CHAPTER 98 — अहङ्कारः | The Ego

पावनीकरणं न तु निरोधः | Sanctification, Not Suppression

अहङ्कारः, वन्य-अश्ववद्, महद्-शक्तिं सम्भावनां च धरति। स न भङ्क्तव्यो न च निरोद्धव्यः, अपितु वश्यीकर्तव्यः उच्च-प्रयोजनानि प्रति निर्देष्टव्यश्च॥१॥

ahaṅkāraḥ, vanya-aśvavad, mahad-śaktiṃ sambhāvanāṃ ca dharati। sa na bhaṅktavyo na ca niroddhavyaḥ, apitu vaśyīkartavyaḥ ucca-prayojanāni prati nirdeṣṭavyaśca॥1॥

The ego, like a wild stallion, possesses great power and potential. It must not be broken or suppressed, but tamed and directed towards higher purposes.

महामार्गीय-अवबोधने, अहङ्कारो न जेतव्यः शत्रुः, अपितु रूपान्तरितव्यो जीव-बलम्। स कच्च-पदार्थो यस्माद् अस्माकं दिव्य-स्व-त्वं घटयिष्यते॥२॥

mahāmārgīya-avabodhane, ahaṅkāro na jetavyaḥ śatruḥ, apitu rūpāntaritavyo jīva-balam। sa kacca-padārtho yasmād asmākaṃ divya-sva-tvaṃ ghaṭayiṣyate॥2॥

In Wayist understanding, the ego is not an enemy to be vanquished, but a vital force to be transformed. It is the raw material from which our divine identity will be forged.

आध्यात्मिक-वृद्धेर् यात्रा न अहङ्कारस्य विनाश-विषयिणी, अपितु स्व-हित-संकीर्ण-परिधिं परं तस्य सजगतायाः विस्तार-विषयिणी॥३॥

ādhyātmika-vṛddher yātrā na ahaṅkārasya vināśa-viṣayiṇī, apitu sva-hita-saṅkīrṇa-paridhiṃ paraṃ tasya sajagatāyāḥ vistāra-viṣayiṇī॥3॥

The journey of spiritual growth is not about destroying the ego, but about expanding its awareness beyond the narrow confines of self-interest.

यथा वयं तितली-मार्गे प्रगच्छामः, तथा अस्माकम् अहङ्कारः पृथक्-बलाद् संयोग-साधनं प्रति विकसति। स पात्रं भवति यस्य द्वारा वयं स्व-आध्यात्मिक-सम्भावनां प्रकटयामः॥४॥

yathā vayaṃ titlī-mārge pragacchāmaḥ, tathā asmākam ahaṅkāraḥ pṛthak-balād saṃyoga-sādhanaṃ prati vikasati। sa pātraṃ bhavati yasya dvārā vayaṃ sva-ādhyātmika-sambhāvanāṃ prakaṭayāmaḥ॥4॥

As we progress on the Butterfly Path, our ego evolves from a force of separation to an instrument of connection. It becomes the vessel through which we express our spiritual potential.

अपरिपक्व-अहङ्कारः, केवलं स्व-लाभे प्रशंसायां च केन्द्रितः, अपक्व-फलवद् — तिक्तः कठिनश्च। परिपक्व-अहङ्कारः, आध्यात्मिक-प्रज्ञया पूरितः, मधुरः सर्वेभ्यः पोषकश्च भवति॥५॥

aparipakva-ahaṅkāraḥ, kevalaṃ sva-lābhe praśaṃsāyāṃ ca kendritaḥ, apakva-phalavad — tiktaḥ kaṭhinaśca। paripakva-ahaṅkāraḥ, ādhyātmika-prajñayā pūritaḥ, madhuraḥ sarvebhyaḥ poṣakaśca bhavati॥5॥

The immature ego, focused solely on personal gain and validation, is like an unripe fruit - bitter and hard. The ripened ego, infused with spiritual wisdom, becomes sweet and nourishing to all.

