Just ask Ganapati

 

So I did “my own research” on the somewhat peculiar question “how do I find my ishta-devata”, i.e. my very own personal deity I´m supposed to worship constantly (as in saying its mantra 108 times a day). Here are some of the suggestions I came across, both the good, the bad and the somewhat ugly!

Meditate on your highest spiritual ideal. Is it renunciation or ecstatic love? Do you see God as a friend, a child, a lover or a mother?

Study the mythology associated with various deities, learn the meaning of their symbols, look at their pictures.

Find your ishta-mantra. Are some mantras especially appealing to you?

The guru gives you an ishta-devata. Often in the form of a tangible vision.

Make an arbitrary choice! See if it works.

Choose a “kula-deva”, a deity already worshipped within your family.

Ask Ganapati (Ganesha) and offer him sweets. Maybe he´ll tell you!

Ask some other deity.

Check your horoscope according to Vedic astrology.

The last option can be done within minutes on the web with the help of an ishta-devata calculator. I used two such calculators, and got two entirely different answers?! Complete fake, in other words. Maybe I´ll just ask Ganapati…