[sestomosi]

This is a post I saw in another forum.

Bhakthi Yoga consists of three stages.

1. Worship of different Gods/Goddesses.

2. Worship of one exclusive God/Goddess who is called Ishta Devata. This helps
in concentration.

3. When you have reached an advanced stage, you go back to worship of other
Gods/Goddesses, though your main worship is still your Ishta Devata.

It is a well known fact that when you are in the Second stage you see your Ishta
Devata everywhere.

I used to Vigneswara temple and pray to MAA. Call him MAA. It comes
automatically.

A real life instance is the story of Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri of Kerala a
devotee-poet who composed Narayaniyam a medieval Sanskrit text, comprising a
summary study in poetic form of the Bhagavata Purana. This is mainly devoted to
the worship of Krishna.

Once when he went to the Chottanikara Bhagavathy (Kali) temple he started
singing "Amme narayana, Bhadre Narayana (mother Narayana)" because he saw
Krishna in Kali.

And again his text Narayaniyam starts with an invocation to Lord Siva of Vaikom
in Kerala. That reminded of an incident. A middle aged Tamil Brahmin who is the wife of one of the top people in a Sankara Matam and one who is close to the Sankaracharya, asked my wife whether it is necessary to have a Ishta Devata. She was telling that in the Matam they pray to different Gods/Goddessses throughout the year depending on festivals and other occasions. She felt the it may help her better if she concentrated on one God/Goddess.

The concept of Ishta Devata is considered Tantrik by Tamil Brahmins. Tamil Brahmins have some peculiar ideas about Tantras. They consider tantra to be Non-Vedic. They also consider Agamas to be Non-Vedic. This kind of belief is prevalent among other Brahmins also.

The belief in the caste (Varna) system is considered to be the central point of the Vedas. In fact some people do believe that Varnashrama system is Hinduism. Since the Tantras and Agamas are against the Varna system they are considered non-Vedic. Even Bhakthi is suspect viewed from that angle.

Even many Upanishads which speak against the Varna system is dismissed as of no consequence.

Of course this is changing albeit slowly.

I was writing about the Philosophy of the Siddhars. I am quoting an article by a English man who was a Natha. He considered Tantras and upanishads to be Non-Vedic. I thought I shoudl write an explanation. But suddenly I remembered that this is also the belief system of the Tamil Brahmins.

I was thinking of reproducing an old article I had written about Ishta Devata. I do not know how it will be received in a Brahmin's forum.

I have posted this here because the response to this thread clearly shows that Bhakthi Yoga in the sense represented by the post I quoted i. e based on Ishta Devata is not common among the Tamil Brahmins.

I am not saying that this particular belief system of the Tamil Brahmins is wrong. Though I may at times rile against some of the beliefs I do not think I am qualified to pass judgement.