Who is Your Ishta Devta? Identify From Your Kundli

Ishta means something that is good or beneficial. If we take the literal meaning of the words “Ishta Devata” it would translate to God that is good for you or beneficial for you. And, that is exactly what Ishta Dev signifies.

Ishta dev is different from Kul Devata. While Kul Devta is the deity worshiped by the entire family, Ishta Devata is decided based on the placement of the planets in your horoscope. Thus, the Ishta Devata is your personal guide and benefactor.

In Vedic astrology, Ishta Devata is akin to a guardian angel. He/She looks after you, guides you through the ups and downs of life, protects you from evil, and connects you with your spiritual self. It is believed that by worshipping your Ishta Devata daily with the prescribed mantra and method, you can attain moksha.

How to find your Ishta Devata?

You can consult an experienced astrologer or follow the steps given below to find your Ishta Devata from your kundali:

To find your Ishta Devata, you need to use your navamsa chart.
In your navamsa chart, find the planet with the highest degree. This planet is called your atmakaraka.
The location of the atmakaraka in the chart is known as the karakamsa.
The Ishta Devata of the kundali is the planet located in the 12th house from the karakamsa. If the house is empty, then the lord of the house is the Ishta Devata.

Once you know which planet is sitting in the 12th house from the karakamsa, you can use the table given below to find your Ishta Devata:

Planet	Ishta devta
Sun	Lord Ram, Lord Shiva
Moon	Lord Krishna, Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lalita
Mars	Lord Narsimha, Lord Hanuman, Lord Kartikeya
Mercury	Lord Vishnu
Jupiter	Lord Vishnu, Lord Dattatreya, Lord Indra
Saturn	Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu
Venus	Goddess Parvati, Goddess Lakshmi
Rahu	Lord Narsimha, Lord Vishnu
Ketu	Lord Ganesh, Lord Matsya

Alternatively, one can also worship the Vishnu avatar that corresponds to the planet in the 12th house from your karakamsa. Worshipping Lord Vishnu or one of his avatars helps attain moksha once the journey of this life is completed.

Planet	Lord Vishnu Avatar
Sun	Lord Ram
Moon	Lord Krishna
Mars	Lord Narsimha
Mercury	Lord Vishnu
Jupiter	Lord Vamana
Saturn	Lord Parshurama
Venus	Lord Koorma
Rahu	Lord Varaha
Ketu	Lord Matsya

How does knowing your Ishta Devata helps you?

Now that you know your Ishta devata, how can this knowledge help you? Do you worship this deity as you do other gods, or is there any other method of prayer that you need to follow? These are some of the questions that come to mind when we speak of a personal god. So, once you know your Ishta Devata, here is what you need to do:

1. Offer daily prayers: Make it a daily practice to offer prayers to your Ishta Devata in the morning after you have had bathed. Perform the prescribed rituals and recite the mantras associated with the Ishta god or goddess.
2. Focussed meditation: To gain benefits associated with Ishta Devata worship, you need to build a soul connection with your Ishta Devata. This is best done through meditation. Assign a peaceful and clean space in your house to do this meditation. Take out at least 15 - 30 minutes of time early in the morning or in the evening to sit in meditation. When you meditate, focus on your Ishta Devata. Doing this daily will help you build a connection with your Ishta Devata and be receptive to the guidance offered by the god/goddess.
3. Selfless surrender: Usually we associate worship and prayers with asking for something. However, when we worship the Ishta Devata our focus should not be on gaining material things. Worship of the Ishta Devata is beneficial only when there is selfless surrender. When we give ourselves and our lives in his/her care and without seeking anything in return, the path to moksha is cleared for us. Selfless surrender also helps in getting our life on the path that we are meant to follow.