Ishvara is a concept in Hinduism

Nov 30, 2020

Faith & Religion : Ishvara is a concept in Hinduism, with a wide range of meanings that depend on the era and the school of Hinduism.

In ancient texts of Indian philosophy, depending on the context, Ishvara can mean supreme soul, ruler, lord, king, queen or husband. In medieval era Hindu texts, depending on the school of Hinduism, Ishvara means God, Supreme Being, personal god, or special Self.

Ishvara is a concept in Hinduism [Image 2]

The root of the word Ishvara comes from Ish, which means "capable of" and "owner, ruler, chief of". The second part of the word Ishvara is vara which means depending on context, "best, excellent, beautiful", "choice, wish, blessing, boon, gift", and "suitor, lover, one who solicits a girl in marriage".

The composite word, Ishvara literally means "owner of best, beautiful", "ruler of choices, blessings, boons", or "chief of suitor, lover".

In Vaishnavism and for many Hindus, Ishvara is synonymous with Lord Vishnu, sometimes as Parabrahman or Parameshvara meaning the "Supreme lord", or as an Ishta-deva (personal god).

Similarly for Shaivism and many Hindus, it is synonymous with Lord Shiva or Maheshwara. In traditional Bhakti movements, Ishvara is one or more deities of an individual's preference from Hinduism's polytheistic canon of deities.

Ishvara is a concept in Hinduism [Image 3]

In Saivite traditions of Hinduism, the term is used as part of the compound "Maheshvara" ("great lord") as a name for Shiva.

In Mahayana Buddhism it is used as part of the compound "Avalokiteśvara" ("lord who hears the cries of the world"), the name of a bodhisattva revered for his compassion.

When referring to divine as female, particularly in Shaktism, the feminine Īśvarī is sometimes used.

Other Advaita Hindu texts resonate with the monist views of Adi Shankara.

For example, Isha Upanishad, in hymn 1.5-7, states Ishvara is "above everything, outside everything, beyond everything, yet also within everything"; he who knows himself as all beings and all beings as himself – he never becomes alarmed before anyone.

He becomes free from fears, from delusions, from root cause of evil. He becomes pure, invulnerable, unified, free from evil, true to truth, liberated like Ishvara.

Ishvara Religion Shaivism Shaktism Vaishnavism