How to co-relate the Nakshatras to the planets in an individual?s Horoscope
The
sky is considered as a stage and the planets are said to be the players
on the stage. The screen behind the players represents the backdrop of
the sky, which keeps on changing with every new act in the play. The
Nakshatras form the designs on this screen. The situation is similar to a
singer singing on the stage while projections on the screen behind him
can be changed with different colours or scenes, which the director of
the program decides. When we talk of the Moon in an individual?s birth
chart, the rising asterism nearest to the degrees of Moon at the time of
one?s birth in the backdrop of the sky, will be considered as ‘Janma
Nakshatra’, or the Asterism in which ones Moon is placed.
How they help us
The
Nakshatras form a major ‘anga’ or a major element of the Hindu
Panchanga. They are used while choosing a Muhurtha in Electional
Astrology.
They guide us to the first letter of an infant?s name at
the time of ‘Naamkaran’ or naming ceremony of an infant. The Nakshatras
also guide us during matchmaking. They are help us find how each planet
in the horoscope will function. This forms the study of another domain
of astrology known as ‘Nakshatra Paddhaty’.
Janma Nakshatra
The
Moon placed in a particular Nakshatra decides the mental bearings of
the Native they would be, and if they are not in required levels, then
the remedial measures of the Moons Nakshatra Lord Owner have to be
undertaken for pacifying and strengthening the Moon so as to decrease
the malefic effects and bring an increase in the benefic one.
In
Astrology, there are umpteen uses of the Nakshatras for gauging
celestial influences on human lives. This can produce many hard
paperback volumes if one decides to write a thesis on it.
108 Beads of the Japa Mala
Those
who are aware of the Hindu rosary or the ‘Japa Mala’ for counting of
Mantras must be aware that there are 108 beads in the mala, and it has a
staunch reason behind it.
A circular pizza may be compared to the
sky. Cutting a pizza into 27 equal parts would cover a span of 360
degrees correspondingly in the sky which we address as the zodiac. Each
Nakshatra too would thus measure an arc of 13.20 degrees in the Zodiac.
The
ancient Indian astrologers have always preferred precision in their
studies. They have further subdivided this arc of 13.20 degrees into
four parts of 3.20 degrees each known as ‘Padas’. So we now have 27 x 4 =
108 Padas. This is the reason for 108 beads in the ‘Japa Mala’. It is a
belief that when a person recites one full mala of 108 mantras, he asks
for forgiveness and also requests for blessings from each part of the
zodiac which influence every small and big affair of human existence. In
short, asking for grace from the Omnipresent, Omniscient and the
Omnipotent Lord under whose domain the whole zodiac is contained. In
same way, in the scriptures, the Nakshatras too are considered to be
divine beings, worthy of being worshipped through the Lords of these
Nakshatras who are the Navgrahas or the nine planets in Hindu Astrology.
In
other words, we have 27 Nakshatras with four charans each. Multiply 27 x
4 and you get 108. So when you take 108 names of the Lord, you are
practising remedial measures for every planet in your chart, because all
the Lords of these charans are nothing but manifestations of the
Supreme itself. 108 Padas mean all the degrees of the Zodiac covered. By
taking 108 names of the Lord, you have paid obeisance to all the
portions of this Universe.
The Zodiac in Astrology consists of the following:
1.
The Zodiac of 360 degrees divided into 12 parts each of 30 degrees are
named as the Zodiac signs in the order- Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer,
Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces
owned by the 7 + 2 = 9 planets, where the seven planets comprise of the
Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn while the other two
are shadowy planets (Invisible) called as Rahu, Ketu or the Dragon’s
Head and the Dragon’s Tail respectively in western astrology. They are
the Northern and Southern nodes of the Moon.
2. Further, the
divisions are followed by the 27 Nakshatras each measuring 13.20 degrees
arc of the Zodiac. This is then followed by 108 Charans or Padas as
explained above.
Below given are the names of the 27 Nakshatras
and a list of their other attributes. Kindly note that the list is not
exhaustive.
Nakshatra
|
Lord
|
Yoni
|
Guna
|
Presiding
Diety
|
1.
Ashwini.
|
Ketu
|
Horse
|
Deva
|
Ashwini
Kumar
|
2.
Bhairini
|
Venus
|
Elephant
|
Manushya
|
Yama
|
3.
Krittika.
|
Sun
|
Goat
|
Rakshasa
|
Agni
|
4.
Rohini.
|
Moon
|
Serpent
|
Manushya
|
Brahma
|
5.
Mrigasira.
|
Mars
|
Serpent
|
Deva
|
Soma
|
6. Ardra
|
Rahu
|
Dog
|
Manushya
|
Rudra
|
7.
P.Vasu.
|
Jupiter
|
Cat
|
Deva
|
Aditi
|
8. Pushya
|
Saturn
|
Goat
|
Deva
|
Brihaspati
|
9.
Aslesha.
|
Mercury
|
Cat
|
Rakshasa
|
Ahi
|
10.
Magha.
|
Ketu
|
Rat
|
Rakshasa
|
Pitragana
|
11.
P.Phalguni.
|
Venus
|
Rat
|
Manushya
|
Bhagya
|
12. U.
halguni.
|
Sun
|
Cow
|
Manushya
|
Surya
|
13.
Hasta.
|
Moon
|
Buffalo
|
Deva
|
Savita
|
14.
Chitra.
|
Mars
|
Tiger
|
Rakshasa
|
Vishwakarma
|
15.
Swati.
|
Rahu
|
Buffalo
|
Deva
|
Pawan
|
16.
Visakha.
|
Jupiter
|
Tiger
|
Rakshasa
|
Satragni
|
17.
Anuradha.
|
Saturn
|
Deer
|
Deva
|
Mitra
|
18.
Jyestha.
|
Mercury
|
Deer
|
Rakshasa
|
Indra
|
19.
Moola.
|
Ketu
|
Dog
|
Rakshasa
|
Nirriti
|
20.
P.asadha.
|
Venus
|
Monkey
|
Manushya
|
Toya
|
21.
U.asadha.
|
Sun
|
Mongoose
|
Manushya
|
Vishwadeva
|
22.
Shravana.
|
Moon
|
Monkey
|
Deva
|
Hari
|
23.
Dhanista.
|
Mars
|
Lion
|
Rakshasa
|
Vasu
|
24.
Satabisa.
|
Rahu
|
Horse
|
Rakshasa
|
Varuna
|
25.
P.Bhadra.
|
Jupiter
|
Lion
|
Manushya
|
Ajapada
|
26.
U.Bhadra.
|
Saturn
|
Cow
|
Manushya
|
Abhibadhnu
|
27.
Revati
|
Mercury
|
Elephant
|
Deva
|
Pushan
|
Note that the above list has to be applied with caution while
delineating results and not clinging strictly to the literal dictionary
meanings of the words mentioned above. For instance, a person who is
born in a Nakshatra whose symbolic representation is a tiger, it has got
certain denotations which only an expert astrologer would be able to
guide on and one must not stick to the literal translated meaning of
these. For example, in matchmaking the Yonis representation will guide
the astrologer as to how well the partners are compatible. Same goes
with the Gana ‘Rakshasa’. For instance, in matchmaking again the
astrologer would see whether the Ganas match or not between the partners
and whether the prospective bride and bridegroom have each ‘Rakshasa’
and ‘Dev Gana’ then the matchmaker may deny the match because a God and a
Demon cannot marry or live happily. Of course, this would be subject to
other conditions too.