svarasa-vāhī viduṣo ‘pi tathārūḍho ‘bhiniveśaḥ
Original Text
Translation
Clinging to life is innate, flowing on by its own momentum, even in the wise.
Terms
abhinivesha (fear of death)
Background
This sūtra completes Patañjali's list of the five kleshas, the afflictions that cause suffering, by naming the deepest one: the instinct to cling to life and fear its end. Patañjali describes it as a built-in tendency that keeps itself going, not a belief we adopt. The classical commentary on this sūtra points out that every living being seems to show it, with no one having to teach it. The key phrase is "even in the wise." Knowledge and long practice don't remove this fear, so feeling it is no sign of failure.