“Ishta Dev”

“Each one of you should cherish , treasure one particular deity as your ‘ishta dev’ and see Him – His form in all other dieties…”
” Har ek insaan ko ek ‘ dev ‘ ko apna ‘ishta dev’ zaroor maan kar chalna chahiye aur unhi ke roop mein aur sab ko dekhna chahiya !”

Swamiji says …

” God. The Absolute. All powerful. All pervading. Supreme. Majestic.Divine. Mysterious. Who is ‘He’ ? What is ‘He’ ? Where is ‘He’ ?

” These thoughts have played on our mind right from our early childhood , as we knew for sure, that there is ‘someone’ … some force – strong and powerful , as our parents unfailingly paid obeisance in a very special manner to this power , unknown to us.They would clean the area of the house where ‘He’ resided , light lamps and incense – sticks , offer food and fruits to Him, chant His name and sing in His honour and we would look at this process with wonder. We were little children then – could barely utter gibberish, crawl or totter on our feet – but one habit that we had formed was to fold our hands and bow our head to a power – supreme and awe – inspiring. To add to the beauty and wonder of this power was that we could see ‘His’ – ‘Her’ form and address them by personal names … Bhagwan Shiv ji , Vishnu ji , Ram ji , Krishna ji, Hanuman ji, Ma Kaali , Mahavir Swami.”

” It is but natural that you might have been puzzled and confused about the hierarchy and supremacy of Gods – since we worship many Gods and Goddesses as well as their incarnations. Questions and doubts could have arisen in your mind – Who is God ? Which God is the most powerful? Who should I worship and offer prayers to first ? In which God’s care should I place myself ? What makes Him God ? All these doubts and confusion can be laid to rest the moment you surrender yourself unconditionally to ‘the’ deity with whom you feel you have established a direct connect – a personal rapport – the deity you feel you love the most, who inspires you with His invisible presence around you and makes you feel that you are his chosen one. It is then that you should draw Him within you as your ‘Ishta Dev’. In order to experience true divine joy , it is extremely important and essential for you to do this at the earliest. ‘Ek ka ‘ishta’ ka hona bahut zaroori hai!”

“Once you succeed in focusing your attention and devotion to that one particular God and make Him your beloved deity, you should then look for ‘Him’ in all other Gods or ‘Om’ or a ‘ Guru’ or any other power – that you are most inclined towards – while you pray, worship or meditate.
‘Apne ‘ishta dev’ ka roop , sneh , prem … baki sab mein dekho’.The bond of pure love, deep affection and implicit trust that you form with your ‘ishta dev’ enhances your abilities to comprehend and absorb , the ritualistic and spiritual aspect of life , with maturity and wisdom. ‘Sab ko usi ke roop mein dekho. Aisa karne se ‘bhagwan’ aur ‘nirakar’ ki prapti jaldi hoti hai …’ You should rejoice that you have been gifted with an opportunity to bow your head in reverence and respect to a galaxy of Gods and Goddesses , and while doing so , you should look for your ‘ishta dev’ in them and understand that your ‘ishta dev’ and the other deities are one and the same. ‘Namaskar sab ko karo , ‘ishta’ ek ko maano! ‘

“The faith and belief that you repose in your ‘ishta dev’ gives you the strength to lead a life that stands firm on the foundation of an amalgamation of rituals and spirituality. His presence by your side spurs you to perform rituals with an open mind – until they lead you to your final destination – spiritual upliftment . ‘Tumhare ishta dev tumhein , tumhari manzil tak pahunchate hain.’ Your ‘ishta dev’ blesses you in ways unknown to you ; in ways , mysterious and magical. He responds to your selfless love , desireless prayers, earnest appeals and showers His Grace on you – by opening your ‘kundalini’ which enables you to progress on the Real path – The True Path of Spirituality – that leads to the enlightenment of the soul by opening your ‘Third’ Eye.”