NAKSHATRA PART 4 15726

[Rajaram Krishnamurthy]

NAKSHATRA PART 4       15726

 

5. MRIGASHIRA (AGRAHAYANI) - (23"20 Taurus - 6"40 Gemini)

"Agrahāyaṇa is the month of Ayana or Equinox (agra=first + ayana = travel of the sun, equinox). The aligning of this name with the Mrigashira Nakshatra (lambda orionis) gives rise to speculation that this name was given when the sun was near Orion at the time of vernal equinox, around 7000 years ago."46 This is even earlier than the calendar beginning with Rohini. Around 10,000 BCE, the Nakshatra owned by the Creator god announced the Winter Solstice among the stars of a lost Golden Age. The Sun now begins to turn toward summer’s rebirth. Lord - MANGALA (Mars) rules 7 years: Mrigashira, Chitra, Dhanishta STAR - Orion's head representing the ancient Creator god Prajapati. As Mrigashira, they are the Head (shira) of a Deer/Antelope (marga), a form Prajapati assumed.

47 Mrigashira, the stars in the head of Orion

DEITY - Soma the Moon, deity of this Nakshatra, challenged Mrigashira-Daksha (Orion) for Rohini.  Lusting after Rohini, most beautiful of his daughters, Orion pursued her in the form of a swift antelope. To save her from incest, Shiva-Rudra as the star Sirius shot him with an arrow. Crashing to earth, the unity of the Universe Prajapati once upheld was destroyed.

Long ago Giant Orion, the River of Stars running past his feet toward the Galactic Center, touched earth on the Solstices and later the Equinoxes. Knocked from his position ruling the crossroads of time, he no longer connected the corners of Earth and Sky. His Road of Stars removed from the year's four corners, the Giant no longer descended to mingle with men.

Milky way touching earth

As the first to perform the great fire sacrifice (Ashvamedha), the sacrifice itself "figures as a  double of Prajapati. Actually Prajapati/yajna symbolizes the (old world) which Rudra brings to an end. Thus, he already has the role of Hindu Shiva as the destroyer of the world." The stars forming a diagonal below the Orion’s Belt is his Sword with all its overtly phallic associations. The patch of light is the Orion Nebula visible to the naked eye on clear nights. Stories about Orion often include his wound to his thigh (Prajapati) or penis (Egypt's Osiris as Orion). The cloud of swirling stars in the sword of Orion may once have had a visible explosion of a supernova.

However, the potent sword still actively produces new stars.

Rudra is same as Agni, and Uma is same as Svaha. Shiva's consort golden Uma, emerging from the ashes of Sati, is reborn under these stars. That is, in the constant recreation and recycling of gods and their stories, Svaha, wife of Agni present at every fire sacrifice, is also Uma and equallyShiva's Sati reborn after immolating herself in the fires of Prajapati's first sacrifice.

The arrow of Sirius is Mrgavyadha the 'deer hunter' avatar of Rudra/Shiva. Among the Norse who also performed horse sacrifices, Sirius was known as Lokabrenna (Loki's torch). When Rudra shot down Prajapati, the toppling of this giant destroyed the Universe. The actions of Loki, trickster god of the Norse, caused Ragnarok the destruction of the northern world, which toppled the World Tree. Like glowing Rudra's association with fire (Agni), Loki is literally a Wildfire parented by dry leaves (Laufey) and hard striking lightning (Farbauti).

Note: the sacrifice of the Ashvamedha includes three fireplaces, recalling the three stars of Orion's belt. Among the Mayans of Mesoamerica, the end of the previous world occurred when the three hearthstones of Orion changed their position. The hearth being the center of both the world and home, three stones are still arranged in a triangle to support their cooking pots.

Rudra appears as the ruddy color red. In Astrology, Sirius also has attributes of the red planet Mars, Lord of this Nakshatra. When Mars ♂, another archer dealing out war and death, conjuncts Sirius, these attributes are intensified. "On the Ascendant and with Mars combined, Sirius can be quite dangerous."

In addition to deadly Sirius, directly across the sky lie the stings and arrows of Scorpio and Sagittarius also pointing their killing arrows toward Orion.

Orion, also known as Osiris and Saturn, once ruled a Golden Age before being overthrown.

The Galactic Age of 2012, rather than marking the end of another world, realigned the Womb of the sky (Scorpio/Sagittarius, the root stars of Mula #19) on the Winter Solstice with the Milky Way joining and opposing Orion/Gemini. We are now returning toward the stars of the lost Golden Age (c. 10,000 BCE), the total cycle of the Precession taking c. 25,000 years.

Orion rising just before dawn in late July, Sirius follows a couple of weeks later. After setting in the west, 70 days later Orion is reborn into the night sky where he is visible most of the winter.

Although Orion, located near Leo and Gemini, is south of the Ecliptic, he is still affected by the Precession and thousands of years from now will wander the summer rather than winter skies Sirius, on the other hand, while inscribing its own stately circle about the Galaxy, has been only minimally affected by the Precession. During thousands of years in ancient Egypt she appeared in mid-July to announce the Nile Floods. Even today, another 2000 years passing, she rises early August.51 As a ruler of time, Sirius has a 365.25-day year, far more accurate than our current solar calendar.52 This steady calendar star is a fitting symbol to represent Shiva/Rudra as Mahakala.

Wearing the seasons as his garments, he is Great Time himself.

FESTIVALS IN MRIGASHIRA (also AGRAHAYANA November 22-December)

The first month of the winter season begins with the sun's entrance into Scorpio. It occurs on either the new moon or the full moon around the same time of year. The luni-solar month now falling in November/December is determined by the full moon in the stars of Orion while the sun lies opposite in Scorpio.

