Isvara

Ishvara (ईश्वर in devanagari script, Classical pronunciation /i:ɕvərə/), also variously transliterated (romanized) as Ishvar, Īśvara, etc. (Sanskrit: "the Supreme Lord, and hence the Cosmic Controller") is a Hindu philosophical concept of God meaning 'that entity or the Supreme Being which is the lord and the ruler of everything'. When referring to God as female, particularly in Shaktism, the feminine "Ishvari" is sometimes used. Hinduism uses the term Ishvara exclusively to refer to the Supreme God in a monotheistic sense. This conception of god is very often personalistic; however, the term should not be confused with the various Hindu deities or devas, since Ishavara is no one specific deity but rather a general concept of the supreme divine. Often in popular speech the Hindu terms Ishvara, Paramatman and Bhagavan are used interchangeably for God, however each word has its own specific meaning in the original scriptural context.

Etymology & Origins

Ishvara is also used to denote a "lord" in a temporal sense, such as a master or a king, similar to the dual usage also found in English.

Ishvara in the Various Hindu Schools of Thought

Among the six systems of Hindu philosophy, Samkhya and Mimamsa do not believe in the concept of Ishvara. The four monotheistic schools, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Vedanta and Nyaya acknowledge the existence of an Ishvara, though the debate over the nature of Ishavara has been most extensive in the Vedanta school.

Vedanta

Advaita Vedanta

Advaita (or "non-dualistic") Vedanata holds that Ishvara is a creation of the limited, finite human mind. Brahman, the monistic essence of the universe, is the only thing that truly exists, and everything other individual things perceived in the universe is essentially an illusion. Ishvara, since it takes on a personal form, is part of this illusion, since it has taken on such particular qualities as personality, motherhood, and fatherhood, among others, which Shankara perceived to be projections of human attributes open the divine. Perception of such qualities within God, he claimed, is ultimately based on ignorance or maya. Thus Ishvara is only a part of the "Nirguna Brahman", the aspect of the greater Brahman which does not have qualities and cannot be perceived, and is therefore subordinate to it. Advaita Vedanta accepts the fact that acknowledgement of Ishvara may be helpful in aiding individuals toward the divine. However, such an acknowledgement creates an affirmation of dualism between the ultimate Brahman and the human soul (atman), and must be overcome if an individual wishes to merge with the supreme divine.

Vishishtadvaita

In Vishishtadvaita, Ishvara is the Supreme Cosmic Spirit who maintains complete control over the Universe and all the sentient beings, which together also form the pan-organistic body of Ishvara. The triad of Ishvara along with the universe and the sentient beings is Brahman, which signifies the completeness of existence. Ishvara is Parabrahman endowed with innumerable auspicious qualities (Kalyana Gunas). Ishvara is perfect, omniscient, omnipresent, incorporeal, independent, Creator of the world, its active ruler and also the eventual destroyer. He is causeless, eternal and unchangeable — and is yet the material and the efficient cause of the world. He is both immanent (like whiteness in milk) and transcendent (like a watch-maker independent of a watch). He is the subject of worship. He is the basis of morality and giver of the fruits of one's Karma. He rules the world with His Māyā —His divine power.

Dvaita

According to the Dvaita school, Ishvara possesses all the qualities seen in Vishishtadvaita. However, Ishvara is only the efficient but not the material cause of the Universe and the sentient beings. Thus, Dvaitism does not separate Ishwara and Brahman, and does not believe that the highest form of Brahman is attributeless, or that Ishwara is incorporeal. Instead, Ishvara is the highest form of truth and worship of God involves belief in God as an infinite and yet personal and loving being.

Contemporary Worship

In addition to their belief in the abstract principle of Brahman, most Hindus worship God on a day-to-day basis in one of God's less abstract personal forms, such as Vishnu, Shiva, or Shakti. Some Hindus worship these personal forms of God for a practical reason: it is easier to cultivate devotion to a personal being than to an abstract principle. Therefore, the Hindu scriptures depict God not only as an abstract principle or concept, but also as a personal being, much like the Yahweh in the Judeo-Christian religions.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Sinha, H.P. Bhāratīya Darshan kī rūprekhā. (Features of Indian Philosophy). Motilal Banarasidas Publishers, 1993. ISBN 81-208-2144-0
• Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism. Viveka Press, 1994. ISBN 1-884852-02-5

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Ishvara  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Isvara"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.