Navagrahas, The Planetary deities

Navagrahas

                     

                            

The Navagrahas play an important role in Hindu religion. They are considered to be the Cosmic influences on the lives of every living being on Earth. And hence they are supposed to have a significant impact on the lives of every living being.

Hindus worship the Navagrahas for peace and harmony, for removal of obstacles and, for success in all their efforts.

The Navagrahas are found in every Temple.

 

From the book “Vedic Heritage Teaching Program” by Sunita and Sundar Ramaswamy
(Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg, PA, 1993), volume 2.

Introduction
Invoking the Lord in the form of planetary deities is one of the unique forms of
worshipping God seen in the Vedic culture. The planetary deities are perceived as
playing a significant role in the life of an individual. Jyoti¬am, one of the Ved¹ngas, includes astronomy and astrology. Jyoti¬am connects the life events of a human being to the orderly patterns of the movements of the planets in the earth’s solar system.

In addition, astrology is a predictive science based upon the positions of the various planets (a horoscope) cast at the time of one’s birth. While the horoscope indicates the life pattern destined at birth, the law of karma enables an individual, within the confines of his birth, to exercise free will through actions and to change destined events. These actions include prayers known as santi.

Santis are specific prayers offered to God who is invoked in the form of various planetary deities called grahas. Jyoti¬am recognizes nine planets, nava grahas, that are associatedwith various life experiences. These planetary deities also preside over the twelve signs of the zodiac in the following order: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

Navagraha Devat's

Surya devata - The Sun God
Because the sun's essential nature is light, it is called the ¹tmak¹raka or the presiding deity of the atma. The sun governs a person's confidence, authority, and status. The sun is also the presiding deity of the eyes and rules the sign Leo. The Vishnu Purana (2.8.15) states that the sun does not move; nor does it rise or set. Rising and setting imply appearance and disappearance.

Candra devata - The Moon God
The moon is the presiding deity of the mind and emotions. This devata is depicted with crescent moon/ holding lotus buds in his hands. He rules the sign of Cancer.

Kuja devata - The Mars God
The deity Kuja is also known as Mangala or Ang¹raka. In the Puranas he is also described as Karttikeya, the son of Lord ˜iva and Goddess Uma. He is depicted as wearing red clothes and carrying a spear. He governs the qualities of courage and bravery, and presides over siblings and health. He rules Aries and Scorpio.

Budha devata - The Mercury God
Budha is the deity who presides over intelligence. He governs a person's teaching
capacities. He is depicted as holding the Vedas in one hand and a sword, a mace, and a shield in his other hands. He rules Gemini and Virgo.

Guru devata - The Jupiter God
Guru is the presiding deity of religious inclinations and prosperity. He is also the
presiding deity of married life for women. He is described in the Puranas as BÅhaspati, the preceptor of the devatas. He is often depicted in a standing posture with four hands, in one of which he holds a weapon called the vajra-¹yudha. He rules Sagittarius and Pisces.

Sukra devata - The Venus God
sukra is the presiding deity of material comforts, arts, culture, and aesthetics. He is also the presiding deity of love and married life for men. In the Puranas he is depicted as being the preceptor of King Bali. Sukra is depicted as standing with his hands folded. He is the ruler of Taurus and Libra.

Sani devata - The Saturn God
Sani is the presiding deity of longevity, calamities, and difficulties in life, and, at the same time, of renunciation and spiritual wisdom. He presides over painful experiences and inner growth. In the Pur¹ªas, he is considered the son of the Sun God. He is depicted with a dark complexion, bearing a mace, and moving at a slow pace. He has a crow as his vehicle. His eyes are generally blindfolded because of the belief that his glance is very powerful and may bring misfortune. He rules Capricorn and Aquarius.

Rahu and Ketu devatas - The R¹hu God and the Ketu God
Rahu is the presiding deity of worldly desires and Ketu is the presiding deity of moksha, or freedom from limitations. Astronomically, they are not planets but the northern and southern nodal points of the moon. They are closely connected to each other astrologically. Mythologically, they are born of a rakasa (demon). The upper half of Rahu's body is similar to a man, while the lower half is like a snake. Conversely, the upper half of Ketu's body is similar to the head of a snake, while the lower half is like a man. They do not rule any signs but give the effects of the ruler of the signs where they are situated.