BHAIRAVA ASTAMI - The darkest day of winter falling at the end of this month, dark Shiva appeared in his fierce avatar as Kalabhairava during the darkening half of this month (Krishna Paksha).

The Kuru, descended from the river Tapti born from the union of the Sun and his Shadow Wife, were described above. The Tapti was ancestress of the Kuru) the first Vedic state (c. 1200 – c. 850 BCE). Their stories appear in the legends growing into the Mahabharata epic. The clan fought with the Pandvas whose warrior inspired the Bhagavagita. Pandavas, relatives of the Kuru clan, included the brother Nakula, son of the Aswini Twins. Out on raiding trips after the barley harvest, they returned home before the next rainy season to plough. War expeditions began the season of Margashira when roads dry after the Monsoon rains.

VIVAH PANCHAMI - (one of the dates given for Sita and Rama's marriage) is a festival celebrating the wedding of Rama and Sita, the great warrior of the Ramayana epic. It is observed on the fifth day of the waxing phase of moon.

Illustration of Hindu epic Ramayana depicting Ashwamedha by Sahib Din (1652)53 Kausalya, Lord Rama's mother. is depicted slaying the horse (left) and lying beside it (right). Kuru kings continued to perform the great Horse Sacrifices to enlarge their kingdoms. The bloody archer Rudra the son of three mothers, who occupies the following Nakshatra, may have been born from the three great queens who accompanied the chief queen when she was impregnated by the white stallion 6. ARDRA - The Moist or Green One - (6"40 - 20"00 Gemini)

Lord - RAHU (north lunar node) rules 18 years: Ardra, Swati, Shatabhishak

STAR - Betalgeuse in Orion DEITY - Rudra, destructive form of Shiva

Betalgeuse Orion with Betelgeuse on right shoulder

In addition to fiery Sirius, Rudra manifests as Ardra the fierce red star of Betelgeuse on Orion's right shoulder. Rising with the sun of early summer (and at sunset in fall), Betelgeuse also represents the red planet Mars. Like Rudra, Mars arrives with storms, wars, and violence. "Rudra primarily symbolizes the fire in its fierce, destructive aspect. This red element was an integral part of military raids." Betelgeuse, a variable red star near end of life, may collapse in a few thousand years. Periods of sudden brightness reflect periods of Rudra's rages.

Lord Shiva a later form of Rudra opened His eyes after a long meditation and overcome, he shed a tear. This single tear from Shiva's eye grew into the rudraksha tree. Rudraksha (Sanskrit: rudra and akşa "tear drop"), or "eye of Rudra", is the name both for the berry of the tree, and a namefor a string of prayer beads made from those seeds. Strung together as a mala, traditionally the number of beads used should be 108 plus one. The extra bead is the "meru", bindu or "guru bead". If the mālā lacks a bindu, the energy is said to become cyclical and wearers who are sensitive may become dizzy.

Meru, also known as Sumeru, is the mountain used to churn the Milky Ocean. After the churning, sun, moon, and planets began to circle around this northern mountain. Reading stories by  the lights of the sky, the churning rope of the Milky Way passes between Orion/Gemini's stars andthe Root of the Galaxy among the fierce stars of Scorpio. Here each new world will be reborn from this womb.

Rahu, Lord of this Nakshatra, is the Naga (Vasuki), the serpent who acted as the turning rope churning the Milky Ocean. To accomplish this deed, the demons and gods held each end of the rope: the demons the head, the tail by the gods. Although the gods attempted to keep all the churned Soma essence, one dragon managed to drink a few drops before his head (Rahu) was severed from his tail (Ketu). The elixir making him immortal, the naga Rahu-Ketu took his place among the planets. The sun and moon had warned the gods of his action, resulting in the enmity of the Dragon who periodically eclipses their lights when they stray near his path.

Along with Soma, such treasures as a great white horse, an elephant that ultimately bequeaths his head to Ganesh, and the Mother of Cows emerge. But there also appeared a dark spreading poison. Among the gods, only Shiva was strong enough to absorb it, leaving him forever with a blue neck. Shiva honored Vasuki by wearing him as a necklace after Vasuki helped consume the poison Note: Shiva/Rudra as unchanging Sirius (#5) is Great Time (Mahakala) himself. Here he sits on the black and white tiger skin of time (Orion also representing a tiger). The beating drum by his left knee sounds out the rhythm of his cosmic dance. Around his neck is the poison filtering Vishuddhi, the serpent in the three coils representing past, present, and future.

FESTIVALS IN ARDRA (lie in the Paus month of December, full moon in Sagittarius or when the morning sun rises in the stars of Gemini during the monsoon month of June/July).

Rahu is the ascending node along the serpentine, sinuous path the moon travels each month. Yearly, the sun travelling the ecliptic also crosses the node on the Spring Equinox as he heads north toward the Summer Solstice. As a reflection of the solar year, the sun is now moving toward the honeymoon month of June.

Sun and full moon always opposite each other, moist Ardra appears after a December sunset. Rising with the sun, she appears in June to announce the rainy Monsoons. The rains now stir Earth to begin her menstrual period (Ambobachi). When Sati, Shiva's beloved was cut into 52 (or 51) pieces after her death at the first Ashvedmedha, the parts (Shaki Pithas) fell in pilgrimage sites throughout India.

The Kamarupa ("form of desire"), the yoni ("vulva," "womb," or "source") is said to have fallen to earth in [Asaam] and a temple was constructed on this spot. At the Kamakhya temple, the Ambobachi Mela is held each Monsoon season in mid-June. She is worshipped in the form of a yoni-like stone instead over which a natural spring flows. A piece of the red cloth covers the stone yoni during the days of menstruation. The temple to the goddess Kamakya is one of the oldest of the Shaki Pithas.

K RAJARAM IRS 15726