Patañjali's Yogasūtra I.8

Yogasūtra of Patañjali | Viniyoga with Dr Kausthub Desikachar

Dr. Kausthub Desikachar is the current lineage holder of the Viniyoga® tradition worldwide. He succeeds his father TKV Desikachar, and his grandfather T Krishnamacharya. His objectives include the sharing of the authentic teachings of Yoga to the modern era, as well as building bridges between different healing modalities to promote physical, emotional social and spiritual health.

I.8 - viparyayaḥ mithyā-jñānam-atad-rūpa-pratiṣṭham

Misapprehension is that incorrect knowledge, where an inaccurate form of the object of understanding is established, [until more favourable conditions reveal the true nature.]

Misapprehension is considered to be the most frequent activity of the mind. This may occur through faulty observation or the misinterpretation of what is seen or through presumptions based on past experiences and conditioning that cloud clear perception. It is caused due to our inability to reflect and understand in depth what we perceive. This error may be recognized later or never at all. The aim of Yoga practice is to recognize and control the causes of misapprehension, which are discussed further in the second chapter.