Choosing Ishtam and Mantra

Question:

I have been doing Iyengar yoga on and off, and have been reading philosophical for many years.  I have consulted a few people on what is an appropriate Upasya Daivat and Mantra for me, and received varying answers. How to decide on the Upasya Daivat and Mantra?  Please advise me on it.

Answer:

People looking to start Yoga for the sake of spiritual progress often get into the situation you are in. Your question has two aspects viz. choosing a deity or Ishtam for devotional practices and selecting appropriate mantra of your chosen Ishtam.

The single biggest factor governing selection of your Ishtam is your devotion. Check with yourself which god-head you like the most. You might not have not practiced any devotional sadhana yet but in Indian culture we read about various god-heads in the form of stories. I am sure you must have read something similar. So, just see which god-head makes you more devotional. In tough times people often pray to God. See which deity you feel like praying during such times.

A common mistake beginners make here is to blindly follow some well-known spiritual personality. Remember that devotion is a spontaneous feeling and it cannot be forced on you. Just because some great saint or spiritual leader worshipped Rama or Krishna or Shiva doesn't mean you should also worship the same. Follow your mental inclinations and liking. If you force devotion onto yourself you will always have an inner conflict or contradiction in belief. So the most important factor is devotion.

Another complaint by beginners is that they do not feel devotional at all. If you don't have devotion for a specific deity then the second factor to consider is your Kula Daivat. See if you feel devotional towards your specific Kula Daivat. Try visiting temples or holy places associated with your Kula Daivat. Talk to elderly people from your family tree to see if there are any ancient stories related to that Daivat and your family.

If you fail to cultivate devotion about your Kula Daivat too then see if your parents worship a specific god-head. You can also try worshipping the same and see if devotion develops over a period of time. Reading Puranas, stotras and other devotional works can also aid your selection.

Now let's consider the second part of your question.

Mantras of a deity are of several types. Broadly they can be classified as Tantrik Mantras and Pauranika Mantras. Tantrik mantras are often combination of apparently meaningless letters called bijas. They are very powerful but several rules and guidelines are to be followed. Most of the people today living a modern life will find these rules daunting. One should not choose a Tantrik mantra on his own. One must seek guidance of a Tantrik guru.

The second flavor namely Pauranik mantras are often used for Naamasmarana. They are collection of meaningful words (often containing Namah or Namo). One should use such mantras for devotional Japa. In Tantrik mantras technique and rules are far more important followed by devotion. In Pauranic mantras, however, devotion is the key aspect not the technique of Japa.

Mantra, whether Tantrik or Pauranik, must be received from the mouth of a Guru who has experienced mantra chaitanya. Any mantra is either Siddha or Sadhya. Siddha mantra is the one whose latent power (called mantra chaitanya) has been activated. Sadhya mantra is the one who needs a lot of efforts from the practitioner's side to activate its mantra chaitanya. When an able Guru gives mantra to his disciple he gives it in Siddha form and hence benefits start flowing towards the disciple in lesser time. Unfortunately, today at many places giving mantra is just a formality or ritual because the person giving mantra himself has not experienced any chaitanya. That is why you have so many people doing Japa but very few getting real benefit. So, don't think that just because you received a mantra from some person wearing a saffron robe it was a Siddha mantra. The giver must be an able person. So, request some able person of your choice to give mantra to you. If you can't find anyone choose some popular Naamasmarana mantra of your Ishtam and proceed with Japa. Remember, however, that the later approach is inferior to the former one.