Anantanubandhi mān is not just “normal pride”. It is a very intense, poisonous form of ego that tightly binds the soul with karma for a very long time.

In lived experience, it generally feels like this:

1. Very strong inner superiority

- “I am definitely better than them. No one is equal to me.” - Not just a passing thought, but a settled attitude.

1. Stubbornness and refusal to bow

- Difficulty saying “sorry” or accepting fault, even when clearly wrong. - Feeling insulted if asked to change, correct, or apologize. - Advice from elders, guru, or scriptures feels “below” you.

1. Enjoying others being below you

- Silent happiness when others are ignored, insulted, or defeated. - Discomfort or inner burning when someone else is praised.

1. Continuous comparison mindset

- Constantly measuring: status, respect, knowledge, wealth, looks, tapas, seva. - If someone is above you → jealousy, inner burning. - If someone is below you → secret satisfaction.

1. Closed heart towards spiritual humility

- True vinay (humility) feels “fake” or “not for me”. - Prostrating (vandana), touching feet, or honestly praising others feels very difficult. - Even while doing namaskār, inside there is: “Still I am greater.”

1. Long‑lasting grudge when ego is touched

- If someone once “insults” you, you remember it for a long time. - You may keep planning how to show your superiority or “teach them a lesson”.

From the Jain viewpoint:

• This is anantanubandhi mān kashāy – the most intense form of pride under charitra-mohaniya karma. ( jainknowledge.com)
• While it is active, it completely blocks right conduct and supports wrong belief; one cannot truly enter the path of samyak darshan until this level of ego is destroyed. ( jainknowledge.com)
• Both Śvetāmbara and Digambara accept this basic meaning; terminology may differ slightly, but the experience is the same: hard, thick ego that cuts off spiritual progress.

In short: Anantanubandhi mān feels like a deep, rigid, “I am great” identity that refuses to bend, keeps comparing, cannot truly respect others, and becomes restless or angry whenever its greatness is not recognized. That tight, long‑lasting ego‑state is what Jain āgamas call anantanubandhi mān.