by Vic DiCara
Kṛttikā (Activator) ♉︎ 20º47’ Viśākhā (Coupled) ♏︎ 14º07’
Rohiṇī (Arouser) ♊︎ 4º07’ Anurādhā (Love) ♏︎ 27º27’
Mṛgaśīrṣā (Doe) ♊︎ 17º27’ Jyeṣṭhā (Best) ♐︎ 10º47’
Ārdrā (Storm) ♋︎ 0º47’ Mūla (Root) ♐︎ 24º07’
Punarvasu (Cycle) ♋︎ 14º07’ P.Aṣādhā (Victor) ♑︎ 7º27’
Puṣya (Blossom) ♋︎ 27º27’ U.Aśādhā (Victor) ♑︎ 20º47’
Āśleṣā (Embrace) ♌︎ 10º47’ Śravaṇa (Listener) ♒︎ 4º07’
Maghā (Power) ♌︎ 24º07’ Dhaniṣṭha (Achiever) ♒︎ 17º27’
P.Phalguṇī (Wife) ♍︎ 7º27’ Śatabhiṣaj (Joiner) ♓︎ 0º47’
U.Phalguṇī (Husband) ♍︎ 20º47’ P.Bhādrapadā (Altar) ♓︎ 14º07’
Hasta (Dextrous) ♎︎ 4º07’ U.Bhādrapadā (Altar) ♓︎ 27º27’
Citra (Brilliant) ♎︎ 17º27’ Revatī (Nourished) ♈︎ 10º47’
Svāti (Maverick) ♏︎ 0º47’ Aśvinī (Attractive) ♈︎ 24º07’
Bharaṇī (Heavy) ♉︎ 7º27’
This table will seem to be at variance with conventional Indian definitions of nakṣatra coordinates. This is because the convention in modern India is to not recognize the Zodiac and Nakṣatra wheels as separate planes of space (Zodiac being antarīkṣa / bhuva - local space, and Nakṣatras being dīva / svar - deep space). Instead, Indian tradition moved to keep a permanent relationship between the Nakṣatras and Zodiac signs - resulting in what we would classify as a sidereal zodiac: a zodiac based on stars. This tradition describes Aśvinī starting exactly at the start of Aries. Each nakṣatra then follows in order, every 13º20’.
Either way, the nakṣatras are in the same place. Aśvinī, for example, starts at 0º sidereal Aries, or 24º tropical Aries, because 0º Sidereal Aries points to the same location in the sky as 24º Tropical Aries.
For more information on this, I encourage you to explore this page on my website: vicdicara.com/tropical
On Elections
This appendix is a compilation of statements from 1.1.2 (a bit before the Nakṣatra Sūtra in the text), and 1.5.2 (the section immediately after the Nakṣatra Sūtra).
When an auspicious nakṣatra is prominent, we should do auspicious deeds connected to that nakṣatra. However, not all nakṣatras are auspicious. When these are prominent, inauspicious deeds will be successful.
Auspicious stars are “devic.” Inauspicious stars are “āsuric.” Still others are “Yama” stars.
Auspicious stars span from Kṛttikā to Viśākhā. They are “in the north.” The Yama stars are on the southern border of this group: Anurādhā and Bharaṇī. This border protects the deva stars from the āsuras [in the south].51
Regarding āsura nakṣatras: Jyeṣṭhā is the oldest. It has the power to kill. Mūla is their desire to overthrow and uproot. Because they are very powerful (āsahanta), they have the Aṣāḍha. Because they are not infirm (aśloṇa), they have Śroṇa. Because they can crush and destroy (āśṛṇa) they have Śraviṣṭhā. Because they cast hundreds of aspersions and derisions (śata-abhiṣaja) they have Śatabhiṣak. They ascend [to paradise] in the Proṣthapada. Because they leap forth (revant) they have Revati. Because they assemble their war chariots they have Aśvayuja.
They are destroyed (apavahana) by Apabharani.52
Now the text describes a few specific
Devic Nakṣatras:
Kṛttikā
Kṛttikā is Agni’s nakṣatra, so important fires should be lit when Kṛttikā shines.53 Worship Agni when Kṛttikā shines and you will attain great vital power. Kṛttikā is a very important star, so if you worship Agni when Kṛttikā shines, you will become very important.
