YAMAS & NIYAMAS - Ishvara Pranidhana

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali tells us that surrendering with trust opens the doorway to the highest state of meditation, called Samadhi. He explains that Ishvara—the Divine, or a higher consciousness—is connected to mantra, and that repeating a mantra (mantra japa) helps turn our attention inward and clear away inner obstacles.

Ishvara isn’t a person or a god with a name or form. It’s pure consciousness—beyond time, space, and cause and effect. So how can we surrender to something we can’t see or fully understand?

Patanjali’s next sutra gives a clue. When we combine self-study (Svādhyāya) with surrender (Ishvara Pranidhana), we begin to experience what the ancient yogis describe—merging with divine grace that naturally leads us toward Samadhi.

Through steady mantra practice, the mind becomes more refined and clear. Over time, our ordinary way of thinking transforms into higher intelligence (Buddhi Sattva). We start to see life not through the small, personal self but through the “seer” within—the part of us that’s connected to universal consciousness.

In this state, we no longer see separation between ourselves and the Divine. Our mind becomes still and luminous, and we see reality as it truly is. This experience dissolves old patterns—ignorance, fear, attachment, and confusion—and brings deep peace and freedom.

When this awakening happens, all the big questions—Who am I? Where did I come from? What happens after I die?—fade away. There’s no need to seek anymore. We are resting in connection with Ishvara, the source itself.