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The Ishta Devata: An Article Written by Pawel Leszczak (Guru and Guide - Rafal Gendarz)
The Ishta Devata: An Article Written by Pawel Leszczak (Guru and Guide - Rafal Gendarz)
There are four main goals of human existance: dharma, artha, kama and moksha. In order to achieve them, people are advised to worship various devatas. Among all the devatas one can worship, the Ishta Devata is the foremost.
Ra!ayana clearly illustrates this %$int# It is a well,kn$wn fact that Ravana was a great dev$tee $f L$rd +hiva# (e was blessed by the L$rd and n$ wea%$n used by +ri Ra!achandra c$uld kill hi!# his was s$' because L$rd +hiva wanted t$ grant (is dev$tee !ukti# Ravana died $nly when L$rd Ra!a threw (is chakra and in this way granted hi! liberati$n# heref$re b$th state!ents !ade in +hastras are right- that $nly )ishnu is the giver $f !$ksha and that the $ther Devatas (like L$rd +hiva $r Devi) are als$ ca%able $f blessing their dev$tees with !ukti#
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when $ne als$ %erf$r!s %anca u%achara %u:a t$ $ne"s Ishta Devata# he ter! "dvadakshari !antra" !eans "the twelve syllable !antra"# An e;a!%lary dvadakshari !antra f$r L$rd )ishnu as Ishta Devata is given by the Parashara 2uni in his )ishnu Purana# he ugra !adhusudana !antra given there by the sage is as f$ll$ws- om namo .hagavate vasudeva!a# Parashara 2uni advises %e$%le t$ chant it and says that with this !antra we ask L$rd )ishnu t$ %ick u% (is sudarshana chakra and liberate us# he !antra bh$ga $f this %articular !antra is !ukti# heref$re it sh$uld be d$ne f$r $ne"s Ishta Devata with the %ur%$se $f !aking %r$gress t$wards final e!anci%ati$n#
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9ach )ishnu Avatar is w$rshi%%ed with a different dvadakshari !antra# (erein I have %resented each $f these incarnati$ns with a sh$rt descri%ti$n and the suggested !antra# <ne sh$uld kn$w that there are $ften !$re than $ne dvadakshari !antra f$r a %articular )ishnu Avatar# As s$!e $f the! are n$t in line with the traditi$n and %ara!%ara it is advised t$ refer t$ auth$rities while ch$$sing an a%%r$%riate $ne#
+ri Ra!achandra
L$rd Ra!a has a%%eared in the dynasty $f 2ahara:a 3hatvanga as the s$n $f 2ahara:a Dasharatha# (e br$ke the (ara,dhanu' !arried +itadevi and defeated Ravana# Later $n the L$rd beca!e the king $f Ay$dhya# (is gl$ries and %asti!es are de%icted in the fa!$us Ra!ayana# he !antra that sh$uld be chanted f$r +ri Ra!achandra Ishta Devata isOM NAMO BHAGAVATE RAMACHANDRAYA
+ri 3rishna
L$rd 3rishna a%%eared in the dynasty $f =adu as the s$n $f )asudeva and Devaki# (e has %erf$r!ed nu!er$us %asti!es during (is %resence in this w$rld# (e a%%eared $n the %lea $f L$rd .rah!a' L$rd +hiva' !$ther 9arth and the de!ig$ds in $rder t$ defeat the de!$ns and hel% !$ther 9arth and (er inhabitants# +ri 3rishna is the s%eaker $f the fa!$us .hagavad Gita# he !antra that sh$uld be chanted f$r +ri 3rishna Ishta Devata isOM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA
the %illar in $rder t$ save hi! and kill (iranyakashi%u# he !antra that sh$uld be chanted f$r >arasi!ha Ishta Devata isOM NAMO BHAGAVATE NARASIMHAYA
+ri .uddha
L$rd .uddha a%%eared in this w$rld because %e$%le were %erf$r!ing sinful deeds $n the strength $f )edic auth$rity# hat is why (e has re:ected the )edas and %reached buddhist %hil$s$%hy' teaching %e$%le the basic dhar!ic %rinci%les# ($wever' because (e has re:ected the )edas (e is n$t acc%eted as a w$rshi%able incarnati$n# hat is why' since the .uddha graha als$ signifies )ishnu' it is rec$!!ended t$ w$rshi% L$rd )ishnu directly' instead $f L$rd .uddha# he !antra that sh$uld be chanted f$r L$rd )ishnu Ishta Devata isOM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA
