Hello, dear readers! I’m Vatsal, your host for today’s topic discussion: Nakshatras!
Now, in case you feel reading this blog is a lengthy process, then you can have an audio version of this, from which you can listen this whole topic. There are two audios: the English one (Universal one, the audio at the top) and the Hindi one (If you can understand fluent Hindi, the audio at the bottom). The English audio is faster and more understandable, so I’d recommend you listen to it. Otherwise, it’s your choice. Now enough disclaimers, let’s GOOOOOOOO!
Nakshatras
In astronomy, particularly in the Indian subcontinent, there exists a term from Hindu astrology that has relevance in astronomy. The thing, or things in particular, are actually places or ‘sectors’, which the Moon passes through. If you hadn’t guessed already, then fear not! They are Nakshatras. “But”, you might be wondering, “What are we actually talking about, and why are we taking things from astrology and putting them in astronomy?” Well, today, we’re here to discuss about them, and understand their relevance.
So, WHAT are these so-called “Nakshatras”? Nakshatra is a term for ‘lunar mansion’ or ‘mansion of the Moon’ in Hindu astrology. they are technically sectors/places and are 27 of them (or 28), through which the Moon passes. So, you could say that the Moon (Chandra Deva) ‘stays’ in these ‘mansions’, from the very first to the very last, and repeating the process. Speaking of nakshatras, their names actually refer to some prominent asterisms (patterns that aren’t constellations) in the night sky. But sometimes, people refer to them as Hindu constellations. So, what are they? The answer is….asterisms! They are called Hindu constellations because of Hindu mythology, and that’s just a point of view.
But HEY! Where is the starting point of the nakshatras? The cycle of the nakshatras starts from the east direction, from the star Arietis or अश्विनी, and end at Zeta/Sigma Sagittarii or उत्तरा आषाढ़. FUN FACT: the 27 stars reflect the days of a lunar month, i.e 27.32 days. So, the Moon covers the width of a nakshatra in about a day.
The name of the nakshatras (in order of their appearance) are:
- Ashwini (Horse head)
- Bharani (Yoni/the female reproductive organ)
- Krittika (Agni, the god of fire)
- Rohini (Chariot/temple/banyan tree)
- Mrighashira (Deer’s head)
- Ardra (Teardrop/diamond/human head)
- Punarvasu (Bow and quiver)
- Pushya (Cow’s udder/lotus/arrow/circle)
- Ashlesha (Serpent/a coiled snake)
- Magha (Royal throne)
- Purva Phalguni (Bed/hammock/fig tree)
- Uttara Phalguni (Bed/hammock)
- Hasta (Hand/fist)
- Chitra (Bright jewel/pearl)
- Swati (Young sprout swaying in the wind/coral)
- Vishaka (Triumphant arch/potter’s wheel)
- Anurada (Triumphant arch/lotus)
- Jyeshta (Amulet/umbrella/earring)
- Mula (Bunch of roots/elephant god)
- Purva Ashadha (Elephant tusk/fan/winnowing basket)
- Uttara Ashadha (Elephant tusk/small cot/planks of bed)
- Abhijeet ( Victorious)
- Sharavana (Ear/3 footprints in an uneven row)
- Dhanishta (Drum/flute)
- Shatabhisha (Empty circle/1000 flowers/stars)
- Purva Bhadrapada (Sword/funeral cot/man with 2 faces)
- Uttara Bhadrapada (Twins/funeral cot/snake in water)
- Revati (Pair of fish/drum)
PHEW! That was a lot.
By the way, do you know that the phases of the Moon are actually related to these nakshatras? Hang on now, let me COOK (explain):
In Hindu mythology, it is said that the 27 nakshatras were actually the daughters of King Daksha (search the name on Google), and that they were married off to the Moon/Chandra Deva (in astronomy, that technically means that the moon covers each of the sectors or spends time with his wives in mythology). But out of ALL the wives, Chandra Deva/Moon loved Rohini the most (that’s why, technically, the moon covers Rohini or co-ordinates 10°0′ to 23°20′ for the MOST time).
But the other wives didn’t like this, as they also wanted his attention. So, they asked their father, King Daksha to do something about it. In return, Daksha cursed Chandra Deva/Moon, saying that each day, his powers would slowly decrease to the point where he wouldn’t be visible* (the phases of the MOON). Chandra Deva asked for forgiveness, and King Daksha said that he couldn’t reverse the curse (BTW, this ALWAYS happens with curses), but he could ask help from the god Shiva (the destroyer of worlds), his other son-in-law.
So Chandra Deva/Moon created a Shivalinga (an idol of Shiva) at Somnath, Gujarat (hey, I kinda know that place), and started worshipping it. After a few months of continuously worshipping him, Lord Shiva appeared from that Shivalinga (NOW I know the reason why I remembered Somnath. That’s ’cause the Shivalinga became into a JYOTIRLINGA, and it was the FIRST one!), and softened the curse, saying that his brightness would increase for 15 days in the Shukla Paksha, and then decrease for 15 days in the Krishna Paksha. Chandra Deva still didn’t like it as he thought it was just a reminder of his curse, but Shiva allowed him to stay on his head (THAT’S why he’s also called Chandrashekhara, or ‘The one who adorns the Moon’) and told him that it’d be a reminder that Shiva would always be there with his devotees. THE END.
Woah, that was a 3-in-1 STORY! I still don’t know how Vedic people accurately tell EVERYTHING about the universe in common stories.
But anyways, as we conclude this, I’d like to thank you for reading this blog! I hope it expanded your knowledge in astronomy and Vedic literature, and I hope you read our other blogs as well!
* You can learn about this more from ‘The Man from the Egg: Unusual tales from the Trinity’ by Sudha Murthy‘.
