Klisha Vrittis as Destructive Political Patterns

Patanjali identifies five klisha vrittis—afflicted or destructive mental modifications: ignorance, ego-sense, attachment, aversion, and fear of death. These are not merely psychological problems but the root causes of political dysfunction. Ignorance manifests as ideological blindness; ego-sense drives zero-sum competition where leaders cannot acknowledge error; attachment creates corrupt favoritism; aversion produces irrational enemies; and fear of death (mortality anxiety) drives authoritarian grasping for power and legacy. Political psychology typically addresses symptoms—polarization, corruption, authoritarianism—without addressing these underlying psychological afflictions. Patanjali's diagnostic framework suggests that sustainable political transformation requires practitioners to first recognize and work with their own klishi vrittis. Leaders practicing this self-awareness become less tyrannical; citizens become less susceptible to fear-based manipulation. This internal psychological work creates the foundation for healthier political systems grounded in clarity rather than affliction.