). Of these three types of egotism, Lord Saṅkarsana is the predominating Deity. In the philosophical discourse known as the Saṅkhya-karika, it is stated: sattvika ekadasakah pravartate vaikrtad ahaṅkarat-bhutades tan-matram tamasa-taijasady-ubhayam.