In Yoga Sutra 1.24, Patanjali describes the special characteristics of Personal God, Ishvara.
Yoga, one must remember, is a part of Nyaya, a system which does not believe in God.
However, Patanjali has understood the necessity of God in Self Realization and had put forth the concept of God in Yoga.
Yoga , by definition is the cessation of the modification of Chitta.
We have unlimited number of impressions running through our Mind at any time.
But the aim of Yoga is to still them, their impressions.
It is difficult to stop all the impressions at the same time.
It would be easy and practical to reduce the number of things to be concentrated upon,
So first, Theism,Monotheism,Dualism and Monism
You start believing in a single entity, call it God, concentrate on it to the exclusion of other thoughts.
Once you are stabilized on that, it would be easy to still that thought as well and attain Samadhi.
But to reach that stage, one needs the concept of God just as one has to study in the LKG before he becomes a Ph.D.
So the concept of God is essential.
This stand is from the Thinking Level.
From the experience level , those who have realized. Samadhi, like Ramana Maharishi, declare that God does Exist.
This has to be taken into consideration as well.
So there must be some special characteristics for/of God.
Yoga Sutra 1.24 explains.
Sutra 1.24:
klesha karma vipaka ashayaih aparamristah purusha-vishesha ishvara
- klesha = pain, hardship, distress, anguish, colored, painful, inflicted, impure
- karma = action, actions, work
- vipaka = maturity, ripening, fruits of, consequence, effect, afterwards, results
- ashayaih = without companion
- aparamristah = untouched
- purusha = original source of Universe, pure consciousness
- vishesha = special, extraordinary, distinguished, unique
- ishvara = (ishwara) God, Goddess, Divine, Deity, purusha, pure consciousness, our true nature, pure awareness, Supreme Being
Translated loosely into English;
Ishvara is a distinguished supreme consciousness untouched by the colored results of actions or the pain of suffering.
In this Sutra, Patanjali is defining the qualities of Ishvara, the Supreme Being. ByPurusha– vishesha, Patanjali draws the student in deeper to this most unique and special form of consciousness. To understand the qualities clearly I made a chart;
The Qualities of Ishvara (Ishwara, purusha, the Supreme Being)
- free from the 5 modes of suffering (Yoga Sutra 1.5); ignorance, desire, aversion, fear, Egoism/I-am-ness
- free from the results of karma/action whether good or bad
- free from the anguish of the life-death cycles
- free from the subconscious impressions of Samkaras (karmas from past, present and future)
- Supreme intelligence.
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- Ishvarapranidhana Yoga Sutra 23 Patanjali (ramanan50.wordpress.com)
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