Shankaracharya addresses Shiva, as the great ruler. He says, “O Auspicious One, the Great Ruler, O Compassionate One, O Thou wielder of the Trident, Thou Lord of Gauri and of the creatures, the destroyer of all bondage of the jivas, Thou Lord of Varanasi, out of thy mercy Thou projectest, maintainest and destroyest this world. Thou art the Great Ruler.” Continue reading
The meaning of Ishta Devata is the personal deity with whom a devotee feels the greatest affinity. According to Swami Sivanananda, our worship of a God is defined by the element which is predominant in us. Our body and mind are composed of five elements. These are earth, water, fire, air and ether. Our elements have to be in harmony for us to tread on the path of self-realization. What ensures that our elements are in balance is the flow of prana. Continue reading
A symbol is used to make the mind one pointed and to bring about a perception of prana. The symbol is known as the ishta devata. In Sanskrit ishta means desired by your own choice; devata means divine awareness. Continue reading
I have written this post twice and it has gone into the ether. I am going to write it again and post it. Yesterday my connection crashed. Today I wrote it again and it went away. Where are all the posts in the cosmos. Can you imagine the conversation, and since our words are there what confusion. Continue reading