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 mental modifications or thoughts (Chitta Vrttis) influenced by some elements which either bring happiness or suffering. Maharshi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras mentions these elements that disturb the mind's equilibrium as the five-fold pain-causing obstructions known as the panch-kleshas.
चित्तवृत्तयः ॥ Chitta Vrttis
Vrttis are formed from Samskaras or impressions on the mind and vice versa, and this is a perpetual cycle.
वृत्तयः पञ्चतय्यः क्लिष्टाक्लिष्टाः ॥ १.५ ॥ (Yoga. Sutr. 1.5)
The gross and subtle thought patterns (Vrttis) can be classified into five categories, and can be either of Klishta (afflictive or accompanied by Pancha Kleshas and cause sufferings) or Aklishta (non-afflictive or not accompanied by Kleshas and cause happiness) nature.
क्लिष्ट वृत्तयः ॥ Klishta Vrttis
When the various types of vrttis or modifications arising in the mind are born from the afflictions that are caused from avidya and become the seeds of future actions then they are called Klishta vrttis.
The five kleshas described by Maharshi Patanjali in Sadhana pada are those elements which bring about the thought modifications (vrttis) of the mind.
अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः ॥ २.३ ॥ (Yoga. Sutr. 2.3)
Meaning: Ignorance (अविद्या), Egoism (अस्मिता), Desire or attachment (राग), Aversion (द्वेष), and clinging to life (due to fear of death) (अभिनिवेश) are kleshas. 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 Avidya. 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 Viparyaya, which means incorrect or wrong knowledge.
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)