Ahankara.

 From the teachings of the Upanishad each element evolves from the preceding one through an intermediate condition known as tanmantra. Earth comes forth from Water through the Gandha tanmantra; Water from fire through the rasa tanmantra Fire from air through the rupa tanmantra Air from eather through the othesparsha tanmantra and eather from Ahankara through the sabdha tanmantra. Though in Sankhya they all come from Ahankara directly.

What is ahankara?

answer is:

1. puff
2. self-conceitedness
3. self-consciousness
4. EGO
5. self-esteem
6. Puff
7. affectation
8. seven deadly sins
9. airs
10. arrogance
11. audacity
12. cheek
13. conceit
14. ego
15. haughtiness
16. hauteur
17. hubris
18. pride
19. proudness

Tanmatra (Sanskrit: तन्मात्र) is a noun which means – rudimentary or subtle element, merely that, mere essence, potential or only a trifle. There are five sense perceptions – hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell, and there are the five tanmatras corresponding to the five sense perceptions and five sense-organs.

Definition - What does Pancha Tanmatra mean?

Pancha tanmatra are the five perceptions or subtle elements that are the objects of the five senses. The term comes from the Sanskrit, pancha, meaning “five”; tan, meaning “subtle”; and matra, meaning “elements.” The pancha tanmatra are: rupa (form), gandha (smell), sparsa (touch), rasa (taste) and sabda (sound).

Vaishava dharma

Tanmātra (तन्मात्र).—The five qualities of the mahā-bhūtas that subtly manifest in the mind as sound, touch, form, taste and smell.

Purana and Itihasa

(tanmatra) The subtle physical essence.

Tanmātra (तन्मात्र).—‘rudimentary, undifferentiated, subtle elements from which a gross element is produced.’*

 Tanmatra in Hinduism 

The tanmātras are the potential conditions of qualities.

tanmātra(s) (‘ subtle element(s)’): According to Sāṃkhya ontology, the five ‘subtle material elements’ (sound, touch, form, taste, smell) evolve from prakṛti

The Five Primary Sensations (Tanmatra):

1. sabdha-tattva: sound
2. sparsha-tattva: feel/palpation
3. rupa-tattva: form
4. rasa-tattva: taste
5. gandha-tattva: odor

Sound, Touch, Colour, Flavour and Odour constitute the Soul's sense data that together form his external experiences.