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sva-rasa-vāhī viduṣaḥ api samā-rūḍhaḥ abhiniveśaḥ

स्वरस्वाहि विदुषोऽपि समारूढोऽभिनिवेशः

The will to stay alive is a continuous self-disposition; equally springing up, even in the wise person

sva - own; one's self

rasa - disposition; flavour; any object of taste; a taste

vāhī - continuous

vidvāṃs - wise person

api - even, also, very; something more; moreover

samā - equal, constant; fair, impartial towards; like to or identical with

rūḍha - springing up; grown, produced from

abhiniveśa - tenacity; the will to stay alive, survival instinct, clinging to life, fear of death, instinctive clinging to worldly life and bodily enjoyments and the fear that one might be cut off from all of them by death

Commentary by T Krishnamacharya:

“Abhiniveśā is the extra-ordinairy instinctive urge to survive at any cost. No one is spared. In a way it is a dislike about one’s death.”

“There are essentially three causes for fear…. desire, disease and death.”

Commentary by Paul Harvey:

“Fear and Insecurity feed on the leftovers from the meals of past experiences.”

“Yoga is about looking inwards, at what we fear most. Rather than looking outwards, at what we desire most.”