What is the Istha Devta?
The Istha Devta (Ishta Devata) is your personal deity — the form of the divine that is most natural for you to worship and that guides your soul toward moksha (liberation). In Jaimini astrology it is found through the Karakamsa method.
How it is calculated
- Atmakaraka (AK) — the planet of the soul (the one with the highest degrees) is identified.
- Karakamsa — the sign the Atmakaraka occupies in the Navamsa (D9) chart.
- 12th from Karakamsa — the house of liberation. The planet sitting there (or aspecting it, or its lord) reveals the Istha Devta.
The planetary deities
- Sun — Lord Shiva (Rama / Surya)
- Moon — Goddess Parvati / Gauri (Krishna)
- Mars — Lord Subrahmanya / Kartikeya (Hanuman, Narasimha)
- Mercury — Lord Vishnu (Buddha)
- Jupiter — Lord Vishnu / Sri Rama (Dattatreya)
- Venus — Goddess Lakshmi (Parashurama)
- Saturn — Lord Hanuman / Vishnu as Kurma (Shani)
- Rahu — Goddess Durga (Varaha)
- Ketu — Lord Ganesha (Skanda)
Because the result depends on the exact Navamsa positions, enter your precise birth time and pick the city from the dropdown. Deity traditions vary between teachers — treat this as guidance and follow your guru or family tradition.