Kleshas (क्लेशाः)
Kleshas (Samskrit: क्लेशाः) are the obstacles that a spiritual aspirant encounters in the path of Yoga sadhana. Various kinds of kleshas are mental afflictions accumulated over various births. The mind is restless because of unsolved problems. Yogasutras of Patanjali mention the elements that disturb the mind's equilibrium as the five-fold pain causing obstructions known as the panch-kleshas. They are
अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः ॥ २.३ ॥ (Yoga. Sutr. 2.3)
Meaning: Ignorance (अविद्या), Egoism (अस्मिता), Desire or attachment (राग), Aversion (द्वेष), and clinging to life (अभिनिवेश).
Avidya is the inevitable ignorance of spiritual nature or self-knowledge. Ignorance of true nature is the cause of pain and the other four are its effects. Asmita and others carry the ignorance with them and cannot exist without it. It is for that reason that they are destroyed with the destruction of Avidya.[1]
क्लेशा इति पञ्च विपर्यया इत्य् अर्थः।
Maharshi Vyasa in his commentary describes kleshas as the five forms of Viparyayas
References
- ↑ Prasada, Rama. trans. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras with the commentary of Vyasa and the gloss of Vachaspati Mishra. (1998) New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. (Page 91 - 92)