icchā-dveṣa-samutthena dvandva-mohena bhārata sarva-bhūtāni sammohaṁ sarge yānti parantapa
"O Bharata, by the delusion of opposites arising from desire and aversion, all beings fall into confusion at birth."
What This Means:
From the moment of birth, beings are caught in the delusion of opposites: like/dislike, pleasure/pain, attraction/aversion. This 'dvandva-moha' (delusion of duality) is why we don't perceive the unified Divine.
Going Deeper:
The root is desire (iccha) and aversion (dvesha). These create the mental habit of dividing reality into wanted and unwanted, loved and hated. This fragmentation obscures the wholeness of truth.
How To Apply This:
Notice how quickly your mind labels experiences as 'good' or 'bad,' 'wanted' or 'unwanted.' This automatic sorting is the very mechanism that obscures deeper reality. Can you observe before labeling?
Key Sanskrit Terms: