Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 17

द्रष्टृदृश्ययोः संयोगो हेयहेतुः ॥१७॥

draṣṭṛ-dṛśyayoḥ saṃyogaḥ heya-hetuḥ ||17||

The cause of what must be overcome is
the conjunction of the seer and the seen.

draṣṭṛ - seer; one who sees, one who sees welldṛśya - the seen; to be seen, visiblesaṃyoga - conjunction, combination, connection; union or absorption with or in; applying one's self closely to, being engaged in, undertaking; a conjunct consonant, combination of two or more consonantsheya - overcome; to be left or quitted or abandoned; rejected or avoided; to be left or quitted or abandonedhetu - cause, cause of; motive; reason for
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Commentaries and Reflections

Commentary by T Krishnamacharya:

“What causes Duḥkha?
In the school of Sāṃkhya it arises from within, or from external influences,
or from extraordinary phenomena such as drought, storm, earthquake.
However, the experience of Duḥkha is not the same for everyone.
The same circumstance may not bring Duḥkha in erveryone.
Hence the cause of Duḥkha is association. Association implies “two”,
that which is “associated to” and that which is the “cause of association.”
In Yoga they are known as Draṣṭṛ and Dṛśya;
that which perceives and that which is perceived.
The next three Sūtra describe them.
How these two get associated is a subject matter of great debate.
Suffice it to say that this mystery is the Lord’s will.”

Commentary by S Ramaswami:

“According to Vedānta and Yoga, Puruṣa or pure consciousness and Brahman are beginningless, it is not possible to trace their origin. It is therefore a waste of time to try and do this.

They say also, that if Avidya is the cause for Karma, how can we break this cycle?

However, Puruṣa or Brahman is beginningless and endless or permanent. Even through Prayala or dissolution.
Whereas Avidyā is beginnless but can be ended. Otherwise there would be no need for the Mokṣa Śāstra.
So Avidyā can be ended and it is desirable to do this.

Before we try to end Avidyā we need to know its cause.
The cause of all the Duḥkha which you need to destroy is Asmitā and its source is Avidya.
It is not possible for a normal mind to separate Puruṣa and Asmitā.
Asmitā extends into Rāga, Dveṣa, Abhiniveśā.
This is the cause for Saṃsāra, this confusion of Puruṣa and Asmitā is that which will have to be avoided.”

Commentary by Paul Harvey:

“We experience the world via the conjunction
of the ‘eye’ of the Cit with the ‘I’ of the Citta.”

“Through Avidyā we see two as if one.
Through Vidyā we know two is as if one.
Hence before there can be a state of Yoga,
there needs to be a process of Viyoga.”