T Ram Sewak

MANAS ROG - MOHA

In Shri Ramcharitmanas 7.121, Kakabhushundiji elaborates on Garuda's seventh question: "What are the various diseases of the mind, and how do they manifest?" He starts by highlighting their root cause:

Moha moola, tinh . soola

"Delusion born out of ignorance or attachment is the root of all spiritual afflictions (diseases/sorrows), and many more painful torments arise from it."

Depending on the context, Moha has two meanings: one is delusion born out of ignorance, and the other is attachment. This verse is a reflection of Gita 2.62, where Shri Krishna declares that thinking of and attachment to sense objects are the root cause of man's fall from divinity. In Shri Ramcharitmanas 2.92, Lakshman tells Nishad that if one's perceptions, reflections, or learnings are coloured by moha, then they cannot lead to the highest truth.

We must understand that our sense of attachment also arises from our delusion that this creation, the body which is Vidya Maya, and ownership and relationships which are Avidya Maya, are real. This delusion prevents us from realising the truth that our true self is our atma, which is indestructible and is an infinitesimally small part of the Paramatma (Supreme). Thus, both the complexions of moha are intertwined.

A mind shrouded in moha is clouded by inertia, attachment, and confusion and veiled from truth. Moha is not merely one among many afflictions it is the obscuring force of ignorance itself. It fosters attachment, desire, ego, and ultimately keeps the being ensnared in this worldly entanglement.

Shri Krishna delineates the obstructive power of moha on the spiritual path when HE asserts in Gita 2.52, 53 that only when your intellect (buddhi) transcends moha shall it stand firm and steady in the self, leading to Self-realisation.

Thus, the Sanjeevani to eradicate this root of all ailments is the realisation that HE alone is the ultimate, absolute truth; everything else is Maya that causes Moha! / DAILY WORLD /

The author is a former electrical Engineer and resides in the Himalayas. He can be occasionally reached at ramam.namami@gmail.com