Download starway of heaven - Conscious Evolution

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STARWAY OF HEAVEN
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The Night Sky. An indigo cape embellished with twinkling stars. Crowned with the Moon gentle, cool, ambling from one end of the cape to the other. To the ancients, whose limits
of virgin imagination and intuitive knowledge was surpassed perhaps only by the expansive
Sky, the night sky would have presented the handiest tool for marking Time. The shining
star-groups would have, to them, looked like a Bull's head or a Hunter's dog (much like the
shapes we imagine we see in the fluffy clouds today).
They thought that souls, after leaving
the earth-plane, went to the realm of stars. Over a period, they observed that while shapely
star-clusters were numerous, Moon preferred to travel through only some of them - those
that fell within its nightly highway from East to West. "Why, look", they would have said
"the Moon's nearing the Archer ". They saw that this pattern repeated itself every 27 days or
so. They then gave each of these 27 star-groups (constellations) a name. Assigned them a
basic nature (divine, human or demoniacal), a chief impulse (Dharma, material wealth,
sensuous pleasure, spiritual liberation) and an inherent quality (spiritual, active, inert). Gave
a ruling planet and ruling god to each. And developed the art (and science) of Vedic
astrology.
The ancient seers were fond of speaking in riddles. This was, perhaps, prompted by their
firmly held belief that knowledge comes to he who seeks and this, being a rare gift, should
not be bestowed indiscriminately on the non-worthy. Perhaps. Like they say, "Tears, to
some, is water. To others, pearls". But we can, as a first step towards decoding the
constellations, look at the mythology associated with and the features attributed to the ruling
gods and planets of these constellations.
In the first part of this series, we shall examine the first 9 constellations (enumerated below),
with special emphasis on their Vedic gods and ruling planets.
Span
God
Planet
Ashwini
0º to 13º20' Aries
Ashwin
Ketu
Bharani
13º20' to 26º40' Aries
Yam
Venus
Krittika
26º40' Aries to 10º Taurus
Agni
Sun
Rohini
10º to 23º20' Taurus
Brahma
Moon
Mrigashira
23º20' Taurus to 6º40' Gemini
Som
Mars
Ardra
6º40' to 20º Gemini
Rudra
Rahu
Punarvasu
20º Gemini to 3º20' Cancer
Aditi
Jupiter
Pushya
3º20' to 16º40' Cancer
Brihaspati
Saturn
Ashlesh
16º40' to 30º Cancer
Naag
Mercury
Ketu is South Node (Caput Dragonis) and Rahu is North Node (Cauda Dragonis).
Ashwini
The ruling deities of this constellation are the Ashwins, the twin-gods, the divine physicians
born of Sun in his form as a horse. These twins are ever youthful, the lords of bliss and
healing and are the most ready of all gods to come to the aid of humans. They are fleetfooted and faster than thought. They trace hidden defects and flaws and make the Yajna
successful. The Ashwins are full of bliss, the very delight of existence - they not only seek
this joy for themselves but also give this away to all those who seek. Thus, to humans
striving for knowledge, the Ashwins first cure the physical body by bestowing on it an
essential perfection and making it a fit channel for raising the Kundalini. They then work
upon the subtle body by creating in it an earnest desire for knowledge. Ashwins are said to
reside in the Mantra and release arrows sewn with the rays of knowledge. They also guard
the seeker from obstacles caused by physical ailments and mental blocks. The path of
Ashwins is the path of light, their chariot preceding that of Dawn. Only when the Ashwins
lead the seeker from his present state of confusion can the light of Truth dawn upon him.
The ruling planet of Ashwini is Ketu, the serpent-like body of the headless dragon. Like a
banner, it boosts (proclaims) the power of anything that it conjoins. Ketu shows a process
of internalisation, perception and wisdom and therefore, is a planet closely associated with
Moksh. The flip side is a too limiting or critical view of things and the consequent isolation
or negative energies created by a person for himself.
Sun is exalted at 10º Aries, a point that falls within this constellation. Sun represents the
soul-power which is the source of will, energy and motivation. It shows a seeking of the
Light and a capacity or drive to become that very Light.
Keywords for Ashwini: Fast, radiant, true, healing, youthful, delight in existence itself,
discriminative knowledge
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Bharani
The ruling deity of this constellation is Yam.
In the RigVedic period, Yam was
conceptualised as the Controller or the Supreme God. The word itself means "restraint".
Yam later came to be identified as the chief of the blessed death, residing in the remote
recess of the sky, his heaven being the highest, and higher than that of his father, the Sun.
He is said to have chosen death, abandoned his body and passed on to the highest realm,
thus forging a path for the mortals who die and guiding them to the astral world.
Bharani is ruled by Venus, the refined and beautiful planet. In the Hindu mythology, Venus
is a teacher and the only one who knows how to bring back the dead from death. In this, he
is considered superior even to Jupiter, the teacher of the gods, because Jupiter does not
know the secret of raising the dead.
