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anitya-aśuci-duḥkha-anātmasu nitya-śuci-sukha-ātma-khyātiḥ avidyā

अनित्याशुचिदुःखानात्मसु नित्यशुचिसुखात्मख्यातिरविद्या

Illusion is recognising what is transitory, impure, suffering and other than essence, as eternal, pure, happiness and essence

anitya - transitory

aśuci - impure

duḥkha - suffering, pain, sorrowful

anātman - other than essence

nitya - eternal; constantly dwelling or engaged in

śuci - pure

sukha - pleasure; happiness; agreeable; ease; comfortable; pleasant

ātman - essence; the highest personal principle of life; the individual soul, self

khyāti - recognition; perception, knowledge

avidyā - illusion; spiritual ignorance; connate misidentification

Commentary by T Krishnamacharya:

“When something is understood differently from what it truly is, it is called Avidyā. What is changing is taken to be non-changing. For example the mind. What is subjected to decay is assumed to be pure. For example the body. What is leading to suffering is taken to be the source of pleasure. What is not conscious is assumed to be conscious. All these errors in perceptions have many possibilities. But the ultimate stage of Avidyā is to assume that we are the Masters, not Īśvara.”

Commentary by Paul Harvey:

”Avidyā is the illusion of recognising: the ephemeral as the eternal, the profane as the profound, pain as pleasure and the silhouette as the source.”

“Patañjali reminds us of the pitfalls of the illusion (Avidyā) of recognising (Khyāti) psyche (Anātma) as awareness (Ātma).”

“One of the artful illusions presented by the Citta, is its ability to as if dress in disguise, so as to appear as if the Cit.”

“A necessary step in Yoga is to experience a state of complete and utter disillusionment. Arising from that is a state of Citta prepared to give up its conviction of being the Cit.”

“Avidyā is the illusion of experiencing what feels real, as if it is actually true. However, that we experience a feeling as real, does not in fact actually mean that it is true. So how to discern as to whether a feeling that we experience as real, is really true?”

“The Yoga Sūtra says you can’t change your life, however you can change your perception of it.”

“The search for understanding is driven by misunderstanding, though not always in the right direction.”

“What keeps you away from your self?”

“‘Who’ is it that misidentifies?”