Page 79 - Demo

2. 4 tattanūkaraṇārtham īśvarapraṇidhānam।
For removal of Asmitā, Īśvarapraṇidhāna is the means.
The commentary on Sutras 1.6 and 1.7 offer ample explanation about the role of transcending the ahaṁkāra (asmitā, which evolves into Body-Mind complex) in reaching Spiritual Liberation i.e., Kaivalya. But, next to that would be the consideration of a method to rid of the ahamkara. It is interesting that despite providing the eight-fold path, Ashtanga Yoga, to reach Vivekakhyati and Self-Realization, Patanjali mentions at the beginning of the Sadhana Pada that kriyāyoga should be performed for attenuating the Kleshas. The kriyāyoga contains one element of Īśvarapraṇidhāna Following are the relevant Sutras.
तपोःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रवणधानावन वियाय गोः॥२.१॥
Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.1: Tapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni kriyāyogaḥ|
Kriyāyoga consists of Tapas (purifying the senses using physical, mental and spoken austerity), Svādhyāya (serious and regular study of authentic material about Yoga), and īśvarapraṇidhāna (practices that lead to the surrender to īśvara).
- 79 -