Kleshas (Hinduism)

Five kleshas

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

अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः पञ्च क्लेशाः॥३॥
Avidyāsmitārāgadveṣābhiniveśāḥ pañca kleśāḥ

Translated into English, these five kleshas are:

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

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).