Ishta-deva
In
Smartism, a denomination of
Hinduism, an
Ishta-deva or
Ishta devata or
Ishta-devatha is a term meaning "the god one prays most." It is derived from the
Sanskrit roots for
good and
god. Traditionally it alludes to the particular form of God (from among five forms of
God) as believed by Smarta Hindus. In such a concept held by
Smartas, different aspects of God are held to be equivalent.
According to some commentaries on the
Bhagavad Gita, the devotee will receive deliverance from ignorance and divine wisdom from their deity and come to perfection by practicing
bhakti yoga regardless of the form worshiped. Vaishnavites however, disagree and believe that Krishna himself stated that worship of deities other than Supreme Lord,
Vishnu, are incorrect as such worship would only lead to temporal benefits, rather than
mukti, which
Vaishnavites believe that only
Vishnu can grant. For example,
Krishna said: "Whatever deity or form a devotee worships, I make his faith steady. However, their wishes are only granted by Me." (Gita: 7:21-22) Another quote in the Gita states: "O
Arjuna, even those devotees who worship other lesser deities (e.g.,
Devas, for example) with faith, they also worship Me, but in an improper way because I am the Supreme Being. I alone am the enjoyer of all sacrificial services (Seva, Yajna) and Lord of the universe." (Gita: 9:23)
In another example cited by Swaminarayan
Vaishnavites,
Swaminarayan, founder of the Hindu
Swaminarayan sect, according to this site,[
1], said in verse 115 of their scripture,
Shikshapatri said, "Shree Krishna Bhagwan and Shree Krishna Bhagwan's incarnations alone are worthy of meditation. Similarly, Shree Krishna Bhagwan's images are worthy. And men or
devas, even if they are devotees of Shree Krishna Bhagwan or brahmavettaa (knower of divinity), they are still not worthy of meditation - and thus one should not meditate upon them." But he also recognized a
Smarta view, in verses 47, 84, [
2] "And the oneness of
Narayana and
Shiva should be understood, as the Vedas have described both to be brahmaroopa, or form of
Brahman, i.e.,
Saguna Brahman, indicating that Vishnu and Shiva are different forms of the one and same God. He concludes in verse 108, "And that
Ishvara is Shree Krishna Bhagwan (Shree Swaminarayan Bhagwan), who is supreme Parabrahm Purushottam, our Ishta-deva (principal deity), worthy of worship, and the cause of all incarnations."
The chosen deity is typically seen as a
murti — an
icon or representation of a
deity such as Krishna,
Ganesha, or
Shiva. Usually a person worships this ishta-deva, prays to it, or dedicates their actions to it. It is believed that the
human mind needs a concrete form to understand the divine that ultimately can never be defined. Just as one can understand the abstract concept of a
color only after one has seen a concrete form, one can only realize the deity through a form of murti.
The ishta-deva concept has confused outsiders, and made Hinduism to be misunderstood as
polytheistic. This view is only a view of
Smartism, the only denomination of Hinduism that holds this view strictly.Only a Smartist would have no problem worshiping
Shiva or
Vishnu together as he views the different aspects of God as leading to the same One God. It is the Smarta view that dominates the view of Hinduism in the West. After all,
Swami Vivekananda, a follower of
Ramakrishna, along with many others, who brought Hindu beliefs to the West, were all
Smarta in belief.Adherents of Smartism (
e.g. Smartas) are
monists, and conceive of multiple manifestations of a single God or source of being. Hindu monists see a unity, with the personal deities being equally valid to worship. Accordingly, this Smarta concept is a specialized type of
monotheism, termed
monistic theism. Additionally, Smarta Hinduism is an inclusive
monotheistic faith, which accordingly holds that the different deities are simply different manifestations of the One God.
Vaishnavism and
Shaivism, the other major denominations of Hinduism, on the other hand, however, conform to a Western perception of what a monotheistic faith is. For example, a Vaishnavite considers Vishnu as the one true God, worthy of worship and other forms as subordinate. See for example, an illustration of the Vaishnavite view of Vishnu as the one true God,
at this link. Accordingly, many Vaishnavites, for example, believe that only
Vishnu can grant the ultimate aim for mankind,
moksha. See for example,
this link. Similarly, many
Shaivites also hold similar beliefs, as illustrated at
at this link and
at this link. These faiths, on the other hand, are
panentheistic monotheism, for the most part.
Other
denominations as well as
sects of
Hinduism don't strictly hold this belief. For example,
Arya Samaj worships only the formless
Brahman, in particular,
Nirguna Brahman. Other denominations, such as the monotheistic faiths of
Saivism and
Vaishnavism, respectively hold Shiva and Vishnu to be the only ultimate reality, although those faiths recognize other manifestations of the
singular god as emanations or lesser deities subordinate to this one supreme being. For example, Shaivities may recognize Vishnu to be a manifestation of Shiva but accord Shiva the status of being the only ultimate reality. A Smarta, on the other hand, would consider Vishnu and Shiva to be the same but different aspects of only one supreme being. (See
Adi Sankara's commentary on
Vishnu sahasranama.) Vaishnavites may hold the same belief of other manifestations as Shaivites, thus viewing Shiva as a manifestation of Vishnu but hold that Vishnu is the only ultimate reality. The distinction is a subtle difference but noteworthy.
