The Grip of Rāga and Dveṣa
Rāga (attachment) and dveṣa (aversion) are the third and fourth kleśas (afflictions). These don’t show up on their own—ignorance and ego, the first two kleśas, influence how we form our attachments and aversions. (If you’d like, you can read more about ignorance and ego in yoga philosophy.) Our memories also play a big part in shaping the way we react.
On the surface, it can feel completely natural—maybe even smart—to chase after what feels good and avoid what doesn’t. But here’s the catch: when our peace and happiness depend too much on outside circumstances, they become fragile. Life is always shifting, and we simply can’t count on external things to give us lasting happiness.
The Yoga Sūtras (2.3) teach that all five kleśas arise from avidyā (ignorance). When we mistake what is temporary—our body, sensations, thoughts, and external conditions—for the eternal Self, we fall into the illusion that we are the ones experiencing and controlling it all. From there, the ego takes charge: “This feels good, I want more,” or “This feels bad, I need to push it away.” And so, the cycle of craving and avoidance continues.
Yoga reminds us that as long as we’re caught in this back-and-forth of rāga and dveṣa, life feels like a rollercoaster of ups and downs. True freedom comes when we step off that ride and rest in what never changes—the Self, or puruṣa (pure awareness within).
Yoga Sutra 2.7 — Raga (Attachment)
Sanskrit: sukhānuśayī rāgaḥ
Translation (Sri Swami Satchidananda):
Attachment (raga) is that which follows identification with pleasurable experiences (sukha).
When we experience something enjoyable—a sweet taste, a compliment, or a moment of comfort—the mind wants to repeat it. This desire to hold onto or recreate pleasure is called rāga. The issue isn’t the pleasure itself, but our dependence on it for happiness.
Yoga Sutra 2.8 — Dvesha (Aversion)
Sanskrit: duḥkhānuśayī dveṣaḥ
Translation (Sri Swami Satchidananda):
Aversion (dveṣa) is that which follows identification with painful experiences (duḥkha).
When we encounter something unpleasant—harsh words, discomfort, or loss—the mind pushes it away. We form resistance, dislike, or fear around it. This reaction is called dveṣa. Suffering comes not from the pain itself but from our resistance to it.
Everyday Examples
In daily life, rāga and dveṣa show up constantly. Imagine finding a café you love—the perfect atmosphere and the best latte you’ve ever tasted. Soon, you become attached to the experience, looking forward to it each morning. One day, you arrive to find the café closed or the barista changed, and the latte no longer tastes the same. Disappointment and frustration arise. This is rāga at work—clinging to what once brought pleasure.
On the other hand, perhaps you avoid another café because you once had a poor experience there. That aversion carries forward. In both cases, your inner state becomes bound to things outside your control.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
Attachment and aversion are closely linked—two sides of the same coin. Something that draws us in at one moment can just as easily push us away the next. For example, you might love a café at first, but over time find yourself disliking it as your experience changes. The same pattern often shows up in relationships too—feeling attracted to someone at one point, then distancing yourself from them later. Or, just the opposite—you may not like someone at first, but later find yourself drawn to them.
The Role of Memory (Smṛti)
Smṛti, or memory, shapes how we respond to each experience. Every experience, in turn, leaves an impression on the mind-field (citta), known as saṃskāra. But memory isn’t like a fixed photograph—it’s fluid and ever-changing. Those impressions influence how we interpret future experiences, creating an ongoing feedback loop.
Each time we recall a memory, it’s filtered through two powerful lenses: our deeply ingrained saṃskāras and our present state—our body, emotions, conditioning, and current circumstances. Because of this constant reshaping, our feelings toward a person, place, or experience can naturally shift over time.why our feelings toward something or someone can shift over time.
The Pull of Attachment
Sometimes the strong pull of attachment leads to over-attachment, slipping into unhealthy clinging—or even obsession. In yoga, this grasping, even toward something that causes harm, is still considered rāga, though it has become a distorted or conditioned form.
Rāga arises from smṛti, the memory of pleasure. Even when a relationship or situation now brings pain, the mind clings to fragments of comfort or safety once felt. The ego holds onto the hope of re-experiencing that initial fulfillment, minimizing or overlooking the suffering that has since emerged. This state of mind is closely related to the last kleśa, abhiniveśa (the fear of change or clinging to life). When combined with rāga, it can bind us to harmful patterns.
It is deeply human to hold on, even to situations or relationships that cause us pain. Often, we cling not to the present reality but to the memory of comfort, love, or safety that was once there. This is not weakness—it is the natural pull of the mind, shaped by memory and fear of loss.
Freedom Beyond Clinging
Yoga does not ask us to judge ourselves for these attachments. Instead, it invites us to notice them with gentleness and curiosity, and to remember that we have the agency to untangle their knots. Through awareness, breath, and steady practice, we can begin to shift from clinging to what is fleeting and changing toward resting in the deeper space of peace that is always within us.
This insight is beautifully echoed in a verse from the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣhad (2.4.6):
“Everything shall leave you if you regard anything as other than you.”
—Swami Krishnananda
Swami Krishnananda explains in his commentary:
“Anything that is outside you cannot belong to you and cannot satisfy you, and it will leave you. So, it shall bring you sorrow. It is a point which is eternally true. All things shall desert you, one day or the other. Even those things which you regard as dearest and nearest, most desirable and valuable, shall desert you and leave you, bringing sorrow, because they do not belong to you.”
When we recognize this truth, rāga (attachment) and dveṣa (aversion) begin to lose their grip. Both arise from the mistaken belief that fulfillment lies in clinging to what is “mine” or in rejecting what is “not mine.” The Upaniṣhad reminds us that lasting peace is not found in what comes and goes, but in the Self, which is never apart from us.
As we awaken to a freedom untouched by gain or loss, union or separation, we begin to realize that nothing can truly abandon us—because, in essence, nothing was ever outside of us. Even amidst life’s ups and downs, we carry a source of peace and steadiness within. And the more we connect with the Truth, the more resilient, grounded, and open our hearts can become.
Key Takeaways
- Rāga and dveṣa are compounding kleśas — rooted in ignorance, ego, and memory, they keep us swinging between craving and avoidance.
- Pleasure and pain are not the problem — suffering comes from clinging to pleasure (rāga) or resisting pain (dveṣa).
- Memory is fluid, not fixed — each recollection is shaped by saṃskāras and our present state, influencing our attachments and aversions.
- Attachment can distort into obsession — the mind often clings to past comfort or safety, even when the present reality brings pain.
- Freedom comes from awareness — by noticing attachments without judgment, we can begin to untangle their knots. Lasting peace lies in the Self — not in what comes and goes, but in what is unchanging and always present within us.
Reference
- Swami Krishnananda – The Divine Life Society – eBooks, Articles, Photos, Audios and Videos on Yoga, Meditation, Spiritual Practice, Philosophy and Hindu Scriptures., https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/index.html. Accessed 29 August 2025.
- Bryant, Edwin F. The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary. Edited by Edwin F. Bryant, translated by Edwin F. Bryant, North Point Press, 2009.
- Satchidananda, Swami, editor. The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. Translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda, Integral Yoga Publications, 2012.
- Van der Kolk, Bessel A. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Publishing Group, 2014.