ईश्वरप्रणिधान

Īśvarapraṇidhāna

niyama

Surrender or dedication to the Lord (Īśvara). The third component of kriyā-yoga (YS 2.1) and the last of the niyamas. Patañjali states that through īśvarapraṇidhāna the perfection of samadhi is attained (YS 2.45). It is not passive devotion but an active surrender of the fruits of action to the highest principle. In classical yoga, īśvarapraṇidhāna is simultaneously practice (sādhanā) and result (phala): to surrender to the Lord is already to enter samādhi.

It requires no belief in a personal deity. It may be understood as:

  • Surrender of the ego to something greater than oneself
  • Acceptance of the results of one’s actions
  • Recognition of the limits of personal control
  • Dedication of practice to a transcendent purpose

Īśvarapraṇidhāna completes the cycle of the niyamas: from purification (saucha) to total surrender. It is the antidote to spiritual pride.