Ego awareness (Hinduism)

The tendency in one's consciousness to conceptualize a proprietary unique selfhood is a function of the "I-maker" (ahamkara). The illusion of such a self nevertheless functions as a bridge between the spiritual principles in man (atma, buddhi, etc) and the person of corporeal form, senses, sense-data memory, and lower mind (manas), in order that a conscious ego may take part in the cosmic play (lila) yet have intimations of divine reality.

Another interpretation is that, from [Aham]

, or awareness of "I am", comes [Ahankara]

or "I am something", and then creation starts. Ahankara crystallizes from the buddhi under the impact of rajas, the exciting and mobile guna. Then, under a prevalence of tamas evolve the eleven senses (including manas) and the five [tanmatra]

or potentials. In this case it is manas that acts as the bridge or interpreter between the higher mind the five physical senses.