antamansa

Antamansa is a term that appears in Sanskrit-derived transliterations and is not widely standardized in major lexicons. It is typically analyzed as a compound of anta- meaning inner or within and mana (or manas) meaning mind or thought. In transliteration, it can appear as antamanasa or antamanāsa, among other variants, reflecting variations in how the syllables are rendered from Sanskrit.

In philosophical and spiritual contexts, antamanasa is used to refer to the inner mind or consciousness—the thoughts, feelings, and mental states that lie beneath outward expression. The exact sense of the term depends on the text and tradition, but it generally conveys a notion of interior cognition or introspective awareness rather than external perception. In some discussions, it may be contrasted with the external senses (bahiranga) or with more active mental processes, highlighting a focus on inward experience.

The term is relatively rare in standard academic references, and its precise meaning can vary by author and manuscript. As a result, readers encounter antamanansa primarily within specific passages rather than as a fixed technical term with a single, universal definition.

In modern usage, antamansa may also appear as a transliterated personal or place name in Indian contexts, though such uses are uncommon and not widely documented in reference works.

Given the variability in transliteration and context, the intended sense of antamanansa should be determined by consulting the particular source text in which it appears.