Klesha ( Sanskrit: क्लेश, IAST: Kleśa) is a Sanskrit word meaning "impurity", "corruption" or "poison". ^[1] In Hinduism, a klesha is a mental state, such as fear or ignorance, that clouds the mind and leads to unhealthy actions. It is an obstacle to reaching a state of enlightenment and liberation ( moksha) from saṃsāra. ^[1]

Five kleshas

The third śloka of the second chapter of Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras explicitly identifies the five poisons (pañcakleśā'):

अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः पञ्च क्लेशाः॥३॥
Avidyāsmitārāgadveṣābhiniveśāḥ pañca kleśāḥ ^[2]

Translated into English, these five kleshas are: ^[2]

• Ignorance ( ávidyā), the first cause of suffering. It obscures the higher self by firmly establishing negative habits and resisting change ^{[1] [3]}
• Ego ( asmitā), attachment to the ego. ^{[1] [3]}
• Attachment ( rāga), desire for material objects, relationships, status, power, or other desires ^{[1] [3]}
• Aversion ( dveṣa) or anger towards unpleasant things, people, and experiences ^{[1] [3]}
• Clinging to life (abhiniveśāḥ), fear of death and desire to live. ^{[1] [3]}

According to the Yoga Sutras, there are four stages for overcoming the effects of the kleshas: the active stage (udaram), the detached stage (vicchinna), the decaying stage (tanu) and the dormant stage (parsupta). ^[1]

Literature

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describe suffering as an impediment to spiritual growth. ^[1] Yogic practices such as meditation and pranayama breathing exercises provide methods to overcome afflictions. ^[1] According to Shiva Purana 2.3.5 and Hathatatvakaumudi, klesha refers to suffering (i.e. suffering caused by penance). ^{[4] [5]}

See also

• Lobha – Hindu concept of character affliction
• Maya – Concept in Indian religionsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

References

Further reading

• Kapilnath (January 30, 2005). "The Five Kleshas". Internationalnathorder.org. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
• Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev (n.d.). "The Magnum Opus of Twilight Yoga". Internationalnathorder.org. Retrieved 2022-09-08.