Rohiṇī
However, fire is not tender, and thus Kṛttikā is not ideal for household or bedroom affairs. Thus, the procreator instead worships Agni when Rohiṇī shines, and the gods think it wise. Doing so arouses a great sense of inspiration, that allows us to fulfill all our desires. If you worship Agni worship when Rohiṇī shines you will be fertile, prosper, and fulfill your desires. You will be aroused to attain the things that arouse you.
Punarvasū
The auspicious gods wanted to worship Agni, but they could not. Their prosperity therefore diminished. But when they tried to worship Agni while Punarvasū shined, they succeeded and thus regained their prosperity. If you have lost your prosperity and wish to regain it, you should begin that endeavor when Punarvasū shines.
Pūrva Phalgunī
Those who desire wealth in romance and children should begin those endeavors when Pūrva Phalgunī shines. Aryama is the god of Pūrva Phalgunī. Aryama is ideal and very trustworthy. People therefore try to fulfill his desires.54
Uttara Phalgunī
Or you can begin such endeavors when Uttara Phalgunī shines. Bhaga, the god of romantic and sexual prosperity, resides in Uttara Phalgunī, so one who begins such endeavors when it shines becomes blessed with such gifts.
Citrā
Āsuras also want to worship Agni when the right Nakṣatras shine, hoping to reclaim paradise. However, Indra thwarted them.
They needed sacred bricks for their ceremonial altar. Indra disguised himself as a priest and made these bricks for them. He told them, “These are Citrā” (“These are genuine and real.”). The Āsuras used the bricks to worship Agni, and thus succeeded in ascending to paradise. But Indra’s false bricks were soon consumed by the fire, destroying the Āsura’s prosperity.
They became weak as wool and floated down from paradise. This inflamed their rivalry and hatred for Indra.
Indra then worshipped Agni while Citrā shined, which restored his vitality, sensual acuity, strength, and bravery so that he could combat that rivalry.
A few other statements are made elsewhere
about specific nakṣatras
Svāti
If you think, “my beloved daughter should be married,” hold the marriage under Niṣṭya. She will fall in love, but will never return.
Abhijit
A nakṣatra named Abhijit lies between the one named Aṣāḍhā and the one named Śroṇa. This star has the power to give special victory (“abhijit”). The gods who waged war against the āsuras finally achieved victory when this star was prominent. With this star you can achieve victory even in a battle you are losing. You can overcome bad habits here as well.
Revatī
Animals are born in Rohiṇī, and depend on it for nourishment, but they do not become full-grown until they reach Revatī. So this is a star for nourishing dependents and animals. The nourishment which begins from Rohiṇī reaches fruition here.
Regarding Seasons
The remaining paragraphs in this section describe the impact of worshipping Agni while certain Nakṣatras shine during various seasons. This shows their attempt to consider both sidereal and tropical astrological factors simultaneously.
The paragraphs note that Spring is more suitable for intellectuals to worship Agni, and inclines that worship to be more fruitful and fertile. Summer is more suitable for leaders and rulers to worship Agni. It inclines the worship to result in greater power and lordliness. Autumn is more suitable for merchants and entrepreneurs. It generates a more abundant harvest.
Winter is left out.55 This is probably because it is not a prosperous time of year. The text specifically mentions that Pūrva Phalgunī is not auspicious in the winter, but Uttara Phalgunī is very auspicious because it heralds the coming of spring.56
The śūdra (common worker) also seems to be left out. This is probably because common workers, by definition, do not “worship Agni.” That is, they do not initiate their own endeavors, but work for salary under the direction of a manager, etc.
When is a Nakṣatra “Prominent”?
The text also explains how to determine when a particular nakṣatra is prominent. It says: you cannot see the stars when the Sun is out, but when the
Sun sets you should immediately look for the star.57
Nakṣatra Prajāpati
The text also describes that Prajāpati58 lies on the ecliptic and the nakṣatras from Hasta through Anurādhā form his body. He lays with his hands above his head, so Hasta signifies his hands; Citra, his face; Svati, his heart; Viśākhā, his groin; and Anurādhā, his feet.59
1 I also have a book called 27 Stars, 27 Gods - which greatly helps in this regard.
2 The words parastāt and avastāt are not translated here because they are identical in every sūtra and have already been explained in the introduction.
