ईश्वरः- Īśvara

 ईश्वरः- Īśvara 

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Blog author Jayaraman Mahadevan

Etymology

ईश् + वरच्  = ईश्वरः

īś + varac  = īśvaraḥ

·       The root for the word is  ईश् ऐश्वर्ये īś aiśvarye – to rule, to command, to possess power

·       The suffix added to it is वरच्   - varac – It is added to the root to indicate the meaning the agent/doer (कर्त्रर्थ kartrartha). It added based on the grammatical rule - स्थेशभासपिसकसो वरच् stheśabhāsapisakaso varac (aṣṭādhyāyī – 3.2.175).

Based on the above grammatical etymology the derivative statement of the word would be - शास्ति इति ईश्वरः - śāsti iti īśvaraḥ - the one who governs etc.

 

Lexicon

There are two entries in the Amarakośa to the term Īśvara. They are as follows -

ईश्वरः शर्व ईशानः शङ्करश्चन्द्रशेखरः 1.1.30.

īśvaraḥ śarva īśānaḥ śaṅkaraścandraśekharaḥ

īśvara,  śarva,  īśāna, śaṅkara, candraśekhara are the terms that indicate lord śiva.

इभ्य आढ्यो धनी स्वामी त्वीश्वरः पतिरीशिता 3.1.10

ibhya āḍhyo dhanī svāmī tvīśvaraḥ patirīśitā

ibhya, āḍhya, dhanī, svāmī, īśvara, pati, īśitā are the terms that are used to indicate the one who governs.

 

It could thus be seen that īśvara points to Lord Śiva and the one who governs.

 

Textual Occurrences

Yogasūtra–

There are five references to the term Īśvara in the  Yogasūtra – two in the first pāda and three in the second Pāda. We shall analyse the occurrences as per the Pādas.

 

Pāda 1

ईश्वरप्रणिधानाद्वा ॥ १.२३ ॥

īśvarapraṇidhānād vā .. 1.23 ..

क्लेशकर्मविपाकाशयैरपरामृष्टः पुरुषविशेष ईश्वरः ॥ १.२४ ॥

kleśakarmavipākāśayairaparāmṛṣṭaḥ puruṣaviśeṣa īśvaraḥ .. 1.24 ..

 

Sūtra 1.23 speaks about the practice of īśvarapraṇidhāna – devotion/surrender to Īśvara – by which the state of Samādhi is attained quickly. The subsequent Sūtra (.124) defines who Īśvara is – towards whom devotion has to be expressed. It states that - Īśvara is a particular consciousness which is untouched by the afflictions, actions, the fructification of actions and the residual subliminal impressions. It is to be noted that by implication, according to Yoga Philosophy, all other individual souls are entangled in all these aspects beginning from afflictions.

 

 

Pāda 2

तपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः ॥ २.१ ॥

tapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni kriyāyogaḥ .. 2.1 ..

शौचसंतोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः ॥ २.३२ ॥

śaucasaṃtoṣatapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ .. 2.32 ..

 

समाधिसिद्विरीश्वरप्रणिधानात् ॥ 2.४५ ॥

samādhisidvirīśvarapraṇidhānāt .. 2.45 ..

 

It in the Sūtras 2.1 and 2.32 – the practice of īśvarapraṇidhāna is once again advocated as part of the practices of Kriyāyoga and the Niyamas of Aṣṭāṅgayoga respectively. It is interesting to note that – in the context of delineating practices for advanced practitioners of Yoga in the first chapter īśvarapraṇidhāna was given as an optional practice to attain the state of Samādhi quickly. But for the intermediate practitioners and the beginners for whom Kriyāyoga and Aṣṭāṅgayoga respectively are prescribed, īśvarapranidhana is an integral limb of their prescribed Yogic practices.

Sūtra 2.45 gives the outcome of practice of Īśvarapranidhana as part of the Niyamas stated in Sūtra 2.32 – as that of attainment of the state of Samādhi.

 

Thus Īśvara in the context of Yogasūtras is centered around the practice of Īśvarapranidhana for all the levels of practitioners.

 

Bhagavadgītā

There are 19 references to the term īśvara in the Bhagavadgītā. The references occur in 9 chapters of the Bhagavadgītā. The chapters and the frequency of the occurrence of the term is given below –

Chapter 4 – 1 (verse 6),  Chapter 5 – 1 (verse 29), Chapter 9 – 1 (verse 11), Chapter 10 – 1 (verse 3), Chapter 11 – 3 (verses 3,4,9,16), Chapter 13 – 3 (verses 22, 27, 28), Chapter 12 – 2 (verses 8, 17), Chapter 16 -  2 (Verses 8, 14), Chapter 18 – 4 (Verses 46, 61, 75, 78)

As the references are numerous a chapter wise summary is given below

Chapter 4 – Verse 6 - Śrī Kṛṣṇa states – I, being the īśvara (governor/ruler) of the beings of the world, take control of the Prakṛti (the material substratum of the creation) and incarnate in this world

Chapter 5 – Verse 29 – in the verse Śrī Kṛṣṇa wants Arjuna to know that the supreme conciousness is the receiver of all the Yajña-s and Tapas and is a friend of all beings. He is also the great īśvara (Maheśvara)  - great ruler of the entire  universe. On knowing the existence of a supreme being watching over us – one attains peace.

Chapter 9  verse 11 – Śrī Kṛṣṇa states that – people look at the human incarnation of me and disrespect me without knowing the higher divine nature of me being the ruler (īśvara) of  all beings.

Chapter 10 – Verse 3 – In this verse śrī kṛṣṇa states that – without any delusions - the one who (with devotion) knows me as without beginning or end and as the lord of the worlds in, is freed from  all sins.

