Guest guest Posted March 23, 2002 Report Share Posted March 23, 2002 Choosing an Ishtadevata is similar to choosing a husband/wife/companion/friend. You ask a person why he or she chose someone as a husband/wife/companion; he or she might give you some answers. But basically you fall in love with someone and then try to justify your selection. We can try to rationalize our decision but cannot do it completely. It is a decision of the heart. It is something called Love. You choose your Ishtadevata out of love. It is a decision of the heart. The intellect does not play a major role in the selection. That is the reason we end up by saying MAA chose me. Don't we end all discussions about the choice of our lover by saying I fell in Love. Period. But there is a basic difference. Here the love could be Mathru bhava, Pithru bhava, Vathsalya bhava etc, depending upon how you view your Ishtadevata as Mother, father, child, friend, lover etc. However we can analyze the reasons for choosing a particular deity as Ishtadevata. 1. In most of the cases the Deity whom you have known from childhood is the Ishtadevata. If you have played with Krishna idols in childhood most likely Krishna will be your Ishtadevata. Krishna is I think the most popular God as Ishtadevata as we believe that Krishna is our friend. We look at his pictures as Bala Krishna and feel comfortable with him rather than with Siva who is always a father figure. 2. The family deity is another choice. Again a question of familiarity. In these cases it is like falling in love with your childhood friend. 3. Many people who are devotees of Bagavan Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa also become devotees of MAA BHAVATHARINI. Since you read so much about her that over a period of time she becomes your Ishtadevata. 4. Many people are attracted to MAA KAALI because there is no caste distinction in most of her temples. MAA KAALI/ MAA Durga is the favourite Goddess of all revolutionaries because of their association with overcoming the forces of evil. Recently I was talking to a converted Hindu from Europe. She said that she saw a photograph of a Hindu goddess in a shop and immediately felt that this is her deity. You always hear of the classical theory of the three gunas. Satwik, Rajasaik, Tamasik. People and gods are again classified according to the gunas. The theory says you choose the gods according to the gunas to which you belong. This theory looks good, but in practice it becomes irrelevant. MAA KAALI is the popular Goddess in Bengal. She is very popular among the so-called lower castes in South India. Do we conclude that all Bengalis and South Indians who worship MAA KAALI are Tamasik or Rajasaik in nature? Was Bagavan Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Tamasik or Rajasaik in nature? We worship our Ishtadevata as the Ultimate power. This has no gunas. Nirguna. That is why MAA KAALI is called trigunathmikai. So we can safely discard this theory. So Erica, you choose your Ishtadevata as one whom you fall in love with. When it happens it will happen. Then you can rationalize your decision. As I said earlier the Ishtadevata could mean mother, father, child, friend etc. depending upon your feeling. Psychologists have written so many books trying to explain why we fall in love with someone or why we choose our friends. But I do not think there is a perfect answer. Again the concept of Ishta Devata is basically Tantrik. The Smarthas (I was born one) do not believe in this. But most people have a favourite god. Only that most of the Hindus do not use the term Ishta devata. Your favourite God becomes your Ishta Devata. I remember one of friends in a saying that even in spirituality, everything has to be logical. I do not think we can rationalize decisions of the heart. The decisions are not always logical. It is not necessary to have an Ishtadevata for spiritual or religious Sadhana. But if you look into your heart you will find your Ishta devata. Other than Ishta Devata, you have Kula Devata, Grama Devata etc. Sankar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2002 Report Share Posted March 23, 2002 Dear Sankar, Would it not be correct to call one's personal deity 'Ishta Devi', if that deity were a goddess? Namaste! KrishnaDas. -- In , sankarrukku <no_reply> wrote: > > > Choosing an Ishtadevata is similar to choosing a > husband/wife/companion/friend. You ask a person why he or she chose > someone as a husband/wife/companion; he or she might give you some > answers. But basically you fall in love with someone and then try to > justify your selection. We can try to rationalize our decision but > cannot do it completely. It is a decision of the heart. It is > something called Love. You choose your Ishtadevata out of love. It is > a decision of the heart. The intellect does not play a major role in > the selection. That is the reason we end up by saying MAA chose me. > Don't we end all discussions about the choice of our lover by saying > I fell in Love. Period. > > But there is a basic difference. Here the love could be Mathru bhava, > Pithru bhava, Vathsalya bhava etc, depending upon how you view your > Ishtadevata as Mother, father, child, friend, lover etc. > > However we can analyze the reasons for choosing a particular deity > as Ishtadevata. > > 1. In most of the cases the Deity whom you have known from childhood > is the Ishtadevata. If you have played with Krishna idols in > childhood most likely Krishna will be your Ishtadevata. Krishna is I > think the most popular God as Ishtadevata as we believe that Krishna > is our friend. We look at his pictures as Bala Krishna and feel > comfortable with him rather than with Siva who is always a father > figure. > > 2. The family deity is another choice. Again a question of > familiarity. > > In these cases it is like falling in love with your childhood friend. > > 3. Many people who are devotees of Bagavan Sri Ramakrishna > Paramahamsa also become devotees of MAA BHAVATHARINI. Since you read > so much about her that over a period of time she becomes your > Ishtadevata. > > 4. Many people are attracted to MAA KAALI because there is no caste > distinction in most of her temples. MAA KAALI/ MAA Durga is the > favourite Goddess of all revolutionaries because of their association > with overcoming the forces of evil. > > Recently I was talking to a converted Hindu from Europe. She said > that she saw a photograph of a Hindu goddess in a shop and > immediately felt that this is her deity. > > You always hear of the classical theory of the three gunas. Satwik, > Rajasaik, Tamasik. People and gods are again classified according to > the gunas. The theory says you choose the gods according to the gunas > to which you belong. This theory looks good, but in practice it > becomes irrelevant. MAA KAALI is the popular Goddess in Bengal. She > is very popular among the so-called lower castes in South India. Do > we conclude that all Bengalis and South Indians who worship MAA KAALI > are Tamasik or Rajasaik in nature? Was Bagavan Ramakrishna > Paramahamsa Tamasik or Rajasaik in nature? We worship our Ishtadevata > as the Ultimate power. This has no gunas. Nirguna. That is why MAA > KAALI is called trigunathmikai. So we can safely discard this theory. > > So Erica, you choose your Ishtadevata as one whom you fall in love > with. When it happens it will happen. Then you can rationalize your > decision. As I said earlier the Ishtadevata could mean mother, > father, child, friend etc. depending upon your feeling. Psychologists > have written so many books trying to explain why we fall in love with > someone or why we choose our friends. But I do not think there is a > perfect answer. Again the concept of Ishta Devata is basically > Tantrik. The Smarthas (I was born one) do not believe in this. But > most people have a favourite god. Only that most of the Hindus do not > use the term Ishta devata. Your favourite God becomes your Ishta > Devata. > > I remember one of friends in a saying that even in > spirituality, everything has to be logical. I do not think we can > rationalize decisions of the heart. The decisions are not always > logical. > > It is not necessary to have an Ishtadevata for spiritual or religious > Sadhana. But if you look into your heart you will find your Ishta > devata. Other than Ishta Devata, you have Kula Devata, Grama Devata > etc. > > > Sankar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2002 Report Share Posted March 23, 2002 Om Sankarrukku With all due respect, you are in error to say that Kali mantras are nirguna. Kali mantras, such as Om Sri Maha Kalikayai Namah, are by definition Saguna Mantras. Any Mantra that is focussed on an Ishtadevata is saguna (i.e. with quality) because that Ishtadevata has qualities. It is not correct to say, "We worship our Ishtadevata as the Ultimate power. This has no gunas. Nirguna." We actually worship the Ishtadevata as a representative of Brahman, the Ultimate. It is through worship of the particular