Ishta Devata- BRAHMAN - Saguna and Nirguna Mantras

[Guest guest]

I have heard about the Saguna and Nirgun Brahma - the same principle

may be applicable to the ishta devota or ishtodevi. I shall be glad

to learn more about the Saguna and Nirguna Mantras.

 

But the Mantra "Om Sri Maha Kalikayai Namah" is different from the

usual Mantra of the Goddess Kali.

 

jyotiradityam

 

 

, omprem <no_reply> wrote:

> 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