How do I find my Ishta Devata?
Hello,
I am new to the Dharma, and I was wondering on how to find my Ishta Devata in terms of Jyotish.
I was born September 11th 1988 at 1:30am
The coordinates being: 30° 24′ 6″ N, 89° 4′ 34″ W
Can anyone tell me about my astrology?
Blessings to all.
Re: How do I find my Ishta Devata?
Re: How do I find my Ishta Devata?
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté WTyler
Quote:
Originally Posted by
WTyler
Hello,
I am new to the Dharma, and I was wondering on how to find my Ishta Devata in terms of Jyotish.
I was born September 11th 1988 at 1:30am
The coordinates being: 30° 24′ 6″ N, 89° 4′ 34″ W
Can anyone tell me about my astrology?
Blessings to all.
Based upon the coordinates given you were born at the airport?
Which gate ? :) Are you certain of these coordinates?
Also - in Sept. 1988 was daylight savings time inforce? Is the birth time offered daylight savings time or standard time?
praṇām
Re: How do I find my Ishta Devata?
Vannakkam Yajvan et al:
Not that I'm all that intrigued, but I found my ishta devata without astrology. So I am wondering what would happen if I had an astrological consultation now and got it found out that way. Wondering if I would suddenly 'become' a Vaishnavite ot Shaktite.
Aum Namasivaya
Re: How do I find my Ishta Devata?
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté EM
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastern Mind
Vannakkam Yajvan et al:
Not that I'm all that intrigued, but I found my ishta devata without astrology. So I am wondering what would happen if I had an astrological consultation now and got it found out that way. Wondering if I would suddenly 'become' a Vaishnavite ot Shaktite.
Aum Namasivaya
Yes, many choose to find their iṣṭa-devatā by other means. This is fine. All roads lead to Rome. Using jyotish is another method.
praṇām
Re: How do I find my Ishta Devata?
Ishta Devata is found by your own free choice and will. All Devatas are manifestations of the Supreme One Almighty God. Why invoke astrology in this at all?:confused: :confused: :confused:
Re: How do I find my Ishta Devata?
Vannakkam Kahanam:
What you say may have be true for you and for me, but WTyler is new and exploring. If astrology is a guide, and the ancients say that it can be helpful, then I see no problem at all with the question. There is quite a bit of information out there in the subject so it must be used by somebody.
Do you feel the same way about arranged marriages? Free choice and will in selecting a wife with no astrological consultation?
But another thing WTyler should know is that the very concept of ishta and its various implications vary from sect to sect, with Smarta and Vaishnavite sects having the concept stronger. Perhaps Shaktism as well.
In my version of Saivism, I would say there is no real ishta for me. If I had to say, I guess it would have to be Siva, yet I spend more time worshipping both Ganesha and Murugan. Its certainly not something on the front of my mind.
Aum Namasivaya
Re: How do I find my Ishta Devata?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastern Mind
But another thing WTyler should know is that the very concept of ishta and its various implications vary from sect to sect, with Smarta and Vaishnavite sects having the concept stronger. Perhaps Shaktism as well.
In my version of Saivism, I would say there is no real ishta for me. If I had to say, I guess it would have to be Siva, yet I spend more time worshipping both Ganesha and Murugan. Its certainly not something on the front of my mind.
Aum Namasivaya
I think its completely a smarta (more apt. puranic) concept. vaishnavas are definition worshippers of vishnu, saivas of shiva, shaktas of shakti - the exact form of the lord or goddess depended on the sampradaya practices, level of initiation, geography etc.
Re: How do I find my Ishta Devata?
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kahanam
Why invoke astrology in this at all?
A fair question. Let me answer this way:
Because we are in the jyotish folder and this is where this knowledge is discussed, and people have asked.
This method is called out by various muni's as plausible i.e. we did not make this up.
This vimarśa¹ comes to us via mahārishi parāśar , a ṛṣi of the ṛg ved and the author of of the brihat-parāśara-horā-śāstra.
He also was the father of veda vyāsa¹.
Now this knowledge advanced substantially by jaimini muni, a student of vyāsa-ji's. He wrote the upadeśa sūtra-s that supliments
the brihat-parāśara-horā-śāstra of his teacher's father.
This upadeśa has a few meanings, that is why I am offering it here and extending the conversation just a bit.
Upadeśa is defined as instruction , teaching , information , advice , prescription. Hence jaimini muni's work is a informative
teaching and adjunct to the brihat-parāśara-horā-śāstra.
As you would expect with great seers, there is a deeper meaning to this word:
upadeśa u = a name of śiva, + pada = is foot or standing point + śa = śam = to put to an end, to destroy; it also means to
'be quiet or calm'. Others say the u expressed here is for the middle term of auṁ and therefore represents viṣṇu, and I am fine with that too.
Hence jaimini muni is saying this work is offered to the feet of śiva, ( or viṣṇu) to put an end to (ignorance) and to quiet and calm
the intellect. To bring knowledge.
praṇām
words
- vimarśa विमर्श- knowledge , intelligence
- veda vyāsa is kṛṣṇa dvaipāyana also known as vādarāyaṇa or bādarāyaṇa
Re: How do I find my Ishta Devata?
Namaste,
While I don't doubt there are valid reasons behind people's consulting traditional Vedic astrologers for help with connecting to the Devas, I'm not entirely sure I believe it can be as simple as "looking up" one's ishta-devata on a horoscopic chart. If the person in question feels some universal neutrality to all the Devas, neither preferring to worship one over the other, then I guess this type of consultation would definitely have its uses. In such cases it might act as a guide or an indicator of where to begin developing sincere bhakti. Personally, I prefer intuition to intellect in such matters.
Quote:
In my version of Saivism, I would say there is no real ishta for me. If I had to say, I guess it would have to be Siva, yet I spend more time worshipping both Ganesha and Murugan. Its certainly not something on the front of my mind.
I'm the same. I would say my ishta is Shakti - namely, Maa Durga - but I often find myself performing more pujas, and reciting more formal prayers to Ganesha and Shiva. And yet, like yourself EM, I don't spend time worrying over why this is so as much as I used to. Nor do I even bother with sectarian divisions anymore.