Maharishi Patanjali

Ishwara Pranidhana
Devotion in Yoga
as taught by Maharishi Patanjali

Shriram Sarvotham

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Ishwara Pranidhana Devotion to the Divine

Maharishi Patanjali is precise and succinct in his teaching of Yoga

Sutras. Recall the definition of Sutra:

alpAkSharam asandigdham sAravat vishvato mukham |

astobham anavadyam cha sUtram sUtravido vidu: ||
(Source: vaayu puraaNa)

Meaning:
A sutra should have few words (alpa-akshara), an unambiguous meaning,
be full of essence (sara-yukta), said only after considering all arguments for
and against it, infallible and without blemish.

Despite being concise, Maharishi Patanjali mentions Ishwara

Pranidhana (devotion to the divine) in numerous Sutras, clearly
indicating the value and importance of devotion in Yoga. Let us
look at these Sutras.

Patanjali lists several ways to reach that state of Yoga. He

mentions Ishwara Pranidhana as one of the ways.

One more method to attain Yoga is by special devotion to Ishwara.

Pranidhana is a special, high state of devotion where the will of the
practitioner is aligned with the will of Ishwara.

Who is Ishwara? Patanjali explains in the next sutra.

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The special purusha (indwelling principle) who is unaffected by
(i.e., transcends) klesha, karma, vipaka and ashaya.

Kleshas are veils of misery, and Patanjali lists 5:

The five kleshas are avidya (ignorance), asmita

(egoism), raga (cravings, attachments), dvesha
(aversion), abhinivesha (fear of death).

Ishwara is untouched by the above 5 kleshas.

Karma is action, vipaka is fruits of action, ashaya is residue or

imprints.

This exalted Ishwara is present in seed form in all of creation.

Transcending time, Ishwara is the teacher of ancient teachers too.

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Ishwara is represented by the Pranava (OM).

By the practice of Japa (repeated chanting) on OM, the meaning of

Ishwara becomes our experiential reality.

Then, witness consciousness blossoms in our awareness (i.e., free

of cravings and aversions) and all the obstacles to attain Yoga fade
away. [Patanjali describes 9 obstacles and 5 indications that we
are stuck in an obstacle, from Sutra I.30. This is a subject for
another session.]

Kriya Yoga is the combination of three practices: Tapas (self-

discipline, austerity), Swadhyaya (self-study) and Ishwara
Pranidhana (special devotion to Ishwara).

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Ishwara Pranidhana is also one of the 5 components of Niyama.
(Niyama is the 2nd limb of the 8 limed Ashtanga Yoga).
The other 4 limbs are: Purity, Contentment, austerity and self-
study.

Perfection in Samadhi (evenness of consciousness) results from

Ishwara Pranidhana.

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Let us conclude with a Prayer on Maharishi Patanjali:

Meaning:
I offer reverence to the eminent sage Patajali, who removed the impurities
of the mind through yoga, of speech through grammar, and of the body
through medicine.

The upper body of human shape, holding a conch (divine sound), discuss
(wheel of time) and sword (discrimination), I bow down to the white (pure)
thousand-headed (elevated awareness), I respectfully bow to Patanjali.

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