An Alternative Interpretation of Patanjali's Three Sutras on Isvara

The first article reinterprets Patanjali’s three Yoga‑sūtras (I.24–26) on Īśvara, the special ‘extra‑ordinary person’ mentioned in the Yogasūtra. Using only concepts found in the Yogasūtra, the author argues that Īśvara is not a theistic god but a liberated yogi who has attained dharmamegha‑samādhi, a state in which the yogi’s kleśas (afflictions), karmas and their residues are completely destroyed. When these obstacles are removed the yogi’s knowledge becomes infinite (ananta‑jñāna). The author stresses that Patanjali explicitly describes Īśvara as a ‘person untouched by kleśas, karmas, vipāka and āśaya’ and cautions that one cannot go beyond this description. A central theme of the article is the distinction between ananta‑jñāna (literally “infinite knowledge”) and sarvajña‑jñāna (omniscience). Many scholars have identified the two, but the author explains that Patanjali calls ananta‑jñāna the seed (bīja) of sarvajña‑jñāna. Ananta‑jñāna arises automatically when the kleśas and karmas have been destroyed and it grants the capacity to know all things. However, omniscience only manifests when this capacity is exercised through a special type of saṃyama (combined dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi). Thus ananta‑jñāna and sarvajña‑jñāna are distinct; the former is a prerequisite while the latter is a siddhi that depends on further practice. The author further argues that Īśvara is invariably characterised by ananta‑jñāna but not by omniscience. He notes that Īśvara becomes sarvajña only when he performs saṃyama on kṣaṇa and kṣaṇakrama. This interpretation undermines any attempt to turn Patanjali’s Īśvara into an omniscient deity and instead presents him as a yogi who has the potential for omniscience but uses it only under specific conditions. Finally the article interprets the third sūtra (I.26) – ‘pūrvaiṣām api guruḥ kālenānavacchedāt’ – as asserting that Īśvara is the spiritual teacher even of the ancient sages because his knowledge is not limited by time. In this way Īśvara serves as an eternal model for seekers, yet remains within the humanistic framework of the Yogasūtra. By keeping to the internal logic of the Yogasūtra and emphasising the yogic nature of Īśvara, the article offers an alternative to the theistic readings of Patanjali.

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