that we eventually arrive at the General. Saguna Mantras have form-producing powers, eventually the form of the Ishtadevata appears. Through continued meditation, one moves past the form, past the Ishtadevata to the Divine Source from which the Ishtadevata arose. This so with all Saguna Mantras, including the Kali Mantras. Incidentally, even Nirguna Mantras have form-producing qualities. From the repetition of AUM, for example,the Sri Yantra appears. Om namah Sivaya Omprem , sankarrukku <no_reply> wrote: > > > Choosing an Ishtadevata is similar to choosing a > husband/wife/companion/friend. You ask a person why he or she chose > someone as a husband/wife/companion; he or she might give you some > answers. But basically you fall in love with someone and then try to > justify your selection. We can try to rationalize our decision but > cannot do it completely. It is a decision of the heart. It is > something called Love. You choose your Ishtadevata out of love. It is > a decision of the heart. The intellect does not play a major role in > the selection. That is the reason we end up by saying MAA chose me. > Don't we end all discussions about the choice of our lover by saying > I fell in Love. Period. > > But there is a basic difference. Here the love could be Mathru bhava, > Pithru bhava, Vathsalya bhava etc, depending upon how you view your > Ishtadevata as Mother, father, child, friend, lover etc. > > However we can analyze the reasons for choosing a particular deity > as Ishtadevata. > > 1. In most of the cases the Deity whom you have known from childhood > is the Ishtadevata. If you have played with Krishna idols in > childhood most likely Krishna will be your Ishtadevata. Krishna is I > think the most popular God as Ishtadevata as we believe that Krishna > is our friend. We look at his pictures as Bala Krishna and feel > comfortable with him rather than with Siva who is always a father > figure. > > 2. The family deity is another choice. Again a question of > familiarity. > > In these cases it is like falling in love with your childhood friend. > > 3. Many people who are devotees of Bagavan Sri Ramakrishna > Paramahamsa also become devotees of MAA BHAVATHARINI. Since you read > so much about her that over a period of time she becomes your > Ishtadevata. > > 4. Many people are attracted to MAA KAALI because there is no caste > distinction in most of her temples. MAA KAALI/ MAA Durga is the > favourite Goddess of all revolutionaries because of their association > with overcoming the forces of evil. > > Recently I was talking to a converted Hindu from Europe. She said > that she saw a photograph of a Hindu goddess in a shop and > immediately felt that this is her deity. > > You always hear of the classical theory of the three gunas. Satwik, > Rajasaik, Tamasik. People and gods are again classified according to > the gunas. The theory says you choose the gods according to the gunas > to which you belong. This theory looks good, but in practice it > becomes irrelevant. MAA KAALI is the popular Goddess in Bengal. She > is very popular among the so-called lower castes in South India. Do > we conclude that all Bengalis and South Indians who worship MAA KAALI > are Tamasik or Rajasaik in nature? Was Bagavan Ramakrishna > Paramahamsa Tamasik or Rajasaik in nature? We worship our Ishtadevata > as the Ultimate power. This has no gunas. Nirguna. That is why MAA > KAALI is called trigunathmikai. So we can safely discard this theory. > > So Erica, you choose your Ishtadevata as one whom you fall in love > with. When it happens it will happen. Then you can rationalize your > decision. As I said earlier the Ishtadevata could mean mother, > father, child, friend etc. depending upon your feeling. Psychologists > have written so many books trying to explain why we fall in love with > someone or why we choose our friends. But I do not think there is a > perfect answer. Again the concept of Ishta Devata is basically > Tantrik. The Smarthas (I was born one) do not believe in this. But > most people have a favourite god. Only that most of the Hindus do not > use the term Ishta devata. Your favourite God becomes your Ishta > Devata. > > I remember one of friends in a saying that even in > spirituality, everything has to be logical. I do not think we can > rationalize decisions of the heart. The decisions are not always > logical. > > It is not necessary to have an Ishtadevata for spiritual or religious > Sadhana. But if you look into your heart you will find