Mohā (Sanskrit: मोहा), a Sanskrit word often rendered as “delusion," refers to the Hindu and Buddhist concept of ignorance that prevents the understanding of Truth. Bhagavad Gita, Verse 2.52, explains this delusion (moha) as infatuation or attachment to maya.
In Ayurvedic classics, hallucinations and delusions are referred to as false perceptions (mithyājñāna), illusions (maya), infatuations (moha), or confusion (bhrama).
In Yoga philosophy and Hatha Yoga Pradipika, moha is described as a delusion that clouds the mind. It has been cited as one of the causes of perjury. It is one of the Shadripurs.
Literature
Moha appears in the Vedic literature, and has roots in early Vedic word mogha which means "empty, unreal, vain, useless, foolish". The term is used in theological literature such as the Manusmriti. According to the Vishnu Purana, moha means "foolishness" and represents a form of emotional spiritual pain. According to Vishnu Purana verses 6.5.1-6, "the wise man investigates the three types of worldly suffering, or mental and physical suffering and the like, and attains true knowledge and detachment from human objects, attaining ultimate extinction". According to the Saura Purana, moha refers to one of the five avidyas.
Bhagavad Gita verses 2.62-63 describe the process that leads to mental afflictions, including moha. It explains that attachment (sanga) to sensory objects leads to desire (kama). Unfulfilled desires lead to anger (krodha). Anger leads to delusion (moha), resulting in confusion (smriti-bhramsha). This further deteriorates into the loss of reason (buddhi-nasha), and eventually, the person is destroyed or falls into ignorance.
Moha refers to "confounding enemies" and, according to the Kakshaputatantra, represents one of several siddhis. According to the Kubjikamata-tantra, Moh is the third of the eight mothers born from the body of Vahni. These eight sub-manifestations, including delusion, symbolize mental dispositions or emotions and are considered obstacles to the attainment of liberated enlightenment. They were presided over by Unmatt Bhairav.
See also
- Moh, closely related concept in Sikhism
- Moha (Buddhism)
- Upādāna, concept of clinging, loosely related to attachment
References
- ^ Moha, Definition - What does Moha mean?, www.yogapedia.com
- Mukundananda, Swami. "BG 2.52: Chapter 2, Verse 52 – Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God – Swami Mukundananda". www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- Soni, Ashwin. "What is Moha?". Medium. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- Balsavar, Anuradha; Deshpande, Smita N. (2014). "Hallucinations in the classical Indian system of Ayurveda: A brief overview". Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 56 (4): 325–329. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.146510. PMC 4279288. PMID 25568471.
- ^ Moha, Mohā: 50 definitions, In Hinduism, www.wisdomlib.org
- Shadripu, Ṣaḍripu: 2 definitions, www.wisdomlib.org
- Thomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921). Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 542. ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.
- Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi by Ganganatha Jha, Verse 8.120, quite: लोभात् सहस्रं दण्ड्यस्तु मोहात् पूर्वं तु साहसम् ।
भयाद् द्वौ मध्यमौ दण्डौ मैत्रात् पूर्वं चतुर्गुणम् ॥ १२० ॥ - The Vishnu Purana 6.5.1-6. Horace Hayman Wilson, www.wisdomlib.org
- Moreira-Almeida, Alexander; Mosqueiro, Bruno Paz; Bhugra, Dinesh (2021). Spirituality and Mental Health Across Cultures. Oxford University Press. pp. 206–207. ISBN 978-0-19-884683-3.
- Kakṣapuṭatantra verse 1.11-13.
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