अवगच्छ यद् अहङ्कारस्य स्व-त्व-आवश्यकता आध्यात्मिक-पथे शक्तिमत्-प्रेरकः। एषा एव उत्कण्ठा यद् दिव्येन सह संयोगं प्रति अस्मान् प्रेरयति॥६॥

avagaccha yad ahaṅkārasya sva-tva-āvaśyakatā ādhyātmika-pathe śaktimat-prerakaḥ। eṣā eva utkaṇṭhā yad divyena saha saṃyogaṃ prati asmān prerayati॥6॥

Understand that the ego’s need for identity is a powerful driver on the spiritual path. It is this very yearning that propels us towards union with the divine.

विवेकि-महामार्गिणी अहङ्कारेण सह न युध्यते, अपितु तेन सह कार्यं करोति, क्रमेण तस्य इच्छाम् आध्यात्मिक-उत्क्रान्तेर् उच्चतर-प्रयोजनेन सह अनुगुणीकुर्वती तं पावनीकरोति च॥७॥

viveki-mahāmārgiṇī ahaṅkāreṇa saha na yudhyate, apitu tena saha kāryaṃ karoti, krameṇa tasya icchām ādhyātmika-utkrānter uccatara-prayojanena saha anuguṇīkurvatī taṃ pāvanīkaroti ca॥7॥

The wise Wayist does not fight against the ego, but works with it, gradually aligning its desires with the higher purpose of spiritual evolution, sanctifying it.

यथा वयं सजगतां पोषयामः, तथा अहङ्कारस्य भयानि इच्छाश्च यद् ते वस्तुतः सन्ति तद् द्रष्टुम् आरभामहे — महामार्ग-प्रवाहे अस्थायि-तरङ्गाः॥८॥

yathā vayaṃ sajagatāṃ poṣayāmaḥ, tathā ahaṅkārasya bhayāni icchāśca yad te vastutaḥ santi tad draṣṭum ārabhāmahe — mahāmārga-pravāhe asthāyi-taraṅgāḥ॥8॥

As we cultivate awareness, we begin to see the ego’s fears and desires for what they are - temporary waves in theWAY’s flow.

पावनीकृत-अहङ्कारः स्पष्ट-दृष्टि-दर्पणो भवति यस्य द्वारा दिव्य-प्रकाशो जगति प्रकाशितुं शक्नोति। स यथार्थतां न विकृणाति, अपितु प्रकटयति॥९॥

pāvanīkṛta-ahaṅkāraḥ spaṣṭa-dṛṣṭi-darpaṇo bhavati yasya dvārā divya-prakāśo jagati prakāśituṃ śaknoti। sa yathārthatāṃ na vikṛṇāti, apitu prakaṭayati॥9॥

The sanctified ego becomes a clear lens through which the light of the divine can shine into the world. It no longer distorts reality but reveals it.

पथस्य पूर्व-अवस्थासु, अहङ्कारो बाह्य-स्व-त्वेषु — राष्ट्रीयतायाम्, व्यवसाये, सामाजिक-स्थाने च — ग्रसेत्। यथा वयं परिपच्यामहे, तथा स अस्माकं शाश्वत-आध्यात्मिक-स्वभावेन सह स्व-त्व-निर्धारणं शिक्षते॥१०॥

pathasya pūrva-avasthāsu, ahaṅkāro bāhya-sva-tveṣu — rāṣṭrīyatāyām, vyavasāye, sāmājika-sthāne ca — graset। yathā vayaṃ paripacyāmahe, tathā sa asmākaṃ śāśvata-ādhyātmika-svabhāvena saha sva-tva-nirdhāraṇaṃ śikṣate॥10॥

In the early stages of the path, the ego may cling to external identities - nationality, profession, social status. As we mature, it learns to identify with our eternal, spiritual nature.