In many Indian temples, there is an altar dedicated to the nine planetary devatas. They are placed in the following manner, facing specific directions as pointed by the arrows:

OM TAT SAT

Rahul Saraswat

http://www.enlightenthroughstars.com

  
LORD SHRI JAGANNATH TEMPLE

 

                Obeisance to Shri Purusottama
                                              day after day
                                 Who is the crest jewel of the Blue Hill.
                                         the Lord of the Universe,
                                           the Enemy of Demons,
                                         the Ocean of Compassion.
                              Who is lovely like the deep blue rain cloud,
                         Who holds the disc and the lotus in his two hands ,
                              Whose visage is embellished by the full-moon
                                        Whose eyes are like blue lotus
                                       indulgently glancing at Lakshmi             
                                                                        
 JAGANNATH- DHARMA :  THE SUMMUM BONUM

Jagannath- Dharma is a compendium of, probably, all existing and possible facets of spirituality. Its autochthonous richness combines and absorbs within its fold all cross-cultural spiritual philosophies, and, at times, transcends these. So, "cult" is misnomer and "religion", of too narrow dimension to connote it. "Jagannath- Dharma" is the appropriate way to name this eternal (sanatana) concept of spirituality. It is not merely intellectual conformity or ceremonial piety. It is not an amalgam, but a spiritual synthesis. It is expansive and constrictive, pluralistic and sectarian. Its lesson is that religion must be construed not in terms of any particular belief but simply as a way of lacking at the world of human - experience as a whole.

Jagannath was called "Purusottama" since his origin at Puri or Purusottam - Kshetra (the abode of Purusottam) since pre-historic times. The Rig Veda refers to him as the Daru (sacred log of wood) of Purusottama, afloat on the eastern sea. The name "Jagannath" (Lord of the Universe) is invariably a collective representation of the Triad (Jagannath - Balabhadra - Subhadra) and has been in use since the dawn of the last millenium.

Jagannath - Dharma believes in the Rig Vedic concept of the Supreme Truth. The Triad, conceived as one, represents the three attributes of creation, maintenance and destruction. The use of "OM" in the worship is a reflection of the Vedic strain. Sudarshana, the Jyoti Brahma, represents the formless and along with the Triad is conceived as one. The Supreme is formless and with form, He is with qualities and beyond qualities. The Supreme is shown as transcending contradiction in his infinite perfection.

He has multiform manifestations. He is Siva or Bhairava and goddess Vimala is Bhairavi. Saivism and Saktism are fused in him. The use of "Klim" mantra in worship gives him a tantric image.

The Triad is deified by the Jainas as manifestation of the Jaina "Tri-ratna" (three gems of Jainism) representing right knowledge, right thought and right perception.

Jagannath is identified with Buddha. His iconographics representation without hands and feet is approximating to the meditating Buddha. The Triad is depicted as Buddha, Dharma and Sangha - the three gems of Buddhism, some Buddhists even find discernible affinity of the car-festival with Buddhist festivals. The Tooth-relic of Buddha is supposedly inside the images of the triad and is known as "Brahma-Padartha" (Divine-Matter).

Christian authors like Sylvan Levy and sources like the Aquarian Gospel have established that Puri was visited by a Christian Apostle during the times of Jesus Christ. The Christian concepts of love, compassion, charity and fellow-feeling are almost exact reproductions of the value- endowed Vedic paradigms of humanistic tradition that PurusottamaKshetra signified in those remote times.

Initial animosity and ignorance of the Muslims had seen many attempts at desecration of the Jagannath Temple during early period of Muslim rule. A gradual moderation in the fastidious Muslim outlook brought them to reconcile with Jagannath Dharma. Even the Muslim broke through Islamic Thackles to visit the Temple and eat the Mahaprasad (food-offerings to the Triad) with the Hindus jointly. The Mahaprasad brotherhood continued long and this tradition transcends inter - religious barriers. visitors like Amir Ali, writers like Niamatullah, Ahmad Razi, Asgar Ali, Malik Mohammad Jaisi and poets like Osman of Gazipur attest to it. Salabega, a Muslim of Orissa, consecrated his life to devotion of the triad and his mystic yearnings and pleas before Jagannath still reverberate. His tomb on the path of the Car-festival bears testimony to it.

