Isvara
/ˈiːʃ.və.rə/noun
A Sanskrit title meaning the supreme lord, ruler, or personal deity, especially in Hindu philosophical and devotional traditions.
Did you know?In Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, Īśvara is described as a special puruṣa—an eternally free spiritual being who can serve as an object of meditation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-Iranian period
Proto-Indo-Iranian
*aiš-
“A reconstructed root associated with possessing, ruling, or having power; its exact prehistory is debated.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
īś
“To own, possess, rule, or be powerful.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
īśvara
“A powerful lord, master, ruler, or deity.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Īśvara
“The Lord; a supreme or personal divine being, with meanings varying among Hindu philosophical schools.”
Middle Indo-Aryan period
Pali/Prakrit
issara
“Lord, master, ruler, or powerful person.”
Modern English
English
Isvara
“A scholarly and devotional transliteration of Sanskrit Īśvara, often referring to God or the supreme Lord.”