Vaisesika Sūtra 3.2.15

devadatto gacchati iti upacārāt abhimānāt tāvat-śarīra pratyakṣaḥ ahaṅkāraḥ ॥15॥

The 'ahaṅkāra', i.e. ego, is directly perceived as long as the body is identified through attribution like "Devadatta goes".