Keywords for Bharani: creativity, restraint, austerity
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Krittika
The ruling deity of this constellation is Agni, the sacred fire, the messenger for the gods.
Agni is the priest who presides over the Yajna and carries the offerings to the realm of the
gods. Agni is the guest that resides in the homestead - just as a guest is treated to the tastiest
food that the householder can offer, so does Agni, the beacon that resides within the
physical body, needs to be constantly worshipped with offerings of spiritual sacrifice.
Created (or raised) by the seers, Agni showed them (the seers) the Light. He purifies
everything that he touches, motivates the sacrificer to greater heights and is the one that can,
figuratively, build a new body fit for bearing the knowledge of Immortality. Agni is the one
that transforms ordinary human beings into knowledge-holders.
The regal, splendrous Sun, representative of the Soul, rules Krittika. It is a body of infinite
light, illuminating other planets. It gives vitality and strength of character. It is the divine
being that resides within the hearts of all and hence represents the cosmic consciousness of
who we are.
Keywords for Krittika: burn, razor, sharp
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Rohini
The ruling deity of this constellation is Brahma, the Creator. He is the one who created this
world out of the Word and brought forth the Vedas, repositories of spiritual knowledge.
The ruling planet is Moon, a waxing and waning planet closely associated with emotions and
the mind. Once upon a time, the Moon, it is said, had 27 sisters as his wives - all of them
beautiful and accomplished, but Rohini was the most charming of them all and Moon loved
her more than the others.
This aroused the jealousy of the remaining 26 and they
complained to their father. The father-in-law warned Moon once, twice, thrice - Moon
promised to mend his ways but would every time lapse into his single-minded attachment to
Rohini. (Incidentally, Moon is exalted in this area of Taurus). This angered the father-inlaw, who cursed Moon with consumption. Moon started wasting away day by day and this
created chaos on Earth - the plants stopped growing, the waters stopped flowing and there
descended a despondency into the hearts and minds of all men. The father-in-law was
requested to lift his curse but a curse, once uttered, cannot be lifted, only modified. So, the
curse was modified and Moon was damned to waste for fifteen days before he could regain
himself bit by bit in the next fifteen days, only to start wasting away again.
This is, thus, the constellation that warns against excesses. Rohini bestows so much charm,
grace and beauty that it is very easy to fall prey to the path of laziness and take things easy.
It is the attraction that makes us slaves of material things in life and forget the real purpose
of our being. The challenge lies in realising that these are but as constant as the moon and
as full of mere reflective light.
Sri Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu (second in the Hindu triad) was born
with his Moon and Ascendant in Rohini. He personifies the charm of Rohini, coupled with
empathic perception and a balanced mind that produced the Bhagvat Gita (one of the most
sacred of Hindu Scriptures) to mankind. "For look", he declared to his pupil, "there never
was a Time when you were not there or I was not there. You are but a part of me, I am in
everything - the Sun, the Stars, the Mantras, the Wind, the Song and the Metre..........I am
Eternal."
Keywords for Rohini: creation, growth, sensuality
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Mrigashira
Mrigashira is a soft, gentle constellation, represented by the deer's head. The ruling deity of
this constellation is Som, the divine nectar. Som is often treated as nothing but a plant
whose leaves, when squeezed, yield a mildly intoxicating drink. But the Vedas themselves
proclaim "The ignorant think of Som as a creeper that is crushed to obtain a juice offered in
sacrifices. To the wise, Soma is something else again." The intoxication flowing from Som
helps the seeker delve deep into the hidden depths of the unconscious and find knowledge;
thus does Som systematically lead one towards the path of enlightenment. Som is repeatedly
invoked to help bolster power, slay ignorance, purify thoughts and lead one on the straight
path.
Mrigashira is ruled by Mars, the fast, sharp, powerful planet of fire and focussed energy. In
Hindu mythology, Mars is born of the Earth; hence, his energy requires physical
manifestation. Mars bestows daring and courage, valour, indomitable will and tremendous
powers of self-discipline. This, together with the knowledge-seeking quality of Som, has the
capability of bestowing great spiritual prowess.
Keywords for Mrigashira: fulfilment
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Ardra
The ruling deity of this constellation is Rudra, the third in the Hindu triad and the one who
destroys. He is as powerful as the storm and one who forcibly leads the creation upwards.
Thus, though rather awe-inspiring, he is essentially beneficient, and compassionate to the
distressed. He is invoked to release one, not from death, but from the bondage of mortality,
just as a ripened fruit gets loosened from the shell covering it - this Mantra, commonly called
the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra, is popularly recited as a Jaap for deflecting severe problems.
The ruling planet is Rahu, a shadow planet depicted as the head of the bodyless dragon.
Rahu is the ascending node of the moon, it bestows heightened astral sensitivity. On the
negative side, this takes the form of mental aberrations; on the positive, it gives the rare
ability to be perceptive to mass trends and in using them to one's advantage. A strong Rahu
thus often gives wordly power and success, but rarely does it give inner satisfaction. The key
lies in using the sensitivity to loosen the soul's attachment to the gross body and its material
pleasures.
