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yajvan
21 July 2007, 05:51 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~~

Namaste,

For many this question of nakshatra could be foreign to them. This may have been asked for those that had a puja, havan, homam i.e. yajya ( pronounced yag-ya) preformed for them at an Indian temple (mandir).

The purohita ( the priest) will ask one of the following: What is your nakshatra? Or What is your birth star. To that one would respond by giving one of the 27 Nakshatra's the moon travels in a given month.

Now the purohita may also ask 'what is your gotra?' - that is, which family of rishi's are you a descendant of? Many Indian families know of this.
Perhaps someone can take the lead on this and help explain how this all works.

This post is about nakshatra's and some background on this. One's Nakshatra is the position Chandra (the moon) at birth. For me I am Rohini. When born, Chandra was in the constellation identified as Rohini. This does not change over time.

So, lets stop for a second. I hear a question - 'yajvan, you are saying there's two constellation systems. The one we're just getting use to in the jyotish folder or the 12 constellations of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc . Now your saying there's another?' . Yep. Here's the deal.

Surya, the sun, travels through and owns the 12 constellations that you perhaps have more comfort with. The moon ( Chandra, Parviti, Sita,Gauri, Lakshmi, etc.) travels and owns the 27 nakshatra's. They are visible collections of stars in the sky. Each one of the nakshatra have a quality to them, just like the 12 constellations of the Sun. These nakshasta's live inside or straddle the Sun's constellations. The Moon then travels though these constellations month-in and month-out.

Lets get a better appreciation of the name, Nakshatra.
Nakshatra - 3 different views


Naka+ksha+tra: Naka = night + ksha = destruction, defending + tri is from trai to protect. A Nakshatra then is a lunar mansion ( like your home) that protects the native. I also think of it as Ksatriya , which has at its root this ksh, to defend + tri, to protect. And this Ksh at its root has kr =to act or do. So a Ksatriya =one who protects and is like Nakshatra.
Naksha+tra: Naksha = approach or gain + tra = protect/guard. So Nakshatra = to guard or protect from approaching dangers.
Na+kshetra: This Na has multiple roots. for this explanation, it is the bija sound for jala, water or fluid. Kshetra and its form is that of a region or house. Some even use this for the sign of the zodiac. So how is this connected? The moon is associated with jala tattva and also a water rasi, Cancer. Now it is of interest to me that this Na as bija for water also refers to the moon. So together it is Na ( moon) that rules over those regions or houses (kshetra) or Nakshatras.Hence, pending how the jyotishi is looking at a chart, s/he can be viewing it as being owned by the moon and related to all the things the moon is as a karaka ( significator), as protector, and as their various qualities of each mansion (ksha) that affects the human. AS this human comes from the union of of NA ( moon) + RA (sun). From that union a name (Nama) is formed, a sound, a vibration. Many look to the Nakshatra position for naming ones child as it was created by NA + RA ( mother = moon + Father = Sun) = nara = person.

The Dimension Of Nakshatra
AS we mentioned there are 27 (there is one special 28th nakshatra, Abhijit we will talk of later). Of we have a 360 degree path of the moon divided by 27 nakshatra, that gives each a 13 degree 20 min, arc angle.

Each have a graha owner e.g. Ketu, Sun, Moon, Jupiter, etc. Lets take Rohini ( the nakshatra of Sri Krsna's birth). It resides in the constellation of Taurus and occupies 13 degrees 20 min of an arc, as the rule stated above. The Nakshatra extends from 40 degrees to 53 degrees 20 min in the constellation of Taurus. The Nakshatra is owned by the moon, and it as place where the moon is happy to be, this is called it's exaltation point.

The names of each, their locations in the sky and who owns each
This URL with give you the name and a sky map of where these Nakshatra's can be found. Note that they do straddle over the 12 constellations of the sun. That is, a Nakshatra is not constrained by the 12 sun constellations. An example would be Krittika that starts in Aries and finishes in Taurus. There are several Nakshatras like this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakshatra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakshatra)


This was an introduction to this concept. If there is interest we will proceed with new posts will be offered in the Jyotish Folder on HDF, with a reference back to this location as needed.

For the next post if there is interest

Sounds of the Nakshatra (Vah, Voo, Day, Pha, Nuh, Roo, etc)
Groups of 9 ( 9x3 = 27)
Sub groups or padas ( there are 4 padas per nakshatra X 27 = our divine 108 number)
Qualities of the Nakshatra
Special conditions
pranams,

sarabhanga
23 July 2007, 04:31 AM
Namaste Yajvan,

You have provided an informative introduction to the important topic of the Nakshatras, and the Wikipedia page is also very useful. Please continue.

nak means “night”, but nAka particularly refers to “the vault of heaven, the firmament or sky”.

kshatra means “dominion, government, reigning order, power or might”, and especially “the power of Mitra-Varuna and Indra”.

So that nak-kshatra refers to “the Lords of the night”.

kSattR refers to “one who cuts or carves or distributes anything”, indicating “an attendant”, especially “a door-keeper”, and also “a porter, or a charioteer or coachman”.

