 The main reason why emotions such as attachment and aversion are regarded as afflictions is that they lead to a desire to change our circumstances and therefore to an attachment to the world. This attachment, however, is precisely what is to be given up in order to achieve liberation. So, Patañjali and his commentators argue that emotions lead to desire and therefore have to be given up as one of the root causes of ignorance that causes attachment to the world. Only then can the mind discriminate between puruṣa and prakṛti.