The word Ardra literally means "moist" and is constellation is described as a soft, wet, green
one, shining like a gem. It denotes the knowledge gained after tears just like the fresh
luminosity of trees in the dappled sunlight after a storm.
Keywords for Ardra: death, dissolution, immortality
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Punarvasu
The ruling deity of this constellation is Aditi. Literally, the word means "unbound" or
"infinite". In the Vedas, Aditi is the personification of the Universal Nature and is the
mother of gods. She is often invoked for freedom from the bonds of physical suffering and
moral guilt and to grants abundance.
The ruling planet of this auspicious constellation is Jupiter, a planet associated with joi de
vivre, luck and expansion. It also rules knowledge. At the lower end of the spectrum, this
knowledge tends towards the dogmatic and ceremonial; at the higher end, it is the knowledge
of that divine spirit which establishes and upholds the laws of nature.
Sri Ramchandra, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu (the second of the Hindu Trinity)
is said to have been born when the Moon was in Punarvasu. His life and actions exemplify
his constant endeavour to subdue the evil, uphold the moral code, and establish a realm
where prosperity rules and goodness prevails.
Keywords for Punarvasu: intellectutal and spiritual wisdom, abundance, birth, creativity,
mother
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Pushya
The ruling deity of this constellation is Brihaspati, the teacher of the gods. First born from
the great light of the highest heavens, he rides the chariot of Rita which drives away
darkness and wins over the light. He is the lord of speech, eloquence and wisdom. He
presides over Mantra, endowing it with a power that releases the its concealed forces and
renders it potent. Just as a blacksmith beats a specific shape out of a lump of iron,
Brihaspati gives a specific form to every aspect of the body - speech (by manifesting the
Mantras), gross body (by removing afflictions), mind (by bestowing understanding) etc. On
the material level, Brihaspati is an opulent benevolent deity that gives wealth, increases
nourishment and generally prolongs life.
The word itself (Brihat) means "large" and
everything about Brihaspati is large.
Pushya is ruled by Saturn, a planet as far removed from opulence as, say, Mayflower from
chocolate. It is the only planet that can put some kind of a restraint on the largesse of
Brihaspati, the only planet that can bring in an element of discernment to knowledge, the
one that can round off theoretical learning (Brihaspati's forte) with the pain of existence and
experience. Saturn is a deeply spiritual planet - its darkness (Saturn, though Sun's son, is said
to be his antithesis) is said to precede the chariot of the dawning sun.
Jupiter is exalted in this constellation, at 5º Cancer. Jupiter is a large-hearted planet. This,
coupled with the wisdom of Saturn, bestows on this constellation a rare ability to establish
and to nurture. The root word of Pushya means "sustain". The expansion of Jupiter
together with the contraction of Saturn is what fashions the constancy of creationdestruction that is so essential to sustain life.
Keywords for Pushya: Preservation, spiritual energy. It is considered the most auspicious of
all constellations.
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Ashlesh
The ruling deity of this constellation is the Naag (serpent). In the texts, a serpent represents
unreleased knowledge covered by layers of darkness. It is the symbol of life force trapped in
greed, anger and destruction. The destruction of the serpent results in the release of waters,
symbolic of knowledge tempered with perception. At the lower levels, this serpent power
translates into ignorance, bigotry and the shiftiness of the fraudulent; if harnessed and
refined, it gives the penetrating spiritual wisdom of the mystic.
Mercury, the light, fast, adaptive and expressive planet closely associated with trade and
communication, rules Ashlesh.
Mercury governs the intellect and the faculty of
discrimination - in the lower levels, this discrimination is apparent in the ability to evaluate
the material value of things, possessions and other external trappings of daily life, at the
higher levels, it is the capability to discern the truth from falsehood, the pure from impure,
the reality from illusion. Mercury, being a mental planet associated with speech, bestows
oratory skills; if afflicted or weak, this may take the form of double-speak or craftiness.
Keywords for Ashlesh: deceptive, poison, separation, thoughtful, penetrating
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Glossary
Dharma: religion, humane or moral code back to text
Yajna: sacrifice, either material or spiritual. A spiritual Yajna is a journey towards the
Absolute back to text
Moksh: spiritual liberation. back to text
Mantra: prayer, potent word back to text
Kundalini: vital energy back to text
Jaap: continuous repetition of a Mantra with single-minded devotion back to text
Rita: order, proper scheme of things back to text
Further readings:

The Rig Ved Samhita. Numerous English translations are available. However many,
like the one by Griffith, tend to focus on the dictionary meaning of Sanskrit words
rather than their esoteric meanings.

The Yajur Ved Samhita. Any number of English translations available.

Vedic Mythology by A A Macdonnell. Gives a comprehensive account of all the
gods spoken of in the Vedas and related texts, but again, focuses on the literal
meaning. A classic, nevertheless.