+ri )a!anadeva
L$rd )a!ana a%%eared in this w$rld as the s$n $f 3ashya%a 2uni and Aditi# (e t$$k the f$r! $f a brah!achari dwarf# L$rd )a!ana a%%eared $n the sacrificial arena $f .ali 2ahara:a and asked hi! f$r a three, ste%s,l$ng area $f his land as a d$nati$n# 2ahara:a agreed and +ri )a!anadeva t$$k the entire universe with his tw$ ste%s# (e !ade the third ste% by %utting (is f$$t $n .ali
2ahara:a"s head# he !antra that sh$uld be chanted f$r +ri )a!anadeva Ishta Devata isOM NAMO BHAGAVATE TRIVIKRAMAYA
+ri Parashura!a
Rcika 2uni and +atyavati devi had a s$n na!ed 4a!adagni# he s$n $f 4a!adagni was Parashura!a# <nce 3ing 3artaviryar:una has st$len 4a!adagni his ka!adhenu# (e was theref$re killed by Parashura!a' wh$ later $n has slaughtered the dynasty $f de!$niac kshatriyas twenty $ne ti!es # It is n$t rec$!!ended by the %ara!%ara t$ use the na!e "Parashura!a" directly in the dvadakshari !antra' hence the rec$!!ended !antra isOM NAMO BHAGAVATE HRISHIKESHAYA
+ri )arahadeva
L$rd )ishnu has t$$k the f$r! $f a b$ar t$ save the 9arth that has dr$wned in the water $f the Garbh$daka $cean# his ha%%ened due t$ a de!$n na!ed (iranyaksha# he L$rd has n$t $nly saved the 9arth' but als$ killed the de!$n# he !antra that sh$uld be chanted f$r +ri )araha Ishta Devata isOM NAMO BHAGAVATE SHRIVARAHAYA
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9;a!%les
8hart 6
his is a chart $f a dev$tee $f 3rishna# he 3araka!sa $f this %ers$n (+hukra) is debilitated in 3anya# he twelfth fr$! the 3araka!sa (:ivan!ukta!sa) is +i!ha Rasi' with 8handra %laced in it# his suggests +ri 3rishna as Ishta Devata# his %ers$n has been w$rshi%%ing +ri 3rishna f$r !any years# +he was als$ given the dvadakshari !antra "$! na!$ bhagavate vasudevaya"#
8hart /
he At!a 3araka $f this %ers$n is +urya# It is %laced in >ava!sa Lagna# he :ivan!ukta!sa is Dhanus' with n$ grahas in it# he L$rd $f Dhanus is Guru and we find Guru in trik$na t$ b$th' 3araka!sa and Lagna!sa# As +urya suggests L$rd +hiva and Guru suggests +adaa+hiva this %ers$n has attracti$n t$ L$rd +hiva and %erf$r!s %anca u%achara %u:a t$ the +hivalinga! daily# (e als$ chants Lingashtaka! and d$es sadhanas t$ vari$us +hiva !antras#
8hart ?
his is a chart $f an astr$l$ger# (er 3araka!sa is Rahu' %laced in 2esha# In the thwelfth h$use fr$! it there is 2angal' indicating +ri >arasi!ha .hagavan as Ishta Devata# his %ers$n has tried !any !antras' but she always says that whenever she chants a >arasi!ha %rayer $r !antra she e;%eriences that kind $f %$tency she really can"t e;%erience in $ther !antras#
8hart @
(ere we can see that the At!a 3araka $f this %ers$n' 2angal' is %laced in Dhanus in the >ava!sa# his w$uld suggest +ri >arasi!ha .hagavan as her Ishta Devata' since )rischika is the :ivan!ukta!sa# ($wever' acc$rding t$ the %ara!%ara' when the :ivan!ukta!sa is l$rded by the At!a 3araka we either have t$ take the $ther l$rd $f this h$use ()rschika $r 3u!bha) $r take a graha that is in the trik$na t$ 3araka!sa# (ere 3etu' the $ther l$rd $f )rschika' is str$ng in 2eena Rasi# heref$re this suggests either +ri 2ahagana%ati $r 2atsya Avatara#
8hart 0
In this chart we can see that the 3araka!sa +hani is in Dhanus# he :ivan!ukta!sa is )rischika with 2angal and .uddha in it# .uddha suggests +ri )ishnu and 2angal' being str$nger' suggests the f$r! $f +ri )ishnu >arasi!hadeva# his is %ers$n is a %i$us bhakta $f L$rd )ishnu' and he %articularily has attracti$n f$r L$rd >arasi!ha#
8hart A
he last >ava!sa is that $f the f$under and Acharya $f I+83<>' +rila Prabhu%ad# (e was a great dev$tee $f L$rd 3rishna' and we can see 8handra (+ri 3rishna) al$ng with +urya (+ri Ra!a) in his :ivan!ukta!sa# he At!a 3araka $f +rila Prabhu%ada was Rahu' suggesting a very s%iritual %ers$n#
OM TAT SAT