Yoga and God

The present BA thesis is devoted to the problem of Īśvara, the supreme God, in the yoga philosophy as explained by Patañjali in his well-known Yogasūtras. Before approaching this issue, the philosophy of the classical sāṃkhya and yoga respectively is outlined, principal concepts and terms are explained according to the primary texts (Īśvarakṛṣṇa's Sāṃkhyakārikā and Patañjali's Yogasūtras) as well as secondary literature. Some differences between the two schools are mentioned and treated, too. After that, Patañjali's conception of God (which is lacking in classical sāṃkhya) is exposed. Related sūtras are treated where Īśvara is defined and referred to. These are followed by some considerations over this peculiar concept of God. It is argued and concluded that the notion of Īśvara in the Yogasūtras is not in accordance with the religious bhakti movement. Not being in any sense creator of the universe nor enjoying any sort of cult or religious practice and remaining in his eternal inertness and perfection, Īśvara can be best seen as a God of the yogīs, whose only aim, so to speak, is to serve as a perfect model for a liberation-seeking person. In the same vein, it is suggested that īśvara-praṇidhāna should not be translated as devotion to the God, but rather meditation on the God leading to the samādhi, an..