Kleśā (Hinduism)
Encyclopedia
Kleśa is a term from Indian philosophy and yoga
, meaning a "poison". The third śloka
of Patañjali
's Yogasūtra
explicitly identifies Five Poisons (Sanskrit: pañcakleśā):
Translated into English, these five (pañca) Kleśa-s or Afflictions are:
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, meaning a "poison". The third śloka
Sloka
Sloka may refer to:* Sloka, Latvia, a neighbourhood of Jūrmala, Latvia* Sloka meter, a Sanskrit meter* Śloka, a Hindu prayer* Sloka Gora, a small settlement in central Slovenia* Sloka...
of Patañjali
Patañjali
Patañjali is the compiler of the Yoga Sūtras, an important collection of aphorisms on Yoga practice. According to tradition, the same Patañjali was also the author of the Mahābhāṣya, a commentary on Kātyāyana's vārttikas on Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī as well as an unspecified work of medicine .In...
's Yogasūtra
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are 194 Indian sūtras that constitute the foundational text of Rāja Yoga. Yoga is one of the six orthodox āstika schools of Hindu philosophy, and Rāja Yoga is the highest practice....
explicitly identifies Five Poisons (Sanskrit: pañcakleśā):
- अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः पञ्च क्लेशाः॥३॥
Translated into English, these five (pañca) Kleśa-s or Afflictions are:
- Ignorance (in the form of a misapprehension about reality) (ávidyā),
- egoism (in the form of an erroneous identification of the Self with the intellect) (asmitā),
- attachment (rāga),
- aversion , and
- fear of death (which is derived from clinging ignorantly to life) .
External links
International Nath Order (INO) perspectives:- Five Kleshas - International Nath Order
- Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev. "Twilight Yoga II: The Magnum Opus of Twilight Yoga"