Ishta Devata

[Guest guest]

The analogy of "falling in love" is one I have also used extensively

in building bridges in many factions of a community.

 

I live in the Bible belt of the US which has more divisions in the

same Christian church than I had known before, and many do not even

accept the others as "Christian". Imagine my surprise when I arrived

here having grown up in a Catholic school, going to churches and

temples looking upon them with equal respect, even saying the Lord's

Prayer in the Kali temple when I was a child!!!

 

One certainly doesn't make a conscious choice about one's ishta

devata though there certainly may be a karmic attraction to one or

the other. You describe correctly the various reasons for choosing

one.

 

What is difficult to understand, for most who are not brought up in

the culture, is that no theory can totally explain a set of practices

that has developed from a variety of philosophical perspectives. Most

theoritical explanations came as an attempt to give the vast set of

literature some structure and often apparent inconsistencies remain.

I say apparent, because most often a Guru, who truly knows the

subject, is able to bridge the difference in understanding. Like the

English language "Hinduism" is full of exceptions to the rule, and

together with symbolism which is very heavy in the field, made it all

very confusing to me in the early days of my study. When we look

at Bhakti aspects of sadhna with the eyes of a vedantin, total

confusion ensues unless one has learnt to bridge that apparent gap.

This may explain the typical "fights" between Bhaktas who are "in

love" and Vedantins who are attempting to put things into a box with

logical rules. A sadhak is however always challenged to go beyond, as

part of their journey, and they are successfull at it if it is time.

 

Last night I was explained by a Bhakta how "Krishna is nirguna

brahman, but when HE is put together with Radha HE becomes saguna

brahman". My already limited knowledge is further limited to that of

yoga and meditation, and advaitic teachings. While this contradicts

my concepts of saguna and nirguna which has been partly learnt from

texts, I have now learnt that there is more to this than what the

books have told me. And to that extent I await more teaching from my

Gurus.

 

Thanks to all for keeping the flow of knowledge going.

 

_/\_ Tat twam asi

 

Uma

 

 

****************************************

This is a reply to Post 3453 sankarrukku

****************************************

[Guest guest]

Sri Omprem,

 

Your message is has no relevance to the subject matter that is Ishta

Devata. Where did I talk about mantras? How come you never thought of

replying to the query about Ishta devata? Both Swami Sivananda and

Swami Vishnudevananda (page 62 of his book Meditation and mantras)

have given excellent exposition on Ishta Devata.

 

About Saguna Mantras and Nirguna mantras Swami Vishnudevananda has

defined Nirguna mantras thus

 

"As Saguna mantras have form, Nirguna mantras are without forms.

There are no deities or personalized aspect of God to be invoked.

Rather one uses the abstract mantras and Vedantic formulas to assert

identification with all of creation."

 

This is a vedantins point of view. When we are discussing Ishta

Devata why are you talking abut Nirguna mantras. All Ishtadevatas

have forms. All Mantras in Mantra Sashthra are saguna.

 

You have quoted the KAALI Mantra from Swami Vishnu Devananda's book.

 

There are nine forms of MAA KAALI. There are more than hundred

mantras of MAA KAALI.

 

About MAA KAALI, Bagavan Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says in his

Gospel about Brahman and Kali

 

" The primordial power is ever at play. She is creating, preserving,

and destroying in play, as it were. This power is called Kali. Kali

is verily Brahman, and Brahman is verily Kali. It is one and the same

reality. When think of it is inactive, that is to say, not engaged in

the acts of creation, preservation and destruction, then we call it

Brahman. But when it engages in these activities, then we call it

Kali or Sakthi. The reality is one and the same: the difference in

name and form."

 

We find from the life and works of Swami Vivekananda and many of the

disciples of Bagavan Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, that even in the

eyes of many Vedantins Kali is Brahman.

 

There are six systems of philosophy in Hinduism. There are many

margas/Yogas. All of them do not aim at the Brahman. If you have read

Swami Sivananda you will know about the different yogas and different

goals.

 

The different Goals are

 

1. Realizing the Brahman - Brahma Sutras

2. Everlasting happiness and Moksha or Liberation from the cycle of

rebirths. - Ramayana & Mahabharata.

3. Merging with god.

4. Perfection of man in order to become the divine.

5. Sahaja and Samarasa - Avadhuta Gita

6. Union of Jivatma and Paramatma - Yoga Vishishta.

7. Saktha- The aspirant thinks that the world is identical with the

Divine mother. He moves about thinking his own form to be the form of

the divine mother and thus beholds oneness everywhere. He also feels

that the divine mother is identical with Para Brahman.

 

All definitions except Avadhuta gita from Swami Sivananda's books.

 

Swami Sivananda has also written a book called Tantra Yoga, Nada yoga

and Kriya Yoga. Swami Sivananda had knowledge of all the margas. But

he talks of Brahman only in the margas in which it is appropriate.

 

You seem to believe that only Vedanta is Hinduism and you look at

Bhakthi, Tantra and everything else only from the Vedantin's point of

view.

 

As Tatwamasi rightly put it

 

" When we look at Bhakti aspects of sadhna with the eyes of a

vedantin, total

confusion ensues unless one has learnt to bridge that apparent gap.

This may explain the typical "fights" between Bhaktas who are "in

love" and Vedantins who are attempting to put things into a box with

logical rules. "

 

 

Jai MAA KAALI !!!

 

P.S: I would advise you to confine your messages to Hatha yoga and

Vedanta.

[Guest guest]

Ishta devata

 

Devata in Sanskrit means

 

1. Divine Dignity or power, Divinity

2. A Deity

3. Image of a Deity

 

There is no gender associated with the term. All books of Saktha

religion refer to MAA only as Ishta Devata.

 

Sankar