EJ ZÉwá

EJ fàtÜá
The Astrological Mythology
of Ancient India

By Vic DiCara
(Vraja Kishor das)

1
Contents (hyperlinked pages)
Introduction .............................................................................................. 5
The Beautiful Stallion ~ Aśvinī .................................................................. 8
Labor Pains ~ Bharaṇī............................................................................. 14
The Sharp Blade ~ Kṛttikā....................................................................... 19
The Blushing Bride ~ Rohiṇī.................................................................... 24
The Quest ~ Mṛgaśīrṣā ........................................................................... 31
The Storm ~ Ārdrā .................................................................................. 35
Repeating Patterns ~ Punarvasu ............................................................ 41
The Highest Blossom ~ Puṣya ................................................................. 48
Serpentine Embrace ~ Āśleṣā ................................................................. 53
Inherited Power ~ Maghā ...................................................................... 61
Romantic Enjoyment ~ Pūrva Phālgunī ................................................. 65
Vows of Friendship ~ Uttara Phālgunī ................................................... 72
Dexterity ~ Hasta.................................................................................... 75
Multifaceted Brilliance ~ Citrā................................................................ 80
Individuality ~ Svāti ................................................................................ 87
Obsession ~ Viśākhā............................................................................... 92
Devotion ~ Anurādhā ............................................................................. 96
Eminence ~ Jyeṣṭhā .............................................................................. 102
Uprooting ~ Mūla ................................................................................. 109

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The Invincible ~ Pūrva Aṣāḍhā ............................................................. 113
Complete Victory ~ Uttara Aṣāḍhā ...................................................... 118
Listening Carefully ~ Śravaṇa ............................................................... 121
Getting Practical ~ Dhaniṣṭhā .............................................................. 127
The Underworld ~ Śatabhiṣaj .............................................................. 131
Destruction ~ Pūrva Bhādrapadā ........................................................ 138
The Depths ~ Uttara Bhādrapadā ....................................................... 142
Abundance ~ Revatī ............................................................................. 145
Interpretive Implications of the 27 Stars.............................................. 149
The 28th Star ~ Abhijit........................................................................... 157
Use of the Stars .................................................................................... 158
Acknowledgements .............................................................................. 159

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Introduction
Look up at the night sky; countless stars will delight and fascinate you!
The most beautiful object in the nighttime sky has got to be the Moon.
It particularly captivated the hearts and minds of ancient Indians – who
watched it travel through the glistening circle of stars every 27 days.

So the Indians, like many other ancient cultures, developed 27

constellations. They conceived of these heavenly lights as repositories
of the powers of the gods.

Indian astrology, often called “Vedic Astrology,” has become quite

popular throughout the world today. The true heart of this astrology, its
original core, is the 27 stars. To interpret their meaning, the most
important thing to have is a deep and lucid understanding of the gods
that empower them.

Before diving into this exciting topic, please allow me to address a few
important misconceptions about the stars

The Stars are not the Signs

The most prevalent and long-standing misconception about the 27 stars
is that they are permanently linked with certain zodiac signs.

The 12 zodiac signs are based on the movement of the Sun, which we
measure by observing its solstices and equinoxes. The 27 constellations
are based on the movement of the Moon, which we measure by
observing it moving through the stars. These different ways of
measuring space don’t stay aligned to one another: The solstice Sun, for
example, drifts very slowly through the stars year by year. So, there is
no permanent relationship between the stars and the signs.

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Indians have known this since antiquity.

• Books written by them at different points in history

acknowledge different stars as being the “first” by virtue of
rising with the equinox.1

• The Purāṇas note that the big dipper gradually changes its
orientation to the horizon.2

• Surya Siddhānta explicitly states that the equinox moves in

relation to the stars.3

• A clear distinction between stars and tropical signs is made

throughout Sanskrit literature. 4

Although the ancient Indians were well aware of the fundamental

difference between signs and stars, most modern Indian astrologers are
confused about it. Over the last several centuries they have fused the
two, creating the misconception that the 12 signs are stellar, and that
the 27 stars are some sort of secondary, awkward subdivision of them.

At least while you are reading this book, please try to forget this
misconception, and whatever you might have learned about the 27
stars that explains them as if they were subdivisions of zodiac signs.
Since there is no permanent relation between stars and signs, the
meaning of the stars has nothing to do with the signs they temporarily
coincide with.

1
For example, the earliest Vedas, like Ṛg and Atharva were written when the
Pleiades rose with the Sun on the vernal equinox and identify the Pleiades as
the “first” star. Purāṇas written much later identify β Arietis as the “first” star
because the vernal equinox had drifted to β Arietis when those books were
written.
2
For example, see Bhāgavatam 12.2.27-32.
3
3.9-10.
4
For explicit non-stellar tropical definition of the 12 signs see Viṣṇu Purāṇa
2.8.26-30, Bhāgavata Purāṇa 5.21.2-6, Sūrya Siddhānta 14.7-10, and even
perhaps Ṛg 1.164.43.
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The Stars have no “Planetary Lords”
Another prevalent misconception is that the stars have “planetary lords”
who play a role in forming the character of the star. This mistaken idea
arises because Indian astrology associates the stars to specific planets
when calculating astrological time phases (nakṣatra-daśā). But even
then there is no permanent correlation between planets and stars
because there are dozens of nakṣatra-daśā systems, and each one
associates different planets with different stars.

At least for now, please forget any explanation of the 27 stars that talks
about their “planetary lords.” The 27 Stars are ruled by gods, not by
planets.

To Understand the Stars, You Must Understand the

Gods
The easiest way to deeply and clearly understand the 27 Vedic stars is to
deeply and clearly understand the Vedic gods that empower them. That
is a big task, but if we let the name and symbol of each star focus our
attention on specific aspects of the gods, we will in the course of a
single small book be able to communicate a very effective and
significant intimacy with these ancient stars.

Most of the book will familiarize you with the 27 gods of these stars,
highlighting the astrological relevance of names, symbols and myths.
After that, I will summarize in a concise format the practical astrological
effect of each star.

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The Beautiful Stallion ~ Aśvinī

Name Aśvinī
Meaning A beautiful stallion
Symbol A horse
Deity Aśvinī Kumāra -
Twin gods of health
Main Stars Twin stars: β and γ Arietis

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The horse is a symbol of beauty and health: both of which are
instrumental in enjoying life. So, it is a perfect symbol to summarize the
nature of Aśvinī.

I will tell you some tales about the gods of Aśvinī, highlighting their
connection to the horse symbol.

Born from Horses

Viṣṇu Purāṇa (2.3):

The Sun’s wife needs a break now and then. Her husband is hot –
literally. So she regularly goes off to recuperate and build up her
strength again to deal with his immense heat. She didn’t want to
depress or insult her husband so, being a goddess and no ordinary
woman, she came up with the idea to make a clone of herself to take
care of normal affairs in her absence. She hoped the Sun god would not
even notice her absence.

Sūrya (the Sun god) already had three children with her: Manu (from
whom came human beings), Yama (lord of death) and Yamī (the river
Yamuna). Now, while his wife was away, he made three more children
with her clone: Śani (the god of Saturn), a second Manu, and Tapatī
(another river).

All was well and good until one day the clone-wife got really angry and
cursed her “son” Yama. Sūrya realized, “This can’t be Yama’s mother. A
mother would never curse her own son so harshly.” Sūrya took the form
of a horse and tracked his real wife to a forest where she was
meditating for recuperation. She also took the form of a horse and tried
to flee. Surya caught up to her and, as horses, they had a third batch of
three children: The Aśvinī twins and a son named Revanta.
Mahābhārata Adi.66.35 adds that the twins were born from each nostril
of their horse-mother.

So, the gods of Aśvinī were born from horses.

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The Horse Head Loophole
Ṛg Veda (22.116):

Indra (king of the gods) knew a how to produce secret, powerful elixirs
like Soma and did not want this knowledge to get into the wrong hands.
He taught it to sage Dadichi but laid a curse upon him: “If you teach this
to anyone your head must come off.”

The Aśvinī twins wanted to learn this secret! So, being master surgeons,
they cut off the sage’s head and the head of a horse and swapped the
two. Through “the horse’s mouth” they learned the secrets they sought.
Then they swapped the heads back to their original owners. Thus they
made a loophole which diffused the curse of Indra.

This illustrates that skill in surgery is a theme of Aśvinī.

Curing the Blindness of a Friend

Ṛg Veda (16.115):

Once, the divine horse that belonged to the Aśvinī twins took the shape
of a wolf. One young man collected 100 goats from the locals and fed
them to this wolf. The man’s father became very angry that his son stole
from others, and cursed his son to become blind. The young man
appealed to the Aśvinī twins, who were very sympathetic and cured his
blindness.

This illustrates that Aśvinī’s medical expertise is particularly

suited towards improving sensual acuity, “curing blindness.”

Curing a Blind Old Sage

Devī Bhāgavata (7) & Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (9.3):

A beautiful young princess named Sukanya once semi-unknowingly

poked the eyes of an old hermit named Cyavana, making him blind. To
apologize for the act, she married him and cared for him very faithfully
and wonderfully.

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One day the Aśvinī twins saw her alone, collecting various things from
the deep forest where she lived with the hermit. They boldly proposed
that she abandon the old blind man and take one of them as her new
husband. She became very angry with them and said, “If you don’t shut
up and get out of here, my curses will burn you to ashes!”

The twins were extremely impressed and proposed a new idea. “OK,”
they said, “We will repair your husband’s blindness and we will make
him completely youthful and handsome. How does that sound?”

It sounded very suspicious to her. “What’s the catch?” She asked.

“The catch is,” they answered, “once this is done you will not be able to
visually distinguish him from us. And you will have to pick which one of
the three of us is really your husband. Whomever you select will then be
your husband from that moment on.”

She didn’t like the idea at all, but didn’t want her husband to miss the
opportunity to regain his sight. So she took the twin gods home and
explained the situation to her husband. “Oh, that’s fine. No problem,”
her husband said with complete confidence. “Let’s do it immediately.”

So the twins took the hermit to a nearby lake and the three of them
entered it. When they later emerged from the lake all three looked
alike: glowingly youthful and handsome men with perfect eyesight.
Praying to her goddess for protection the young princess easily selected
her true husband from the look-alikes. The Aśvinī twins were quite
pleased to witness the deep purity of this woman.

This story illustrates many themes of Aśvinī: medical marvels,

health, beauty, vision, loyalty, and an appetite for enjoyment.

Curing a Blind Disciple

Mahābhārata (Adi.3.34-77):

A guru had a very plump disciple who tended to his cows. He asked,
“My dear boy, why are you so fat?”

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“I beg alms from the householders.”

“The student should beg on behalf of the guru, not on his own behalf.
So give those alms to me,” the Guru said.

But several days later, the disciple was still fat. “Why are you still fat?”
The Guru asked.

“After begging for you I again beg to get my meals,” the disciple
explained.

“That is no good” said the guru. “You are making people give you all
their food. How will they eat? Don’t do that anymore.”

Several days later the disciple was still fat. “Why are you still fat?”

“I milk the cows and drink,” said the disciple.

“Why? Those are my cows, not yours. Don’t do that anymore.”

But several days later the disciple was still fat. “Why?” asked the guru.

“When the calves drink, I drink what they spill.”

“Don’t do that,” replied the guru. “Calves are naturally sympathetic.

They are spilling the milk on purpose for your sake and are going hungry
themselves.”

Now the disciple was really getting hungry. He would grab some leaves
from the trees and eat them. They were horrible and poisonous and
made him go blind in a few days. With failing vision he fell painfully into
a well. The guru found him there and said, “Just pray to the Aśvinī twins.
They will cure your blindness.” Then he left.

The disciple did so. The twins appeared before him and said, “Eat this
cake it will cure you.”

“I can’t eat what I get from others. I must give everything to my guru.”

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“It’s OK,” explained the Aśvinī. “Your guru himself fell into the same
situation as you and we cured him in this same manner. He did not offer
the medicinal cake to his guru, he just ate it. You can follow his example.”

“No, no. I cannot. I will have to remain blind if I cannot give this bread to
my guru.”

The Aśvinī were so impressed they blessed him, “Your blindness is

cured! You will be always prosperous and happy. Your teeth will be pure
gold, and your guru’s teeth will turn to iron.” It immediately came to
pass.

The guru was very pleased to have broadcast the superexcellent

dedication of his disciple (And it doesn’t seem like he was troubled
much by his iron teeth, either.)

This illustrates the same themes as the previous two stories.

Miscellaneous
Mahābhārata (Droṇa.62.3): A male once became pregnant. Of course
the baby could not be delivered normally. The Aśvinī twins performed a
caesarean birth. This illustrates the power of Aśvinī to perform medical
marvels.

Ṛg Veda (11.112) says that the Aśvinī can bring rain during a draught.
Similarly Ṛg (9.16) says the Aśvinī dug a hole in the desert and it became
a well. This is probably a glorification of the star to communicate the
fact that many problems can be overcome by starting the effort when
the Moon is in Aśvinī.

Worship of the Aśvinī Kumāra improves beauty.

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Labor Pains ~ Bharaṇī

Name Bharaṇī
Meaning Bearing children
Symbol Vulva, downward-triangle
Deity Yama - god of death
Main Stars The dim triangle: 41, 39 and 25 Arietis.

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The name Bharaṇī comes from the word bharaṇa, which means, “to
maintain, bear, support.” The English phrase, “bearing children” or
“labor pains” expresses it perfectly. The vulva is an excellent symbol for
Bharaṇī because it symbolizes bearing children, which itself summarizes
the main characteristic of this star: bringing new life into the world at
the cost of great labor and pain.

It seems odd that the powers of Yama, the god of death, reside in the
star which bears new life. This highlights the fact that life and death are
inseparable and new life is impossible without the death of the old. As
expressed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-Gītā (2.27):

“Death is certain for one who is born.

Birth is certain for one who dies.”

Life Needs Death

The fundamental character of Bharaṇī is that good things cannot come
without difficulties. Illustrating this, Mahābhārata (Vana.142) tells a
story of life being unable to continue without death. The story takes
place in the “First Age” of history, during which time humans have
extremely long lifespans. Yama, the god of death, therefore thought it
would be OK to take a break for a while. But the population of the Earth
quickly became too great and she could not support everyone.
Overpopulation began to cause serious problems. The gods appealed to
Viṣṇu, who took the form of a boar to lend strength to the earth. Yama
came back to his duties (making sure people die) and the situation came
back to normal.

In another section (Ādi.199), Mahābhārata tells a similar story. Yama

once took the position of chief priest in a very long religious ritual,
putting his duties as the god of death on hold for many, many years.
Everything was getting out of balance in the world because no one was
dying, so all the gods begged Yama to stop and go back to his normal
duties. When he did, people started dying again and everything
returned to normal.

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 Death may not be pleasant, but it is good and important.
Bharaṇī is like that: it contains the sacrifices that must be made
to produce something worthwhile; difficulties must be endured
to produce something great.

Death of Death
This next story illustrates a similar point. There are a few slightly
different versions it, this telling is found in Padma Purana:

Once upon a time, a young boy was told that he would die when he
turned sixteen. Seeking protection from this fate, the boy sat in yogic
meditation before a deity of Śiva. When he turned sixteen, the agents of
Yama tried to take him, but could not approach him due to the power
he had accumulated. Yama himself appeared personally with his noose.
But when he threw the noose, the boy leapt upon and embraced his
deity, crying for protection. The noose encircled both the boy and the
deity, who became furious at what death appeared to be attempting.
The deity sprang to life and burned the god of death to ashes.

All the gods appealed to Śiva to reconsider what he had just done.
Without death, how would the world continue to function as it was
intended by Viṣṇu? Accepting this, Śiva brought Yama back to life after
granting the boy, Mārkeṇḍeya, an extremely long lifespan.

Like the boy, we also try to escape the challenges of Bharaṇī. But
as the story goes his efforts caused more harm than good,
creating a calamity that required extensive divine intervention
and troubled all the gods. We are not supposed to avoid Bharaṇī.
We are supposed to embrace it just as a mother must embrace
labor contractions if she wishes to later embrace her beautiful
child.

The boy meditated upon a famous mantra from Ṛg (7.59.12) and Yajur
Veda, the mahā-mṛtyuṁ-jaya (“the great triumph over death”). This
mantra can be effective for dealing with Bharaṇī if one chants it with
the intention not escape ones difficulties, but to prosper from them:

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 Oṁ
tryambakaṃ yajāmahe
sugandhiṃ puṣṭi-vardhanam
urvārukam iva bandhanān
mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt.

Escaping Bharaṇī
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (6.1-3) tells the story of a man who did escape the
noose of Yama:

Once, there was a pious man who worshipped Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu), but
whose mind got infected with base desires upon seeing lewd behavior.
He soon abandoned his family and dedicated everything he had to a
prostitute. Eventually they had a child, whom he named Nārāyaṇa. At
the moment of his death, he saw the agents of Yama approaching and
cried out for his son, “Nārāyaṇa!"

The agents of Viṣṇu arrived immediately and forbade the agents of

Yama from taking the man. “A person able to fix their minds on God
while they are dying does not require any additional corrections,” they
declared. Yama himself agreed that this was true. The man was released
and engaged in purifying deeds for the rest of his life before attaining
liberation.

As illustrated here, the names of Viṣṇu help us deal productively with

the labor pains of Bharaṇī, by making us more devotional and self-
sacrificing. The man in this story was even more successful than the boy
in the previous story. So the most efficacious mantra for dealing
productively with Bharaṇī is one composed of Viṣṇu’s names. Kali
Santarana Upanishad (an appendix to Yajur Veda) specifically
recommends:

hare kṛṣṇa, hare kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa, hare hare

hare rāma, hare rāma, rāma rāma, hare hare

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Restriction
Bharaṇī is like the child cramped within the womb: It is a difficult star of
struggles and restrictions. Indeed, the name of the god of death, Yama,
literally means restriction / regulation. Death is merely the ultimate
regulation, the most inescapable restriction.

In Bhagavad-Gītā (10.29), Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:

yamaḥ saḿyamatām aham

“Among enforcers I am Yama.”

Bharaṇī represents difficulties we must face before we can prosper. It is

a star of yama: limitation and restriction. To face such trials we must
develop yama: self-control.

Note on Yama and Dharma

The god of death (Yama) and the god of morality (Dharma) are different
beings, frequently confused to be one. It’s easy to see how this
confusion would arise: Dharma (the god of morality) is also called Yama
because morality requires self-control (yama). And the Yama (the god of
death) is also called Dharma - because he judges people after death on
the basis of their morality (dharma). Despite sharing names, however,
they are different beings, and it is Yama, not Dharma, who empowers
Bharaṇī.

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The Sharp Blade ~ Kṛttikā

Name Kṛttikā
Meaning Cutter, divider
Symbol Sharp blades
Deity Agñi – god of fire
Main Stars The bright blue Pleiades

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The word kṛttikā comes from the kṛtta / kartati, meaning “cut, divide.”
Obviously the symbol of sharp blades is fitting. But the word is also
related to the root kṛt which means “assemble, accomplish.” So the
sharpness of Kṛttikā is not a barbarian blade! It is a careful tool of
precise subdivision. Similarly, Kṛttikā is a star of insight, incisiveness,
disassembly of complex things, and detailed comprehension.

Agñi, the god of fire, empowers Kṛttikā. Fire has two qualities: it is bright,
and it is hot. Brightness illuminates. Heat burns, or “digests,” it liberates
the energy within things. Kṛttika is not only incisive but “bright.” It is a
star of intellectual, brilliant insights and the ability to quickly digest
concepts and ideas. The English word “critical” likely comes from kṛttikā.
It is a star of incisive, critical thought.

Kṛttikā is not a good star for anything requiring tenderness, but it is

excellent for analysis, rapid and accurate assessment, and the ability to
cut through problems and confusions.

The Sharp, Divided Child of Fire

To tell you this story, I will combine the versions given in Mahābhārata
(Vana.223-227), Vālmikī Rāmāyaṇa (Bālakāṇḍa.36) and Brahmāṇḍa
Purāṇa (81):

Once, during a ritual, Agñi saw the wives of the seven sages and fell in
love with them. He transformed into their household fire to
clandestinely gaze upon their beauty. But eventually he reproached
himself thoroughly and went off to the forest to lament his broken
heart.

A goddess named Svāhā had been in love with Agñi for a long time, and
saw this as her chance. She assumed the appearance of one of the
sage’s wives and ran to Agñi, saying, “I am Śivā, the wife of Sage Angiras.
I have come to fulfill all your desires.”

After their intercourse she transformed into a bird, and flew to a

legendary mountain from which the sun rises. There she threw Agñi’s

20
semen into a lake. Then she assumed the form of the wife of a different
sage and repeated the whole process five more times. She could not
impersonate the seventh wife, Arundhati, due to the power of
Arundhati’s devotion to her husband Vasistha.

Meanwhile, an anti-god named Tāraka rose to power and conquered all

the gods on the strength of a benediction that only a seven-day-old
child could kill him.

The gods tried to have children, but because of a curse they could not.
Not even Śiva and his wife Pārvatī could conceive, even after attempting
for 100 celestial years! Their powerful efforts put the universe into
distress and the gods requested that Śiva and Pārvatī desist. Śiva,
however, was interrupted just in the process of discharging semen. He
said, “You’ve infuriated my wife by this disruption! Now tell me, what
womb shall bear my seed?”

The gods suggested that the Earth become the womb. This infuriated
Pārvatī even further and she cursed the Earth to be unable to bear the
child. Śiva’s seed caused a great disturbance to the earth and there
were floods and havoc. The gods requested powerful Agñi, the god of
fire, to bear the seed – so he took it within the womb of flame. But he
too fell under the angry curse of Pārvatī and could not develop the seed
into a child. The effort exhausted him and fire began to dim and cool.
Agñi approached the goddess Ganges, who said, “Put the seed into my
waters.” But she also faced failure and frustration until she learned that
Angi’s seed had been planted five times beside a lake on the Mountain
of Sunrise. She added Śiva’s to this.

The mountain soon produced gave birth to a ferociously powerful child,

who began destroying the hillside and howling with a voice like thunder.

The seven sages attempted to remedy this terrible disturbance. The

inhabitants of the forest told them that six of their wives were to blame.
In anger, the sages divorced those six wives and sent them away. (They

21
cut off their wives, divorced them – the literal meaning of Kṛttikā is to
cut off and separate).5

The child could not be pacified and even the gods dared not openly
oppose him. Instead they sent the six divorced wives of the sages (the
Kṛttikas) to tame the child and then kill him with poison on their breasts.
But the women became compassionate towards the boy and accepted
him as if he truly were their own son.

Since six women came to feed him, he split (“kṛttika”) into six forms to
nurse from each mother simultaneously. He is known as Kārtikeya
because he was nursed by the Kṛttika.

Pacified by these six mothers, the child then greeted his father Agñi.

Next arrived Śiva, Pārvatī, the Earth Goddess and Ganga. All of whom
had valid claims to being his parent. The boy had six forms. One of them
remained with the six Kṛttikas, another remained with Agñi, another
went to Śiva, Pārvatī, Ganga, and to the Earth.