Interestingly, tradition has it that Kabir visited Puri and was enamoured of the Triad. A monastery was set up by him at Puri which still goes by the name of Kabir- Chaura, Till now, Hindus and Muslims visiting Puri have to go there first and jointly eat food and drink (Torani) there. The inter- religious fusion is more than just a tradition. The human race cannot be vitiated by religious distinctions in the larger contexts of spiritualism is the supreme message. It is unique, and is not to be found elsewhere.

Similar is the tradition of "Guru Ka Langar" at Bauli and Mangu monasteries set up to commemorate Nanak's visit to Puri. A universal mode of spirituality and religious tradition irrespective of time, clime and country, being craved for by Nanak, was at last found by jim in the Jagannath Dharma during his visit to Puri. This tradition of the founder of Sikhism was so rich that devout sikhs continue to adore the Triad. Even Maharaj Ranjit Singh wanted to present the Koh-i-noor diamond to Lord Jagannath.

Adi Sankaracharya visited Puri and set up his monastery (Govardhan Math) at Puri under his disciple Padma padacarya. Sankara stood for the philosophy of Advaita (non-duality). For redemption of soul, one must learn the Vedas and cap it by personal mystic experience through Laya (complete absorption) in Brahman. This is the path of mystic trance (samadhi) for the Jivanmukta. The other path is vyutthana or reversion to common life when the spectacle of the world returns but does not delude him since he has already realized its metaphysical falsity. At Puri, Sankara found in the Jagannath Dharma a magnificent blend of both. He understood that divinity should not be held apart from humanity. The crest of Bhagavatism which Sankara was riding then converged with the Jagannath Dharma which he realized as the summum Boonum of every spiritual and metaphysical pattern. The head (Mahant) of the Govardhan Math at Puri is a house-holder, unlike the other three set up by Adi Sankara. The tradition still continues.

Tradition of pilgrimage brought other savants to Puri, The Jerusalem of Hinduism' Vaisnavism was championed by Narahari Tirtha at Puri till the visit of Ramanuja, the 4 saint of vishistadvaita philosophy. He preached the gospel of self surrender, got royal approval to start the "Pancaratra" mode of worship, introduced goddess Lakshmi and the offering of cooked rice, and put a premium on chanting of the holy name. He found in Jagannath- Dharma a harmonious combination of absolutism with personal theism along the Vedantic line of "Prasthanatraya". The Emar Math and the tital mark on the temple bear his testimony.

Nimbarka the vaishnavite saint of south India visited to introduce the concept of Radha and Krushna. The saint poet of Orissa, Jayadeva was to take it up through his monumental work "Geetagovinda". The "Devadasi" (virgin consecrated to God) was introduced. Yet, not until Chaitanya would such a concept gain ground. Vishnuswami of South India was another illustrious savant. Madhvacharya introduced "Rama" cult in Puri.

Keeping with the rich spiritual tradition, King Kapilendra Deva proclaimed Jagannath as the "King" and himself as His first servitor. The "Chhera Panhara" tradition is its supreme manifestation. The resurgent Brahminical tradition was kept in effective check and the synthesis of tribal- Aryan tradition since the legendary king Indradhumna was kept alive as a tradition of caste-less, spiritually egalitarian society. The role of the Sudras as an integral part of the categories of temple servitors blends well with Caste - less Mahaprasadbrotherhood till today.

Ramananda, the mentor of Chaitanya, believed in devotion but Chaitanya apotheosized it through ecstatic trance. Ganapati Bhatta saw Ganesha and Tulsidas saw Rama in the Triad.

Indeed the Triad represents the supreme divine consciousness, epitomsing Sat, Chit, and Anand. Such a powerful conception of synthesis and regenesis is unique in the entire world.
  
Om Tat Sat

RahulSaraswat
www.enlightenthroughstars.com