Raga

Raga

Color, coloring (including worldly passions), desire, attraction, passion, attachment.

In yoga, it is one of the five kleshas, ​​obstacles to spiritual liberation. Attraction (passion) is inextricably linked with pleasure. Only having experienced pleasure from this or that object or action, the jiva, or rather its mind, forms such a klesha as raga. Thus, raga is a klesha that leads to the accumulation of the karma of desire for sense gratification.

In Buddhism, it is one of the three poisons (triviṣa) that cause suffering and keep sentient beings in samsara.

In Kashmir Shaivism, raga is one of the 36 principles of reality (tattvas). This is one of the kanchukas, the so-called coverings that limit the soul. Attachment limits the property of the perfect fullness of God. Raga forces the jiva to be attached to the five subtle elements (tanmatras), and on grosser levels to specific manifestations of the universe, ignoring or denying everything else.

In the context of bhakti (especially in some traditions of Vaishnavism), raga has a positive meaning, representing attachment to the Supreme, devotion (for example, rāgātmikā bhakti – devotional service out of spontaneous unconditional love).

In Indian music, raga is one of the central concepts; it is a melody built in accordance with the classical canon. Each raga is meant to convey a specific emotion or mood (rasa).