अहङ्कारः, सम्यग्-निर्दिष्टः सन्, अस्माकम् आध्यात्मिक-अभ्यासे शक्तिमत्-सहायी भवति। स पथे विघ्नान् अतिक्रमयितुम् आवश्यक-प्रेरणं निश्चयं च ददाति॥११॥

ahaṅkāraḥ, samyag-nirdiṣṭaḥ san, asmākam ādhyātmika-abhyāse śaktimat-sahāyī bhavati। sa pathe vighnān atikramayitum āvaśyaka-preraṇaṃ niścayaṃ ca dadāti॥11॥

The ego, when properly directed, becomes a powerful ally in our spiritual practice. It provides the drive and determination needed to overcome obstacles on the path.

स्मर यद् महान्तो ऽप्य् आत्म-सत्त्वाः पावनीकृत-अहङ्कारं धरन्ति। स साधनं यस्य द्वारा ते स्व-अद्वितीय-दिव्य-गुणान् अभिव्यञ्जयन्ति॥१२॥

smara yad mahānto ‘py ātma-sattvāḥ pāvanīkṛta-ahaṅkāraṃ dharanti। sa sādhanaṃ yasya dvārā te sva-advitīya-divya-guṇān abhivyañjayanti॥12॥

Remember that even great spiritual beings possess a sanctified ego. It is the instrument through which they express their unique divine qualities.

लक्ष्यं न निर्-अहङ्कारो भवितुम्, अपितु अहङ्कारम् अस्माकम् उच्चतम-स्वस्य शुद्ध-अभिव्यक्तौ रूपान्तरयितुम्। एतद् “एक-वत्” — यथा प्राचीन-ग्रन्थेषु उक्तम् — भवनस्य अर्थः॥१३॥

lakṣyaṃ na nir-ahaṅkāro bhavitum, apitu ahaṅkāram asmākam uccatama-svasya śuddha-abhivyaktau rūpāntarayitum। etad “eka-vat” — yathā prācīna-grantheṣu uktam — bhavanasya arthaḥ॥13॥

The goal is not to become egoless, but to transform the ego into a pure expression of our highest self. This is the meaning of becoming “single” as spoken of in ancient texts.

यथा वयं प्रगच्छामः, तथा अहङ्कारस्य शक्तिः स्व-वर्धनात् निःस्वार्थ-सेवायां प्रति परिवर्तते। स व्यक्तिगत-प्रशंसायां न आनन्दं लभते, अपितु दिव्य-प्रेम्णो माध्यमत्वे॥१४॥

yathā vayaṃ pragacchāmaḥ, tathā ahaṅkārasya śaktiḥ sva-vardhanāt niḥsvārtha-sevāyāṃ prati parivartate। sa vyaktigata-praśaṃsāyāṃ na ānandaṃ labhate, apitu divya-premṇo mādhyamatve॥14॥

As we progress, the ego’s energy is redirected from self-aggrandizement to selfless service. It finds joy not in personal acclaim, but in being a channel for divine love.

पावनीकृत-अहङ्कारो विनम्रः, न तु स्वं हीनं मन्यमानत्वात्, अपितु तुलनायाः आवश्यकताम् अतिक्रान्तत्वात्। स सर्व-सत्त्वेषु दिव्यं प्रत्यभिजानाति॥१५॥

pāvanīkṛta-ahaṅkāro vinamraḥ, na tu svaṃ hīnaṃ manyamānatvāt, apitu tulanāyāḥ āvaśyakatām atikrāntatvāt। sa sarva-sattveṣu divyaṃ pratyabhijānāti॥15॥

The sanctified ego is humble, not because it thinks less of itself, but because it has transcended the need for comparison. It recognizes the divine in all beings.

आध्यात्मिक-विकासस्य उच्चतम-अवस्थासु, अहङ्कारस् तावत् पारदर्शी भवति यद् स दिव्य-प्रज्ञायाः प्रवाहं न अवरुणद्धि। स शाश्वत-आत्मना सह — समान-स्वभावेन सहभागी — भवति॥१६॥

ādhyātmika-vikāsasya uccatama-avasthāsu, ahaṅkāras tāvat pāradarśī bhavati yad sa divya-prajñāyāḥ pravāhaṃ na avaruṇaddhi। sa śāśvata-ātmanā saha — samāna-svabhāvena sahabhāgī — bhavati॥16॥

In the highest stages of spiritual development, the ego becomes so transparent that it no longer obstructs the flow of divine wisdom. It becomes one with the eternal Self.

अवगच्छ यद् अहङ्कार-पावनीकरणस्य प्रक्रिया क्रमेण भवति। स्व-कृते धैर्यवान् भव, अधिक-सजगतां दिव्येन सह अनुगुण्यं च प्रति प्रत्येकं पदम् उत्सवीकर्तुम्॥१७॥

avagaccha yad ahaṅkāra-pāvanīkaraṇasya prakriyā krameṇa bhavati। sva-kṛte dhairyavān bhava, adhika-sajagatāṃ divyena saha anuguṇyaṃ ca prati pratyekaṃ padam utsavīkartum॥17॥

Understand that the process of ego sanctification is gradual. Be patient with yourself, celebrating each step towards greater awareness and alignment with the divine.

पावनीकृत-अहङ्कारो व्यक्तित्व-रहितो न, अपितु तस्य दिव्यस्य अद्वितीय-स्वादं यं प्रत्येको जीवो मूर्तीकर्तुं नियतस् तम् अभिव्यञ्जयति॥१८॥

pāvanīkṛta-ahaṅkāro vyaktitva-rahito na, apitu tasya divyasya advitīya-svādaṃ yaṃ pratyeko jīvo mūrtīkartuṃ niyatas tam abhivyañjayati॥18॥

The sanctified ego is not devoid of personality, but rather expresses the unique flavor of the divine that each soul is meant to embody.

यथा वयं पावनीकृत-अहङ्कारं पोषयामः, तथा वयं स्वाभाविकं क्षुद्र-स्व-केन्द्रिततायाः उच्चतर-स्व-केन्द्रिततां प्रति गच्छामः। अस्माकं स्व-त्वं सम्पूर्ण-सृष्टिम् आवेष्टितुं विस्तार्यते॥१९॥

yathā vayaṃ pāvanīkṛta-ahaṅkāraṃ poṣayāmaḥ, tathā vayaṃ svābhāvikaṃ kṣudra-sva-kendritatāyāḥ uccatara-sva-kendritatāṃ prati gacchāmaḥ। asmākaṃ sva-tvaṃ sampūrṇa-sṛṣṭim āveṣṭituṃ vistāryate॥19॥

As we cultivate the sanctified ego, we naturally move from self-centeredness to Self-centeredness. Our identity expands to encompass all of creation.

अन्ततः, पूर्ण-पावनीकृत-अहङ्कारः स्वम् महामार्ग-प्रवाहे तरङ्ग-रूपेण प्रत्यभिजानाति — रूपे अद्वितीयस्, तथापि समग्रेण सह — समान-स्वभावेन सहभागी॥२०॥

antataḥ, pūrṇa-pāvanīkṛta-ahaṅkāraḥ svam mahāmārga-pravāhe taraṅga-rūpeṇa pratyabhijānāti — rūpe advitīyas, tathāpi samagreṇa saha — samāna-svabhāvena sahabhāgī॥20॥

In the end, the fully sanctified ego recognizes itself as a wave in theWAY’s flow - unique in form, yet one in essence with the whole.

अतो वयम् अहङ्कारेण सह न युध्याम, अपितु तं स्व-उच्चतम-सम्भावनां प्रति प्रेम्णा निर्देशयाम। तस्य परम-रूपान्तरणे अस्माकम् आध्यात्मिक-मुक्तेर् कुञ्चिका तिष्ठति॥२१॥

ato vayam ahaṅkāreṇa saha na yudhyāma, apitu taṃ sva-uccatama-sambhāvanāṃ prati premṇā nirdeśayāma। tasya parama-rūpāntaraṇe asmākam ādhyātmika-mukter kuñcikā tiṣṭhati॥21॥

Thus, let us not wage war against the ego, but lovingly guide it towards its highest potential. For in its ultimate transformation lies the key to our spiritual liberation.