3 Accordingly, the most common visual symbols for Kṛttikā involve some sort of axe.
4 However, if they are in soft houses (like House 4, for example) or involve the lord of those houses, the implication is of being too sharp and critical, especially in emotional affairs.
5 Supplications are translated from 3.1.1 of Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa
6 Accordingly, most visual symbols for Rohiṇī involve a verdant tree or basket full of harvested vegetables.
7 Appropriately, the visual symbols for Mṛgaśīrṣā most commonly involve a dear, or a woven basket.
8 This earned him the name Śiva, which implies someone very placid and beneficient.
9 The most common visual symbol for Ārdrā is a teardrop. Sometimes a skull symbolises the nakṣatra - because Rudra went to Ārdrā searching for the decapitated head of Brahmā.
10 Ṛg Veda highlights this by saying (10.72.4): “Aditi comes from Dakṣa, but Dakṣa comes from Aditi.” [Dakṣa is thought of as Aditi’s father].
11 Or one indivisible divinity (aditi) taking multiple forms (punarvasu).
12 The visual symbol for Punarvasu is usually a bow and quiver. An arrow is shot from the bow, returned to the quiver, to be shot again in an unending cycle.
13 “Repeatedly” (punar) carries the sense of forgiving our mistakes and loving us anyway.
14 “May the gods return to us again” implies that we have made some mistake that caused us to lose the gods’ favor and grace. It implores Punarvasu to make our effort at correction successful.
15 Since Jupiter tries to do the exact same thing as Puṣya. Jupiter is even addressed as Bṛhaspati in Vedic Astrology.
16 by his guidance
17 The sutra uses “r” (āśreṣā) instead of “l” (āśleṣā). R and L are phonetic neighbors, and thus somewhat difficult to distinguish. Perhaps the old form may have been āśreṣā and over time morphed to āśleṣā through common pronunciation changes. Or perhaps pronunciation was variable in olden times and eventually became standardized as āśleṣā.
18 If you study the nature of Krishna carefully, you will see that the Vedic concept of divinity revolves around nṛtya - dancing; expressions of joy - and that Krishna is the object of perfected seduction, which delights him infinitely. Thus there is no grounds for demonization of sexuality, seduction, and mastery of the arts of flirtation. This is a byproduct of Vedic culture being thoroughly cross-contaminated by Islamic and Christian concepts.
19 This shows that they are concerned with material things, but have a mystical, deep, magical approach to acquiring, controlling and enjoying them.
20 Hence they are alternatively known as yamadutta, which means “Ambassadors of Yama.”
21 This means that they are authorized to punish and regulate others, but no one is authorized to punish and regulate them.
22 I do not know why Ṛg Veda does not have the gods in this order, nor why Ṛg Veda’s order became standardized and Taittirīya’s became the minority view. I would, however, suggest that since Taittirīya explains the symbolism of nakṣatras, astrologers should use its version. Ṛg is more concerned with timing ceremonies correctly - so priests should probably stick with Ṛg’s version.
23 With large constellations that span two nakṣatra-segments, the first segment (purva) is more masculine and the second (uttara) more feminine. Being first signifies being outgoing and inceptive - a masculine trait. Coming later signifies patience and endurance - feminine traits. Accordingly, every pūrva nakṣatra has a manly ugra nature (“power” and “force”) and every uttara nakṣatra has a feminine dhruva nature (“patience” and “endurance”).
24 Ṛṣi - a word commonly translated as “seer” or “sage” may be from a different root, dṛś (to see), or may come from this root because the original ṛṣi are the original male progenitors. Also they were prolific (“outgoing”) authors and teachers.
25 Aryama’s name is invoked whenever a promise or oath is made.
26 The inclusion of Varuṇa here is fascinating. It reveals a compatibility and similarity between the Phalguṇīs and Varuṇa’s nakṣatra, Śatabhiṣak; and expresses that Śatabhiṣak is also sensually passionate and sexually powerful, like the Phalguṇīs.
