“Īśvara Praṇidhānā is from the Yoga Sūtra
and is mentioned more than once.
It is given on three levels and
both presented and utilised
in Chapters One and Two.
In Chapter Two Patañjali mentions
Īśvara Praṇidhānā as part of Kriya Yoga.
Tapas is elimination, we have things
to remove from body and mind.
Svādhyāya is a reflection of what
I am and what is my goal in life.
Īśvara Praṇidhānā is where we are
more concerned with the quality
of the action rather than the fruit.
Here, Īśvara Praṇidhānā symbolises
our attitude to our actions and the
result of our actions.
Again it is mentioned in Chapter Two
as part of the Niyama,
as part of our daily practices.
Īśvara Praṇidhānā is something
we do every day to bring us
into contact with God.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two