Chapter 11 – This is a chapter on Viśvarūpa Darśana – where the Śrī Kṛṣṇa exhibits his cosmic form. In verse 3 – Arjuna addresses Śrī Kṛṣṇa as Parameśvara (the ultimate lord). In verse 4 Arjuna addresses Śrī Kṛṣṇa as Yogeśvara – the master of Yoga. In Verse 9 Sañjaya describes Śrī Kṛṣṇa as Yogeśvara – master of Yoga. In verse 16 – Arjuna on seeing the cosmic form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa addresses him as Viśveśvara – the master of all universe.

Chapter 13 – In verse 22 – In the process of describing Kṣetrajña – Śrī Kṛṣṇa states that – the selfsame supreme conciusness which is the Maheśvara – great master/ruler/lord (of the universe) is also present in the body (of living beings here in the world). Verse 22 – in this verse it is stated that he alone sees who sees the Parameśvara (supreme being/lord) being equally present in all beings – immutably present among perishing/changing entities. Verese 28 continues the same idea of verse 22 of seeing the īśvara being present in all equally and states that a person who sees in this manner attains the ultimate state (of liberation) 

Chapter 15 – Chapter 8 – Verse 5 states that the īśvara (master/lord) of the body (the conciousness) while transmigrating from one body to the other carries the sense organs from the previous body just like the wind carrying the pollen from its source. Veres 17 – It is stated here that the Uttama- puruṣa is the supreme conciousness (Paramātman) – he permeates into all the three worlds, supports and governs (īśvara) them, while remaning indestructable.

Chapter 16 – Verse 8 – It is stated in this verse that the people with demonic nature would claim that the world is without an īśvara (a master/ governor). Verse 14 – This verse continues to describe the people with demonic nature. They would declare themselves as īśvara (the master).

Chapter 18 – Verse 43 – īśvara-bhava – nature of being able to govern is stated as natural trait of a kṣatriya/ a person of warrior class. Verse 61 – It is stated here that -  īśvara – the lord is situated in the heart of every being and makes the beings move round and round (in their lives). Verse 75 – sañjaya glorifies Śrī Kṛṣṇa as Yogeśvara here.He declares his great sense of awe  on being able to listen to the conversation between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Verse 78 – This is the final verse of the Gītā where again – śrī kṛṣṇa is described as Yogeśvara. It is stated here that – wherever Yogeśvara Krishna is and wherever is Arjuna – prosperity, glory, opulence and steady policy and wisdom will abide in that place.

Thus as evident, the word īśvara is greatly respected and frequently used in differnet contexts of  the Gītā.

 

Haṭha-yoga-pradīpikā

There is just one reference to the Word Īśvara in this text. It is as follows -

उपदेशं हि मुद्राणां यो दत्ते साम्प्रदायिकम् ।
स एव श्रीगुरुः स्वामी साक्षादीश्वर एव सः ॥ ३.१२९ ॥

upadeśaṃ hi mudrāṇāṃ yo datte sāmpradāyikam .

sa eva śrīguruḥ svāmī sākṣādīśvara eva saḥ .. 3.129 ..

It is stated here in that – the one who advises the practice of Mudrās in the traditional manner - is indeed the respected Guru, the Lord and Īśvara (the almighty) himself.

 

Īśvara	Yogasūtra 5 Reference	Bhagavadgītā 19 references	Haṭhayogapradīpikā 1 References
	Chapter 1 Sūtra 23, 24 Chapter 2 Sūtra 1, 32, 45	Chapter 4 verse 6  Chapter 5 verse 29 Chapter 9 verse 11 Chapter 10 verse 3), Chapter 11 verses 3, 4, 9, 16 Chapter 13 verses 22, 27, 28 Chapter 12 –verses 8, 17 Chapter 16 Verses 8, 14 Chapter 18 Verses 46, 61, 75, 78	Chapter 3 Verse 129

 

Summary and Observations

The grammatical derivation indicates that Īśvara is the master who governs. And the meaning is endorsed by the lexicon and the usage of the term in the context of Śiva is also shown in the lexicon. While the Yoga texts consulted do not use the term Īśvara in the meaning of Śiva – the other meaning as that of the Lord, almighty and master has been profusely used in the Yoga literature consulted.

 

1) Yogasūtras: Īśvara is defined and the devotion to Īśvara is advised thrice in the text – towards the attainment of state of Samādhi and that too quickly.

2) Bhagavadgītā: a) Śrī Kṛṣṇa declares he is the incarnation of Īśvara b) Further – there is repeated emphasis on the existence of Īśvara as the ruler/master of the universe – the supreme all pervasive consciousness c) those who are devoted to such Īśvara is stated to attain peace and freedom from all sins. Those who deny the existence of the governing higher force is described as Demonic. It is also stated that demonic people while denying Īśvara, declare themselves as Īśvara. d) It is very interesting to observe that – Īśvara is not mere described as all powerful creating, governing force of the universe. Īśvara is described as being present in the heart and each every being. The realization of this is aspect is praised as the real realization. e) The term Īśvara is used in compound terms such a – Maheśvara, Yogeśvara, Parameśvara. f) Along with this – the capability to rule and govern people – Īśvara-bhava – is presented as a quality of a Kṣatriya. This meaning of the term is quite different from all the earlier contexts of discussion where Īśvara was connected to God.

3) Haṭha-yoga-pradīpikā: Unlike the two earlier Yoga texts,  this text does not discuss elaborate about Īśvara as  God, all powerful – while mentioning about the existence of such an entity in just one occasion. Even that Īśvara is seen in the teacher of the Yogic practice of Mudrā.

Thus these are the insights and inputs on Īśvara and devotion to Īśvara in the Yogic context that emerged through the process of evaluation of the term through the Śabda-yoga methodology.

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