< 1-23 >
īśvara-praṇidhānāt-vā
ईश्वरप्रणिधानाद्वा
Or, from dedication to the lord
īśvara - the lord; the supreme soul; personal god; special self; ruler of choices
praṇidhāna - dedication; respectful conduct; attention; to place down; in front of
vā - or
Commentary by T Krishnamacharya:
“In the second and third Sūtra the means to realise Samādhi and the true nature of Jīva were explained. The term used in those Sūtra is Draṣṭṛ – that which perceives and aids in perception.” – T Krishnamacharya’s commentary to Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 23
Commentary by TKV Desikachar:
The more you try to know Īśvara the more you come to know yourself.
Commentary by Paul Harvey:
Or from dedication to the highest self.
“The Yoga Sūtra is also very helpful in guiding us around the notion of surrendering to that which we don’t know, through that which we do know.”