WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Post No. 8956

Date uploaded in London – –21 NOVEMBER 2020   

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

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Vedic Hindus were keen observers of the sky. They recorded all the 27+1 stars even before the world started writing in their languages. Some parts of old testament were written in 9^th century BCE. Zend Avesta of Persians came around that time. Latin and Tamil literature came vey late, just 2000 years ago.

Hindus differentiated stars from the planets; stars twinkle and planets don’t. Stars maintain relative distance and remain static, but planets move. Mahabharata beautifully describe the stars as

Nakshatra means the one which does not move- says Mahabharata- na ksharati iti nakshatra-

Shanti parva 290-36.

Rig Veda says,

One of the sages went on observing  the sky day and night, says ,

The pure and alert king Varuna presents a heap in the bottomless sky above the world. The rays of light  placed inside dome come down though the source or base in above—Rig Veda  1-27-7

Atharva  Veda 13-12-17 and 20-47-14 state that

The stars run away with the night, just like the thieves, for the sun to see the world.

The suns are powerful than the moon and the earth is greater than the moon. The moon is kept in the lap of stars- RV 10-85-2 and  AV  14-1-2

Rig veda mentioned some stars out of 27 stars.

Agha-Magha and Arjuni ; Revati ; Punarvasu ; Chitra ;

Tishya .

The word

Nakshatra is used in the Rig Veda  at 1-5o-2; 10-68-11; 7-86-1

Taitriya Samhita of  Black  Yajur Veda 4-4-10  gives all the names of the stars. This means that they observed the path of moon and recorded everything even before other cultures started producing literature. Black  Yajur Veda  is dated before 1000 BCE.

Here is the list; the deity of the ‘nakshatra’ is given in the bracket-

Kritika –-Agni ,

Rohini – Prajapati ,

Mrgasirsa –Soma ,

Ardra – Rudra ,

Punarvasu- Aditi,

Tisya –  Brhaspati,

Aslesa – S arpa,

Magha- P itr

Purva Phalguni – Aryama,

Uttara Phalguni-  Bhaga,

Hasta – Savitr,

Chitra – Indra,

Svati – Vayu,

Vishaka – Indra , Agni

Anuradha – Mitra,

Jyeshta – Indra

Vichrti –  Pitr,

Purva Ashada-   Aapa,

Uttara ashada- V isve Devaah,

Srona –  Vishnu,

Svavista- Vasu,

Satabhisaja – Indra,

Purva prostapada –  Aja Ekapada ,

Uttara Prostapada –  Ahirbudhnya,

Revati-  Pusan,

Asvayujau-   Asvinau,

Apabharani-  Yama.

Knowing that moon, sun and earth are in one line they named new moon day as Amaa vasya;

Amaa means together and Vaasya means residing .

xxx

Here are some more details from our previous posts-  

FROM OUR OLD POSTS IN THIS BLOG……………………………..

1. Ashwini –Alpha, Beta –Aries அஸ்வினி
   2) Bharani – No 28,29,41 Taurus பரணி
   3) Krittika – Pleiades கார்த்திகை
   4) Rohini – Aldebaran Hyades, Alpha, Theta, Gama, Delta and Epsilon Taurus ரோஹிணி
   5) Mrigashirsha – Lambda, Phi 1, Phi 2, Orion மிருகசீர்ஷம்
   6) Aardraa –Betelgeaux – Alpha Orion திரு ஆதிரை
   7) Punarvasu – Castor, Pollux with Procyon Alpha, Beta, Gemini-Alpha Canis Minor respectively புனர் பூசம்
   8) Pushya – Gama, Delta and Theta of Cancer பூசம்
   9) Ashlesha – Delta, Epsilon, Eta, Rho and Zeta Hydra ஆயில்யம்
   10) Maagha – Alpha, Ela, Gama, Zeta My and Epsilon Leonis மகம்
   11) Poorva Phalkuni – Delta and Theta Leo பூரம்
   12) Utra Phalkuni – Beta and 93 Leo உத்தரம்
   13) Hasta – Delta, Gama, Eta, Virgo ஹஸ்தம்
   14) Chitraa – Spica, Alpha Virgo சித்திரை
   15) Swaati – Arcturus – Alpha Bootes ஸ்வாதி
   16) Vishaakha – Alpha, Beta etc Libra விசாகம்
   17) Anuraadha – Beta, Delta, Pi –Scorpia அனுஷம்
   18) Jyestha – Antares Alpha, Sigma Tau Scorpio கேட்டை
   19) Mula – Scorpio, tail stars மூலம்
   20) Poorvaashadaa – Delta and Epsilon Sagittarius பூராடம்
   21) Uttaraashaada – Zeta and Omicron Sagittarius உத்திராடம்
   22) Shraavanaa – Altair – Alpha Aquila திரு ஓணம்
   23) Dhanishtha – Delphinus அவிட்டம்
   24) Shatabhisak – Lambda Aquarius சதயம்
   25) Poorva Bhaadrapada – Alpha and Beta Pegasus பூரட்டாதி
   26) Uttara Bhaadrapada – Gama Pagasus and Alpha Andromeda உத்திரட்டாதி
   27) Revathi – Zeta Piscum ரேவதி

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Like we have Graha purusa and Vastu Purusa, Varahamihira gives us some information about Nakshatra Purusa:

The FEET of the stellar deity are represented by the star Mula

The LEGS by Rohini

The KNEES by Asvini

The THIGHS by two (Purva/Uttara) Asadas

The PRIVITIES by two Phalgunis (Purva/ Uttara)

The HIPS by Krittikas

The SIDES by Purva and Utthara) Bhadrapadas

The STOMACH by Revati

The BREAST by Anuradha

The BACK by Dhanista

The ARMS by Visakha

The HANDS by Hastha

The FINGERS by Punarvasu

The NAILS by Aslesa

The NECK by Jyeshata

The EARS by Sravana

The MOUTH by Pusya

The TEETH by Svati

LAUGHTER by Sathabishak

The NOSE by Magha

The EYES by Mrgasiras

The FOREHEAD by Chitra

The HEAD by Bharani and

The HAIR by Arudra

Hindus always describe Gods from Foot to Head and human beings from Head to Foot. It is seen in Sangam Tamil and more ancient Sanskrit literature.

12 signs of zodiac (12 Rasis) represent Kalapurusa (Time in the form of a Person). Likewise the 27 Nakshatras are distributed among the limbs of the Nakshatra purusa.

TAGS– 27 STARS, NAKSHATRA, QUOTATIONS, VEDAS

–SUBHAM–