27 This is why the Vedas say, “The home in which a women cries falls to ruin. The home in which she smiles prospers.” To provide women with the safety and resources they desire is the key to felicity and prosperity.
28 Sani is not śani (a name for Saturn indicating slowness)
29 The word deva often denotes a “divinity” because (1) divinity is consciousness, the divine light at the core of life; (2) the type of gods addressed as deva are specifically those super-human entities who are “enlightened” and try to bring “light” and prosperity to the world.
30 Also, when we feel depressed it is because we lack inspiration to accomplish anything. At such times, it is very effective to sit in the light of the sunrise (devasya-savituḥ) as much as possible.
31 Tvaṣṭha is a facet of the God Brahmā in pure creative genius.
32 In the sense that the expected sum or conclusion (“siddhi”) is not reached (“a-”)
33 Indrāgni in singular case indicates a specific deity (the god of intellectual “digestion”), and this is also relevant to the binary, decision-making capacity of Viśākhā.
34 This very interesting supplication seems to bring out a facet of viśākhā to clearly differentiate between what is joined and not joined, between what is on our team and what is on another team, towards us and them.
35 The story of how India became king of the gods illustrates his expertise in using Vṛta’s attack (śṛṇat) to his own advantage (pratiśṛṇat)
36 This may be a seasonal reference coincident to the times of the author - c. 5,000 years ago the Sun would be in this Nakṣatra during the harvest season. “Rain” is also a reference to “Āpa” (waters) from Pūrva Aṣāḍhā; suggesting that Uttara Aṣāḍhā allows the efforts undertaken in Pūrva Aṣāḍhā to come to fruition.
37 Because consciousness is the supreme thing, Viṣṇu is generally venerated as the supreme divinity.
38 The Vedānta Sūtra delivers the same message. It opens with the statement, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This means “now that you are an experienced perceiver, you should inquire into the supreme subject, consciousness.”
39 The Vedas are described as śruti, a word which is the natural object of śravaṇa
40 Also means, “loving to hear about Viṣṇu.”
41 Other interesting derivations of the words: śraviṣṭha may mean one who has wandered far away (śru + ap [=śrava] + iṣṭhan), and dhaniṣṭhā may mean one who moves very swiftly away, as if in search of some treasure. These meanings are interesting because the actual stars of this nakṣatra are far north of the ecliptic and not quite centered within their own nakṣatra field.
42 Since Varuṇa was the original leader of the gods, he is often addressed as Indra. In Rg Veda 4.41 and 42 he even describes himself as such: aham indro varuṇas te, “I, Varuna, am Indra.”
43 This is very similar to the modern concept that tangible objects are collections of many intangible molecules, which themselves are collections of still less tangible atoms.
44“L” and “R” are phonetic neighbors. See for example the sūtra referring to Āśleṣā as Āśreṣā
45 Some versions have ahebudhniyaḥ which is a different way of accomplishing the same grammar (ahir in 6th case + budhniya in 1st rather than ahir in 1st and budniya in 6th)
46 I interpret this to mean “all parts of creation - spiritual three-fourths and material one-fourth - harmonize and unify.”
47 The only exception, interestingly, is Bhagavān (a word more or less denoting “God”). Parāśara defines this word as “one who possesses all assets in full.”
48 Yama’s symbol is a lasso, which arrests criminals.
49 This episode shows the Vedic concept that sages are superior to gods, and thus the substance possessed by sages (knowledge) is superior to the substance possessed by god (power). The gods also symbolize karma, because they are overseers of the karmic mechanisms of the universe. The superiority of the sages to the gods shows that the Vedic people believed that knowledge was more powerful than karmic fate.
50 Known as the “Vaivasvata Manvantara”
51 This seems to indicate a concept established 5,000 years ago, when the northerly equinox was in Kṛittikā and the southerly equinox in Viśākhā. The sun would be in the northern hemisphere while it traversed all the nakṣatras between Kṛttikā and Viśākhā.
