Kleshas: The Five Psychological Patterns of Parts

Patanjali identifies five kleshas—avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death)—as the root afflictions that bind consciousness. In IFS terms, these are the archetypal patterns underlying part-formation. Avidya is the false belief that parts are separate from Self or that their narratives are absolute truth; asmita is the protective identity-part; raga manifests in parts that cling to past solutions and crave external validation; dvesha appears in parts that reject, push away, or numb; abhinivesha drives the part obsessed with survival and control. Every internal part operates through one or more of these patterns. By mapping the kleshas to your specific parts, you diagnose the root misperception each carries. The manager-part's avidya believes it must control outcomes; the protector's dvesha rejects vulnerability; the exile's raga clings to imagined rescue. Patanjali's genius is showing that these are not individual pathologies but universal patterns. Understanding kleshas in your parts demystifies their behavior, reveals their lineage in human conditioning, and opens the possibility of transformation. As each part sees its klesha clearly, it can relax the grip that pattern has held, moving toward authentic responsiveness.