all the time? According to the Yogic philosophy this force is rooted in the very origin
of things and it comes into play the moment consciousness comes in contact with mat-
ter and the evolutionary cycle begins. As was pointed out in II-4 Avidya is the root of
all the Klesas and Abhinivesa is merely the fruit or the final expression of the chain of
causes and effects set in motion with the birth of Avidya and the involution of con-
sciousness in matter.
It was pointed out earlier that the different Klesas are not unconnected with one
another. They form a sort of series beginning with Avidya and ending with Abhinivesa.
This view is supported by II-10 according to which the method by which the subtle
forms of Klesas can be destroyed is by reversing the process by which they are pro-
duced. According to this view, then, Abhinivesa is merely the final phase in the devel-
opment of the Klesas and that is why it is Svarasavahi. Until the initial cause disap-
pears the subsequent effects must continue to appear in an unending flow.
In the connected series of Klesas, Raga and Dvesa appear as the immediate
cause of attachment to life. It follows from this that the greater the play of attractions
and repulsions in the Jife of an individual the greater must be his attachment to life.
Observation of life shows that this is to a great extent true. It is people who are under
the domination of most violent attractions and repulsions who are most attached to
life. We also find that in old age these attractions and repulsions temporarily lose their
force to some extent and pari passu the desire for life also becomes comparatively
feebler.
- These, the subtle ones, can be reduced by resolving them backward into
their origin.
In II-10 and II-11 Patanjali gives the general principles of first attenuating the
Klesas and finally destroying them. The Klesas can exist in two states, active and po-
tential. In their active state they can be recognized easily by their outer expressions