व्याकरण टिप्पणियां | Grammatical Notes

Chapter Title and the Foundational Wayist Distinction:

• अहङ्कारः (ahaṅkāraḥ) - “the ego” - the chapter title’s central term; this is the same ahaṅkāra that Chapter 75 established as carrying the positive Wayist sense — the individuating function that allows each being to be a specific being (the quark to be a quark, the atom to be an atom, the person to be this person); the Wayist ahaṅkāra is NOT the Buddhist false-ego-to-transcend or the Vedantic ahaṅkāra that misidentifies the ātman with phenomenal experience
• The chapter operates entirely within this established Wayist sense of ahaṅkāra — the I-maker that should be making the I, refined and directed but never destroyed; the corpus’s consistent position is that the individuating function is necessary and the developmental task is to sanctify it, not to dissolve it
• पावनीकरणं न तु निरोधः (pāvanīkaraṇaṃ na tu nirodhaḥ) - “sanctification, not suppression” - the subtitle’s antithesis names the chapter’s foundational diagnostic; pāvanīkaraṇa (sanctification, the corpus’s established term from the Wayist anthropology) is what the ahaṅkāra receives; nirodha (suppression, restraint, the term that classical Yoga uses for citta-vṛtti-nirodha) is what it does not receive
• The lexical opposition pāvanīkaraṇa / nirodha makes the chapter’s position grammatically definite: the Wayist path is not yoga-as-suppression, not Buddhist anatta-realization, not the destruction of the individuating function; it is the purifying-and-directing of that function toward higher purposes

The Wild-Stallion Image (Verse 1):

• वन्य-अश्ववद् (vanya-aśvavad) - “like a wild stallion” - the chapter’s opening image preserves the source’s energy-and-power register; vanya-aśva (wild horse) carries the mahad-śakti (great power) and sambhāvanā (potential) that the chapter wishes to redirect
• न भङ्क्तव्यो न च निरोद्धव्यः, अपितु वश्यीकर्तव्यः (na bhaṅktavyo na ca niroddhavyaḥ, apitu vaśyīkartavyaḥ) - “must not be broken or suppressed, but tamed” - the three precise gerundives mark the alternatives: bhaṅktavya (to-be-broken, as a horse is “broken in”) is denied; niroddhavya (to-be-suppressed, the classical-yoga technical term) is denied; vaśyīkartavya (to-be-made-subject-to-control, to-be-tamed) is affirmed
• The Sanskrit’s three-term denial-pattern protects the chapter’s position against multiple misreadings simultaneously: against the breaking-in metaphor (which would suggest violence), against the yoga-nirodha framework (which would suggest suppression), and against the assumption that taming is one of these

The Raw-Material Image (Verse 2):

• कच्च-पदार्थो यस्माद् अस्माकं दिव्य-स्व-त्वं घटयिष्यते (kacca-padārtho yasmād asmākaṃ divya-sva-tvaṃ ghaṭayiṣyate) - “the raw material from which our divine identity will be forged”
• Kacca-padārtha (unrefined-substance, raw material) names the ahaṅkāra as having a positive constructive role — it is not waste-to-be-eliminated but material-to-be-worked; the future passive ghaṭayiṣyate (will-be-forged) preserves the developmental temporality — the divya-sva-tva (divine identity) is not present from the start but is forged from the ahaṅkāra through the sanctification process

The Union Verse and the Saṃyoga Choice (Verse 6):

• दिव्येन सह संयोगं प्रति अस्मान् प्रेरयति (divyena saha saṃyogaṃ prati asmān prerayati) - “propels us towards union with the divine”
• Saṃyoga (joining-with, conjunction, union) is the corpus’s established term from Chapter 82 verse 2 for union with the Absolute, chosen there specifically instead of aikya (identity, oneness) precisely to prevent the absorption-misreading
• The chapter uses the same vocabulary here: the ahaṅkāra’s yearning is for saṃyoga (relational union) with the divine, not aikya (identity-with) the divine; the developed ahaṅkāra remains itself while being joined with the divine in relation