So that the nak-kSattR (“night coachman”, etc.) carves up the night sky, attending and guiding the moon on its course.

Lagadha’s Rgvedavedangajyotisa lists the Nakshatra Lords as follows:

agniḥ prajāpatiḥ somo rudro'ditirbṛhaspatiḥ |
sarpāśca pitaraścaiva bhagaścaivāryamāpi ca || 25 ||
savitā tvaṣṭātha vāyuścendrāgnī mitra eva ca |
indro nirṛtirāpo vai viśvedevāstathaiva ca || 26 ||
viṣnurvasavo varuṇo'ja ekapāttathaiva ca |
ahirbudhnyastathā pūṣāśvinau yama eva ca || 27 ||

That is,

1. agni
2. prajApati
3. soma
4. rudra
5. aditi
6. bRhaspati
7. sarpa
8. pitR
9. bhaga
10. aryamA
11. savitA
12. tvaSTA
13. vAyu
14. indrAgni
15. mitra
16. indra
17. nirRti
18. ApaH
19. vishvedeva
20. viSNu
21. vasu
22. varuNa
23. ajaekapAt
24. ahirbudhniya
25. pUSA
26. ashvin
27. yama

The first Lord is agni, the presiding deity of kRttikA (i.e. the Pleiades), which was originally considered as the first Nakshatra of the cycle.

Nuno Matos
23 July 2007, 02:19 PM
Namaste

It is wonderful that this theme of the Nakshatra as come upon this forum. I want to know more about it. I have heard that each constellation as a Rishi that is attached to a person tradition or lineage in Hindu lore. Been myself from Rohini, what is the correspondent Rishi and how is it found or is it the Rishis only a story, doesn't have any real meaning or interest and finally does the lords that Sarabhanga presented on is last post are the same thing as the Rishis* ? I have a moderate interest over astrology, sometimes i think that astrology is only to full the sky with stars until you get something out of it, never the less Indian astrology by the texts i have read seems a very rich source of history and that i really enjoy.


*Rishi = seer
Lord = Natha or KsheetraJñana

Love and Light

Om Tat Sat!

yajvan
23 July 2007, 04:50 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste Yajvan,

You have provided an informative introduction to the important topic of the Nakshatras, and the Wikipedia page is also very useful. Please continue.

nak means “night”, but nAka particularly refers to “the vault of heaven, the firmament or sky”.

kshatra means “dominion, government, reigning order, power or might”, and especially “the power of Mitra-Varuna and Indra”.

So that nak-kshatra refers to “the Lords of the night”.

kSattR refers to “one who cuts or carves or distributes anything”, indicating “an attendant”, especially “a door-keeper”, and also “a porter, or a charioteer or coachman”.

So that the nak-kSattR (“night coachman”, etc.) carves up the night sky, attending and guiding the moon on its course.


Namaste sarabhanga & Nuno Motos,

Thank you for the additions and value for our HDF readers... We will continue. Perhaps the posts over in the Jyotish folder will be a most prudent place to continue as we go deeper and wider.

We will talk more of nak-kshatra , “the Lords of the night” and Naka+ksha+tra, Naka = night + ksha = destruction, defending + tri is from trai to protect.

pranams,

sarabhanga
23 July 2007, 11:09 PM
Namaste Nuno,

Astronomically speaking, the seven Rishis dwell in the constellation Ursa major (the Great Bear), which lies well away from the ecliptic, about 30 degrees from the northern celestial pole and thus circumscribing the upper third of the heavens. Ursa major is situated directly north from the Citra, Hasta, and Palguni nakshatras.

Rksha means both “a bear” and “a star, constellation, or lunar mansion”, and the RkshAs are “the seven stars”, which refers to the seven Rishis of the Great Bear constellation, or to the Pleiades cluster (in Krittika nakshatra).

Agnideva
24 July 2007, 09:53 AM
Namaste Yajvan,


Lets take Rohini ( the nakshatra of Sri Krsna's birth).

Thanks for this thread. It is interesting you should mention the above. I noticed that Rohini is Krsna's birth nakshatra, and is also the name of His step-mother (Vasudeva's other wife). Similarly, Skanda's birth nakshatra is Krittika, and Krittika is His foster mother and so He is called Kartikeya. I can't help but think there is some significance here.

OM Shanti,
A.

yajvan
24 July 2007, 08:22 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste Nuno,

Astronomically speaking, the seven Rishis dwell in the constellation Ursa major (the Great Bear), which lies well away from the ecliptic, about 30 degrees from the northern celestial pole and thus circumscribing the upper third of the heavens. Ursa major is situated directly north from the Citra, Hasta, and Palguni nakshatras.

Rksha means both “a bear” and “a star, constellation, or lunar mansion”, and the RkshAs are “the seven stars”, which refers to the seven Rishis of the Great Bear constellation, or to the Pleiades cluster (in Krittika nakshatra).

Namaste et. al,

There are many contradictory lists of the names of the Saptarishis.
I see lists without Kasyap and scratch my head. Take a look at this site
for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saptarishi

pranams,

sarabhanga
26 July 2007, 11:40 PM
Namaste Yajvan,

There are eight pitAmahaRSaya, the mind-born sons of brahmA, from whom most brAhmaNa lineages are descended:

bhRgu, aÑgiras, marIci, atri, vasiSTha, pulastya, pulaha, and kratu.

Different names appear in the various saptaRSi lists, but the same group of families is represented in most cases ~ kashyapa, for example, was the son of marIci, and either name may be used to indicate the same lineage.

pulastya’s son was vishravas ailavila, and his son was kubera vaishravaNa. And pulastya’s descendants (including rAvaNa, kumbhakarNa, vibhISaNa, and shUrpaNakhA) were rAkshasA, vAnaraA, kinnarA, and yakshA. pulaha’s offspring were kimpuruSA and pishacA. And kratu remained celibate.

agastya shares the patronym maitrAvaruNa with vasiSTha, but he is associated with the southern star Canopus, rather than Ursa major in the north. The sons of agastya, however, were adopted by pulastya, pulaha, and kratu, who were all without suitable heirs; and their lineages (mostly in South India and Sri Lanka and descended from pulastya’s adopted son) are considered as agastaya.

vishvAmitra was born as a kshatriya, and the vaishvAmitrA are sometimes grouped with the agastaya (and pulastya’s own offspring) as the paulastya rAkshasA (brahma rAkshasA ruled by kubera).


The saptaRSaya of the (first) svAyambhuva manvantaram are:
marIci, atri, aÑgira, pulaha, kratu, pulastya, and vasiSTha.

In the (second) svArociSa manvantaram they are:
aurva (vAsiSTha), stamba, kashyapa (mArIci), prANa, bRhaspati (AÑgirasa), datta (Atreya), and nishcyavana.

In the (third) uttama manvantaram the saptaRSaya are all sons of vasiSTha, known collectively as the vasiSThA or the UrjA.

In the (fourth) tAmasa manvantaram they are:
kavya (AÑgirasa), pRthu, agni, janyu, dhAtR (bhArgava), kapIvAn, and akapIvAn.

In the (fifth) raivata manvantaram:
vedabAhu (paulastya), yadudhra, vedashira, hiraNyaromA, parjanya, UrdhvabAhu, and satyanetra (Atreya).

In the (sixth) cAkshuSa manvantaram:
bhRgu, nabha, vivasvAn, sudhAma, virajas (vAsiSTha), atinAmA, and sahiSNu (paulaha).

In the (seventh) vaivasvata manvantaram:
atri, vasiSTha, kashyapa (mArIci), gautama, bharadvAja, vishvAmitra, and jamadagni (bhArgava).

In the (eighth) sAvarNi manvantaram:
rAma (bhArgava), vyAsa (vAsiSTha), dIptimAn (Atreya), ashvatthAma (bhAradvAja), kRpAcArya (gautama), gAlava (vaishvAmitra), and ruru (kAshyapa).

In the (ninth) meru sAvarNi manvantaram:
medhAtithi (paulastya), vasu (kAshyapa), jyotiSmAn (bhArgava), dyutimAn (AÑgirasa), savana (vAsiSTha), and havyavAhana (Atreya).

In the (tenth) daksha sAvarNi manvantaram:
haviSmAn (paulaha), sukRti (bhArgava), ApomUrti (Atreya), aSTama (vAsiSTha), pramiti (paulastya), nabhoga (kAshyapa), and satya (AÑgirasa).

In the (eleventh) rudra sAvarNi manvantaram:
haviSmAn (kAshyapa), haviSmAn (bhArgava), taruNa (Atreya), anagha (vAsiSTha), udadhiSNaya (AÑgirasa), nishcara (paulastya), and agnitejAs (paulaha).

In the (twelfth) brahma sAvarNi manvantaram:
dyuti (vAsiSTha), sutapa (Atreya), tapasomUrti (AÑgirasa), tapasvin (kAshyapa), tapodhana (paulastya), taporavi (paulaha), and tapodhRti (bhArgava).

In the (thirteenth) raucya manvantaram:
dhRtimAn (AÑgirasa), havyapa (paulastya), tattvadarshI (paulaha), nirutsaka (bhArgava), niSprakampa (Atreya), nirmoha (kAshyapa), and sutapa (vAsiSTha).

And in the (fourteenth) bhautya manvantaram:
atibAhu (bhArgava), shuci, aÑgIrasa, yukta (Atreya), shukra (vAsiSTha), ajita, and paulaha.


http://www.geocities.com/sarabhanga/ursa_major.jpg

Jigar
09 August 2007, 07:39 PM
Namaste,
i had a nakshatra earring similiar to this. I called it my Bhuddhi

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/9499/lpd407mv5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

maste nam,
jigar

yajvan
09 August 2007, 08:47 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste Jigar,
It looks then your nakshatra is owned by Sukra , Venus. As Venus owns diamonds.


Namaste,
i had a nakshatra earring similiar to this. I called it my Bhuddhi

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/9499/lpd407mv5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

maste nam,
jigar