अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः ॥२.३॥
पदविभाग: अविद्या-अस्मिता-राग-द्वेष-अभिनिवेशाः, क्लेशाः।
अन्वय: अविद्या-अस्मिता-राग-द्वेष-अभिनिवेशाः (पञ्च) क्लेशाः (सन्ति)।
प्रतिपदार्थ: अविद्या (avidyā) = spiritual ignorance / lack of awareness / primal misconception, अस्मिता (asmitā) = egoism / the sense of “I-am-ness” / false identification (अस्मि = I am), राग (rāga) = attachment / attraction / desire for pleasure, द्वेष (dveṣa) = aversion / repulsion / hatred / avoidance of pain, अभिनिवेशाः (abhiniveśāḥ) = clinging to life / fear of death / instinctual self-preservation (in plural form to conclude the compound of five), क्लेशाः (kleśāḥ) = the afflictions / causes of suffering / psychological impurities.
तात्पर्यम्: The five afflictions (Kleshas) are ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion, and the deep-seated clinging to earthly life (fear of death).
Further context on the 54th Sutra from Patanjali’s Yogasutras
In Yogasutras, the cause of our suffering is fivefold which leads to obstructions in our practice. Out of these, अविद्या or ignorance is the mother of all suffering. Hence the emphasis on Vidya or the right education one must receive to survive in this world.
अस्मिता refers to the feeling of I-am-ness. Because of Avidya, we mistakenly identify ourselves with the temporary instruments of the body and mind (Prakriti). This creates the psychological construct of the ego, or “I-am-ness” (Asmita). Instead of experiencing “I am witnessing this body,” the mind asserts, “I am this body,” “I am my job,” or “I am my thoughts.” This leads to a fixation in our minds which is totally incompatible with the ever-changing nature of the world.
Once you have constructed a fragile ego (Asmita), it needs to be defended and gratified. Hence, the branching of next two Kleshas:
- Rāga (Attachment): The ego remembers past pleasures and chases after them, trying to greedily replicate them.
- Dveṣa (Aversion): The ego remembers past pains and violently pushes away anything that threatens it or makes it uncomfortable. Almost all of our daily human behavior is caught in this exhausting pendulum swing between chasing what we like (Raga) and running from what we dislike (Dvesha).
Because the ego is entirely identified with the fragile physical body and mind, it is terrified of its own end. Abhinivesha is the primal, instinctual clinging to life and the dread of death. Patanjali notes in later sutras that this fear is so deeply embedded in our biological hardwiring that it sweeps away even the most educated and wise individuals.
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