Home › Glossary › Letter I

Ishvara

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The personal aspect of the divine in Samkhya and Yoga philosophy, often translated as “Lord” or “Supreme Being,” embodying conscious will and grace.

Detailed Definition
Ishvara in poetry is the divine presence who hears the prayer, guides the seeker, and holds the universe in compassionate order. Poets invoke him not as distant ruler, but as silent companion—whispering in stillness, moving in grace. He becomes the unseen hand in every verse of surrender, the quiet assurance that the path is held.
Example
Example in poetry:
A Patanjali-inspired poem: "Ishvara, the cosmic ‘yes’—/ when my will fails, / yours holds me"; A devotional verse: "Ishvara’s grace—/ not earned, but given, / like morning light"; A modern lyric: "In hospice, I felt Ishvara—/ not as savior, but / as presence in pain"; A haiku: "Mountain stands firm—/ Ishvara: steady / through my storms"; Another: "Ishvara needs no image—/ he’s the breath / that breathes me"; A minimalist verse: "Personal God. Compassionate. / Ishvara: divine / support."
Additional Notes
Ishvara in Yoga Sutras is the personal God who aids liberation; in devotional poetry, he is the compassionate guide, not distant force—this makes Ishvara central to bhakti verse where surrender is active, not passive, crucial for interpreting poems where God is both refuge and catalyst for awakening.
Also Known As
Eshwar Supreme Lord Personal God
Skip to main content