your Ishta > devata. Other than Ishta Devata, you have Kula Devata, Grama Devata > etc. > > > Sankar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2002 Report Share Posted March 23, 2002 Ishtodervota and Ishtodevi - is different - it is different - it is more on personal level. Thank you for your explanation. jyotiradityam , sankarrukku <no_reply> wrote: > > > Choosing an Ishtadevata is similar to choosing a > husband/wife/companion/friend. You ask a person why he or she chose > someone as a husband/wife/companion; he or she might give you some > answers. But basically you fall in love with someone and then try to > justify your selection. We can try to rationalize our decision but > cannot do it completely. It is a decision of the heart. It is > something called Love. You choose your Ishtadevata out of love. It is > a decision of the heart. The intellect does not play a major role in > the selection. That is the reason we end up by saying MAA chose me. > Don't we end all discussions about the choice of our lover by saying > I fell in Love. Period. > > But there is a basic difference. Here the love could be Mathru bhava, > Pithru bhava, Vathsalya bhava etc, depending upon how you view your > Ishtadevata as Mother, father, child, friend, lover etc. > > However we can analyze the reasons for choosing a particular deity > as Ishtadevata. > > 1. In most of the cases the Deity whom you have known from childhood > is the Ishtadevata. If you have played with Krishna idols in > childhood most likely Krishna will be your Ishtadevata. Krishna is I > think the most popular God as Ishtadevata as we believe that Krishna > is our friend. We look at his pictures as Bala Krishna and feel > comfortable with him rather than with Siva who is always a father > figure. > > 2. The family deity is another choice. Again a question of > familiarity. > > In these cases it is like falling in love with your childhood friend. > > 3. Many people who are devotees of Bagavan Sri Ramakrishna > Paramahamsa also become devotees of MAA BHAVATHARINI. Since you read > so much about her that over a period of time she becomes your > Ishtadevata. > > 4. Many people are attracted to MAA KAALI because there is no caste > distinction in most of her temples. MAA KAALI/ MAA Durga is the > favourite Goddess of all revolutionaries because of their association > with overcoming the forces of evil. > > Recently I was talking to a converted Hindu from Europe. She said > that she saw a photograph of a Hindu goddess in a shop and > immediately felt that this is her deity. > > You always hear of the classical theory of the three gunas. Satwik, > Rajasaik, Tamasik. People and gods are again classified according to > the gunas. The theory says you choose the gods according to the gunas > to which you belong. This theory looks good, but in practice it > becomes irrelevant. MAA KAALI is the popular Goddess in Bengal. She > is very popular among the so-called lower castes in South India. Do > we conclude that all Bengalis and South Indians who worship MAA KAALI > are Tamasik or Rajasaik in nature? Was Bagavan Ramakrishna > Paramahamsa Tamasik or Rajasaik in nature? We worship our Ishtadevata > as the Ultimate power. This has no gunas. Nirguna. That is why MAA > KAALI is called trigunathmikai. So we can safely discard this theory. > > So Erica, you choose your Ishtadevata as one whom you fall in love > with. When it happens it will happen. Then you can rationalize your > decision. As I said earlier the Ishtadevata could mean mother, > father, child, friend etc. depending upon your feeling. Psychologists > have written so many books trying to explain why we fall in love with > someone or why we choose our friends. But I do not think there is a > perfect answer. Again the concept of Ishta Devata is basically > Tantrik. The Smarthas (I was born one) do not believe in this. But > most people have a favourite god. Only that most of the Hindus do not > use the term Ishta devata. Your favourite God becomes your Ishta > Devata. > > I remember one of friends in a saying that even in > spirituality, everything has to be logical. I do not think we can > rationalize decisions of the heart. The decisions are not always > logical. > > It is not necessary to have an Ishtadevata for spiritual or religious > Sadhana. But if you look into your heart you will find your Ishta > devata. Other than Ishta Devata, you have Kula Devata, Grama Devata > etc. > > > Sankar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.