Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 9

स्वरस्वाहि विदुषोऽपि समारूढोऽभिनिवेशः ॥९॥

sva-rasa-vāhī viduṣaḥ api samā-ruḍhaḥ abhiniveśaḥ ||9||

The will to stay alive is a continuous self-disposition;
constantly springing up, even in the wise person.

sva - own; one's selfrasa - disposition; flavour; any object of taste; a tastevāhī - continuousvidvāṃs - wise personapi - also, something more, moreoversamā - equal, constantruḍha - springing upabhiniveśa - tenacity; the will to stay alive; clinging to life; fear of death;
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Commentaries and Reflections

Commentary by T Krishnamacharya:

“Abhiniveśā is the extra-ordinairy instinctive urge to survive at any cost.
No one is spared.
In a way it is a dislike about one’s death.”

“There are essentially three causes for fear….
desire, disease and death.”

Commentary by Paul Harvey:

“Fear and Insecurity feed on the leftovers
from the meals of past experiences.”

“Yoga is about looking inwards,
at what we fear most.
Rather than looking outwards,
at what we desire most.”