When the supernatural child was only seven days old, the gods put him
in charge of their armies and attacked the anti-gods. The powerful
newborn destroyed Tāraka and returned the balance of power to the
gods.

Killing Children
Mahābhārata (Vana.230):

Agñi’s child told his six mothers, “Until I am sixteen years old, I will be
an evil spirit killing children, slicing them up and eating them.”

It is well known that warfare kills children and deprives them of

their parents. Fire, which creates acidity in organisms, also

5
The seven stars of the Big Dipper represent the seven sages. The six main
stars of the Pleiades are their six divorced wives – unfortunate goddesses. The
seventh wife, Arundhati remains near her husband Vasiṣṭha as the star Alcor
very close to Mizar.
22
 diminishes fertility. Thus Kṛttikā is inauspicious for children and
childbirth; as it is for all things that require gentleness and
softness.

The Story of Śibi

This story from Mahābhārata (Vana.131) involves Agñi, and slicing, and
is a great tale, so I will tell it here, in spite of the fact that it may not be
entirely relevant to the astrological nature of Kṛttikā:

A King named Śibi was the most generous and charitable person in
history. Indra and Agñi wanted to demonstrate the extent of his
willingness for self-sacrifice so Angi became a dove and flew onto the
king’s lap while Indra became a hawk who tried to swoop down to eat
the dove.

The king drove off the hawk, who then protested, “Why have you stolen
my food?”

The king replied, “The dove has taken shelter of me, so I must protect it.
Since you are hungry, I will feed you something else.”

But the hawk would not accept anything in exchange for the dove. Śibi
even offered his entire kingdom to the hawk, to no avail. Finally, the
hawk accepted an amount of Śibi’s own flesh equal to the weight of the
dove.

When Śibi placed the dove and a piece of his thigh on a scale, the dove
was heavier. Again and again he would slice off his flesh, but no matter
how much he added, the dove was always heavier. When the terribly
wounded king was about to put his entire body onto the scale, Agñi and
Indra took their original forms, blessed him and brought him into
paradise.

23
The Blushing Bride ~ Rohiṇī

Name Rohiṇī
Meaning A rosy, blushing lady
Symbol Bull pulling a cart of abundant produce;
Banyan tree
Deity Brahmā – forefather and creator
Main Star The red star: Aldebaran

24
Everything about this star symbolizes fertile creativity.

• The name Rohiṇī means, “red-girl.” That literally means a girl

who is fertile, having entered puberty and begun her
menstruation. Or you can take it as a “blushing bride.” Either
way, Rohiṇī means “procreation”, and procreation means
creativity and fertility.

• Rohiṇī’s symbol, a bull, is a symbol of male fertility. The bull

pulls a cart overflowing with produce; another symbol of
fertility.

• Rohiṇī’s other symbol, a tree, is a symbol of fertility because

trees produce fruit, which are symbolic of children. The specific
tree that symbolizes Rohiṇī is the Banyan, which is a particular
symbol for fertility and growth because the Banyan tree never
stops growing and expanding.

• Rohiṇī’s deity, Brahmā, is the father of all creatures, the original

progenitor, and is therefore a symbol of fertility. Brahmā is also
the creator of everything in the universe, and thus a symbol of
creativity.

Rohiṇī is most certainly the star of fertility & creativity, accompanied by

passion and beauty.

Let’s explore who Brahmā is and hear some stories connected with him,
to better appreciate the fertile creative energy and passion within his
star, Rohiṇī.

The God of Creativity

Hinduism is often portrayed to Christianized audiences as having a
concept of “trinity” because Indian thought conceives of the world as
being composed of three basic forces. In truth, however, the Indian
concept is less like the Christian trinity and more like modern color
theory, which states that three primary colors combine in various ratios
to create an infinite spectrum.

25
The three primary forces are sattva, rajas, and tamas.

Sattva = clarity, light, balance, peace

Rajas = redness, passion, desire, action

Tamas = shadow, darkness, stability, sleep

These three forces cause three essential universal events: maintenance,

creation, and destruction. Three extremely powerful beings command
the three forces and therefore the three universal events. Viṣṇu keeps
things existing by commanding the force of clarity, sattva. Brahmā
creates things by commanding the reddening force, rajas. Śiva destroys
things by commanding the force of shadow, tamas.

Brahmā is the deity of the reddening power of creation and passion,

rajas. So he is naturally the deity of the red star Rohiṇī. Rohiṇī is a star
of rajas: fertility, passion, motivation, and creative powers of all sorts.

Tale of Creation
Vedic literature gives us a few different angles on the birth of Brahmā
and how he created the world.6 I will incorporate all these as I present
you the Purāṇic tale of creation:

Before all else, there is consciousness. It is full of inherent joy and bliss.

Joy is not stagnant. By nature it is ever-amplifying. Amplification implies

an original signal and a distinct entity to amplify that signal. Plurality is
therefore inherent in the original singular consciousness. Since joy does
not thrive in loneliness, an infinite number of beings eternally center
around the original consciousness.

Those infinite beings possess freewill, and are free to be non-

cooperative with this scenario. Therefore a mirror image of reality exists,
6
Manusmṛti chapter one and Vāmana Purāṇa chapter 43 use the metaphor of
an “egg” within an ocean. Vedānta Sūtra adds philosophical dimension to the
tale. Brahmā Saṁhita also adds details. The Bhāgavata Purāṇa gives context to
them all in its 1.3, 2.4-5, and 3.8.
26
where the centrality of the original consciousness is hidden in
“darkness”, and the peripheral spark of freewill can imagine herself to
be central.

Into this darkness the original consciousness expands as Puruṣa, the

original Viṣṇu. Puruṣa reclines there on “the ocean of causes and
possibilities.” While partially submerged in the waters an infinite
number of bubbles exhale from the pores of his body. Some tales
portray these bubbles as “eggs,” specifically as golden eggs. This is
because an egg is circular and contains within it the materials and
energies required to create something new. The egg is golden because it
glows with conscious power, being a radiation from the divine all-
conscious body of the Puruṣa. These bubble-eggs are the proto-solar-
systems floating in the vast ocean of causality, space.

Eggs require seeds before they create anything. Therefore the Puruṣa
penetrates into each of them. Within each egg he again reclines on a
“cosmic ocean.” While partially submerged in this ocean, some of its
water collects in his naval, in which a “lotus flower” grows.

Flowers reproduce asexually, and are therefore a fitting vehicle through

which to deliver the very first being into the world.7 When the flower at
the top of that lotus opened its petals, the god of creation Brahmā sat
upon its central whorl.

At first Brahmā did not know who he was, what he was supposed to do,
or how he was supposed to do it. He climbed down the stem of the
lotus but couldn’t find its end. He looked around in all other directions
and thus developed five heads (east, west, north, south, and up) – later

7
Because Brahmā was born asexually he is called Aja, “unborn” or “without
conventional birth.”
27
Śiva removed one of these.8 Yet Brahmā could find no clue to answer
any of his questions.

Then the Puruṣa spoke a single word, which Brahmā heard as a voice
from the vastness of space: “tapa.” This was an instruction to Brahmā,
“Be still. Control yourself. Be humble. Then you will understand.”

Brahmā practiced stillness and self-control, and as a result his mind

became receptive to a full transmission of knowledge from Viṣṇu. In that
transmission he received everything he needed to know, including the
blueprint of how to use the primordial energies available within the
“egg” to assemble all the various forms and creations of the universe.

Before Brahmā, there was nothing but what we might call subatomic
quantums. Everything which now exists is a creation of Brahmā or a
subsequent creation of his creation.

Let’s stop for a moment to consider how immensely creative Brahmā

must be. He is the creator of the entire universe, the most creative
being in it! Perhaps now we can appreciate how his star, Rohiṇī,
abounds in creative power.

The Original Father

Brahmā was born before anyone else, and everyone else was born from
him (with very few exceptions). Thus an often used name for Brahmā is
Prajāpati, the original “progenitor.” Brahmā created many other
prajāpati to help him populate the world, but when Prajāpati is used in a
singular, specific manner it refers specifically to Brahmā.

Brahmā created many beings directly from his thoughts, so we should

know that his star, Rohiṇī, is imaginative and full of creative thoughts
and ideas. Brahmā also creates in a more conventional manner, so we
should know that Rohiṇī has strong procreative and romantic passions.

8
Some say that Śiva keeps the fifth skull as a bowl, others say that he threw it
into space and it landed in Mṛgaśīrṣā. I tell the story in a little more detail in the
chapter on Ārdrā.
28
Brahmā Marries His Daughter
Regarding more conventional procreation, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (3.12)
tells a story too interesting not to mention. For Brahmā to reproduce
sexually he must first create his own wife. So, in a sense, his wife must
be his “daughter”.

Her name is Vāk (the power of speech, another name for Sārasvatī, the
goddess of learning), and she was not at all into the idea. When Brahmā
began pressuring her, his other children stopped him in protest.
Ashamed of himself, Brahmā abandoned his body and created a new
one, to wash off the impurity of his thoughts. The old body turned into a
dangerous fog in the darkness.

Later on Vāk agreed to marry Brahmā, seeing his predicament, but the
two are not a happy couple and live at a distance from one another.

Father of Śiva
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (3.12) describes Śiva as the child of Brahmā.

Brahmā became furious that his quadruplet sons refused to take up the
important duty of procreation, in favor of pursuing celibacy for spiritual
reasons. From between his furrowed eyebrows, Brahmā’s anger sprang
forth personified as Rudra, who later became known as Śiva.

I will tell you this story in more detail when we come to Rudra’s star,
Ārdrā.

Viṣṇu is the first god because he controls the power of sattva, the
energy of existence itself. Existence cannot manifest itself, however,
without creation – so from Viṣṇu comes the god of creativity
(rajas),Brahmā. However, whatever is created must be destroyed, and
without destruction (tamas) there is no room for creation. Thus rajas
always invokes tamas – and therefore the god of tamas (Śiva) emerges
from the god of rajas (Brahmā).

29
Although Rohiṇī is a beautiful and pleasant star, it, like Brahmā also has
a brief but hot temper when frustrated.9

9
In classical times Rohiṇī coincided with a significant portion of Taurus. I feel
this is why this type of hot temper is associated with Taurus in classical
astrology, even though nothing about Taurus’ ruler (Venus), element (Earth), or
mode (Fixed) lends itself much towards anger or hot tempers.
30
The Quest ~ Mṛgaśīrṣā

Name Mṛgaśīrṣā
Meaning Deer-faced
Symbol Deer sniffing the ground
Deity Soma - god of immortal nectar
Main Stars The head of Orion: λ, φ Orionis

31
Mṛga means a forest animal, especially deer. These animals are so
named because they constantly roam in search of food; matching the
literal meaning of the word: “searcher.”

Mṛgaśīrṣā’s symbol – a deer sniffing the ground – is essentially a literal

depiction of the word Mṛgaśīrṣā (“Deer’s face”).

Soma is the deity of Mṛgaśīrṣā. Soma comes up in Bhagavad-Gītā (15.13),

when Śrī Kṛṣṇa says,

puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ

“I become Soma and make plants delicious and nourishing.”

Soma is the god of a legendary elixir (also named Soma) that grants
eternal youth and unsurpassed delight. I think it is simplest to describe
Soma as the “fountain of youth.” This ties in nicely with the nature of
Mṛgaśīrṣā to inspire quests and searches.

Literally, the word soma means “juice, sap, liquid.” Specifically, it is the
liquid within plants that makes them nourishing and delicious.
Nourishment keeps us young, deliciousness delights us; so all food is a
type of Soma. The legendary elixir is simply the ultimate form of food.

Vedic lore singles out one plant with the name soma-vallī, for it excels
all others in nutrition and flavor. It is now extinct, but they say that
millennia ago it grew in a few specific areas,10 and its leaves blossomed
and withered with the waxing and waning Moon. By pressing the juice
from its stalks one could make a beverage called Soma or Amṛta – the
“nectar of immortality,” which the gods copiously drink to become
powerful and impossible to kill.

10
Ṛg 8.7.29 & 8.64.10-11 say it grew in “Sushoma, Arjikiya, etc.” and in
“Sharanyavat” (which is probably the shore of a specific lake) and on the slopes
of Mt. Mūjavat. It is said to have a long, grassy-colored stalk and a green
brilliance (Ṛg 9.42.1 & 9.61.17).
32
All vegetable-food carries the power of life in it. So in a sense, all food is
amṛta. If we don’t eat, we die (mṛta). If we eat, we don’t die (a-mṛta).
All food makes us “immortal” because it counteracts mortality. But the
elixir made from the Soma plant is a super-food of legendary power.
Humans and gods alike from all ages and cultures eternally search for it,
like deer sniffing out its trail.

The deer of Mṛgaśīrṣā sniffs the ground in search of Soma in healthy and
delicious herbs, but the human spirit sniffs at the paths of life in search
of Soma in the form of eternality and bliss.

Mṛgaśīrṣā is all about searching.

Soma, Amṛta, Rasa

I mentioned that foods, among which Soma is the emperor, have two
qualities: they keep us alive, and give us pleasure. Ṛg Veda (9), a section
entirely dedicated to Soma, confirms this, saying that Soma (1) gives
immortality, and (2) “roars”.

Soma is also called Amṛta (“imortality”) because it counteracts mortality,

food keeps us alive. Ṛg 9.42 goes so far to calls Soma the “immortality of
the immortals” and the “godhood within the gods.”

The second quality of Soma, however, is even more interesting. Sure,

staying alive is important, but what is the point of living? Ṛg 9 presents
Soma to us as an answer: the point of living is to enjoy, to “roar,” to
revel and enjoy; to taste rasa – ecstatic joy. Thus another synonym for
Soma is Rasa.

Taittiriya Upanishad (Ananda.7) speaks of rasa:

raso vai saḥ

rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati

“He is certainly rasa itself!

Attain his rasa and become undoubtedly intoxicated with bliss!”

33
Directly or indirectly, consciously or not, we are all on a quest seeking
rasa. Our ambition may be smashed into a lower, smaller shape by the
hammer of repeated failure, but rasa is the real thirst behind every
desire. Mṛgaśīrṣā involves all permutations of the search for rasa, not
merely base and simple fun-seeking. After all, a deer is a beautiful and
graceful creature, not a brute.

Rasa is the highest objective of Mṛgaśīrṣā. The Upanishad tells us that

we will not find rasa in its fullest form in any fruit or vegetable, nor even
in any paradisiacal elixir. We find it in sah - the All-Attractive Godhead,
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is rasa personified.

Siblings in the Stars

Mahābhārata (Vana.221.15) tells us that Soma’s brother is Agñi, and his
sister is Rohiṇī. This is has significant astrological import. The two
brothers, Soma and Agñi stand on both sides of their sister. To one side
of Rohiṇī is Soma’s star, Mṛgaśīrṣā. To the other side is Agñi’s star,
Kṛttikā.

Agñi is the solar principle, fire. Soma is the lunar principle, water. Life
thrives best when heat and moisture combine. Rohiṇī, between the
heat of Agñi and moisture of Soma, is therefore the most abundant and
fertile location among the 27 stars.11

11
This is similar to the famous “Juggernaut” deities of Orissa: Like Rohiṇī, the
golden sister, Subhadrā, is protected on both sides by her brothers. On her
right is Bāladeva, bright like the sunlit day (similar to Agni). On her left is
Jagannātha, dark like the moonlit night (similar to Soma).

34
The Storm ~ Ārdrā

Name Ārdrā
Meaning Soaked
Symbol Storms; Raindrops
Deity Rudra - god of storms
Main Star Betelgeuse

35
The word ārdrā literally means “wet.” Wet things symbolize Ārdrā:
teardrops, raindrops, and especially storms. Rudra, the howling god of
destructive storms, is Ārdrā’s deity.

What is a Storm? It is frightening, terrible and destructive, but it is

nature’s way of replenishing the clean oxygen and protective ozone in
the atmosphere.

Ārdrā is the storm that we must weather so that our nature can
once again become pure and clean.

Śankara-ācārya, an incarnation of Rudra, was born when the Moon was

in Ārdrā. The next great philosopher of India, Rāmānujā-ācārya, who
corrected and built upon the foundations laid by Śankara, was also born
with the moon in Ārdrā.

Clearly, this star is a spiritually fertile domain.

The Creator and Destroyer Fight

The Skanda Purāṇa says that Brahmā once had an argument with Rudra,
during which Rudra decapitated one of Brahmā’s heads (originally he
had five). Rudra threw the head into space, and it became the stars of
Mṛgaśīrṣā, the nakṣatra which comes after Brahmā’s Rohiṇī. Searching
(mṛga) for the head (śirṣa), Rudra came to reside in the nakṣatra next to
Mṛgaśīrṣā, Ārdrā.

If we postulate that the “u” has simply been dropped from the modern
spelling of Ārdrā, the name of this star simply means the place that
attracted Rudra. In fact it is not uncommon to see the name of this star
spelled “Ārudrā.”

36
Anger & Destruction
The birth of Rudra, god of Ārdrā, is described in many places with some
variation.12 Here is a compilation of the tale:

After Brahmā had created the major components of the universe, he

needed to create living beings to populate it. First he generated four
wonderful beings and said to them, “Populate the universe!”, but they
refused. They were completely uninterested in working within the
material world, because their ambitions were purely spiritual. Brahmā
became extremely angry that his first children would disobey him. Yet
he also knew that their reason for rejecting his wish was valid.

So he tried to control his anger, but it built up behind his eyebrows,

which formed more and more drastically into a profound scowl. The
power of his fury caused them to begin to glow. It became so intense
that Brahmā could no longer hold it back. Instead of expressing it upon
his saintly sons, he cast the anger out from his forehead and it became a
dark purplish child who wailed and howled furiously.

“Who am I?” it demanded to know.

“You are Rudra (The Wailer, The Howler)!” declared Brahmā.

The child was half male and half female, so Brahmā said, “Be split!”
Rudra and his wife Rudrānī then took separate forms.

“Again split!” declared Brahmā.

Then, Rudra and Rudrāṇī each split into eleven forms of themselves.

“Now, go to your rightful places and create offspring!” declared Brahmā.

So they did; Fierce, angry, howling creatures of fire, storm, and

destruction they created by the thousands.

12
Bhāgavata Purāṇa 3.12; Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.7 & 8; Devī Bhāgavat 7;
Mahābhārata Vana.12.
37
Seeing this Brahmā cried, “Dear children, please stop! Destruction must
be balanced, measured and contained. It cannot proliferate without
limit. Instead of creating more inauspicious beings, go now and
meditate upon Godhead. This will calm you and make you auspicious.”

The eleven Rudra and Rudrāṇī consolidated themselves into a single

male and female and followed Brahmā’s order. By so doing Rudra and
Rudrāṇī became auspicious, and so received the names Śiva (“He Who is
Auspicious”), and Pārvatī (“She Who has Risen Higher”).

Rudra was born when Brahmā’s creative ambitions were

frustrated. Ārdrā is the frustration of creativity. It represents all
the things we must overcome before we can create and attain
our desired objectives.

Rudra brings destruction, which can easily become

overwhelming, but which also serves a purpose. Ārdrā
empowers humanity to destroy, forget, and let go of
inauspicious things.

The Necessity of Destruction

Rudra’s role in the universe is Ārdrā’s role in our lives: destruction. We
need destruction because without it there is no space for creation.

The creator, Brahmā, lives for trillions of years, and each of his “days”
lasts for millions and millions of human years. The creator cannot rest
while his creations are active. Rudra and his children have to begin
dismantling the creation before brahma can rest. If Rudra did not
perform his role of destruction, Brahmā could not rest and restore his
creative energy.

Ārdrā allows us to rest. When things need to “rest in peace” they

need Ārdrā.

Iśa Upanishad (11) tells us that this unlearning (destruction) is just as

important as learning (creation).

38
 Ārdrā allows us to unlearn, to destroy ignorance and forget
what should be forgotten.

Protector of Divine Rasa

Residents of the holy city of Vṛṇdāvana tell a sacred legend of Śiva as
“Gopeśvara Mahādeva.” This tale beautifully illustrates how destruction
of the unreal and utter forgetfulness and abandonment of one’s illusory
ego is required before one can enter into the true beauty and pleasure
of spiritual abundance. It reflects in the order of the stars. Rohiṇī is
central, representing the blessed objective of beauty and fertility. It is
nourished on both sides by the solar force of Agñi’s Kṛttikā and the lunar
force of Soma’s Mṛgaśīrṣā. Then it is bracketed on both sides by the
difficult walls of Yama’s Bharaṇī and Rudra’s Ārdrā. Here is a tale of how
the god of Ārdrā holds the key to entrance past these walls and into the
blessed realm.

In the middle of the full-moon-lit autumn night, Śrī Kṛṣṇa held the
magñificent “dance of rāsa,” manifesting infinite romantic beauty. Śiva
rushed to the spot to participate, but Vṛṇdā, the goddess of Vṛṇdāvana,
stopped him in his tracks at the outskirts of the forest groves. “You are
not permitted to enter!” She declared.

Śiva was crushed and dejected. “Why!?”

“No men enter here besides Kṛṣṇa,” Vṛṇdā explained. “Because you
hold on to the false-identity of being a male, your presence cannot be
tolerated!”

From a great distance, Śiva could hear and see and smell and feel the
excitement of the rāsa-dance. This drove him mad with desire.

“I am Rudra!!!” He declared. “I can destroy everything!!! Therefore I will

destroy my own male ego!” With this ferociously powerful
determination he entered meditation upon the supreme female, Śrī
Rādhā, the central figure of the rāsa-dance, seeking her blessing.

39
Hearing his prayers, Śrī Rādhā sent her closest confidant, Lalitā, to Śiva,
who sat in fiery, passionate meditation at the edge of the forest. Lalitā
imparted to Śiva all the profound conceptions required to develop the
inner ego of a purely feminine goddess fit to partake in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s
paramount revelry of rāsa. Yet Śiva’s male body remained.

Lalitā escorted him to the Yamunā. By her blessing, when Śiva again
emerged from the water he possessed a new physical self to match his
new internal self: he had the form of a divine goddess of rāsa, a Gopī.

When Śrī Kṛṣṇa saw this new gopī entering the rāsa-dance hand in hand
with Lalitā a surge of happiness and mischief erupted from his
transcendental being. Because this gopī was none other than Śiva (who
is called Maheśvara, the great controller) Kṛṣṇa playfully nicknamed her
Gopeśvara.

Today, pilgrims to Vṛṇdāvana seeking to eventually participate in Śrī

Kṛṣṇa’s divine Rāsa dance always pray to Śiva as Gopeśvara. Their prayer
is that Rudra will destroy the ego that makes them unqualified to
participate in such divine bliss.

When the destructive force of Ārdrā is given spiritual direction, it

dismantles the false ego and allows one entry into blessed
realms of being.

40
Repeating Patterns ~ Punarvasu

Name Punarvasu
Meaning Reignition
Symbol An arrow returned to the quiver
Deity Aditi – the universal mother
Main Stars Heads of the twins: Castor and Pollux

41
Punar means again. Vasu means bright. So the word Punarvasu can
mean, “Becoming bright again” (Reignition). Punarvasu is about things
happening again; Things happening within other things, within
themselves; in cycles; in repetition.

A fractal – an image formed by a pattern repeating itself within itself – is

an excellent symbol for Punarvasu. The classical symbol is an arrow put
back into a quiver after it has been shot.

Mother of her own Father

Here is an example of fractal patterns within patterns: The goddess of
Punarvasu is Aditi – who is the mother of her own father. Aditi is the
fabric of space itself, so she is the raw material Brahmā draws upon for
creation. Thus, she is the real “mother” of Brahmā’s children, including
her own father Dakṣa. She helped create Dakṣa, and later she took
shape in the world by being born as his daughter. The son comes from
the mother, and then the mother comes from the son.

Thus Ṛg Veda (10.72.4) says: “Aditi comes from Dakṣa, but Dakṣa comes
from Aditi.”

Boundless Unity
The name Aditi literally means boundless. She is the fabric of space itself,
the boundless matrix within which everything else exists. Because space
is the womb within which all live develops, she is the “universal mother.”
Especially the “vasu” – the luminous gods – are all her children.

To be boundless means to have no boundaries, to be whole, unbroken

and undivided. The goddess of non-division is the mother of the gods.
Her sister’s name is Diti, which means divided. This goddess of division is
the mother of the anti-gods. The idea emerges that unity is a godly
principle, while division is ungodly. Things that unite have godly effects,
while things that divide have ungodly effects.

42
 Aditi’s Punarvasu empowers humanity to work cooperatively,
become unified; to come together and form a larger pattern
within larger patterns.

Aditi is not only the mother of the gods, but she is also the mother of
the original Godhead when He appears tangibly within this universe as
an avatār (“incarnation”). This is another example of fractal patterns,
Aditi comes from Godhead, but Godhead comes from Aditi.

Mother of God
The concept of being the Mother of a being that has no origin and is the
origin of everything is another perfect example of the fractal patterns-
within-patterns that symbolizes Punarvasu.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (8.16-18) describes how Aditi became the mother

of existence itself, Viṣṇu:

A powerful demon named Bali conquered all the worlds and the gods
lost all power. Aditi requested her husband Kaśyapa to give her a son
who could save them. Kaśyapa told her how to perform a ritual for this
purpose. But since Aditi knew that only Godhead could save the gods
from this situation, her performance of this ritual attracted God to
become her child.

When the ritual was complete, Godhead appeared and assured her, “I
will become your son, but this situation cannot be remedied by force. I
will come up with a different strategy.”

Aditi then conceived a child with Kaśyapa, who was born mysteriously
as the Godhead Viṣṇu – blackish with glittering yellow clothes, four
armed and gloriously beautiful. Before their very eyes, He transformed
into a very small boy; a student-mendicant, named Vāmana.

Viṣṇu thus became the younger brother of Aditi’s first child, Indra. The
young boy soon set off to where Bali was performing an elaborate ritual
to celebrate his victory over the gods. When he entered the arena,
everyone was struck with his beauty and effulgence and greeted him

43
with warm respects. Bali, especially, was charmed by the endearing
beauty of Vāmana.

“It is my great fortune that such a wondrous spiritualist has come to my

palace! The opportunity to serve you will free me from all the sins of my
selfish life. You must have come here to ask something from me, please
ask it! I will happily give you any wealth or pleasure you desire!”

Vāmana was very pleased with Bali’s humble and spiritually informed
attitude. He said to Bali, “You are wonderful because you have good
teachers and because your grandfather is the great Prahlād. You are as
great and dear to me as your grandfather! But I do not need any wealth
or pleasures. It is not good for a spiritualist to accept such things. I just
want whatever land I can claim for myself in three paces.”

Bali replied, “You are wise beyond your years, but still inexperienced.
You should take what you can get when it is offered! I own even the
heavens. I can give you anything. Someone who asks a favor from me
should never have to ask another person for a favor again! So why
should you only take three paces of land? It would defame me to give
such a petty gift!”

Vāmana replied, “If a person can’t be satisfied with three steps of land,
he won’t be satisfied with the three worlds. Self-control makes one
happy. Feeding uncontrolled desire causes misery.”

Smiling, Bali said, “Alright, then. You are very wise. I shall happily give
you what you request.” With that he took up his waterpot to wash his
palm in a gesture of solemn promise, but no water would flow from it.
When Bali used a straw to unblock the nozzle, Śukra (the deity of Venus
and Bali’s guru) suddenly appeared, holding his eye in pain. He had
taken a tiny form and purposely clogged the pot, and the straw had
poked out his eye.

Śukra said, “This little boy is Viṣṇu! He has been born to Aditi to protect
her children, the gods. You’ve gone and promised to give him land!? He
will take everything from you and give it to your enemy, Indra! You fool!
44
You will be homeless!!! He will take the entire universe in just two steps
and make you unable to fulfill your promise, and thus send you to hell!
Charity is good, up to a point! Besides, you did not say “Om” when
making this promise to give him land, so it is not binding!”

Bali thought about this deeply for a few moments. Then he said,
“Mother Earth said, ‘I can bear any burden, but I cannot bear a liar.’
Truthfulness is the soul of morality, without which there can be no good
fortune. I don’t mind losing my riches, so long as I do not lose my
morality.”

Śukra was infuriated. “You think you know morality better than I do!? So
be it, then! Become penniless!!!” Śukra then disappeared.

Bali did not mind this in the least. He very happily worshipped the young
spiritualist with all respect and offered him to take the land he desired.

Vāmana then began to grow to huge proportions, revealing that he was

all-pervading Viṣṇu. Bali could see the entire universe within his “body.”
Here is another instance of fractal patterns-within-patterns: Vāmana
was standing within the universe, yet the entire universe existed within
Vāmana.

With one step the huge Viṣṇu covered all of normal earthly space. With
the second he reached the highest extent of the heavens.

The anti-gods rushed forward to kill Viṣṇu, but Viṣṇu’s associates

appeared and drove them back effortlessly into subterranean regions.
Viṣṇu’s eagle, Garuda, then arrested Bali and tied him in ropes. Vāmana
said to Bali, “You promised me three steps of land, but I have taken
everything you possess and more, in just two steps. Since you cannot
fulfill your boastful promise, you must enter the hells.”

Bali replied, “That is no problem. Your punishment is always just. We

anti-gods always want power and prestige. When you punish us it is
kind because it opens our eyes to a more blissful reality that we are not
all-powerful, we are but fragments of your energy and should endeavor

45
only to serve your desires! Everything you have taken from me is a
blessing. What is the use of material prosperity? It only puts one into
deeper spiritual ignorance! But I do not wish to be untruthful. I have
offered you three steps of property. I owned the three worlds, which
you took in just two steps. Surely the owner of land is even more
valuable than the land itself, so I must be worth at least two steps.
Please place your third step on my head and claim me as your servant.
This will fulfill my promise.”

Thrilled by the unwavering devotion of this great soul amidst demons,

Viṣṇu declared, “Because your devotion for me is so pure that you were
willing to happily surrender everything, I will give you something greater
than even the gods possess! In the future you will become the king of
the Gods. Until then you can live on a special planet called Sutala, free
from the influence of time and decay. No one will be able to conquer
you. I will protect you always and will personally stay there with you as
your gatekeeper.”

Budha Curses Aditi

Mahābhārata (Śānti.34.96-98):

Budha (the god of Mercury) came to Aditi’s home hungry. She was at
the end of feeding her children, so she asked him to wait a moment.
Budha became upset over this transgression of etiquette and cursed her,
“You so love your children!? Then become Vivasvān’s mother a second
time!” Vivasvān was reborn to Aditi as Aṇḍa and his fiery heat caused
her great pain during pregnancy.

This serves as another illustration of repetition, the main theme of

Punarvasu.

Rebirths of Aditi
Aditi herself has many rebirths, just as a fractal appears many times
within itself. All of them center on being the mother facilitating the birth
of Godhead. Mahābhārata (Śānti.43.6) says that Viṣṇu is born seven
times to Aditi. This repetition is interesting to the study of Punarvasu.

46
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.3) says that Aditi was once Pṛśṇi, the wife of a
different son of Brahmā, named Sutapas. She performed great
austerities in devotion to Viṣṇu for 12,000 years. When Viṣṇu appeared
to grant her wishes, she wished that he would become her son, which
he did.

Kṛṣṇa told this story to his mother, to let her know that she and he are
always mother and son, repeatedly. Thus Kṛṣṇa’s mother, Devakī is yet
another incarnation of Aditi.

The story behind Aditi becoming Devakī is also fascinating. It is told in

Devī Bhāgavata (4): Aditi was the first wife of Kaśyapa, and she gave
birth to the gods, headed by Indra. Her sister, Diti, the second wife, was
jealous and asked Kaśyapa for children who would be equals to the gods.
Thus eventually she gave birth to the anti-gods (“demons”). But Aditi
became fearful and sent her child to destroy the first child in her sister’s
womb. Diti then cursed Aditi: “Your child will repeatedly lose his
kingdom to my children! And you will lose your children!”

The first part of the curse is constantly being fulfilled as Diti’s children,
the anti-gods, attempt to conquer the gods, and often succeed. The
second part of the curse was fulfilled when Aditi became Devakī, who
had to suffer the loss of many children at the hands of her atrocious
brother Kaṁsa.

47
The Highest Blossom ~ Puṣya

Name Puṣya
Meaning Flowering
Symbol Lotus
Deity Bṛhaspati - god of prayer
Main Stars γ, δ (Asellus Australis) and θ Cancri.

48
The word puṣya has two primary meanings:

1. The top/best part of a thing; usually referring to a flower, the

top and best part of a plant.

2. Nourishment; which allows us to blossom and grow.

There is a motherly, loving and devotional overtone to the word puṣya.

Love, after all, is the topmost blossom on the flower of life.

Puṣya’s primary symbol is a lotus, the most beautiful and wholesome

flower. The udders of a cow are sometimes used to symbolize Puṣya;
conveying the theme of nourishment.

Bṛhaspati, the god of prayer and devotions, is the deity of Puṣya. In

Bhagavad Gītā (10.24), Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:

purodhasāṁ ca mukhyaṁ māṁ viddhi pārtha bṛhaspatim

“Among the best priests, know me to be Bṛhaspati.”

Among all priests, Bṛhaspati is the best. A priest is a person who

facilitates our connection to the divine. Prayer is an interactive union
with the divine. Bṛhaspati is the god who masterfully conducts religious
rituals and prayers – the technologies of divine communion.

Puṣya is always thought of as being among the most fortunate and

prosperous of Vedic stars. Other names for Puṣya are Sidhya (“perfect”)
and Tiṣya (“auspicious”). Why? What is the connection between
devotional prayer and prosperity?

In Gītā (10.38) Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:

nītir asmi jigīṣatām

“For those whose desire victory, I am morality.”

49
Puṣya is a successful and prosperous star because it facilitated
communion with the divine, which engenders morality, which leads to
true victory and prosperity.

What is morality? It is what distinguishes “right” from “wrong.” Right

and wrong, though, are not absolute. What is right in one circumstance
is wrong in another. It might be wrong to use a knife to kill someone,
yet right to use the same knife for slicing bread. It might be wrong to kill
someone, but right to kill someone who is on the brink of killing many
other people. Morality is relative. And that’s why it’s complicated.

We can’t really be morally strong without understanding moral

relativity: knowing how to apply a moral principle in many different
circumstances. This requires serious contemplation, reflection, and
depth. Bṛhaspati is facilitates all these things: contemplation, meditation,
prayer; and by doing so he strengthens real morality, and thus causes us
to be more victorious and prosperous.

Through Puṣya, Bṛhaspati empowers human beings to commune

with deeper principles. This strengthens morality and causes
prosperity and victory. It eventually leads to selfless devotional
intimacy with the divine.

The Son of the Sage of Fire

Ṛg Veda (4.40.1) and Mahābhārata (Adi.66) clearly state that Bṛhaspati
is the son of Angiras. Angiras is Brahmā’s son, was born from the coals
of a fire. He is therefore a fire-sage. His son, Bṛhaspati is sometimes
called “the son of fire,” but this doesn’t mean Bṛhaspati is the son of
Agñi, the fire god.

From his father Bṛhaspati inherits affinity and skill with fire. Fire is
symbolic of religion and morality because the light of fire shows us the
correct path, and the warmth of fire nourishes us. Fire is the focal point
of most religious rituals, especially Vedic, because it transforms things.
It transforms matter to energy, thus allowing sacrifices to be delivered
to the gods.

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Bṛhaspati’s mother is named Śraddhā, which means trust, faith, and
confidence. The god of communion with the divine is born from trust,
faith, and confidence.

Puṣya encourages faith and devotion.

Priest and Guru of the Gods

Bṛhaspati was very religiously inclined from birth and therefore went to
a sacred place to commune with the divine. Śiva was very impressed
with the boy and granted him the position of the priest and guru of all
the gods, and gave him custodianship of the astrological planet Jupiter.

Much of what an astrologer knows as the traits of Jupiter can

therefore be transposed into Puṣya. You can think of Puṣya as if
it was Jupiter as a star: It is very positive, helpful, nurturing, and
allows things to grow, develop, prosper and blossom in a moral
and wholesome manner.

Milking the Earth

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (4.17-18) tells a story which ties into using the
udders of a cow as Puṣya’s symbol:

Once upon a time, the Earth became very weak and there was extreme
famine. Godhead empowered a king named Pṛthu to remedy the
situation. The king took up a bow and threatened the Earth, “you must
produce!”

The Earth-goddess in her form as a cow fled as fast as she could, but she
could not escape the king. Submitting to him, she explained why she
had been causing famine, “No one takes care of me anymore. They just
take as much as they can from me, and do not even use my bounty to
worship Godhead! Therefore I have made my surface rocky and hilly, so
that the water cannot enrich the soil and nothing will grow. But I submit
to you now to change this situation! Bring me a calf. The milk I then give
will restore everything I have withheld.”

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First the king made the chief of humanity (Svāyambhuva Manu) into a
“calf” and obtained as “milk” all the grains and vegetables needed to
feed the citizens. Then various groups used various people as “calves,”
and through those calves they got all they desired from the Earth. The
first group to do so was the sages. They selected Bṛhaspati to become
the calf, and through him obtained “milk” from the Earth in the form of
mantras and hymns that would make the mind clean and pure.

Punishing the King of the Gods

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (6.7) tells how Bṛhaspati punished Indra, the king of
the gods:

Once, Indra was enjoying very opulently and luxuriantly in his regal
assembly hall, surrounded by beautiful and influential admirers and his
extremely beautiful queen. Bṛhaspati entered and Indra neglected to
stop his revelry to welcome his priest and guru.

Seeing Indra reeking of the typical egoistic pollution that accompanies

material enjoyment, Bṛhaspati simply turned around and left.

When the doors closed behind his departing guru, Indra suddenly
realized his error and went in search of him to apologize. But Bṛhaspati
wanted to teach Indra an important lesson, so he became invisible.

The anti-gods heard news that the gods were without their guide and
priest, and so they attacked the heavens. They severely wounded the
gods and brought them to the brink of total defeat.

This illustrates that without Puṣya we cannot be successful.

Being “without Puṣya” means losing our unity with the divine.
Ego destroys this union. Thus, when fouled by the ego of power
and luxury we, like Indra, lose access to divine communion, and
all the blossoms of our prosperity wither.

This story of Indra and Bṛhaspati will continue through many of the rest
of the stars.

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Serpentine Embrace ~ Āśleṣā

Name Āśleṣā
Meaning Embrace
Symbol Coiled serpent
Deity Nāga – the dragons
Main Stars The head of the hydra: δ, ε, η, ρ, σ Hydrae

53
The word āśleṣā means, “intimate connection, intimate contact,
embracing, entwining, adhering, and clinging.” A coiled serpent is a
fitting symbol for Āśleṣā, because serpents coil around things:
embracing and entwining with them.

Āśleṣā’s deity is the “Nāga” – supernatural serpents, a.k.a. “dragons.”

Like all serpents they have scales, forked tongues and powerful poisons.
Unlike most serpents Nāga can combust their spit poisons, usually have
many heads, have super-human intellect and talent, and can shape-shift
in and out of humanoid and intermediate forms. They are protectors of
vast treasures.

Sometimes, ordinary snakes (particularly the King Cobra) can be called

“nāga” as an honorific. All snakes are connected to Āśleṣā, but the
deities of Āśleṣā are the supernatural dragons, not ordinary serpents.

Rivalry and Jealousy

I’ll tell you a story about the origin of the Nāga.

One of the sons of Brahmā is Marīci. His son is Kaśyapa, the “genetic
engineer of the universe.” Kaśyapa married 13 sisters. With each wife
he produced different species of offspring, from gods to insects.

According to Mahābhārata (Adi.16), one wife, Kadru, wanted to have

many, many children; while another wife, Vinata, desired only two very
powerful children. Kadru laid 1000 eggs which quickly hatched into so
many different varieties of serpents, the foremost of whom were the
Nāga. Vinata laid two eggs which took a very long time to hatch. One of
the children became Aruṇa, who drives the chariot of the Sun and
shields the world from the fury of his heat. The other was the gigantic
King of Eagles, Garuḍa, who became the associate and carrier of Viṣṇu.

Kadru was jealous of the power her husband allotted to her sister’s two
children, and devised a plan to ruin her. She made a bet: “I bet you that
the color of the tail of the divine horse that emerged from the ocean of
milk is not white! If I am right, you and your children are my slaves. If

54
you are right, my children and I are your slaves.” Kadru, however, rigged
the bet, by asking her black serpent children to mix into the hair of the
horse’s tail. The serpents who refused their mother’s request on moral
grounds became a separate, special branch of the Nāga race. The rest of
the serpents mixed into the hair, making it appear black. Vinata thus
lost the bet and became a servant of Kadru.

It was then that Garuḍa hatched from his egg, born into slavery. He
submitted but developed hatred of the serpents as a result. Eventually,
he asked the Nāga, “How can I be released of this debt to you?”

“Bring us soma, the nectar of immortality!” They replied.

Garuḍa “stole” soma from the Gods, but conspired with their king, Indra,
so that Indra reclaimed the soma before the serpents had a chance to
drink it. Garuḍa was freed from servitude the moment he placed the
nectar before the Nāga. As Indra appeared from out of nowhere to
snatch back the elixir, drops of it splashed onto the kuśa grass, which is
sharp like a razor blade. The Nāga became very powerful by licking up
these drops, but also split their tongues on the sharp grass in the
process.

Āśleṣā has an inherent weakness towards deception and

jealousy, owing to the fact that its deity was born into such an
environment.

Pleasures beyond Paradise

The Nāga inhabit and control a unique realm of the universe: “Nāga-
Realm,” the deepest of the seven netherworlds. Because they dwell at
the very bottom of the physical dimensions, we hear in Mahābhārata
(Adi.36) that they, “hold the earthly realm aloft upon their hoods.” Thus
the Nāga are very strong and can hold things better than any other
creatures. The very word āśleṣā implies this! One can think of the boa
constrictor or python as a concrete example of a serpent’s power to
embrace and hold.

55
 Āśleṣā empowers humanity to embrace strong attachments and
affections with enduring emotion and desire. Thus Āśleṣā also
promotes the ability to bear great weights and responsibilities
towards those we love.

The Nāga’s netherworld is not similar to Judeo-Christian hell. It is a place

of grandeur and pleasure, not a place of punishment. Chapter 5 of
Viṣṇu Purāṇa describes it: It is more beautiful than heaven, full of
radiant jewels, exotic groves and lakes, and breathtaking serpentine
maidens eager to enjoy! The air carries sweet scents and music. The
ground is multicolored, soft and mixed with jewels and gold.

The 24th Chapter of the 5th section of Bhāgavata Purāṇa concurs, adding
that this world is like a luxurious resort, free from infections, fatigue,
and aging. The Sun and other luminaries cannot shine into these nether
regions. The entire world is lit instead by the brilliance held within
fantastic gems that the residents wear, often as crown-jewels on their
serpentine hoods.

The Viṣṇu Purāṇa states that the Nāga are extremely influential
throughout all seven of the nether realms. Vāyu Purāṇa lists the specific
Nāga who predominate each nether realm: Kāliya, Takṣaka, Hemaka,
Vainateya, Kirmira, and Vāsuki. The Bhāgavatam clarifies that the fifth
and seventh nether-realms particularly belong to the Nāga. The seventh
realm is the home to the most powerful and impressive of the Nāga,
headed by their king, Vāsuki.

Through Āśleṣā, the Nāga empower human beings to obtain

luxury, and embrace sensual pleasure and enjoyment via
charisma, charm, mystique, and cunning.

Vāsuki – King of Dragons

In Bhagavad-Gita (10.28), Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:

sarpāṇām asmi vāsukiḥ

“Among serpents I am Vāsuki.”

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The most celebrated tale involving Vāsuki involves how the gods and
anti-gods produced the original nectar of immortality by churning the
cosmic ocean of milk.

Churning a bucket of milk will make a person tired, and churning an

entire ocean was a feat even for the gods to accomplish. They needed
enormous apparatus like continents to stand on and mountains to
churn with. The rope to turn this mountainous churning rod would have
to be fantastically strong and long. Everyone agreed that the king of
serpents, Vāsuki would be the only being that could act as the rope.

Vāsuki, however, was far off in the deepest netherworld. Garuḍa, proud
of his ability to carry away snakes in his beak, stepped forward and
announced that he would bring Vāsuki. When he arrived and explained
the situation, Vāsuki replied, “If it’s so urgent, carry me to the spot at
once.”

Garuḍa, however, could not lift Vāsuki off the ground. Thus he returned
to the gods empty handed. Śiva then extended his hand to the
netherworld and Vāsuki wrapped himself around Śiva’s wrist like a
bracelet.

Thereafter, Vāsuki firmly embraced the mountain in the middle of the

ocean and the gods and anti-gods could successfully churn the cosmic
milk.

Vāsuki cooperated happily with Śiva but embarrassed haughty

Garuḍa. It is said that snakes are enemies of common people,
but they never harm a saint13. Similarly Āśleṣā interests us in
using our charms and charismas to enjoy life, but it also makes
us favorable to the truly godly.

13
For example: Buddha is often depicted with an umbrella of hooded snakes
protecting him. Viṣṇu is almost always depicted in this way. Śiva is always
adorned with serpents.
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Śeṣa – The Spiritual Serpent
In Bhagavad Gita (10.29) Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:

anantaś cāsmi nāgānāṁ

“Among the Nāga I am Ananta.”

In the previous verse of Gita, Kṛṣṇa said that among serpents he is

Vāsuki, now he says that among Nāga he is Śeṣa. This indicates that
Śeṣa is the truest Nāga, distinguished most fully from his serpentine kin.
In comparison to Śeṣa even the great dragon Vāsuki seems like a snake.

Still, Vāsuki became the king of the Nāga because Śeṣa had no interest
in taking the position. Displeased by the sensual orientation of his kin,
Śeṣa prefers to be solitary and remain apart from them. Instead Śeṣa
takes up an intimate relationship with Viṣṇu.

When Viṣṇu lies upon the cosmic ocean of causality, Śeṣa appears and
folds his coils into a soft bed for Viṣṇu, while spreading his thousands of
hoods above him like an umbrella.

Viṣṇu has Garuḍa the eagle as his carrier, and Śeṣa the serpent as his
bed. The two, eagles and serpents, should be sworn enemies. But the
influence of Viṣṇu is so pacifying and pleasant that even deadly enemies
give up their mutual hatred and cooperate happily to serve him.

Śeṣa has so many heads they are essentially infinite. This is one reason
why he also bears the name Ananta, which means endless.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.1.14) explains that Śeṣa is an incarnation of

Viṣṇu, who returns to his original form as Kṛṣṇa’s elder brother,
Balarāma. Śeṣa’s role is always to support and guard Viṣṇu. When Viṣṇu
appears as Kṛṣṇa, Śeṣa supports and protects him by becoming his older
brother. Since Śeṣa is the foremost Nāga, Āśleṣā attains its favorability
towards the spiritual, in spite of and augmented by its otherwise
netherworldly, pleasure loving nature.

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The divine qualities of Śeṣa are more fully and purely realized in Śeṣa’s
own star: Uttara Bhādrapadā. But still, it is not difficult to see the
intimate connection between Śeṣa and Āśleṣā. If we merely drop the “l”
as an irregularity of pronunciation, the word Āśleṣā becomes ā-śeṣa -
“the place of Śeṣa.”

Āśleṣā interests humanity in mystical spirituality.

Kāliya’s Battle with Kṛṣṇa

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.16) tells the story of a powerful Nāga named
Kāliya. Fearing Garuḍa, Kāliya made his home somewhere Garuḍa had
been cursed to be unable to enter. That place happened to be in Kṛṣṇa’s
forest: Vṛṇdāvana, within the depths of a pool formed by the river
Yamunā.

Kāliya demonstrated the power of holding (“āśleṣa”) by causing the

water to take solid shapes. He constructed a palace for himself out of
water, in the water, and lived there with many beautiful Nāga maidens.
However, his toxicity made the lake and surrounding area polluted. So
Kṛṣṇa jumped into the water one day to challenge Kāliya and evict him.

Kāliya held Kṛṣṇa in an unbreakably strong embrace within his coils for a
terribly long time. But Kṛṣṇa broke free and began to dance upon
Kāliya’s hundreds of hoods, each attempting to bite and spit fiery poison
upon him. With each artful step of the dance Kṛṣṇa kicked upon each
hood – his feet illuminated by the jewels there like an artist illuminated
on stage by footlights. One by one the heads of Kāliya were broken and
defeated by Kṛṣṇa. However, the Nāga maidens beseeched Kṛṣṇa
sweetly, and he spared Kāliya and allowed him to return to Nāgaloka
with a promise that he need no longer fear Kṛṣṇa’s servant, Garuḍa.

By Kṛṣṇa’s compassion, Kāliya became an enlightened serpent similar to

Śeṣa. Here are excerpts of his statements to Kṛṣṇa after becoming
enlightened (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.16.56-59):

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“I am sorry for fighting with you, but I am a serpent, so it is my nature to
become aggressive when challenged. It is so difficult for a person not to
be a creature of habit. Please forgive me.

“You create the forces that create our habitual nature; that is why no
one can overcome habit by their willpower alone. You are the wise
being who frees everyone from bondage to their habitual conditioning.
So, whether you punish me or show me mercy – either is for my benefit.”

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Inherited Power ~ Maghā

Name Maghā
Meaning Power
Symbol Throne
Deity Pitṛ - ancestral spirits
Main Star Regulus

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The word magha means “power” and also means “gift.” The symbol of
Maghā, a throne, is an image of inherited power. Indra, the king of the
gods, seated on the throne of paradise is known as Maghavan. But it is
the Pitṛ (ancestral spirits) who are the deities of Maghā – signifying that
we inherit power from our ancestors.

Maghā bestows gifts “from our ancestors.” This literally

indicates inheritance of power, career, fortune, and qualities
(“DNA”). Such inheritance really comes as a result of efforts
made in our previous births, so Maghā also indicates powers,
qualities and abilities carried over from past lives.

Divine “Ancestors”
The Manu-Smṛti’s third chapter tells us that Pitṛ are divine beings who
are the “forefathers” of us all. It says that some of Brahmā’s initial
mental offspring created the Pitṛ, who in turn created powerful beings,
who in turn produced the original members of the various species in the
universe.

So the Pitṛ are an intermediary being between the original mental

offspring of Brahmā and the subsequent physical offspring that created
the gods, humans, animals, etc.

The Purāṇas, especially Vāyu and Brahmāṇḍa, describe many types of

Pitṛ:

1) Original Pitṛ – divine ancestors;

a) Forefathers of non-humans
i) …of the divine race called Sādhya
ii) …of the gods
iii) …of the anti-gods and similar supernatural beings

b) Forefathers of humans
i) …of intellectuals
ii) …of rulers

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 iii) …of producers
iv) …of workers14

2) Souls of deceased human ancestors who become Pitṛ.

The main concern of the Pitṛ, regardless of their type, is to bring peace
and prosperity to the souls of their descendants when we die and have
to transition between one lifetime and the next. They perform sacrifices,
prayers and meditations to pacify the chaos and confusion which tends
to befall newly deceased souls.

The foremost of all the Pitṛ is Aryamā. In Bhagavad Gītā (10.29) Śrī Kṛṣṇa
says:

pitṝṇām aryamā cāsmi

“Among the Pitṛ, I am Aryamā.”

We will discuss Aryamā in more detail, because he has his own star very
close by, Uttara Phālgunī.

The Afterlife
Garuḍa Purāṇa’s 14th chapter relates:

The god of death, Yama is the master of the Pitṛ’s world, pitṛ-loka – the
afterlife realm, which is “below” the earthly realm but “above” the
nether-paradise of the Nāga.

The Pitṛ guide the soul through the afterlife, which contains experiences
akin to our modern western concepts of heaven and hell. The Pitṛ help
deceased souls face Yama, the god of death, who judges their deeds and
rewards and punishes them accordingly.

14
The four types of Pitṛ who are forefathers of humans were created by
Brahmā’s sons, Bhṛgu, Angiras, Pulastya, and Vasiṣṭha, respectively. The three
types of Pitṛ who are forefathers of non-humans were created by Viṣṇu,
Brahmā, and Atri, respectively.
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To help correct specific wrongs, Yama sends the soul into any of the 28
“hells” of pitṛloka. To encourage and reward good deeds, Yama sends
the soul into the “heaven” of pitṛloka where they enjoy heavenly
delights with bodies similar to the gods.

When the due rewards and punishments are exhausted, Yama usually
sends a soul to its next earthly birth. Occasionally, Yama will keep a soul
for an extended period, promoting it into the ranks of the Pitṛ, or
another type of divinity in some other realm.

Ancestor Worship
In ancient India, the Pitṛ were worshipped with approximately equal
importance as the gods, but the rituals were different. Rituals for
worshipping the Pitṛ are called śrāddha and always involve grains. 15
Indeed the word magha can even connote “grain.”

The śrāddha ritual highlights the mutual indebtedness between

ancestor and offspring. In Vedic culture, it is the duty of every child to
have at least one child of his own. This is how we repay our debt to the
ancestors who paved the way for our birth, and it helps insure success
of the Pitṛ’s original duty: to populate the universe.

The divine “ancestors” help guide us through the afterlife when we die,
and when our literal ancestors die it is our duty to make an effort to
help them. Therefore a child performs śrāddha on behalf of his
deceased parents. The ceremony worships not the deceased but the Pitṛ
who will make the effort to ease the passing of the deceased.

15
The śrāddha ceremony is still very popluar among Hindus, and is observed
twice a year, during the waning moon of two months: Aśvina and Caitra. It also
continues to have a strong influent in Buddhism, even as far as Japan.
64
Romantic Enjoyment ~
Pūrva Phālgunī

Name Pūrva Phālgunī

Meaning Reddish Lady (I)
Symbol Bed
Deity Bhaga - god of love and marriage
Main Stars δ and θ Leonis.

65
Pūrva Phālgunī is one of two consecutive nakṣatra named Phālgunī, and
is thus our first encounter with a nakṣatra pair. As is usually the case
with nakṣatra pairs, the first in the pair is prefixed as Pūrva Phālgunī
(“the first Phālgunī”), and the second is Uttara Phālgunī (“the later/
second Phālgunī”). Paired nakṣatra share similar meanings, with subtle
differences.

The word phālgunī means “reddish lady,” which should remind us of the
nakṣatra named Rohiṇī, since that word has the same meaning. As we
noted while discussing Rohiṇī, the Vedic implication of “reddish lady” is
a pubescent girl, fertile and eager to enjoy sexuality and procreation. It
is therefore quite fitting that the symbol for both Phālgunī nakṣatras is a
bed, and that their deities are gods of romance and marriage!

Pūrva Phālgunī is the domain of Bhaga - the god of love and marriage.
The word bhaga means:

• A patron; a gracious, generous lord

• Good fortune, prosperity, happiness

• Beauty and loveliness

• Love, lust, Eros

• Vulva

Through Pūrva Phālgunī, Bhaga graciously dispenses happiness to

humanity, via love and marriage. With its symbolic bed and its name
depicting a fertile young lady, Pūrva Phālgunī is the star of happy lovers,
romance, and marriage.

A Family of Expert Enjoyers

The names of Bhaga’s wife, sons and daughters reveal the ways Bhaga
bestows romantic happiness to us.

Bhaga’s three sons are:

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 • Mahiman – greatness, majesty and hugeness

• Vibhu – solid, penetrating, and effective

• Prabhu - powerful, capable, and enduring

These names reveal the traits a male must possess to fully enjoy
romantic happiness: Size (Mahiman) is literal in terms of stature and
sexual organ but also indicates size of character: nobility and morality.
Solidity (Vibhu) also has obvious physical and sexual meaning, as well as
indicating ideal male character. Power (Prabhu) grants initiative and
mastery which is important physically, sexually and socially.

Bhaga’s three daughters are:

• Suvratā – dedication, virtue and compliance

• Varāroha – beauty, mounting, and attractive hips

• Āśīs – desire and fulfillment

These names reveal the essential traits a female must bring to the
romantic partnership. She must be dedicated (Suvratā), indicating virtue,
patience and receptivity. She must be beautiful (Varāroha), indicating
attractive hips and expertise in “mounting” and “riding”. Finally, she
must be desirable (Āśīs), which indicates that she has an appetite for
romance and that she is therefore capable of fulfilling romantic desires.

The name of Bhaga’s wife indicates what both genders must possess if
they are to truly enjoy happiness together:

• Siddhi –perfection, unusual skill, and dexterity

This word, siddhi, has strong spiritual implications, indicating that

romantic pleasure is not an end in and of itself, but a part of what we
need in our greater journey towards a more significant and spiritual
understanding of love and pleasure.

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 Pūrva Phālgunī allows one to develop dexterity and skill in these
talents, arts, and character traits so as to enjoy a fulfilling and
satisfying sensual and romantic life.

Negative Effects of Lust

The Mahābhārata (Sauptika Parva) tells the following story of Bhaga
angering Rudra:

At the end of a divine age, the gods came together to divide up the
surplus shares of sacrifices they had received. The eagerness to enjoy
made them feel that they could leave Rudra out of the divvy.

When Rudra learned of this, he became furious and attacked. Those

who were most lusty to enjoy the sacrificial portions were his main
target. He cut off the hands of the god named Savitā, who was lusty to
feel and grab all the resources for sense gratification. He took out the
teeth of the god named Pūṣā, who was lusty to enjoy fine delicacies. He
plucked out the eyes of Bhaga, who was lusty to look upon attractive
forms.

The apologies of the gods finally placated Rudra and he was eventually
pleased to return these to their owners.

The story illustrates that the desire to enjoy what Pūrva Phālgunī
offers can easily bewilder us into greed and lust, the result of
which is the opposite of happiness and bliss. Thus we must be on
guard to maintain the primary male and female qualities of
nobility (mahiman) and restraint (suvratā).

Divine Love and Romance

In modern times, with the rise of extremely dualistic concepts of religion,
we tend to conceive of a huge gulf between mater and spirit, god and
pleasure, etc. This divisive conception was not embraced by Vedic
culture. Certainly dualism has some relevance, for not all things are
identical. Selfishness and selflessness, for example, are polar opposites

68
– and thus so are lust and love. However, the Indian concept of divinity
neutralizes, harmonizes, and integrates all opposites.

Bhaga is the god of “material” things such as romance, sex and marriage.
Yet the word bhaga in the form “Bhagavān” is the most common
classical Sanskrit term for a blessed being. The Purāṇas even define
Bhagavān as a moniker of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus, in
Sanskrit culture, the division between material and spiritual transforms.

Bhagavān means, “The possessor of Bhaga.” Sanskrit culture conceives

of the Supreme Spirit as a being that has more Bhaga than anyone else:
a blissful, attractive, talented and romantic entity.

Parāśara Muni defines the word Bhagavān in Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.5.79): “To
fully possess happiness (bhaga) one must have all majesty, power, fame,
beauty, knowledge and detachment.”

Bhaga gives majesty – which means status, influence and wealth. He

gives power – which means heroism, bravery and strength. Bhaga also
gives fame – which means celebrity and good reputation. He also gives
beauty – which attracts others to participate in ones pleasures.

Money, power, fame, beauty… these first four are obvious and well
known ingredients of a person who can enjoy great pleasures.
Knowledge is a lesser known requirement. We need expertise and skill
to really enjoy the pleasures of life. Bhaga, the god of pleasures, also
gives detachment – because attachment causes suffering. If we are only
attached to enjoying pleasures, we will inevitably suffer. To be detached
requires knowledge of what one really is – a spiritual being, not just a
collection of senses to please. So in addition to giving money, power,
fame, and beauty, Bhaga also gives knowledge and detachment. The
complete package of six traits grants supreme pleasure.

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The personality of Godhead, especially in the intimate form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa,
is recognized by Parāśara and his son Vyāsa as the person most fit to be
named Bhagavān.16

Pūrva Phālgunī has the special ability to grant pleasures and

wealth in a manner that befits a spiritually progressive person. It
also can incline one to more deeply appreciate the spiritual
pleasures and opulence of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Bhaga and Bhakti

Again, to highlight how Indian theology does not stringently divide
pleasure and happiness from spirituality: the Sanskrit word for romantic
love and pleasure (bhaga) is made of the same root that makes the
word for the yoga of divine love (bhakti).

Bhakti means loving the All-Attractive Divinity in very tangible, intimate

manner which includes and really culminates its brilliance in romantic
forms of love.

Pūrva Phālgunī thus has a special fertility for producing bhaktas.

For example, Arjuna, the most famous dear friend of Kṛṣṇa, was
born on a lunar day when the Moon spanned both phālgunī
stars.17

The primary Indian calendar ties the lunar phases and the 27 stars to
earthly days via the sunrise. The phase and star of the moon at the
time of sunrise becomes the phase of that day, even if the actual
phase itself changes before the next sunrise. Sometimes odd things
happen: If the Sun rises when the moon is at the very end of Star A,
the moon’s normal motion can carry it through Star B and just into the
very beginning of Star C by the time the next Sunrise happens. In this

16
Parāśara says so in Viṣṇu-Purāṇa. Vyāsa says so in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
1.3.28
17
In Mahābhārata Virata Parva, Section 44 Arjuna says to his daughter in law:
“I am known as Phalguna, my dear, because I was born in the snowy season on
a day belonging to both Uttara- and Purva-Phalguni.“

70
case Star B gets “skipped” that month. Or, if the Sun rises when the
Moon is at the very beginning of Star A, it can still be just at the very
end of Star A when the next sunrise occurs. In this case Star A gets
“stretched” to cover two consecutive days in that month.

It is uncommon to be born on such days, but much more uncommon

to be born when those days involve the few paired stars. Arjuna says
he was born on a winter day when the Moon did exactly that; passed
through two paired star-clusters – Pūrva and Uttara Phālgunī – in a
single day. This earned him the name Phālguna.

The Phalgunis are stars of entertainment and friendship. Arjuna was a

dashing hero, and a skilled dancer and musician. As for friendship,
Arjuna is well known as a dear, dear friend of All-Attractive Śrī Krishna.

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Vows of Friendship ~
Uttara Phālgunī

Name Uttara Phālgunī

Meaning Reddish Lady (II)
Symbol Bed
Deity Aryamā - god of vows and weddings
Main Star Denebola

72
Uttara Phālgunī is the second in the Phālgunī pair of stars. Most of what
we discussed about Pūrva Phālgunī applies to Uttara Phālgunī as well.
The difference is that while the previous Phālgunī tends towards
romance, Uttara Phālgunī towards friendship and marriage.

Uttara Phālgunī is the star of marriage and commitments.

The deity of Uttara Phālgunī is Aryamā, the brother of Pūrva Phālgunī’s

deity, Bhaga. As you may recall from the chapter on Maghā, In
Bhagavad Gītā (10.29), Śrī Kṛṣṇa suggests that Aryamā is the foremost
Pitṛ: pitṝṇām aryamā cāsmi, “Among the Pitṛs I am Aryamā.”

This reveals that Aryamā dwells with and functions like the Pitṛ, well-
wishing ancestors who protect us in difficult times. Aryamā is the
foremost well-wisher and protector.

The word aryamā literally means a dear friend. The exact, most specific
meaning is, a friend who asks a girl to marry his friend. If a boy has a
crush on a girl, his close friend goes to the girl and tells her about the
boy in such a way as to attract her attention and affections. That friend
is “aryamā”.

It is somewhat fitting that such a friend would never be mentioned in

the Vedas as a solitary being, but is always addressed in relationship to
his dear brothers: Bhaga, Mitra and Varuṇa.

Aryamā is the divine matchmaker. He pairs young men and women so

that they can enjoy what Phālgunī has to offer: love, romance and
marriage.

Uttara Phālgunī produces matchmakers and expert councilors in

the arts of love and romance.

Wedding Vows
Ṛg Veda (2.27.5) says that Aryamā brings enjoyment even in the face of
difficulties. This is very important for marriage, because the relationship
between opposite principles, male and female, is rarely without

73
challenges. Aryamā is the love and affection which transforms such
challenges into delightful romantic exchanges.

The next mantra says that the paths of Aryamā and Mitra are smooth.18
The next mantra says that Aryamā’s path is beautiful and loving, beyond
hatred. Then, the next confirms that Aryamā’s path is particularly
beautiful.

Uttara Phālgunī especially makes relationships beautiful,

smooth and enjoyable; easing disagreements and promoting
accord, harmony and felicity.

The traditional Vedic wedding begins with an invocation to Aryamā, and

is followed by one to Aryamā and Bhaga together (gods of the two
Phālgunī stars). The would-be groom sends two elders on his behalf to
the father of the girl he wishes to marry, to ask for her hand in marriage.
This is exactly the meaning of “aryamā”: a friend who asks for a girl to
marry his friend. When asking his two elders to act in this role, the
would-be groom recites two Vedic mantras invoking Aryamā and.

Ṛg (10.32.1): “Go straight to the target, bearing great and very satisfying
gifts. Let these two reach their target happy and nourished!”

Ṛg (10.85.23): “Seek the bride and bring her to the groom. Travel
smoothly to her with Aryamā and Bhaga.”

18
The Taittirīya-Brāhmaṇa says that the Milky Way is this smooth path.
74
Dexterity ~ Hasta

Name Hasta
Meaning Hand, grasp
Symbol Hand
Deity Savitā - god of sunrise
Main Stars The hand-like Corvus constellation

75
The word hasta refers to a hand, the part of the body that grasps,
moves, manipulates, and utilizes things. So the symbol of Hasta, a hand,
simply illustrates its direct meaning.

Hasta is the star of heightened awareness and dexterity.

Savitā is Hasta’s deity. He is the god of sunrise, who wakes us up and

inspires us to use our hands.

The word savitā means the awakener. It is made from the root śu which
means “to inspire.” Savitā inspires our awakening to awareness.

Savitā is connected with the Sunrise because when the Sun rises, we
wake up. Light floods the world and we become aware of our
surroundings. Ṛg Veda consistently treats Savitā – the agent bestowing
cognition - as the Sun, particularly the rising Sun.

Eleven hymns in Ṛg Veda are entirely in honor of Savitā, and he is

mentioned about 170 times throughout the book! Here are some that
are relevant.

10.158.3: “Divine Savitā gives us sight as if from the mountaintop, and

enables us to create.”

Hasta creates “vision” (broad, far-reaching, and ambitious), and

the dexterity to such visionary goals.

10.158.4: “[Savitā] puts vision in our eyes, into our bodies, into our
world.”

By spreading rays of light, the awakening sun (Savitā) enables our eyes
to see the world. Similarly the soul spreads rays of sentience through
our body and thus enables us to be conscious of our existence. Savitā is
thus light and consciousness.

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 Hasta grants heightened awareness. We become observant and
difficult to deceive. We become more skilled, expert, and
dexterous.19

10.149 is an entire hymn describing Savitā as the creator of the earth

and heavens. Modern thought also considers the Sun to be the force
which enabled primordial elements to form into planets, including the
earth.

10.139.1-2: “Blonde Savitā rises in the east, spreading rays of eternal

light by which we can nourish our desires like a cowherder. Shining
upon the mortal world, the heavens, and the space between; he sets
our sights upon the fertile pastures that spread from the east to the
west, from within to without.”

The Ṛg Veda here describes the rays of the Sun as harikeśa. This means
that (a) the sunlight is like the golden-blonde mane of the Sun, (b) Savitā
is blonde haired, (c) the sun’s light originates from the brilliant rays of
Hari, the Godhead.

Through Hasta, Savitā enables humanity to prosper by

awakening to the new dawn, setting goals for the “day” and
skillfully accomplishing them.

Brahmā Gayatrī
One part of Ṛg Vedic culture that has survived and thrived even up to
today is a mantra from its third book which has become known as the
savitṛ mantra, or the brahma gayatrī mantra. This mantra is ideal for
communing with Savitā and unlocking the highest potentials of his star,
Hasta.

Taittiriya Aranyaka (2.11.1-8) states that mantras recited spiritually

must be prefixed with key words that unlock their spiritual significance.

19
Many attribute “magicians” to Hasta. Hasta indeed gives dexterity to utilize
slight-of-hand, and the awareness to details that others miss amidst the smoke
and mirrors.
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“Oṁ” is always to be the first syllable in the prefix. It identifies the
spiritual fountainhead of all things, the Divine Being. Next, special
syllables called vyāhṛti are to be affixed. These are the “utterances”
which identify the “worlds” or levels of consciousness that set the
context for the mantra to be chanted. The first three worlds are the
most important, and so are called the mahā-vyāhṛti (“great utterance”).
These are the words bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ - identifying heaven, earth, and
the space in between. Next comes the mantra itself, Ṛg Veda (3.62.10).
The complete Brahmā Gayatrī thus assembled is:

oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ

tát savitúr váreṇ(i)yaṃ
bhárgo devásya dhīmahi
dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt

Invoking Divinity
In the heavens, on earth and in the space between:
Upon that most excellent form of Savitā,
the effulgence of divinity, we meditate.
And by this meditation he becomes manifest to us.

What is “the most excellent form of Savitā (savitur vareṇiyam)?” As we

know Savitā is the sun, which gives light and thus awareness. The most
excellent form of awareness is to be conscious of divinity (bhargo
devasya). The Sun lights the heavens, the earth and the space between.
Similarly the most excellent form of consciousness shows us the divine
everywhere, at all times. By meditating upon the most excellent form of
consciousness, it becomes our own consciousness!

The highest potential for Hasta is to awaken a human being to

grasp what this mantra describes: all-pervasive, all-
encompassing consciousness of the divine.

Another relevant mantra for Hasta: Indian custom is, upon awakening in
the morning, to rub ones hands together, look at them, and say:

78
 karāgre vasate lakṣmiḥ
karamadhye sarasvati
karamūle tu govindaḥ
prabhāte karadarśanam

“I look at my hands and realize that Lakṣmi (Goddess of Fortune) is at

the top, Sarasvati (Goddess of Learning) is in the middle, but Govinda is
at the root.”

This mantra reminds us that our hands produce money (Lakṣmi) as a

result of our skill (Sarasvati), but we are powerless to do anything
without the blessing of Viṣṇu (Govinda).

79
Multifaceted Brilliance ~ Citrā

Name Citrā
Meaning Splendid
Symbol Multifaceted jewel
Deity Tvaṣṭā - god of design & creation
Main Star Spica

80
The word citrā means: excellent, brilliant, prismatic, multifarious,
multifaceted, wondrous, and ingenious. Appropriately, the symbol of
Citrā is an excellent gemstone, ingeniously cut into many facets to
reveal its wondrous prismatic luster. The Deity of Citrā is Tvaṣṭā, the god
of creations which resemble that expertly cut jewel.

Through Citrā, Tvaṣṭā empowers humanity to comprehend

multi-faceted designs, and generate masterpieces and
technological marvels.

The Creation of Creativity

Tvaṣṭā is one of several Vedic deities who exist in a primordial, abstract
form and later take a specific shape at some early point in universal
history. For example:

• Primordial Aditi, the goddess of Punarvasu, is the abstract

principle of space itself, a domain in which things can exist.
Later she takes a concrete form as a goddess born as a grand-
daughter of Brahmā.

• Primodial Savitā, the god of Hasta, is the abstract principle of

conscious awareness. Later he takes a concrete form as a god
born from Aditi.

• Tvaṣṭā, the deity of Citrā, is similar. In primordial form Tvaṣṭā is

the abstract power to create. Later on he becomes the god of
creative expertise, taking concrete form as a god born from
Aditi.

The abstract, primordial forms of gods exist prior to tangible creation,

and thus prior to Brahmā. Logically, the abstract power to create must
exist before anything can be created. So the abstract form of Tvaṣṭā
exists before Brahmā, and Brahmā must use Tvaṣṭā’s energy to design
and create the universe in which Tvaṣṭā soon takes birth as a tangible
being. That is why the Vedas can call Tvaṣṭā “the Creator” without
contradicting the idea that Brahmā is the creator.

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 This symbiotic relationship between Brahmā and Tvaṣṭā causes
their stars, Rohiṇī and Citrā, to share the same symbiosis. When
both stars are simultaneously active, they bestow ample
amounts of artistry and skill in creative design.

Tvaṣṭā actually takes two concrete forms in the universe. One, named
Viśvakarmā, creates for the gods. The other, named Maya, creates for
the anti-gods. 20

Viśvakarmā literally means “the one who creates everything.” Māyā

(which derives from the root, maya) means “art, extraordinary talent.”
The word then refers to “magic” and from there to “sorcery, trickery
and illusion.” As Viśvakarmā and Maya, Tvaṣṭā creates many fantastic
beings and all the art, magic and technology of the gods and anti-gods.
These creations fascinate, bewilder and confound all who look upon
them.

Wondrous Creations
Citrā is the star of architects, designers and engineers. Here are some
details Citrā’s deity, Viśvakarmā, to help drive this point home,
illustrating how much expertise with technology, details, designs, etc.
resides in Citrā.

Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.15) describes Viśvakarmā as the chief designer of all the
buildings, parks, statues and artwork in paradise. He created for the

20
The original name, Tvaṣṭā, can be used for either but in practice seems to
always refer to Maya. Some accounts (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.15 and Kathāsarit Sāgara
Kālambaka.8) describe Maya as the “son” of Viśvakarmā, indicating that the
creator for the gods created the creator for the anti-gods. Besides Maya,
another son of Viśvakarmā is Nala, a monkey who designed the bridge that
spanned from India to Lanka, which Rāma used to attack Rāvaṇa.

An interesting contention is that Maya built great cities in what is now Latin
America, founded the Mayan culture, and created their calendar. The classic
Indian astronomy textbook, Sūrya Siddhānta is said to be explained by the Sun
god to Maya.

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gods all their jewelry, their most advanced weapons, and their aircraft.
He even designed the mechanisms by which the planets and stars move
about in the heavens.

Mahābhārata speaks often of Viśvakarmā. Sabhā.8.34 states that

Viśvakarmā designed and built the palace of Yama, god of Bharaṇī.
Sabhā.9.2 says that he designed and built the underwater palace of
Varuṇa, god of Śatabhiṣaj. Sabhā.11.31 says that the universal creator
Brahmā, god of Rohiṇī, keeps Viśvakarmā nearby at all times, calling
upon his skill frequently.

Viśvakarmā’s amazing technology includes airships, which some

interpret as “spaceships.” The Ramāyaṇa and Mahābhārata
(Vana.161.37) state that he made his most famous airship out of flowers
and gave it to Brahmā as a gift.21

Flying Cities
The Mastya and Śiva Purāṇas say that Maya created three flying cities
for the anti-gods. The first was made of iron and hovered just above the
surface of the earth. The second was made of silver and flew in the air.
The third was made of gold and soared in space, above the clouds. The
three cities moved in such a way that they would align in a straight line
only once every thousand years; and only at this time could a single
missile be shot through all of them. The cities had no other vulnerability.

The anti-gods and their compatriots flourished and prospered in this

unassailable triple city and thus the balance of power in the world was
upset. To counteract this Viśvakarmā (Tvaṣṭā amongst the gods) created
a flying battleship and a deadly missile using the powers and weapons

21
Brahmā gave it in turn to Kuvera, the God of Wealth. Later, it was stolen from
Kuvera by the powerful demon, Rāvaṇa, along with the golden city of Lanka
(which was also designed by Viśvakarmā).
83
of the gods as building materials. From this battleship, Śiva successfully
destroyed the three flying cities.22

The Ultimate Weapon: “God’s Thunderbolt”

Here is another story involving both forms of Tvaṣṭā, Maya and
Viśvakarmā, showing their mastery of technology and design. The story,
from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (6.7-12), began in the chapter on Puṣya,
where we heard how Indra insulted Bṛhaspati and was abandoned by
him.

Without his priest, Indra could not gain power by performing rituals, so
the demons took over paradise. Brahmā advised Indra to go to Maya’s
son, a three-headed entity named Viśvarūpa, and request him to
become the priest of the Gods.

Viśvarūpa reluctantly accepted the request and taught Indra how to

wear the “Nārāyaṇa Kavaca” – a mystical coat of armor composed of
mantra (incantations) dedicated to Viṣṇu. With this protection, Indra
could drive the anti-gods out from paradise.

Viśvarūpa, however, secretly sent a portion of the ritual offerings to

empower his relatives among anti-gods. When Indra discovered this, he
furiously decapitated Viśvarūpa’s three heads.

Hearing the fate of his son, Maya became enraged and created an
extremely terrible and gigantic monster called Vṛtra. Powerful Vṛtra
stormed into paradise and swallowed all the weapons cast at him by the
gods. Completely hopeless and on the verge of disaster, the gods
beseeched Viṣṇu’s aid.

Viṣṇu told them that the spiritual armor Indra received from Viśvarūpa
had been learned from his father, Maya, who got it from the Aśvinī
twins, who learned it from a sage named Dadhīci.23 Dadhīci’s body

22
Mahābhārata Karṇa.34.16 specifies that the ship was designed and built by
Viśvakarmā.
23
For the fuller story, see the chapter on Aśvinī.
84
possessed extreme power as a result of mastering the use of this
spiritual armor. Viṣṇu told them to ask Dadhīci to give them his body,
and then ask Viśvakarmā to create a special “thunderbolt” weapon from
the crushed bones of Dadhīci. This weapon, Viṣṇu said, could destroy
the huge and otherwise indestructible Vṛtra.

Dadhīci gave his body in charity, happy to follow the will of Viṣṇu and
become liberated from this world. Viśvakarmā then created a unique
thunderbolt weapon from Dadhīci’s bones. Indra and his powerful
armies rode out to a terrible and devastating war with the hosts of anti-
gods. In the end Vṛtra, being an enlightened soul, allowed Indra to kill
him with the special thunderbolt and attained liberation.24

Replica Worlds
Tvaṣṭā can even create replicas of other lands and worlds!

Brahmā Purāṇa says that a sage named Ātreya once requested

Viśvakarmā to build him a duplicate version of the god’s paradise and
Viśvakarmā did so.

Bṛhāt Bhāgavatāmṛta by Sanātana Gosvāmī (a relatively recent work)

says that Viśvakarmā even created a replica of the spiritual paradise,
Vṛṇdāvana – the abode of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He built it near Kṛṣṇa’s city, Dvārakā,
so that Kṛṣṇa could use it to ease the pain of separation from his
beloved childhood home.

The Ultimate Palace

Mahābhārata (Ādi.226) tells the story of how Maya came to build the
ultimate royal home:

Agñi, the god of fire, once got indigestion from consuming too many
ritual offerings. Brahmā told him that the herbs, roots and creatures of a
forest named Khandava would cure his ailment. But every time Agñi

24
In the seminal Vedic version of this story, Vṛtra represents storms and
darkness and Indra uses a thunderbolt to bring light into the darkness and
cause the clouds to bring forth nourishing rains.
85
tried to consume the forest in flames, torrential downpours put out the
fire. The forest was protected by Indra, god of rains and the chief of
heaven, because several important allies of his lived within it.

Unable to defeat Indra’s rains, Agñi went to Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, who had
recently built a prosperous city on the outskirts of the forest, and
requested their help. He offered them gifts of divine weapons and
appealed to their desire to rid the world of evil (hosts of ferocious
demons and monsters flourished in the forest). Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa agreed
to help Agñi.

Agñi began to consume the forest and Arjuna made an umbrella of

arrows above it, blocking Indra’s rain.

Furious, Indra came with all the major gods to fight Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna.
The demons of the forest joined forces with them. Maya was involved,
and hurled huge slabs of mountainside at Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. But the not
even the combined forces of gods and anti-gods could overcome Kṛṣṇa
and Arjuna. Thus Angi successfully consumed the forest.

During the battle Maya surrendered to the protection of Arjuna and

became an ally. In gratitude for Arjuna accepting his surrender he
constructed a palace for Arjuna and the Pāṇḍavas that combined the
best art, magic and technology of heaven, earth, and the underworld.

Peaceful forest groves flowered within the palace, and their fragrance
spread on well-designed breezes (air conditioning). The centerpiece of
the hall was a lake with living flowers made of gems and a surface that
blended so seamlessly with the marble shoreline that many visitors to
the palace unwittingly fell into the pool, being unable to tell the
difference between the floor and the water.

Citrā is the star of detailed blueprints, refined skill, multiple

talents and an ability to comprehend and give shape to many
angles of a single subject. Through Citrā, Tvaṣṭā empowers
humanity to create wondrous things that require keen artistic
sense, detailed expertise and nearly magical technological skills.
86
Individuality ~ Svāti

Name Svāti
Meaning Self-actuation
Symbol A new bud bending in the wind
Deity Vāyu - god of air
Main Star Arcturus

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The main component of the word svāti is sva, which means one’s own.
The meaning of the name Svāti, therefore, has to do with becoming an
individual.25

Svāti’s symbol is a new flower bud bending against the strong wind. This
is a symbol of “going against the grain” and making the effort to stand
out on our own as an individual.

The deity of Svāti is Vāyu, god of the wind that blows upon the new bud,
making it strong. We will discover that Vāyu is the god of Prāṇa, which
creates individuality in material beings.

“Individuality” is the key word for Svāti.

Power
Since Vāyu is the god of the mighty wind, he is extremely powerful. He
once held a contest of strength with the Nāga king, Vāsuki. Vāyu
couldn’t remove Vāsuki from his grip on a mountain, but neither could
Vāsuki escape from Vāyu’s grip. Viṣṇu finally called a halt to the
exhausting stalemate. When Vāsuki unwound from the mountain Vāyu
ripped the peak from its roots and threw it far to the south. It landed in
the ocean and became the isle of Lanka.

Vāyu is also the father of the mighty warriors Hanuman and Bhīma.

The Breath of Life

Though Vāyu is powerful, he is no brute of hurricanes and storms. He is
not the god of wind so much as the god of air and of breath. Ṛg Veda
(10.9) says that Vāyu is the breath of Godhead.

In modern terms, Vāyu is the god of oxygen. Ṛg Veda (1.7.112) says that
Vāyu is the father of Agñi. This is because fire (Agñi) cannot burn
without oxygen (Vāyu).

25
The word svāti also means sword, because a sword is a blade, and blades cut
things to destroy homogeneity and create individualized divisions.
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Bṛhadaranyaka Upanishad illustrates that nothing is more essential to
life than Vāyu / oxygen:

The gods of the human body held a contest to see who among them
was the most important. Selecting a man to serve as the arena for their
contest, one by one the different deities left that man’s body. When the
god of vision left, the man became blind and morose. Similarly when
other deities abandoned him the man lost important functions. But
when Vāyu stood up to leave the man, every deity of the body became
uprooted and forced to leave, too. Vāyu sat back down and everyone
returned to normal. Everyone admitted that nothing is more important
to an individual’s existence than Vāyu: god of breath.

Our existence as an individual rests upon Vāyu’s power: “life air” (prāṇa
or, perhaps, oxygen in modern terms). Here are several quotes
illustrating this.

Katha Upanishad (1.3.1) says:

“The individual soul floats on the life-air in the core of the

individual.”

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (4.29.71) says:

“Without life-air we lose our sense of ‘I.’ This temporarily

happens in deep sleep, unconsciousness, or in terrible shock
such as extremely high fever and during death.”

Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.9 says:

“The wise perceive the individual soul floating on five life-airs.

The true individual does not manifest until it is purified of
contact with those airs.”

Indian thought holds the life-air to be a bridge element between matter

and spirit. It is a type of rope which ties the conscious spirit to an
individual body and identity, creating an ego divorced and separated
from the divine whole.
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The intimate relationship between breath and ego is why a significant
portion of classical yoga is devoted to breathing techniques. It also
supports the concept that natal birth chart should be created for the
moment of a child’s first breath. It is the moment of the child’s first
contact with Vāyu that is the foundation of their individuality and
individual destiny.26

The quote from Mundaka Upanishad suggests that there is another

individuality which is “purified.” When the soul exists without the life-
air it experiences an identity that is not separated from the divine whole.

Yet another book, the Chandogya Upanishad, states that spiritual

realization is impossible until one conceives of the individualizing life-
airs in a spiritual manner, integrated with the divine whole:

“One cannot know Brahman without knowing Vāyu as ‘om.’”

Svāti is “ego.” It is the ability to establish a definition of “I.”

Without Svāti we are unable to clearly individualize ourselves.
The ultimate potential of Svāti is self-realization: it empowers
humans to develop an ego that is integrated into the divine
whole.

Vāyu and the Silk-Cotton Tree

Mahābhārata (Śānti.154-156) tells a story involving Vāyu and
reminiscent of Svāti’s symbol, illustrating the pride of false-ego and
inflated individuality:

There was once a silk-cotton tree so huge that its branches would not
move in any storm, nor would even a single leaf or flower fall. A great
sage, Nārada, took shelter of this tree during a storm and, amazed,
praised the tree’s power. The tree became very proud and came to
consider itself more powerful than Vāyu.

26
It can therefore be inferred that prior to the first breath the child has not
established the fundaments of a bond to his or her new body and is still largely
immersed in a trans-lifetime state of awareness.
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Hearing of this, Vāyu came and said, “You fool! If you are strong, fight
me here and now!” Vāyu blew off all the tree’s fruits, flowers and leaves.
He then explained to the humiliated tree, “Long ago, Brahmā rested in
your shade. Out of deference to the sacred place I have always stilled
my winds near you. It is not your power that made you great, it was my
grace!”

Svāti empowers the self to be an individual, but the risk of

individualism is egoism. So we must always remember that the
powers and qualities that make us a unique individual are
granted to us by the powers of the universe. We should not
proudly think of ourselves as completely individual and
disconnected from the divine whole.

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Obsession ~ Viśākhā

Name Viśākhā
Meaning One-pointed
Symbol Finish line
Deity Indrāgñi - god of sacrificial fire
Main Stars α, β, γ and ι Librae

92
The root of the word Viśākhā is śākha, which means branch, division, or
fork. The prefix vi indicates something that is: apart from, distinct,
intense, and opposite.

A branch or fork represents a decision. So śākha means a decision.

Adding the prefix vi- indicates being intensely and distinctly decisive, not
at all straying here and there on many different forks in the road. I
translate viśākhā as “One-pointed.”

Sanskrit Lexicographers state that viśākhā is a term for an archer’s ideal

attitude in shooting a bow. He selects a target, aims carefully, and does
not waver in the least.

The most famous archer of Indian lore is Arjuna. It is said that when he
would aim his arrow he would not even see anything except the exact
spot at which he was aiming. This nicely illustrates the decisive focus
Viśākhā can impart to us.

The symbol of Viśākhā is a finish line, a target, a goal. I think the

appropriateness is obvious.

Viśākhā grants the ability to stay on course and make it as

straight as possible to the finish line, the goal of the journey.

There is a famous verse in Bhagavad-Gita (2.41) using the word

(vi)śākha and illustrating a spiritual application of being “one-pointed”:

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo ‘vyavasāyinām

“[Spiritualists] have unwavering and one-pointed determination, O

Son of Kuru; not the unlimited indecisiveness of many-branched
ambition.”

The nature of Viśākhā is fixation and decisive dedication.

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The Power to Get Things Done
Viśākhā’s deity is Indrāgñi. Some people suggest that Indrāgñi refers to
two different gods: Indra and Agñi taken together. However,
Mahābhārata and Ṛg Veda treat Indrāgñi as a single deity.

For example, Ṛg Veda (3.12) is a prayer to Indrāgñi. Mahābhārata

(Sabha.11) mentions Indrāgñi in the course of describing all the
supernatural beings that attend Brahmā. Two forms of fire attend the
Creator: Agñisoma and Indrāgñi. These are the two forms of fire
required for religious rituals. Agñisoma is at Brahmā’s service so that the
Creator can have health and vitality (the principles of Soma) to live as
long as the creation. Indrāgñi is at Brahmā’s service so that he can
obtain divine intelligence and power by worshipping Viṣṇu.27

As you can see, there are many different types of fire (agñi). The
foremost (indra) is the fire used in sacrifices and rituals. Thus, Indrāgñi is
the god of ritual fire.

We must put ourselves in a Vedic mindset before we can really

understand what the god of ritual fire has to do with Viśākhā, the star of
singular and decisive dedication to a goal. In Vedic culture, rituals are
not irrelevant rites or obscure religious observances. They are the means
to obtain what you desire! Whatever you desire, there is a Vedic ritual
that grants you the merit to have your desire fulfilled by providence.

Viśākhā is all about decisive commitment to an objective, and Indrāgñi is

the god that enables us to achieve that objective.

Viśākhā creates strong dedication to objectives and the ability to

achieve those goals. Viśākhā can give rise to Machiavellian
ideals, such as “the end justifies the means” or similar
convictions such as, “by any means necessary.”

27
As per the statement of Bhāgavata Purāṇa (1.1.1): “Brahmā receives
intelligence from Viṣṇu.”
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Goddess Viśākhā & Rādhā
According to the Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇava concept, a goddess named Viśākhā
attends the primordial fountainhead of all goddesses, Śrī Rādhā. Her
role is to help goddess Rādhā make decisions and keep her divine
determination fixed.

Considering Atharva Veda (19.7), it is quite likely that the original name
of Viśākhā nakṣatra was “Rādhā.” It forms a pair with the next nakṣatra,
Anurādhā.

95
Devotion ~ Anurādhā

Name Anurādhā
Meaning Devotion
Symbol A flower on the finish line
Deity Mitra - god of devotion & friendship
Main Stars β, δ and π Scorpionis

96
Anurādhā shares a symbol with the previous star, Viśākhā. This is the
second time we have come across a pair of stars sharing a symbol. The
first was Pūrva and Uttara Phālgunī. If we consider that the original
name of Viśākhā may very likely have been Rādhā, it’s pairing with
Anurādhā becomes more obvious.

The prefix anu- means “after, under, near, following, next, and towards.”
If Viśākhā is originally “Rādhā” then the literal meaning of the name for
the next star is obvious: Anu-Rādhā, “The star that follows Rādhā.”

Viśākhā is the star of singular dedication and Anurādhā is very similar, it

is the star of deep devotion. The word rādhā means, “gifts and favors”
and is derived from the word arādhāna, “adoration & devotion.” Both
stars in this pair are similar in their single-minded dedication, but
Anurādhā differs from Viśākhā in that her single-minded dedication is
especially motivated by love and devotion. It is therefore fitting that
Anurādhā’s symbol differs slightly from Viśākhā’s: it is also a finish line,
but has the addition of a flower – a symbol of love and devotion.

The deity empowering Anurādhā is Mitra, the Vedic god of devotion and
friendship.

Love is the Inspiration

The first part of Mitra, mi-, means to “bring together.” The second part,
-tra, means “instrument.” So Mitra is the god that “brings people
together.” The word Mitra comes to mean “friend” because friendship
brings people together and binds them to one another. Mitra is the
“instrument of coming together,” the god of friendship and love.

We can also derive this word from the root mid- (“to endear”) and the
suffix -tra, so that mitra means “the vehicle of endearment”, love.

Ṛg Veda thoroughly praises Mitra. There is one hymn in particular, the

59th of the 3rd book, that is uniquely directed at Mitra without his usual
companion Varuṇa:

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 Mitra’s words inspire us to action
Mitra sustains heaven and earth.
Mitra looks on us with eyes that never close.
Let this offering of sacred butter go to Mitra.

Now read that again substituting “love” for the name Mitra. Love is the
inspiration to action. Love sustains heaven and earth: all beings, even
the gods, are sustained by love. The glance of a lover upon the beloved
curses its own blinking, which removes the beloved from sight for a
moment. Such is the glance of Mitra.

Anurādhā is the star where love acts as the inspiration for all
actions. It is a star of tenderness, romance, and the need to give
and receive affection.

Love is the Law

The same section of Ṛg Vedas continues and says, “O Mitra, we strive to
live by your principles.”

This indicates that Vedic people strove to live by the principles of love,
and they made their laws on that basis, considering love to be the
essence of all rules and laws. In fact, “the instrument that brings
together” (mitra) is “that which binds.” Agreements, laws and promises
are therefore a form of love. Thus Mitra, the god of affection and love,
is also the god of principles and contracts.

Anurādhā abides by agreements, promises, and laws, as a result

of affection and love for what those principles represent.

Glory of Love
I’ll continue to tell you key sections of this hymn to Mitra. Whenever
you read the word “Mitra” remember the word “love.”

Mitra is adorable and auspicious

From the very beginning.
He is gracious, generous and kind.

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 Mitra is most deserving of praise.

Mitra’s grace brings true gains.

Inspiring us to achieve true glory.
Mitra’s glory is well-known.
It overpowers heaven.
It surpasses the ends of the earth.

Regardless of race,
Everyone seeks Mitra’s shelter
Which is always strong
And sustains even the gods.

Mitra nourishes everyone

Gods, men, priests alike.
He is the fulfillment of sacred law.

Love and Lust

Mitra forms a pair with Varuṇa. We will learn about Varuṇa in detail
when we come to his star – Śatabhiṣa. For now, suffice to say that
Varuṇa is the god of the underworld, and therefore represents the
“lower polarity.” Mitra is a solar deity, the “higher polarity.” One
example of this polarity is seeing Mitra as the daytime and Varuṇa as
the night. There is another example that is much more relevant to
Anurādhā.

Love has two polarities: love (selfless) and lust (selfish). In Sanskrit,
prema is selfless love, and kāma is selfish love, lust. Mitra is love -
meant to bring joy to others and bind us to others. Varuṇa is lust -
meant to bring joy to oneself and to bind others to us.

Anurādhā is Mitra’s star of devotional dedication. It is impossible to

totally separate selfless and selfish love, but the true aim and impetus
of Anurādhā is towards prema, selfless love.

The following amazing story from Uttara Rāma Carita (and referred to in
Mahābhārata Śānti.88.343) illustrates this:

99
Mitra-Varuṇa had kept themselves in a single body and were wandering
on the seashore when they happened to meet Urvaśī, the most
delightful and attractive damsel of paradise. They made love, and Urvaśī
conceived.

Mitra-Varuṇa then separated into distinct bodies, in disagreement of

how to proceed. Varuṇa again propositioned Urvaśī for sex, but she
disliked his greed for it and rejected him in favor of Mitra. Varuṇa,
however, couldn’t contain his excitement and ejaculated involuntarily.

This made Urvaśī feel sorry for rejecting a man in such need. She
therefore collected the semen and put it into an artificial womb. She
also discharged her newly fertilized egg and put that into the artificial
womb as well. In a few days two children emerged: the great sages
Agastya and Vaisiṣṭha.

Rādhārāṇī
Viśākhā and Anurādhā nakṣatra were known as “The two Rādhā’s” in
Vedic times. It is impossible to write about these stars without at least
referencing the Supreme Goddess of late-classical Vaiṣṇavism: Rādhā,
honorifically addressed as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

The dedication of Śrī Rādhā for her beloved Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the pinnacle of
the Mitra-Varuṇa polarity where prema completely transforms kāma;
and is the highest realization of Mitra’s essential principle: love as the
supreme law.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu composed a verse beautifully expressing the

infinitely selfless love of Śrī Rādhā for Śrī Kṛṣṇa:

āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām

adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā

yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo

mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ

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Maybe he will embrace me,
Maybe he will trample me underfoot,
Or perhaps he will simply break my heart by not showing up at
all…

That Libertine can do anything he likes,

But he will always be the only lord of my life’s breath!

101
Eminence ~ Jyeṣṭhā

Name Jyeṣṭhā
Meaning Foremost
Symbol Earring, umbrella or amulet
Deity Indra – Chief of the gods
Main Stars Antares and the stars closeby

102
The word jyeṣṭhā means, “chief, best, greatest, first, eldest.” Indra is the
deity of Jyeṣṭhā, and the words indra and jyeṣṭhā are synonyms. Both
mean “eldest” in the sense of being first and foremost. Indra is “Jyeṣṭhā”
- He is the firstborn of the gods.

The title “Indra” is also given to the Supreme Godhead Viṣṇu, for it
generically means “the best, the first, the eldest.” Generally, however,
as a proper noun it refers to a god who is the king of paradise.

Vedic literature has three main branches, each of which encapsulates a

specific aspect of Indian culture. The Veda themselves represent
ritualistic, materialistic culture. The Upanishads represent scientific and
philosophical culture. The Puranas represent devotional culture. Indra is
of prime importance – the God of Gods – in the Vedas, but his position is
diminished significantly in the Upanishads and Puranas. This is because
of what Indra inherently is. He is the king of paradise, the ultimate
trademark of a living being enjoying life to its fullest extent. Thus his
divinity is of unsurpassed significance for the ritualistic materialism
dominating the Veda. But in the philosophical Upanishads and
devotional Puranas his light is dimmed tremendously.

The Ṛg Veda presents Indra as being very handsome and of golden

complexion. In his hand is a weapon of thunderbolts, made by the
divine architect Tvaṣṭā. The wind himself, Vāyu, drives Indra’s brilliant
golden chariot through the heavens (thus Indra is one of the 8 original
solar-deities, Ādityas, of Ṛg Veda). He constantly drinks Soma and is
therefore exceedingly powerful and delighted.

The Purāṇas, however, focus far more on his flaws. This is because the
Purāṇas downplay what Indra intrinsically represents: the height of self-
oriented enjoyment and prosperity. So throughout the Purāṇa we find
tale after tale of Indra getting into trouble and making proud mistakes.

A particularly poignant story in this regard is told in Padma Purāṇa 1.56:

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Indra fell in love with the beautiful wife of a powerful yogi (Gautama).
He assumed the form of her husband and came to her saying, “Lust has
taken hold of me, let’s make love!”

The yogi knew what was happening so he rushed back to his hermitage.
When he saw Indra enjoying his wife, he cursed the god, “You seem to
be so dedicated to vagina that you will do anything, no matter how
wrong, to enjoy one; here then, let one thousand vaginas cover your
body, and let your balls fall off!”

Indra went to bathe in a sacred lake and pray to goddess Lakṣmī for a
cure.

She said, “Even I cannot undo the curse of a true yogi and sage! But I
can modify it to your advantage. In each vagina let there be an eye – so
you will be covered not with 1000 vaginas but with 1000 eyes! And for
testicles, I bless you to have those of a ram!”

Indra throughout the Stars

Being the king of the gods, Indra’s relevance spans through many stars.

In Aśvinī’s chapter we read about how Indra wanted to keep certain

knowledge from getting out, but the Aśvinī twins circumvented him. In
that chapter we also heard how Indra wanted to prevent the Aśvinī
from drinking Soma, but the sage Cyavana convinced Indra otherwise.

In Kṛttikā’s chapter we heard about the birth of Kārtikeya. Prior to the

beginning of that story, Indra sent Kāmadeva (god of lust) to Śiva to
incite him to procreate (as you might recall, the Gods needed a child
from Śiva to defeat the anti-god that was destroying them). Śiva opened
his third eye and burned Kāmadeva (who since that time has no physical
body), thus Indra’s attempt was foiled.

In this chapter we also heard how Agñi and Indra together tested the
extent of King Śibi’s charitable nature.

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In Mṛgaśīrṣā’s chapter we learned about Soma, the drink that primarily
belongs to Indra.

In Punarvasu’s chapter we learned about Indra’s mother, Aditi. And we

learned that she had Indra destroy her sister’s unborn child before he
could become Indra’s rival.

From this early event Indra developed intolerance rivals. This is

an important part of Indra’s character, and an important part of
Indra’s star, Jyeṣṭhā.

In Puṣya’s chapter we learned about Indra’s high priest, Bṛhaspati. We

heard how Indra insulted Bṛhaspati and then suffered defeat by the
anti-gods on account of losing his favor.

In Citrā’s chapter we learned how Tvaṣṭā eventually saved Indra from

this predicament, and created Indra’s thunderbolt weapon. In this
chapter we also heard that Indra was defeated by Arjuna28 and Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

In Āśleṣā’s chapter we learned about the Nāga. An important Nāga is

Tākṣaka, who was a friend of Indra, and for whose sake Indra protected
the Khaṇḍava forest and thus wound up having to battle and be
defeated by Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa.

Symbols of Jyeṣṭhā
The primary symbol of Jyeṣṭhā is an amulet / talisman. Secondarily, an
earring and umbrella symbolize this nakṣatra.

The amulet literally is the mystical armor, nārāyaṇa-kavaca, discussed in

Citrā’s chapter while explaining how Indra managed to defeat Vṛtra.

As for the earring and umbrella, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.59) tells a

relevant tale:

28
Arjuna is Indra’s own son. His mother is the human, Kuntī.
105
A person going by the name Narakāsura became so powerful that he
attacked paradise. In an act of defiance and insult he stole Indra’s royal
umbrella and the earrings of his mother, Aditi.

Indra sought the help of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who along with his courageous wife
Satyabhāmā mounted the great eagle, Garuḍa, and flew directly into
battle. They destroyed Naraka and returned the stolen umbrella and
earrings to Indra.

Indra invited them to enjoy his hospitality in paradise. While there, Aditi
taught many paradisic arts to Satyabhāmā. While leaving she requested
from Kṛṣṇa a flower from Indra’s most beautiful tree. When Kṛṣṇa took
this flower without asking, Indra became insulted and had to be
defeated in a battle with Kṛṣṇa, who took the entire tree in the end!

Jyeṣṭhā empowers humans to become like Indra: to be best, first,

foremost, and kingly. It also has flaws similar to the flaws Indra
possesses: to be intoxicated by power.

Indra, Kṛṣṇa, and the Umbrella-Mountain

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.24-27) tells another story relating to Indra and
the umbrella symbolism of Jyeṣṭhā. It is the story of Kṛṣṇa’s lifting
Mount Govardhana to protect his friends and family from Indra’s anger:

Śrī Kṛṣṇa grew up among cowherders. One day when he was six or
seven years old, he saw his father and the men of the village busy doing
something apparently very important.

“Dad, what is going on?” He asked.

“Don’t worry, go play with your friends!”

“You have to educate me!” Kṛṣṇa replied.

His father smiled, full of affection. Other’s came over to enjoy the
conversation. “We are preparing for an important sacrifice,” his father
explained.

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“For who?” Kṛṣṇa asked.

“For Indra.”

“Why?” Kṛṣṇa asked.

“Because we are farmers and Indra is the god who controls the rain.”

“Dad, have you ever seen Indra?” Kṛṣṇa asked?

His father was at a loss for words, so Kṛṣṇa continued, “You say Indra is
responsible for our well-being, but we don’t even see him. And what’s
more we see rain falling on the ocean where no one ever worships
Indra.”

The men were dumbfounded to hear a young child speak like this.

“I see cows!” Kṛṣṇa said. “I see rivers. I see grasses, vegetables, trees
and fruits. I see teachers and philosophers. All these things I can really
see are the things that are responsible for our well-being! Don’t worship
Indra, worship them!”

“But son,” Kṛṣṇa’s father said, “If we neglect the gods we will make
them angry.”

“Don’t worry about any of that!” said Kṛṣṇa cheerfully. And he was so
charming that all the men actually changed their plans and used all the
ingredients of Indra’s sacrifice to instead worship the animals and
people in nature that were directly supporting and nourishing them.

It was an enormously festive occasion, but Indra was wondering where

his sacrifice was. He became furious when he observed all the villagers
listening to a young boy telling them not to bother worshipping Indra.
He called forth his most powerful storm clouds and sent them to Kṛṣṇa’s
village, Vṛṇdāvana.

The villagers became extremely fearful when the terrible storms let
loose torrential downpours. They rushed to Kṛṣṇa for protection. He

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lifted the local mountain, Mount Govardhana and held it aloft for seven
days on the pinky finger of his left hand, creating an umbrella under
which the entire village was kept dry and safe.

Realizing Kṛṣṇa to be Viṣṇu himself, Indra stopped the storms and

hurried to apologize. Because he brought the cow of paradise with him,
Kṛṣṇa’s heart was softened and he forgave the king of the gods.

Jyeṣṭhā’s higher nature is to empower human beings to shelter

and protect others, like Kṛṣṇa did by lifting the umbrella of
Mount Govardhana, like a king (“Indra”) does for his citizens,
and like the eldest (“Jyeṣṭhā”) does for his siblings.

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Uprooting ~ Mūla

Name Mūla
Meaning Root
Symbol Tangled roots
Deity Nirṛti - goddess of destruction
Main Stars The tail of the Scorpion

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The Sanskrit word mūla means, “Root, bottom, foundation, origin,
beginning, and primary.” It even refers to a “corpse,” perhaps because
the body is the root of ego and of our connection to a world that in
always in a state of destruction.

Its connection to “roots” is a symbol that reveals Mūla’s

proclivity towards herbalism, medicines and drugs. It also
expresses Mūla’s penchant for seeking the origin, beginning, and
unseen root of things.

Mūla belongs to the goddess Nirṛti, the goddess of destruction. The

word nirṛti has two parts nir- and ṛta. Ṛta means, “true, luminous,
proper, right, lawful.” The prefix, nir-, means, “without.” So, Nirṛti
means “unlawful, improper, dark, false, and evil.”

Mūla impels humanity towards lawlessness and an untamed

spirit.

Mahābhārata (Adi.66.54) depicts Nirṛti as the wife of Adharma

(Immorality). They have three sons, Bhaya (Fear), Mahā-Bhaya (Terror),
and Antaka (Murder).

Agñi Purāṇa (chapter 51) says that Nirṛti should be worshipped wielding
a sword and riding on a donkey. Devī Bhāgavata (8th division) says that
she dwells in a city called “Ink Black” (“Kṛṣṇāñjana”), and is the guardian
of the South-East, a direction symbolic of pain and suffering.

Nirṛti the Destroyer has both a male and female form, a “Rudra” and
“Rudrāṇī.” The chapter on Rudra’s star, Ārdrā, has much to say which is
pertinent to Ārdrā’s sister-star, Mūla. In particular it’s important to
recall that the Howling Destroyer (Rudra) becomes the Auspicious One
(Śiva) after directing his attention to spiritual pursuits.

Mūla provides impetuses and resources that are very well suited
for spiritual paths. It therefore inspires humanity towards
spiritual pursuit: seeking the root of all things, destroying
illusions, and going beyond the limitations of what is superficial.

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Transforming Destruction into Auspiciousness
Atharva Veda (5.7) depicts Nirṛti in two forms: one is horrific and
ghoulish, while the other is blonde, fair, golden-clad and wealthy:

Misfortune, go far away!

We deflect your arrow!
We know you well, Nirṛti! Oppressor, destroyer!
A wild, naked woman haunting our dreams,
Confusing and baffling us

I respect you, blonde Nirṛti

Vast as all of space
Full of auspiciousness, golden-complexioned,
reclining on gold, dressed in gold,
I respect you.

The first form of Nirṛti is unfortunate, baffling and confusing. It is an

oppressive, destructive, naked undead who haunts our thoughts. The
second is auspicious, golden, blonde and spread throughout space.

Mūla is fearsome and destroys us. But when we respect the

function of destruction as a necessary stage prior to a new
creation, we receive auspicious and beneficial energy from Mūla.

When destruction takes place things are flattened and laid low, razed to
the ground, only the roots remain. Corpses or their ashes are put
underground, or into water so that they soak into the earth. Destruction
(Nirṛti) is intimately tied to what is low and deep (Mūla).

The goddess of destruction works through Mūla. Few people seek

destruction, but it is nonetheless an essential part of the balance of
nature. It would be good to review the chapters on Bharaṇī (star of the
god of death) and Ārdrā (star of the god of destruction and storms) to
remember how negative things are essential to positive things.

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Through Mūla we can destroy all that deserves destruction. We
can seek our true origin, our true root, and destroy all that is
superficial.

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The Invincible ~ Pūrva Aṣāḍhā

Name Pūrva Aṣāḍhā

Meaning Invincible (I)
Symbol Elephant tusk, fan
Deity Āpas - goddess of water
Main Stars δ and ε Sagittarii

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The Aṣāḍhā stars are the third of the four nakṣatra pairs in the Vedic sky.
Pūrva Aṣāḍhā is, of course, the first star in this pair: which is composed
two groups of parallel stars that reminded the Vedic people of two
elephant tusks.

Aṣāḍhā means, invincible. Elephant tusks are certainly invincible. They

smash through anything that stands in their way, but Pūrva Aṣāḍhā is
not like a bulldozer. Another symbol for it is a fan – something that
keeps us cool and calm. Continuing the theme of being cool, calm and
refreshed, the deity of Pūrva Aṣāḍhā is the goddess of water: “Āpas.”

There is a close relation between Āpas and the following gods:

• Varuṇa, god of the waters. Āpas is Varuṇa’s wife.

• Soma, the ultimate liquid; ambrosia of the gods which grants

unsurpassed health and enjoyment.

• Indra, god of rains.

• Agñi, god of fire, since fire “enters into” water to rest and
recuperate.29

Ṛg Veda (7.49) is a prayer to Āpas which makes these connections quite

clear:

From the sea comes the waters (Āpas) of the flowing rivers;
Never sleeping, always cleansing.
Their paths dug by Indra, the thunderous bull.
Goddesses, protect me!

Waters from heaven

Waters from earth
Waters from below the surface
Bright, purifying, speeding towards the ocean.
Goddesses, protect me!

29
H2O seperates into Hydrogen and Oxygen which are both highly flammable.
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 Within you goes mighty Varuṇa
Who tells morality from immorality.
From you comes Soma – bright and purifying.
Goddesses, protect me!

From you mighty Varuṇa, Soma, and all gods drink

and gain strength and vigor.
Into you goes fire (Agñi).
Goddesses, protect me!

Thus, Pūrva Aṣāḍhā is thematically harmonious with:

• Śatabhiṣaj, Varuṇa’s star

• Mṛgaśīrṣā, Soma’s star

• Jyeṣṭhā, Indra’s star

• Kṛttikā, Agñi’s star

The word Āpas refers directly to water itself. The goddess of water can
be more personally addressed as Vāruṇī. Padma Purāṇa (Bhūmi.119)
says that when the gods and anti-gods churned the ocean of milk, by
Varuṇa’s efforts four goddesses appeared from the ocean: Sulakṣmī,
Vāruṇī, Kāmodā and Śreṣṭhā. Vāruṇī married Varuṇa and became the
goddess of water, Āpas.

Purifying, Nourishing and Delicious

Ṛg Veda (7.47) describes water (Āpas):

O Āpas, grant us today the purest refreshment

Found in the sacred beverage of the king of gods
Richly sweet, and soundly nourishing.

O Āpas, child of floods, whose course is rapid,

Protect us with a wave of that delicious drink
Which makes the king of the gods and all the gods joyful.
Grant us this today.

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[This treats water as being nearly identical to Soma, the divine beverage,
and being therefore very dear to Indra, the king of the gods.]

O Āpas, the rivers joyfully purify us

They are goddesses, paths flowing to the gods.
Always obeying divine law,
We offer our buttered-sacrifice to the rivers.

Sūrya’s bright rays attract them,

Indra digs the paths they travel
Let these streams give us wide fields and freedom to move.
By your blessing, O gods, let it be.

Strength, Health and Fertility

Ṛg Veda (10.9) describes Āpas:

O Waters (Āpas) you are beneficent

So bring us energy, to find happiness
Give us your most auspicious liquid
Like a loving mother

We gladly come to you, to carry us swiftly forward

And give us fertility

O Waters, be our drink; Goddesses to aid and delight us

Send us a river of strength and health30

I beg your protection, O Waters

Goddesses of precious things, who control us all

Soma says that all healing comes from water

So also says Agñi, who blesses everyone

O Waters, may your abundant healing keep me healthy

So I may long see the sunlight

30
This line is the mantra recommended in Parashara Hora Shastra as a remedial
meditation for Saturn!
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 Whatever sin is in me, whatever evil I have done,
Whatever lies I have made… O Waters, take it far from me!

O Waters, with this prayer I seek the blessing of your moisture

Send forth Agñi to nourish and bath me in light

The Nature of Pūrva Aṣāḍhā

We know that Pūrva Aṣāḍhā is about strength and victory because
Aṣāḍhā means invincible and the invincible elephant tusk is one of this
star’s symbols. But from the symbol of a fan and the nature of Pūrva
Aṣāḍhā’s deity, Water, we learn Pūrva Aṣāḍhā imparts invincibility like
water – strong enough to destroy stone, yet still soft and cool.

Pūrva Aṣāḍhā is a star of strength through purity. It confers

strength and power to mankind, but in a pleasant manner, like
the invincible yet appealing power of water. Being both
appealing and powerful, Pūrva Aṣāḍhā creates leaders with
significant popularity and mass appeal. As Āpas brings together
the powers of many gods, Varuṇa, Indra, Soma and Agñi so does
Pūrva Aṣāḍhā create people who call pool together a wide range
of skills and resources to become successful – though this last
trait is even more prominent in the next star, Uttara Aṣāḍhā.

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Complete Victory ~ Uttara Aṣāḍhā

Name Uttara Aṣāḍhā

Meaning Invincible (II)
Symbol Elephant tusk, fan
Deity Viśvedeva - all supernatural powers
Main Stars ζ and σ Sagittarii

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Uttara Aṣāḍhā is the second in the Aṣāḍhā pair; the second “elephant
tusk.” As with all the paired stars, the second shares all the main themes
of the first, with some subtle yet important differences. Uttara Aṣāḍhā
is like Pūrva Aṣāḍhā in granting power to humanity, but it differs from
the former by being less self-oriented and more inclined to consolidate
power and resources from many diverse supporters. This is because the
deity of Uttara Aṣāḍhā is not a singular being but a complete plurality of
all the gods and goddesses.

The invincibility of this second Aṣāḍhā comes from the ability to

pull together many divergent resources and make them work for
a common purpose.

Both Aṣāḍhā stars are invincible and undefeatable – but Uttara Aṣāḍhā
lacks the soft, watery element which made Pūrva Aṣāḍhā’s power more
appealing. Thus Uttara Aṣāḍhā appears more literally undefeatable and
unchallengeable, much like an elephant storming through a gate.

All Inclusive Divinity

Viśva literally means, “all, every.” Deva means “divinity.” The
fundamental meaning of the word Viśvadeva is, “every divinity.”

The Ṛg Veda adopts this meaning and has many prayers directed to all
the gods, on the principle that no divinity should be left out from praise.
As Viśvadeva, all the gods cooperate together under a central deity,
usually Indra (see Ṛg 3.54.17).

Viṣṇu Purāṇa and other Purāṇas do not ignore this meaning, but give an
additional definition of the Viśvadeva as one of nine special groupings of
divinity. There are usually 10, sometimes 12, deities counted in this
group, all of whom are said to be children of Viśvā, one of the daughters
of the universe’s genetic engineer, Dakṣa. These deities control the
various powers required to be a well-rounded and successful individual.

