According to Klaus Klostermaier, the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika belief in the existence of an Ishvara mirrors the Western belief in deus otiosus, since both are conceived as a creator God who retires from the universe after having created the laws that govern nature. Klostermaier further states that Ishvara can be understood as an eternal God who co-exists in the universe with eternal substances and atoms, describing it as a Divine Watchmaker who "winds up the clock, and lets it run its course".
According to Klaus Klostermaier, the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika belief in an Ishvara mirrors the Western belief in a creator deity who creates the universe but then steps back to observe. He further describes Ishvara as an eternal God who exists alongside eternal substances and atoms, likened to a Divine Watchmaker who sets the world in motion and allows it to run its course.