Yoga Sūtra-s of Patanjali
Interpretation by Śrī Sādaśiva Brahmendra Sarasvati
Yoga Sudhākara
Pada II: Sādhana Pāda
Sūtra 4
The next Sutra says that the Avidya (wrong knowledge) is the cause of the four other Kesa-s namely Asmita, Raga, Dvesa and Abhinivesa. [Avidya is not a lack of knowledge; it is wrong knowledge. It appears as knowledge when the individual is in Avidya; when he ‘wakes up’ from the Avidya-sleep, he would realise that it was a wrong knowledge; this is the nature of Avidya. It is like when seeing a rope, one mistakes it as a snake. When he gets the right knowledge, he realises that it is not a snake and it is a rope.]
Sutra 4:
Avidya is the ‘production field’ for the other four Klesa-s which may appear dormant (prasupta), tenuous (tanu), alternated (vicchinna) or fully operative (udāra).
The four Kleśa-s, Asmita, Rāga, Dveṣa and Abhiniveśa appear in four stages namely dormant (prasupta), Tenuous (tanu), Alternated (vicchinna) and Fully operative (udāra). [These four Kleśa-s have different appearances; therefore they are not as stable as Kleśa in mind. They appear and disappear based on various reasons. On the other hand Avidya is different in nature.] Bhāvarūpa Avidya is different from other four Kleśa-s; [Bhāvarūpa Avidya means that it is not lack of knowledge; it is wrong knowledge.] all other four causes of unhappiness are produced by this Bhāvarūpa Avidya.
Here, a Keśa is dormant (prasupta) because there is no causative factor to wake it up; so the Kleśa exists in subtle form without appearing as an experience. [Until the last breath, all bodies contain Kleśa-s either in dormant or operative form.] The tenuous form (tanutvam) of Kleśa is a weakened state due to Pratipakṣa Bhāvana. [Creating an opposite thought process to get rid of the Kleśa is called Pratipakṣa Bhāvana.] The alternated stage (vicchinnatvam) is the forceful appearance of the Kleśa-s one after the other. The Kleśa becomes fully operative (udāra) when other supporting components join hands with it like desire, pleasurable objects, etc.
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श्री सदाशिव ब्रह्मेन्द्र सरस्वत्या विरचितः
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अविद्याक्षेत्रमुत्तरेषां प्रसुप्ततनुविच्छिन्नोदाराणाम्॥४॥
प्रसुप्तास्तनवो विच्छिन्ना उदाराश्चास्मितादयश्चत्वारः। तेषामुत्तरेषामविद्या भावरूपो विपर्ययः, सा क्षेत्रम् प्रसवभूमिः।
तत्र प्रसुप्तत्वं प्रबोधसहकारस्याभावेनानभिव्यक्तिः। तनुत्वम् प्रतिपक्षभावनया शिथिलीकरणम्। विच्छिन्नत्वम् बलवता क्लेशेनाभिभवः। उदारत्वम् सहकारिसंनिधिवशात्कार्यकारित्वमित्यर्थः।