Five sources of all our miseries

अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः
avidya-asmita-raga-dwesha-abhiniveshah kleshah

image credit : Istockphoto

These principles of Patanjali are not only applicable to yogic life, but also to worldly goals.

Patanjali says that there are only five sources of all our miseries. There are five and only five sources. All our miseries can be brought under these five categories.

First one is avidya. Vidya is knowledge. Avidya is lack of knowledge or ignorance. Wrong knowledge is also avidya. In fact, wrong knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance.

You want to go somewhere. You do not have the road map. You will make enquiries before starting. Even if you start without a complete road map you will frequently cross check to make sure you are on the right path. But when you have the wrong road map and you are confident it is the right one, you are bound to miss the destination. That is why quite often great intellectuals fail but, simple and not much educated persons become hugely successful.

Patanjali further says that avidya is the reason for other four sources. Thus, if there can be a single source of misery, it is avidya. When real knowledge dawns all the miseries fall away. However, it is important to be aware of the other sources also.

In our Indian knowledge system there two types of pursuit of knowledge. Pursuit of knowledge about the ultimate reality, is para-vidya. The ultimate reality is sometimes referred to as Brahman. Pursuit of knowledge that may help one to lead a practical comfortable life is apara-vidya. Knowledge of Engineering, medicine and other skill-based knowledge come under this category.

Patanjali’s definition of avidya tilts more towards wrong knowledge.

अनित्याशुचिदुःखानात्मसु नित्यशुचिसुखात्मख्यातिरविद्या
Anitya-asuchi-dukhah-anatmasu nitya-suchi-sukha-atma khyatih avidya

Avidya is all about taking for granted the transient as permanent, the unclean as clean, sadness as happiness, and the non-self as self.

The second source of misery is asmita. This has been defined by Patanjali as:

दृग्दर्शनशक्त्योरेकात्मतेवास्मिता
Drik-darshana-shaktyoh ekatmata eba asmita 

Asmita is the lack wisdom to distinguish between the act of seeing and the seer, the act of doing and the doer. Somewhere it is related with the concept of witness consciousness that we have discussed in the second article of this series. Asmita is all about being filled with ‘me and I’-ness. Asmita leads to ego and arrogance, because there is too much identification with the feeling that I am the doer. One filled with asmita would not admit that one has committed a mistake, or that one has the lack of knowledge, or that one’s knowledge is wrong. Asmita prevents one from acquiring the right knowledge. Narcissism also could be an extreme form of Asmita.

Raga and dwesha are two sides of the same coin. According to Patanjali we develop obsession towards objects that give us happiness and develop aversion to objects that give us sorrow. But objects that give us immediate pleasure can be harmful and objects that give us immediate pain may be good in the long run. Whether at individual level or group level too much attachment and aversion bring misery in the long run. Chauvinism, racism and all kinds of social prejudices are extreme forms of attachment and aversion. Such attitudes, in leaders who can influence masses, lead to large scale misery in the society.

Attachment and aversion take a yogi away from vairagya or dispassion which is essential for spiritual growth. While describing a sthitaprajna who is established in samadhi, Lord Krishna says:

रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन्‌ ।
आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति 

While moving among sense objects, 
having control over the senses
rid of obsessions and repulsions,
such a soul attains to grace. 
(Bhagavad Gita 2:64)

Abhinivesha is the fifth source of misery. All kinds of fears are associated with abhinivesha. Its extreme form takes the form of paranoia. Even in mild form any kind of fear makes us shrink from taking up any big project. But fear is instilled in living beings as a kind of safety measure aimed at self-preservation. Samadhi is a giant leap to the unknown. It requires tremendous amount of courage. While a mild form of fear is essential for self-preservation, timidity acts as an obstacle to progress in the path of yoga. Safety means to tread the familiar path. Yoga means to tread an unfamiliar path. Many are afraid when the time comes for drastic inner transformation. They continue to be the fence sitters, too afraid to take the plunge.

In Bhakti literature, the other shore of the river is the metaphor for getting rid of the cycle of birth and death. The Bhakti poets urge the devotees that reaching the other shore is possible only if you are not afraid to drown yourself.

Drown yourself and you reach the other shore.

This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026

This year my theme is – Yoga A2Z