”defilements”, are mind-defiling, unwholesome qualities. Vis.M. XXII, 49, 65: "There are 10 defilements, thus called because they are themselves defiled, and because they defile the mental factors associated with them. They are: (1) greed (lobha), (2) hate (dosa), (3) delusion (moha), (4) conceit (ma^na), (5) speculative views (ditthi), (6) skeptical doubt (vicikiccha^), (7) mental torpor (thi^na), (8) restlessness (uddhacca); (9) shamelessness (ahirika), (10) lack of moral dread or unconscientiousness (anottappa)." For 1-3, s. múla; 4, s. ma^na; 5, s. ditthi; 6-8, s. ni^varana; 9 and 10, s. ahirika-anottappa.
The ten are explained in Dhs. 1229f and enumerated in Vibh. XII. No classification of the k. is found in the Suttas, though the term occurs quite often in them. For the related term, upakkilesa (q.v.;”impurities”) different lists are given - (App.).
the 10 kilesa are probably for the first time enumerated and explained in Dhs. (§§ 1229-1239). There they are, however, called kilesa-vatthu, which name (dasa kilesa-vatthu) is already mentioned in Pts I, 130, though there they are neither enumerated nor explained.