However, the monotheistic nature of
Saivism does not necessarily contradict the concept of
ishta-devata. It is the view of
Saivites, like most Hindus, that
Shiva can be approached and experienced through many paths. A certain deity or aspect is seen to choose and be chosen by the devotee, embracing them in
lifestyle and vibrations, subtly guiding them to the ultimate reality. A devotee moving towards Shiva through the worship of
Ganesa, Shiva's son, supposedly receives blessings and guidance of a much slower and kind nature than a devotee of the more destructive aspect of
Rudra.
The
Hare Krishna/ISKCON, organization, which is part of the traditional
Gaudiya Vaishnavism denomination would accord Shiva the status of a demigod rather than another equivalent aspect of Krishna. ISKCON considers Krishna to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They consider Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to be an
avatar of Krishna but worship Krishna, like many traditional Hindu adherents, as their preferred Ishta-Deva.
Other
new religious movements related to Hinduism (see
Contemporary Hindu movements), many of them
cults, have more contentious views, including a tendency in modern times to place their
guru as ishta-deva. This is of course an unpopular view both in the minds of orthodox Hindus, as well with outsiders who often misunderstand this phenomenon as a tendency common within Hinduism.
Swami Tapasyananda of
Ramakrishna Mission, in his book,
Bhakti Schools of Vedanta, pg. 50, on commentating about this phenomenon, said:
The avatar doctrine has been excessively abused by many Hindus today and we have the strange phenomenon of every disciple of a sectarian Guru claiming him to be an avatar. Christianity has therefore limited the Divine Incarnation as a one-time phenomenon. The theory has strong points and equally strong defects but it surmounts the gross abuse of the doctrine indulged in by many Hindus.Thus, if followers respect and revere the guru, it is only proper if they are using him as a conduit to Krishna, and respect him as a teacher.
However, Swami
Sivananda has said that a guru can be likened to God if he himself has attained realization and is a link between the individual and
the Absolute. Such a guru, according to his definition and interpretation, should have actually attained union with God, inspire devotion in others, and have a presence that purifies all. Such a case is limited in contemporary times.
As early as the seventeenth century, the great
Vaishnavite saint,
Raghavendra Swami, in his last speech before departing from the mortal world, warned about the dangers of fraudulent gurus by saying:
"The search for knowledge is never easy. As the Upanishads say it is like walking on the razor's edge. But for those who have strong faith and put in sustained effort and have the blessings of Shi Hari and guru this is not difficult. Always keep away from people who merely perform miracles without following the shastras and yet call themselves God or guru. I have performed miracles, and so have great persons like Shrimadacharya. These are based on yoga siddhi and the shastras. There is no fraud or trickery at all. These miracles were performed only to show the greatness of God and the wonderful powers that one can attain with His grace. Right knowledge (jnana) is greater than any miracle. Without this no real miracle can take place. Any miracle performed without this right knowledge is only witchcraft
. No good will come to those who perform such miracles and also those who believe in them."Smarta Hinduism is inclusive monotheistic, hence a follower of Smarta Hinduism may worship one God over another depending on preference. The most widely worshipped among forms of
God are
Shiva and
Vishnu. The Goddesses
Kali,
Durga and
Amba are also widely worshipped.
Ganapati is worshipped throughout India, while
Murugan is worshipped more in the
Southern India.
The system prevalent in
Hinduism is defined by the
Smartha philosophy; this theory allows for the veneration of numberless deities, but on the understanding that all of them are but manifestation of the ONE divine power. That ultimate power is termed
Brahman or
Atman, and is believed to have no specific form, name or attribute.
Only a Smartha, or follower of the
Advaita philosophy, would have no problem worshiping every imaginable deity with equal veneration; he views these different deities as being manifestations of the same God. Other (somewhat peripheral) Hindu denominations, such as
Vaishnavism and
Shaivism conform more closely to a Western understanding of what a monotheistic faith is. For instance, a Vaishnavite considers Vishnu as being the one and only true God, an attitude that resonates with that of the Semitic religions. However, the
Smartha philosophy defines the mainstream of
Hinduism, and imparts to Indic spiritual and religious traditions their renowned liberalism.
*
Swaminarayan sect view, similar to General Hindu view.*
Devotion and Knowledge of God's Greatness (only one God in Hinduism, #56 and see Shri Krishna is the supreme God; #57.)
* http://www.shaivam.org/shpvediy.htm
* http://www.godshiva.com/hipfaq.htm (see info on devas and one Supreme God.)