From either angle, the Viśvadeva empower humanity to draw

upon a large pool of resources, and become successful as a

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 result of being endowed with qualities and skills from diverse
sources.

Another effect of drawing power from all sources:

Uttara Aṣāḍhā empowers human beings to give “110%” to their

tasks, drawing all available power and pouring it into each of
their endeavors.

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Listening Carefully ~ Śravaṇa

Name Śravaṇa
Meaning Listening
Symbol Ear, three footprints
Deity Viṣṇu - god of existence
Main Stars Altair and the two nearest stars

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Śravaṇa means “the act of acquiring knowledge.” It comes from the
root śru (“to hear”). We acquire knowledge, literally and figuratively, by
listening - so Śravaṇa means “acquiring knowledge by listening.” An ear
is a very straightforward symbol for this star.

Through Śravaṇa humanity becomes good listeners, speakers

and audio-smiths.

We have heard a lot about Viṣṇu throughout this book.

• In the chapter on Bharaṇī we learned how Viṣṇu rescued a

person whom he heard calling his name, “Nārāyaṇa.”

• In the chapter on Rohiṇī we learned about Viṣṇu in relation to

his “child,” Brahmā. I heartily suggest rereading that section to
refresh yourself on its important details pertaining to Viṣṇu.

• In the chapter on Punarvasu we heard how Viṣṇu covered all of

existence in three steps. (Another symbol for Śravaṇa is three
footsteps.)

• In Āśleṣā’s chapter we heard about Viṣṇu in relation to his

companion, the dragon Śeṣa.

• In Pūrva Phālgunī’s chapter we heard that Viṣṇu is “Bhagavān”

in the fullest sense.

Viṣṇu is the origin of existence itself. The word viṣṇu means “that which
is everywhere.” Space is everywhere. It is what everything is inside of,
and what everything has within it. The sensory wavelength carried by
space (according to the science of Saṁkhya) is sound. Sound is what the
ear hears. Thus all-pervading Viṣṇu is a perfect fit for Śravaṇa, the star
of listening.

Viṣṇu is also the god that enables us to listen carefully. To listen

carefully we need a pensive and clear state of mind. As we learned in
the chapter on Rohiṇī, this world has three primary effects on us:

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sometimes it excites us to action (rajas), sometimes it lulls us to sleep
(tamas) and sometimes it allows us to be balanced and clear (sattva).
Brahmā is the god of rajas. Rudra / Śiva is the god of tamas. Viṣṇu is the
god of sattva – clarity. So Viṣṇu enables our minds to be clear and
pensive so we can listen carefully and gain knowledge.

Śravaṇa is a star of paying attention and acquiring knowledge. It

is an excellent star for education and intelligence, empowering
us to ask intelligent questions, listen carefully to answers, and
seek qualified teachers.

Viṣṇu is a very transcendental, non-materialistic god. Thus Śravaṇa is

particularly well suited to helping humanity acquire spiritual knowledge.
A famous verse in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (7.5.23) explains that the nine
processes for obtaining enlightenment all begin with and are rooted in
“Viṣṇu Śravaṇa” – hearing from and about Viṣṇu.

Through Śravaṇa Viṣṇu inspires human beings to seek deeper

knowledge, spiritual truths, enlightenment and divine love.

Viṣṇu in Ṛg Veda
Viṣṇu is frequently invoked in Ṛg Veda (in 93 different places). He is
mainly known there as the younger brother of Indra who reclaimed the
universe for Indra in three steps.

It is undeniable that Ṛg Veda, being a comparatively materialistic and

practical text, focuses primarily on Indra.31 But Viṣṇu is uniquely
attributed in a few notable instances. For example Ṛg 1.22.20:

tad viṣṇoḥ paramam padam sadā paśyanti sūryaḥ

“The gods always look towards the supreme feet of Viṣṇu.”

31
See the chapter on Indra’s star, Jyeṣṭhā, for a more detailed discussion on
this point.
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Ṛg (1.154.4) also states, “In truth, Viṣṇu alone maintains the existence
of all things.”

Ṛg (1.156.2) says, “Viṣṇu is the ancient and the recent, the creator of
existence and the creator of his own existence.”

Viṣṇu’s Incarnations
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (1.3) gives the following account of Viṣṇu’s
incarnations in this world:

At the very beginning, the All-Attractive takes the form called Puruṣa [a
synonym for Viṣṇu], to manifest everything required for creation. He
produces great conglomerations of primordial energies and enters each,
reclines upon the water there, and enters a mystic sleep. A lotus flower
grows from the lake of his naval, atop which Brahmā, the master
engineer of the universe, is born.

Then Puruṣa enters every minute particle of the universe, becoming the
inexhaustible seed of the multitudes of incarnations, fragments of which
create gods, animals, humans and so forth.

His most noteworthy incarnations, in summary, are:

1. The children [Kumāra] performed the difficult spiritual task of

uninterrupted celibacy.

2. The boar [Varāha] rescued the earth from the lowest dregs of
the universe and lifted her back into her proper place.

3. The Sage of the Gods [Nārada] compiled purifying books about

how to live in the world without becoming entangled in
selfishness.

4. The sages Nara-Nārāyaṇa were born from Dharma’s wife. They

showed how to perform very serious disciplines of self-control.

5. When empirical sciences were forgotten, the master of

perfections, Kapila, revived them by teaching Āsuri.

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 6. Atri’s wife Anasūyā once prayed for a divine son. That son
[Dattātreya] instructed spiritual knowledge to Alarka, Prahlāda
and others.

7. Yajña, born from Ākūti and Ruci, took care of the world during
the difficult transition out of the Svāyambhu Era.32

8. Urukrama, born from Merudevī and Nābhi, showed the path

walked by supremely enlightened souls.

9. As an earthly king [Pṛthu], he answered the prayers of sages by

milking the earth to make her body very verdant and attractive.

10. During the global flood of the “Cākṣuṣa” era, he became a fish
[Matsya] and protected the lord of humans by keeping him safe
on a boat.

11. In the form of a tortoise [Kurma] his shell provided the

foundation for Mt. Mandara when the gods and demons were
churning the ocean.

12. Dhānvantari was the twelfth, [who produced the nectar], and...

13. Mohinī was an intoxicatingly beautiful woman who gave that

nectar to the gods while charming the others with her allure.

14. Nārasiṁha was the man-lion whose claws split open the
powerful demon-god, like a carpenter splitting wood.

15. Vāmana went to Bali’s ritual court and peacefully begged three
steps of land, for the sake of reclaiming the three worlds.

16. When kings began to hate moral guidance, Paraśurāma

protected the earth by annihilating all their militias, twenty one
times.

32
The difficulty occurred because there was no one suitable to fill the post of
Indra, the king of heaven. So Viṣṇu incarnated as Yajña to personally take the
post.
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 17. Vyāsa entered the womb of Satyavatī through Parāśara, to
present the many branches of the tree of knowledge in a way
which less intellectual commoners could grasp.

18. Rāma assumed the role of a human king and, for the sake of the
gods, performed many heroic deeds like controlling the ocean.

19. Bala-Rāma…

20. …and Kṛṣṇa, were born in the Vṛṣṇi family. The All-Attractive
thus removed the earth’s burden.

21. When the age of Kali advances, he will bewilder those who
dislike the godly. He will be named Buddha, the son of Añjanā of
Gayā.

22. When the age of Kali draws to a close and almost all the rulers
are criminals he will take birth to protect the world with the
name Kalki, son of Viṣṇu Yaśā.

Viṣṇu is a vast sea of being! Thousands of inexhaustible rivers and lakes

come from this sea. Likewise, his incarnations are beyond count. All the
sages, gods, progenitors, and the original lords of mankind, as well as
their extremely powerful descendants, are portions of Viṣṇu.

They are all fragments or expansions of Puruṣa. They all incarnate, age
after age, to protect the world whenever the gods’ enemies disturb it.
But among them all Kṛṣṇa is unique, because he is the All-Attractive One
himself!

Anyone who carefully recites this list of confidential incarnations of the

All-Attractive in a spirit of devotion in the morning and evening gets
freed from all misery.

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Getting Practical ~ Dhaniṣṭhā

Name Dhaniṣṭhā
Meaning Steady sound
Symbol Drum
Deity Vasu – primordial elements
Main Stars α to δ Delphini

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Many explain the word dhaniṣṭhā as, “wealth (dhana) that is steady
(niṣṭha).” But the more accurate meaning is, “sound (dhan) that is
steady.”33 This understanding of the word dhaniṣṭhā makes it easy to
understand why a drum serves as its symbol.

An alternate name for this star is Śrāviṣṭhā.34 As we learned in the

previous chapter, the word śrav- has to do with sound and hearing.
Śrāviṣṭhā means, “that which is founded on sound and hearing.”

Thus the best way to understand and translate the meaning of

Dhaniṣṭhā is Steady Sound.

The deities of Dhaniṣṭhā are the Vasu. The word vasu means “ray of
light,” and, “something of excellence and goodness.” There are eight
deities collectively called the Vasu. These deities are the excellent
powers of the Supreme Divinity. They are like they rays of light
expanding from the Supreme: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Sky / Space, Sun,
Moon, and Stars.35

What do these eight elements have to do with “steady sound?”

Many cultures share a concept that creation begins with sound. In the
Christian Bible, for example, Genesis (1:3) says, “And God said, ‘Let
there be light:’ and there was light.” Or John (1:1), “In the beginning was
the Word, it was with God and it was God.”

Vedic culture holds the same essential concept. Sound vibrates in

“space”, which is the matrix in which everything exists and which exists
within everything. Sound is at the root of every element and every
creation. Sound therefore inspires change more effectively than
anything else. We all know the power of music, but there are said to be

33
The root dhan means both “wealth” and “sound” – on the principle that
those who have opulence become famous, well-known, praised, “heard.”
34
Yet another name: In Bṛhat-saṁhitā, Varāha Mihira says that Vasu-deva can
be used as another name for Dhaniṣṭhā, meaning “the star whose gods are the
Vasu.”
35
The exact details of this list vary somewhat from source to source.
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more powerful sound-formulae called “mantra” which can call things
into being simply by sound.

Since sound is the vibration that catalyzes space to bring forth all the
other elements of creation, those elements (the Vasu) are literally
śrāviṣṭhā or dhaniṣṭhā – things that “have their roots and foundation
(niṣṭha) in sound (dhan).”

The Vasu represent the tangible unfolding of cosmic power, the

potential becoming kinetic. There is an important relationship to note
between the former star, Śravaṇa (the star of hearing), and the current
star, Śrāviṣṭhā / Dhaniṣṭhā (the star of acting – putting into practice
what you have heard). Dhaniṣṭhā empowers humanity to put knowledge
and theories into practice; and make tangible, practical use of our plans
and concepts. Dhaniṣṭhā is therefore a most practical star, favorable for
accomplishing deeds and setting plans into motion.

More Practical than Emotional or Romantic

The Mahābhārata tells a fascinating tale involving the Vasu. It begins
when they were enjoying a picnic one day in the forest. The wife of the
Sky Vasu saw a beautiful cow wandering nearby. To please her, the Sky
Vasu took the cow back to their abode when they returned home.

This cow belonged to a powerful sage named Vasiṣṭha. When his cow
did not return he used his mystical vision and saw that the Sky Vasu
stole it. He laid a curse upon all of the eight Vasu: “Since you act like
humans, you will all be born on Earth as humans!”

When they learned of the situation the Vasu rushed to Vasiṣṭha to beg
forgiveness. He lightened his curse thus, “Your birth will be extremely
short, except for the Sky Vasu. He will have to live a full term.”

The worried Vasu approached the River Ganges and asked her to
become their mother and help them. Accepting their plea, she took the
form of a beautiful woman and appeared out of the waters of the

129
Ganges river on earth. A handsome king was doing worship on the shore,
so she approached him and sat on his right thigh.

He rebuked her, “Dear lady, only my daughter or daughter-in-law may

sit there.”

Ashamed by the king’s moral fortitude in the face of her licentious

proposition, the Ganges returned into the water. But later, when that
king’s wife had a son, the Ganges again appeared and the son fell in love
with her. She agreed to become his wife on one condition, “you must
never question anything I do.”

She became pregnant seven times. Each time she immediately took the
newborn to the Ganges and dropped the child in the water to drown!
Thus seven of the eight Vasu were born very briefly as human beings,
fulfilling the curse of Vasiṣṭha.

When she was carrying the eighth child to the river, her husband could
no longer tolerate the pain. He cried out, “O woman, what are you
doing!?!?” Thereupon she turned around, placed the child in his arms,
and disappeared into the waters.

This eighth child was the Sky Vasu, who had to life an entire human
lifetime as Bhiṣma, the “grandfather” in the epic tales of Mahābhārata.

All the problems of the Vasu sprang from a romantic exchange

between husband and wife. This explains why Dhaniṣṭhā has a
reputation of being unfavorable to marriage. Bhīṣma himself
never married or had any romantic relationship with a woman,
despite his being the most attractive of princes.36 Dhaniṣṭhā is
more concerned with the practical rather than the emotional or
romantic.

36
Bhīṣma acted as the “grandfather” of his brothers’ children’s children. He
was not literally anyone’s grandfather.
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The Underworld ~ Śatabhiṣaj

Name Śatabhiṣaj
Meaning Hundreds of healers
Symbol Empty or dark circle
Deity Varuṇa - god of night sky
Main Stars Sadachbia (γ Aquarii)

131
The name Śatabhiṣaj is made by combining śata + bhiṣaj. Śata means
“100” or “a large number.” Bhiṣaj means a “healer” or a “cure.” So I
translate it as “Hundreds of Healers” or “Hundreds of Cures.”

Varuṇa is the deity empowering Śatabhiṣaj. In the oldest hymns of the

Ṛg Veda, Varuṇa is the god of the night sky while his inseparable
companion Mitra is the god of the daytime sky.

The name Varuṇa literally means, “The All-Enveloping Sky.” Śatabhiṣaj’s

empty-circle symbol is an image of the sky. Specifically, Varuṇa is the
god of the half of the sky that hides (“envelopes”) the Sun. When the
Sun falls below the western horizon it enters this enveloping half of the
sky. Śatabhiṣaj’s empty circle also represents a “dark sun”.

Since his domain begins where the Sun sets, Varuṇa is connected to
sunset and the west. In fact, among the eight deities who guard the
directions, Varuṇa is in charge of the west.

Śatabhiṣaj is a star of aeronautics and other atmospheric

endeavors. It is the star of western civilization and plays a
significant role in the concomitant technological development of
humanity.

The Underground
The Ṛg Veda declares that Varuṇa is the chief of the “Asura.” This does
not make him a “demon,” it merely indicates that he is a force of
darkness. Sura connotes “light” (thus the Sun is called Sura) and Asura
connotes “darkness.” Since Varuṇa takes the Sun into darkness,
naturally he is an Asura.

But the demonic motif does extend a little further. The enveloping, dark
sky is also dakṣināyaṇa, the “lower half of the universe.” The lower half
of the universe is the “underworld.” Having dominion over the lower
universe, Varuṇa also has dominion over the “underworlds.” He is to the
underworld what Indra is to the heavens.

132
 Śatabhiṣaj promotes counter-culturalism and underground
movements and social groups.

Mysterious Depths
In Vedic cosmology a cosmic ocean is said to exist in the lower half of
the universal sphere. Varuṇa’s dominion over the underworld therefore
also gives him dominion over water, and he also becomes famous as the
god of waters. In Bhagavad Gītā (10.29), Śrī Kṛṣṇa indicates that Varuṇa
is the foremost of all beings that dwell in the water: varuṇo yādasām
aham, “Among water-dwellers I am Varuṇa.”

As we learned in the chapter on Pūrva Aṣāḍhā, Varuṇa is more precisely

the husband of the waters, and Vāruṇī, his wife, is the actual goddess of
water.

Śatabhiṣaj is a nakṣatra with significant mysteriousness and

allure, like the deep ocean.

All-Seeing Justice
Since he is the god of the night sky, the stars provide the light by which
he sees. The stars are therefore said to be his eyes. There are more stars
in Śatabhiṣaj (“hundreds”) than any other nakṣatra. Through these stars
Varuṇa watches the hidden affairs of humans and arrests the
duplicitous and deceitful in his divine noose.37

Śatabhiṣaj is a star of justice and fair treatment, punishing

whomever deserves punishment, without consideration of their
status. It is therefore a source of revolutionary movements and
liberal forces in human society.

Doctors
Atharva Veda, Taitterīya Saṁhitā, and Taitterīya Brāhmaṇa say: “The
god of medicine himself cannot cure someone who falls ill when the
Moon is in this nakṣatra.”

37
This noose is yet another signification of Śatabhiṣaj’s empty-circle symbol.
133
Being the god of the underworld, Varuṇa has great control over the
affairs of death. Being the god of waters, he has great control over the
power to give life. Varuṇa is therefore treated in Ṛg Veda as the god of
immortality; he holds the power of life and death. His is the star of
healers and cures.

Śatabhiṣaj has special medical significance. Illness with roots in

this nakṣatra is very difficult to cure. And conversely, cures
applied under the influence of this nakṣatra are highly effective.

Ancient Equinoxes
Varuṇa’s carrier is the fearsome sea-monster called a Makara (the
creature we call a “Capricorn”). This, of course, is due to his lordship
over the deep seas, but the symbolism also suggests that the very
ancient Indians evaluated solstices and equinoxes, and may well have
employed a twelvefold “zodiac” division based on them.

134
The oldest hymns of Ṛg Veda most probably took formal shape about
five thousand years ago when the Winter Solstice occurred with the
heliacal rising of Śatabhiṣaj. By definition, the Winter Solstice is the
beginning of Capricorn (“Makara”, Varuṇa’s vehicle). This suggests that
the symbol for Capricorn may derive from Varuṇa, the god whose star
held the Winter Solstice when the symbolism became decided.

Varuṇa and Śatabhiṣāj’s connection to the winter solstice and Capricorn

is yet deeper – because the winter solstice marks the end of
dakṣināyaṇa – the six months the Sun spends moving towards Varuṇa’s
“underworld.”

Ancient locations of the other cardinal points in respect to the nakṣatra

are also fascinating. In ancient Ṛg Vedic times the Summer Solstice
would have occurred near the heliacal rising of the Nāga’s star, Āśleṣā.
Varuṇa and the Nāga are close companions, since they rule the
underworld together, the Nāga cooperating under Varuṇa’s leadership.
The Summer and Winter solstices, which mark the entrance to and exit
from the underworld, were guarded by the Nāga in Āśleṣā and Varuṇa in
Śatabhiṣaj.

The Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes, on the other hand, occurred in

those ancient times with the heliacal rising of Kṛttikā and Anurādhā,
respectively. Anurādhā belongs to Mitra, god of the daytime sky – the
inseparable polar opposite of Varuṇa. Kṛttikā belongs to Agñi, the bright
god of fire.

The Dark Sun

Although Varuṇa is an Asura, he is one of the children of Aditi – and
therefore represents a form of the Sun: the dark sun; the midnight sun –
a dark and empty circle.

135
It may be interesting to note that most of the children of Aditi own
nakṣatra. Ṛg and Yajur Veda name eight Ādityas, the eighth was rejected
by his mother, but later redeemed.38

1. Varuṇa deity of Śatabhiṣā

2. Mitra deity of Anurādhā
3. Aryamā deity of Uttara Phālgunī
4. Bhaga deity of Pūrva Phālgunī
5. Aṁśa
6. Dhatṛ
7. Indra deity of Jyeṣṭhā
8. Mārtanda / Vivasvāna

It is reasonable that the eighth Āditya has no star, since he was rejected
by his mother, but what about the fifth and sixth, Aṁśa and Dhatṛ? In
my estimation, Aṁśa (which means “ray” implying “resplendence”) is
equivalent to Savitā, the deity of Hasta; and Dhatṛ is similarly equivalent
to Tvaṣṭā, the deity of Citrā.

So the complete list of Ādityas owning stars:

1. Varuṇa deity of Śatabhiṣā

2. Mitra deity of Anurādhā
3. Aryamā deity of Uttara Phālgunī
4. Bhaga deity of Pūrva Phālgunī
5. Aṁśa / Savitā deity of Hasta
6. Dhatṛ / Tvaṣṭā deity of Citrā
7. Indra deity of Jyeṣṭhā
8. Mārtanda / Vivasvāna

38
A later commentary on Yajur Veda (Satapatha Brahmana) expanded the
number of Ādityas to 12. This list is again slightly different from the classical list
of 12 Ādityas found in the Puranas.
136
137
Destruction ~ Pūrva Bhādrapadā

Name Pūrva Bhādrapadā

Meaning Blessed steps (I)
Symbol Hearse
Deity Ajaikapāt - fire-dragon
Main Stars Markab and Scheat (α and β Pegasi)

138
This is the first of a pair of stars named Bhādrapadā, which means a
“blessed step.”

The shared symbol of the two Bhādrapadā is a hearse: a vehicle that

carries a dead body to its final destination. How odd for a hearse to
symbolize “blessed steps!” Reflecting on this, we should realize that the
“steps” of the Bhādrapadā stars refer to the path on which we journey
from this life to the next.

Alternative symbols for Pūrva Bhādrapadā:

• Swords, symbolizing the cutting of ties and attachments to our

former life.

• A man with two faces, symbolizing a soul looking in two

directions: backwards towards the former life, and forwards
towards the next.

Pūrva Bhādrapadā is a serious star concerned with significant

personal transformation.

Two Dragons
Another similarity between the two Bhādrapadā stars is their deity;
both of whom are dragons of destruction.39 The first star in the pair,
Pūrva Bhādrapadā, belongs to the fire dragon Ajaikapāt. The second,
Uttara Bhādrapadā, belongs to the water dragon Ahirbudhnya. When
Ajaikapāt is mentioned in the Veda, he is almost always mentioned
along with Ahirbudhnya. The later tales of the Purāṇa40 treat the two as
brothers, describing them both as sons of Viśvakarmā.

“Ajaikapāt” – The Supernatural Serpent

It is not easy to conclusively translate the word ajaikapāt. It is a
compound with three parts: aja+eka+pada.

39
The deities of both stars are Nāga (dragons) and Rudra (destructive deities).
40
For example: Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.15).
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 • Aja means supernatural - without normal birth.

• Eka means one.

• Pada means foot, trail, path.

There are many ways to meaningfully combine these three concepts.

The most straightforward way I can think of is, “Supernatural Serpent.”
A serpent is ekapad because it leaves a single trail as its footprint. A
supernatural serpent is a Nāga, or “dragon.”

The Nāga reign in the very wealthy underworld and have control over
precious metals and gems. Mahābhārata (Udyoga 114.4) therefore
describes Ajaikapāt as a lord of the Earth’s gold.

Through Pūrva Bhādrapadā, Ajaikapāt empowers humans to

acquire and accumulate wealth.