The Ocean-of-Consciousness Image (Verse 8):

• महामार्ग-प्रवाहे अस्थायि-तरङ्गाः (mahāmārga-pravāhe asthāyi-taraṅgāḥ) - “temporary waves in theWAY’s flow”
• Asthāyi-taraṅga (impermanent wave) for the ahaṅkāra’s bhaya / icchā (fears and desires); the verse’s claim is that the waves are impermanent, not that the ocean or the wave-form-having-being is illusory; this is consistent with Chapter 96 verse 16’s asthāyi-racanā (temporary configuration) — what is impermanent is the specific configuration, not the being-configured-at-all

The “Single” Reference (Verse 13):

• “एक-वत्” — यथा प्राचीन-ग्रन्थेषु उक्तम् (“eka-vat” — yathā prācīna-grantheṣu uktam) - “becoming ‘single’ as spoken of in ancient texts”
• Eka-vat (like-one, one-like) preserves the English’s quoted “single” through Sanskrit’s iva-comparison construction; the reference is to texts like the Gospel of Thomas (Logion 4, 22, 75) which speak of the monachoi (μοναχοί, single-ones) as those who have unified their dispersed selves into integrated wholeness
• The chapter’s interpretation is precise: eka-vat does not mean eka (one) — it means like-one, as-if-one, having achieved internal integration without losing the constitutive diversity; the Sanskrit vat (like, as-if) preserves the similitude rather than collapsing into identity

Verse 16’s Critical Theological Move:

• शाश्वत-आत्मना सह — समान-स्वभावेन सहभागी — भवति (śāśvata-ātmanā saha — samāna-svabhāvena sahabhāgī — bhavati) - “becomes one with the eternal Self”
• The English’s “becomes one with the eternal Self” is the chapter’s most dangerous Vedantic-sounding phrase; the Sanskrit must hold the line by rendering “becomes one with” through the corpus’s established protective formula
• The Wayist śāśvata-ātman here is the practitioner’s own developed spirit-self — the ātma-janma (birth-of-spirit, from Chapter 87 verse 1) that the developmental work produces; it is NOT the Vedantic paramātman (cosmic Self) with which the individual self is held to be identical
• The grammatical construction śāśvata-ātmanā saha… sahabhāgī (a participant with the eternal Self) preserves the with-ness; the practitioner’s ahaṅkāra and the śāśvata-ātman are participants together through samāna-svabhāva (same nature), but the saha (with, alongside) construction marks them as related entities, not collapsed into identity

Verse 19’s Self-Centeredness Distinction:

• क्षुद्र-स्व-केन्द्रिततायाः उच्चतर-स्व-केन्द्रिततां प्रति (kṣudra-sva-kendritatāyāḥ uccatara-sva-kendritatāṃ prati) - “from self-centeredness to Self-centeredness”
• The English’s capitalization distinction (lowercase self vs capital-S Self) is rendered in Sanskrit through lexical distinction since Sanskrit lacks the capital-letter device: kṣudra-sva-kendritatā (small-self-centeredness) vs uccatara-sva-kendritatā (higher-self-centeredness)
• The chapter’s claim is that the practitioner’s kendritatā (centeredness) shifts from focusing on the kṣudra-sva (small self, the personality-level identity) to focusing on the uccatara-sva (higher self, the spirit-level identity); the practitioner remains centered throughout — the question is what serves as the center
• सम्पूर्ण-सृष्टिम् आवेष्टितुं विस्तार्यते (sampūrṇa-sṛṣṭim āveṣṭituṃ vistāryate) - “expands to encompass all of creation” - the precise verb āveṣṭitum (to encompass, to surround) with the passive vistāryate (is expanded); the practitioner’s sva-tva (selfhood) becomes more inclusive — taking in more of creation within its scope of care — not identical with creation; the expansion is in scope, not in substance

Verse 20’s Wave-Ocean Image with Protective Formula:

• तरङ्ग-रूपेण… रूपे अद्वितीयस्, तथापि समग्रेण सह — समान-स्वभावेन सहभागी (taraṅga-rūpeṇa… rūpe advitīyas, tathāpi samagreṇa saha — samāna-svabhāvena sahabhāgī) - “as a wave… unique in form, yet one in essence with the whole”
• The English’s “one in essence with the whole” is the most Vedantic-sounding phrasing in the entire chapter; the standard Vedantic reading of the wave-ocean image is that the wave is the ocean, that tat tvam asi (thou art that), that the apparent distinction is illusion
• The Sanskrit deliberately substitutes the corpus’s protective formula: samāna-svabhāvena sahabhāgī (participant through same-nature) — not eka-sāra (one-essence) or ekātmaka (of-one-self) which would deliver the Vedantic identity reading
• The Wayist position rendered grammatically: the wave is advitīya in rūpa (unique in form) AND sahabhāgī with samagra (a participant with the whole) through samāna-svabhāva (same nature); the wave shares the nature of the ocean (both are water) but the wave does not cease being a wave by recognizing this shared nature; the wave preserves its individual wave-being while being a participant in the ocean
• This is the corpus’s signature anti-absorption move applied at the chapter’s culminating image; the Vedantic wave is the ocean; the Wayist wave is of the same nature as the ocean and participates in the ocean while remaining the specific wave that it is

Verse 21’s Closing — The “Liberation Through Transformation” Formula:

• तस्य परम-रूपान्तरणे अस्माकम् आध्यात्मिक-मुक्तेर् कुञ्चिका तिष्ठति (tasya parama-rūpāntaraṇe asmākam ādhyātmika-mukter kuñcikā tiṣṭhati) - “in its ultimate transformation lies the key to our spiritual liberation”
• Rūpāntaraṇa (transformation, the corpus’s established term from Chapter 83 verse 9 — na uccheda, apitu rūpāntaraṇa — not elimination, but transformation) is what the ahaṅkāra undergoes; mukti (liberation) is the result of this transformation, not the result of the ego’s destruction
• The Sanskrit grammatical structure makes the causation precise: liberation comes through (locative rūpāntaraṇe — in the transformation) the ego’s reconfiguration, not through its elimination; this is consistent with the entire chapter’s structural claim that the ahaṅkāra is the instrument of liberation, not the obstacle to liberation

The Sanskrit of Chapter 98 carries the corpus’s most explicit defense of ahaṅkāra against the dominant Indic-philosophical traditions that treat it as the spiritual problem to be solved. Several precise structural moves do this protective work: ahaṅkāra maintained in its Chapter 75 positive sense as the individuating function; pāvanīkaraṇa / nirodha opposition naming the chapter’s foundational distinction against yoga-suppression; the three-term denial na bhaṅktavyo na ca niroddhavyaḥ at verse 1 closing multiple misreading-vectors simultaneously; kacca-padārtha (raw material) at verse 2 positioning the ego as constructive material rather than waste; saṃyoga (relational union) preserved at verse 6 against aikya (identity); eka-vat (like-one) at verse 13 preserving the Thomas-tradition similitude rather than collapsing into one-ness; the samāna-svabhāvena sahabhāgī formula deployed twice (verses 16 and 20) at the chapter’s two Vedantic danger-points; the kṣudra-sva / uccatara-sva lexical distinction at verse 19 preserving the practitioner’s centeredness through both phases; and the closing rūpāntaraṇa (transformation, not elimination) connecting back to Chapter 83 verse 9’s body-mind transformation principle. The chapter’s structural claim — that liberation comes through the sanctified expression of the individuating function, not through its destruction — is the Wayist position rendered grammatically definite against the absorption-and-elimination doctrines that the chapter’s surface vocabulary would otherwise invite.

Colophon: This translation represents the collaborative restoration work of the Wayist collective Salvar Dàosenglu, based on the ancient mahāmārga teaching tradition, rendered into contemporary English and restored to classical Sanskrit for posterity.