Another important way to translate ajaikapāt is as the “single path to

transcendence.” This resonates loud and clear with Pūrva Bhādrapadā’s
symbols, such as the hearse – which takes a person on the blessed trail
between one life and the next.

By inclining human beings towards the path to the hereafter,

Pūrva Bhādrapadā makes us more critical and pessimistic
towards what is in the here and now.

There are at least two other notable ways to translate ajaikapāt, both of
which have to do with storms and both of which take the aja
component with an alternate meaning of one who goes wherever he
likes. Because of this meaning, aja can refer to mountain-goats and the
drivers of vehicles.

• “One-footed goat.” This is a poetic term for lightning, since

lightning goes anywhere it likes (like a goat amongst the high
mountains) without ordinary legs.

140
 • “One-legged driver.” This is a poetic reference to storms, whose
driving winds move through the sky without conventional legs

The Veda describes Ajaikapāt as a deity accompanied by floods, storms,

and lightning. Taitteriya Brahmana (3.1.2) describes Ajaikapāt as a form
or companion of the fiery Sun. The heat of the fiery sun evaporates the
waters of the ocean, which then creates storms, lightning, rain and
floods. Indeed, in Ṛg Veda (10.65.13), Ajaikapāt is described as the
atmosphere and clouds, which “hold up the sky.”

Storms are destructive forces controlled by the howling gods of

destruction. Thus, the later Purāṇic tales41 classify him (and his brother
Ahirbudhnya) as one of the eleven destructive gods called Rudra.

The destructive force of Ajaikapāt is not to be overlooked when

considering the nature of his star, Pūrva Bhādrapadā. After all, a
hearse carries a corpse to its final destruction, usually (at least in
Vedic times) to be cremated in fire.

Although dangerous and destructive, storms are an important part of

nature’s cycle. They enable the ecosystem to thrive and replenish itself.

Reincarnation (renewal through death) is therefore a theme of

the two Bhādrapadā stars. The first, Pūrva Bhādrapadā suggests
the “front” of the hearse: the beginning of the process of
reincarnation: the attempt to cut off attachments to the life one
must leave behind.

41
For example: Mahābhārata (Adi 66.2) and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (6.6.17-18)
141
The Depths ~ Uttara Bhādrapadā

Name Uttara Bhādrapadā

Meaning Blessed steps (II)
Symbol Hearse
Deity Ahirbudhnya - water-dragon
Main Stars Algenib (γ Pegasi) & Alpheratz (α Andromedae)

142
Uttara Bhādrapadā is the second in the Bhādrapadā pair. Like the first, it
is about “auspicious steps” - the path from this life to the next. Like the
first, it deals with the theme of reincarnation and transformation, but
where the previous Bhādrapadā approaches the theme in a difficult
manner (the early steps on the “auspicious path”, wherein we must
accept destruction and let go of our previous identities) the second star
in the pair, Uttara Bhādrapadā, has a more pleasant angle because it
represents the later steps on the “auspicious path”, during which we
have already made peace with the loss and destruction of our old
situation and are ready to embrace the transformation to our new state.

Both Bhādrapadās are ruled by gods of destruction (Rudras) in the form

of dragons (Nāgas). The dragon of Pūrva Bhādrapadā is surrounded by
fire, a painful element. The dragon of Uttara Bhādrapadā, on the other
hand, is surrounded by water, a soothing element.

Uttara Bhādrapadā, like its twin, inclines human beings towards

a transcendent and transformational path, but with more calm
and less scorn compared to its predecessor.

Being the star of a dragon, Uttara Bhādrapadā does incline

humanity towards wealth. But the decidedly transformational or
even “spiritual” nature of Uttara Bhādrapadā allows us to
conceive of wealth as something more than just a financial
entity. Much more than its predecessor, Uttara Bhādrapadā
imparts generosity with wealth and an optimistic vision for the
future.

Dragon of the Deep

The name Ahirbudhnya is a compound of two roots, ahi+budhnya.

• Ahi refers to the sky42

• Budhnya means bound to the root.

42
It is also sometimes used as an abbreviated address for Ahirbudhnya. English-
Sanskrit dictionaries thus also translate it as “serpent,” etc.
143
In this case the “sky” refers to the entire cosmos. At the root of this
cosmic sky is a powerful Nāga who holds the entire thing in place:
Ahirbudhnya. In later tales Ahirbudhnya is more commonly referred to
as Ananta Śeṣa, about whom we first learned in the chapter on Āśleṣā. I
recommend rereading that chapter’s section on Ananta Śeṣa,
particularly paying attention to the spiritual themes this divinity brings
to Uttara Bhādrapadā.

Since the lower half of the cosmos is thought to contain a type of cosmic
“ocean”, and since Ahirbudhnya is at the very root of the cosmos, he
dwells at the bottom of this ocean. Thus we can refer to him as “the
dragon of the deep.”

Uttara Bhādrapadā imparts a love for water, and all the classical
qualities of the Water element: fertility, beauty, quietude, calm,
introspection, and even a loneliness or sense of being separate
and private from the world.

Ahirbudhnya is an auspicious dragon, but a dragon nonetheless. So…

Anger, aggression and envy sometimes manifest through Uttara

Bhādrapadā, but the watery environs and spiritual temperament
of Ahirbudhnya tends to make such things short lived and
manageable.

144
Abundance ~ Revatī

Name Revatī
Meaning Generous prosperity
Symbol Drum
Deity Pūṣan - god of protection
Main Stars ζ Piscium

145
The word revatī, a form of the root ṛd, means: “She who increases
prosperity, success, fortune, wealth, and abundance.” Revatī is also the
name of Śrī Balarāma’s wife. Balarāma is an avatāra of Viṣṇu who plays
the role of Kṛṣṇa’s elder brother.

Pūṣan is the deity of this nakṣatra. A synonym of revatī, the word pūṣan
means: “One who nourishes, bringing growth and abundance.”43

Pūṣan is one of the most important Vedic gods, whose role became
much less significant as Indian religion moved away from ritual
materialism towards philosophy and spirituality.

Prosperous
Pūṣan tends domestic animals, the agrarian equivalent of money. Ṛg
(6.55.2) therefore describes Pūṣan as being fantastically wealthy. Ṛg
(6.55.4) describes him driving herds of goats. Ṛg (6.53.9) describes him
herding cows who produce bliss and prosperity. Ṛg (6.54.5) describes
him protecting domestic animals like cows and horses.

Revatī inspires human beings to attain prosperity and wealth.

Gentle & Loving

Protection of animals inspires gentility and compassion. Not surprisingly,
then, Ṛg (6.56.1-2) says that Pūṣan enjoys vegetarian foods as much as
Indra enjoys drinking soma. He is especially fond of a milk-curd and rice-
meal mixture. From his vegetarian preference, we can understand that
he is a gentle and kind deity. Indeed he is described as having “no teeth”
(no “bite.”).

Ṛg (6.57.5) describes Pūṣan as being “generous with affection.”

43
It is easy to mix the deity “Pūṣan” with the star “Puṣya.” There is an
etymological link, and a similarity between the stars Revatī and Puṣya, but
remember that Bṛhaspati is the deity of Puṣya, and Pūṣan is the deity of Revatī.
146
 Revatī inspires love, kindness, gentility and non-violence. It is
therefore a prosperous influence on marriage and other loving
relationships.

Regarding how Pūṣan lost his teeth: According to Taittiriya Samhita,

Pūṣan was in attendance at a ceremonial sacrifice to which Rudra was
uninvited. Insulted, Rudra shot an arrow into the sacrificial offering just
as Pūṣan was biting down on it.

Bhāgavata Purāṇa (4.5) gives different details. It says the person holding
the ceremony was Dakṣa, the father of Śiva’s wife, a woman who had
just committed suicide in contempt for her father’s harsh insults of her
husband. Śiva and his forces stormed the sacrifice, destroying
everything. They cut off Dakṣa’s head and also punished other people
who were implicated in the insults towards Śiva. Pūṣan’s teeth were
kicked out because he showed a sympathetic smile while Dakṣa insulted
Śiva.

Thus Rudra’s Ārdrā and Pūṣan’s Revatī are incompatible and quite
different in nature.

Generous
In Ṛg (6.53), the second verse describes Pusan’s blessings as “liberal and
free-handed.” The third says that Pūṣan makes even the stingy become
generous, and even the hard-hearted become compassionate. The fifth
through eighth verses say that Pūṣan’s (an agrarian tool that can double
as a spear or knife) destroys the hearts of those who are greedy and
avaricious, and inclines even them to devotion and love.

Revatī inspires generosity, compassion and devotion.

A Guide
Pūṣan protects animals and humans from getting lost and falling to
harm. In Ṛg (6.54) the first and second verses say that he sends guides
to point out our objectives and show us the surest and straightest paths
to them.

147
The tenth verse says that Pūṣan blesses us to find whatever we have
lost.

Revatī inspires skill in finding lost items, and finding our way
without becoming lost. It also inspires humanity to find
trustworthy practical, moral, and spiritual guides, “gurus.”

Pūṣan is also sometimes addressed in a role similar to the Pitṛ: helping

the deceased soul find its way to the next destination.

Pūṣan and Viṣṇu

Like Viṣṇu, Pūṣan is on occasion referred to as Indra’s supporter and
brother. Pūṣan’s qualities of gentility, devotion, guidance and goodness
are very consistent with the qualities possessed by Viṣṇu. Some
conjecture that Pūṣan may be an early or alternate vision of Viṣṇu; or,
put another way, that the later conception of Viṣṇu incorporated the
earlier conception of Pūṣan. The similarity between the two, and the
association of the Viṣṇu-avatāra Balarāma with goddess Revatī,
sometimes generates a misconception that Viṣṇu is the deity of Revatī.
The Vedāṁga Jyotiṣa, however, is explicit: Viṣṇu is the god of Śravaṇa,
and Pūṣan the god of Revatī.

Nonetheless, due to the similarity of character in Pūṣan and Viṣṇu,

Revatī has an effect very similar to the effect she would have if Viṣṇu
were her deity.

The Drum
There is also a link between Dhaniṣṭhā and Revatī, since they both share
the same symbol: a drum. Both nakṣatra allow fortune to manifest –
providing the background “beat matrix” upon which the “melodious
decorations of life” can exist.

Revatī indicates fortune, and a good sense of rhythm.

148
Interpretive Implications
of the 27 Stars
Now I will summarize the most important interpretive implications of
each of the 27 Vedic stars. After the Sanskrit name of each star, I will
give a catchphrase-cum-translation that I feel encapsulates the nature
of the star. Then I will give a list of several key words that are extremely
relevant to the star. Finally I will give a paragraph explaining many of
those keywords in a little more detail.

Aśvinī ~ The Beautiful Stallion

Health, medicine, beauty, enjoyment, swiftness, loyalty

Aśvinī is the star of health, beauty, and speed. It inspires the

science of medicine: surgery and curing of illness (especially
blindness). It increases our appetite for enjoyment but also our
appreciation of loyalty and good character.

Bharaṇī ~ Labor Pains

Self-sacrifice, labor, effort, child-bearing

Bharaṇī represents difficulties on the path to prosperity. It is the

“pain” that leads to “gain.” It empowers humanity with self-
control and sobriety so that we can endure trials for the sake of
producing something truly great.

149
Kṛttikā ~ The Sharp Blade
Incision, insight, brilliance, subdivision, critique, sharpness

Kṛttikā is “bright” – brilliant, intellectual, and quick to digest .It is

a star of insight, incisiveness, and dissection. It is analytical and
critical and therefore not favorable towards things requiring
tender care.

Rohiṇī ~ The Blushing Bride

Creativity, fertility, passion, beauty, inspiration, imagination

Rohiṇī is the star of fertility & creativity; two traits always

accompanied by passion and beauty. It is a star of motivation
and all manner of creative talents. It abounds in imagination &
procreation. It has a short-lived but hot temper when frustrated.

Mṛgaśīrṣā ~ The Quest

The search for goals and paths; quests

Mṛgaśīrṣā is a star of searching for the best goal, and the best
path to it. It empowers humanity to seek and quest, driving the
human animal to sniff out the paths of life in search of true
happiness.

Ārdrā ~ The Storm

Storms, destruction, frustration, blockade, spirituality

Ārdrā is the storm that we must weather so that our nature can
once again become pure and clean. It represents all the things
we must overcome before we can prosper. It allows us to
destroy inauspicious things and forget what should be forgotten.
Given spiritual direction, Ārdrā empowers us to destroy the false
ego and enter blessed realms.

150
Punarvasu ~ Repeating Patterns
Repetition, pattern, cause within effect; good offspring; unity,
wholeness

Punarvasu is about things happening again; Things happening

within other things, within themselves; in cycles; in repetition. It
is a star of good offspring and non-linear cognition. It empowers
humanity to work cooperatively, become unified, seek holistic
and all-embracing understandings, and to embrace a principle of
all-inclusive divine love.

Puṣya ~ The Highest Blossom

Devotion, growth, flourishing, prosperity, morality, prayer, meditation

Puṣya enables us to commune with deeper principles. This

strengthens morality and causes prosperity and victory. It
encourages faith, and ultimately leads to selfless devotional
intimacy with the divine.

Āśleṣā ~ Serpentine Embrace

Luxury, pleasures, embraces, clinging, loyalty, jealousy, cunning

Āśleṣā empowers us embrace strongly, with deep and enduring

emotion and desire. It inspires us to bear great responsibilities
for the sake of those we love. It endows us with charisma,
charms and mystique. It has a weakness towards deception and
jealousy, but strength towards deep mysticism and true
spirituality.

151
Maghā ~ Inherited Power
Power, gifts, wealth, DNA, inherited traits, ancestors, past lives, afterlife,
justice

Maghā bestows gifts “from our ancestors.” This literally

indicates inheritance of power, career, fortune, and qualities
(“DNA”). Such inheritance really comes as a result of efforts
made in our previous births, so Maghā also indicates powers,
qualities and abilities carried over from past lives.

Pūrva Phālgunī ~ Romantic Enjoyment

Romance, love, enjoyment, expertise, romantic divinity

Pūrva Phālgunī grants expertise and beauty, helping us enjoy a

fulfilling and satisfying sensual and romantic life. It especially
dissolves the distinction between material and spiritual, uniting
the two through divine love.

Uttara Phālgunī ~ Vows of Friendship

Friendship, matchmaking, agreements, vows

Uttara Phālgunī grants successful and enjoyable romance and

love. It produces matchmakers and expert councilors in the arts
of love and romance. It allows for successful resolution of
arguments, and finding agreements, friendship and harmony.

Hasta ~ Dexterity
Dexterity, manipulation, hands; awareness, awakening, sunrise

Hasta grants heightened awareness and dexterity, empowering

us to manipulate tools and be physically agile. It makes us more
observant and difficult to deceive and more capable of deceiving
others.

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Citrā ~ Multifaceted Brilliance
Intellect, ingenuity, creativity; technology, detail

Citrā empowers humanity to comprehend multi-faceted designs,

lay complex blueprints, and generate masterpieces and
technological marvels. It is the star of architects, designers and
engineers; and allows us to comprehend and give shape to many
angles of a subject.

Svāti ~ Individuality
Individuality, distinction, maverick, separatism

Svāti empowers us to be individuals capable of standing on our

own and going against the norm if need be. It helps us clearly
and confidently define “I” and individualize ourselves. It can
inspire equally to self-realization or self-absorption.

Viśākhā ~ Obsession
Decisive, dedicated, fixated, goal-oriented, undistracted

Viśākhā grants the ability to stay on course and to focus sharply

on attaining goals. It creates strong dedication to clear
objectives and fosters the ability to achieve those goals by any
means necessary.

Anurādhā ~ Devotion
Devotion, friendship, love as law, faithfulness

Anurādhā grants deep devotion to friends and lovers. It makes

our motivations more loving and selfless. It grants the ability to
achieve objectives through good “people skills,” likeability and
trustworthy dedication.

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Jyeṣṭhā ~ Eminence
Eminent, jealous of rivals, protected by destiny, desirous

Jyeṣṭhā empowers humans to become better than their peers,

yet inclines us to be jealous of rivals. It grants us the ability to
protect ourselves and ensure our victories, often by supernatural
means. It inclines us to enjoy our power and eminence.

Mūla ~ Uprooting
Roots, origins, lawlessness, destruction, spirituality

Mūla inspires humanity away from what is normal and accepted,

towards what is hidden, deeper, more original and true. It is a
star of lies and hidden things; and has the power to destroy
them both to reveal the deepest truths. Mūla empowers
destruction and allows us to destroy all that is superficial and
illusory on our quest for true origins, true roots.

Pūrva Aṣāḍhā ~ The Invincible

Power, victory, appeal, popularity, strength, fertility, purity

Pūrva Aṣāḍhā is a star of strength through purity. It confers

strength and power to mankind, but in a pleasant manner, like
the invincible yet appealing power of water. Being both
appealing and powerful, Pūrva Aṣāḍhā creates leaders with
significant popularity and mass appeal.

Uttara Aṣāḍhā ~ Complete Victory

Unchallengeable, undefeatable, intense and all-consuming

Uttara Aṣāḍhā empowers human beings to give “110%” to their

tasks, drawing all available power and pouring it into each of
their endeavors. It is a star that helps create people who are
undefeatable, even unchallengeable in their determination,
strength, and intensity; and who can pull together many
divergent resources and make them work for a common purpose.

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Śravaṇa ~ Listening Carefully
Sound, listening, learning

Śravaṇa is an excellent star for intelligence and education.

Through it we become good listeners, speakers, and audio-
smiths. Śravaṇa inspires us to learn, ask intelligent questions,
listen carefully to answers, and seek qualified teachers. It is one
of the few stars that pleasantly turns us towards spiritual
enlightenment.

Dhaniṣṭhā ~ Getting Practical

Practicality, ideas given shape, plans set in motion, substance given
form

Dhaniṣṭhā is a practical star, setting theories into practice and

seeking tangible returns on ideas. It is too practical for things
that require a lot of romance, sympathy, empathy and emotion.

Śatabhiṣaj ~ The Underworld

The sky, west, underground, night, depths, equality, medicine

Śatabhiṣaj is the star of aeronautics, technology and western

civilization. It is a profound and mysterious star promoting
counter-culturalism and underground movements. It seeks
liberal equality, and fair administration of justice, and is thus
often a cause of revolutionary tendencies. It is also a star with
special relevance to health and medicine.

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Pūrva Bhādrapadā ~ Destruction
Transformation, death and the afterlife, (the need for) detachment,
hoarding / holding on, pessimism, destruction, storms

Pūrva Bhādrapadā is a serious star concerned with significant

personal transformation. Inclining us towards personal
transformation, it makes us more critical, pessimistic and
destructive towards the here and now, and the wealth we are
simultaneously inclined to accumulate in it.

Uttara Bhādrapadā ~ Depth

Transformation, afterlife, various types of wealth, generosity, optimism,
depth, intuition, emancipation

Uttara Bhādrapadā enables us to open our arms to

transformation with an optimistic view of what we will become.
It creates a love for water and imparts the traits of water,
fertility, beauty, quietude, calm, introspection, depth and even a
loneliness or sense of being separate and private from the world.
Anger, aggression and envy are intense but short lived and
manageable.

Revatī ~ Abundance
Prosperity, love, gentility, generosity, guidance, spirituality

Revatī inspires human beings to attain true prosperity and

wealth; through generosity, compassion, devotion and kindness.
It blesses loving relationships, inclines us to non-violence, and
helps us find our way forward without getting lost. It also grants
a good sense of timing and rhythm.

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The 28th Star ~ Abhijit

There is a “28th star,” Abhijit, which seems to be omitted from most

considerations of Vedic Stars. There are various explanations offered for
why it gets left out. Some say it fell out of favor when the Indians began
embracing the 12 signs and wanted to create a symmetrical integration
between their pre-existing star-groups and the newly adopted signs (27
and 12 are mathematically compatible. 28 and 12 are not). I personally
think the best explanation becomes evident when we look at what
Abhijit really is: Vega, which is at some points in history the actual North
Star. Abhijit is so far north of the ecliptic that the Moon never remotely
enters its vicinity. So I think it is rightfully left out of the vast majority of
astrological considerations.

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Use of the Stars
Certainly a reasonably experienced and educated astrologer can simply
look at what planets occupy which stars in an individual birth chart, and
by combining the symbolism of the planet with the symbolism of the
star you can gain volumes of useful interpretive information. Include the
ascendant. The Moon begs to be considered the most important of the
planets in this regard, but that is probably only because the Moon’s star
is often also the star association with the day the chart’s owner was
born.

That point leads us to other equally, if not more important ways to use
the stars. Look outside the conventional modern birthchart and into the
details found in the “Kāla Jataka.” There, inquire into the nakṣatra of:

• The birthday (and the “emptied” nakṣatras thereof)

• The birth month

• The full moon of that birth month

• The muhūrta

• The nadi

• Jupiter’s year

And learn to use the other information associated with nakṣatras, found
in the kāla jataka, such as waxing / waning, lunar phase, lunar day,
yogas, etc.

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Acknowledgements
Cāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2 says:

आचायवाप

ु षो वेद

ācāryavān puruṣo veda

“One who has an Ācārya [guru] personifies the Vedas.”

Commenting on this, A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī says, “One who is in

association with great ācāryas, even if he is not educated or has never
studied the Vedas, can become familiar with all the knowledge
necessary for realization.”

My Ācāryadeva is Śrī Śrīmad Dhanurdhara Swāmī. He introduced me to

astrology in 1992 and sparked my interest in it. Although he is not an
astrologer himself, he is a true Ācārya and therefore I was able to gain
whatever astrological knowledge and expertise I have as a result of his
divine blessings, without the need for any formal “astrological guru.”

If he is pleased with this book, feeling that it is of benefit to humanity

and that it glorifies the divine, then my effort is a success. Other
yardsticks of success are inconsequential.

I am also pleased to acknowledge the kind help of another agency of Śrī

Guru, Dr. Satyanārāyana dās Bābājī, who is among the foremost
scholars of Sanskrit and Vedic literature. He very kindly agreed to check
the Sanskrit in this book, and review and comment on the manuscript.
His corrections and suggestions were of paramount importance to
making this a truly authorized and substantial book.

I am also deeply indebted to Neal Stephens. I took up the task of writing

this book partially due to his eagerness to study the Vedic Nakṣatra. His
voluntary, selfless service of editing and proofreading was extremely
helpful.

159
 In my every endeavor I am always happily indebted to

My loving wife,
Śyāma Sakhi,

And our dear children:

Bhanu,
Damien,
Lunetta and
Lalitā.

कराेवसतेलिमः करमयेसरवत |
करमल
ू ेतग
ु ोवदः भातेकरदशनम ् ||

It appears that a man named Vic DiCara wrote this book.

However, the Goddess Lakṣmī actually wrote it, empowering his fingers
to strike the keys. But the truth is that Goddess Sarasvati truly wrote the
book, having the knowledge and learning that allowed the typing fingers
to move. Yet, the final reality at the root of it all is that Govinda himself
wrote the book – to reveal himself to you more clearly.

$ी$ीराधागोवदौ जयतौ

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