Astronomical Significance of आर्द्रा (ārdrā)
Astrologically
speaking, आर्द्रा नक्षत्र (ārdrā nakṣatra) belonging to the मिथुन राशि (mithuna rāśi – Gemini sign), corresponds to the Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis
- α Ori)
is the 9th
brightest star in the night sky. Interestingly, it is part of the sacred Orion Belt constellation. Technically this Orion Belt constitutes two major
constellations viz. the triple stars of the मार्गशीर्ष (mārgaśīrṣa - orion) & आर्द्रा (ārdrā - betelgeuse). The former is symbolized as the धनु (dhanu - bow) used by latter, symbolized as the मार्गिक (mārgika
– hunter). Both are spiritually very significant
constellations. In fact, Orion Belt is astronomically
located on the विषुवद्वृत्त/नाडिवृत्त (viṣuvadvṛtta /
nāḍivṛtta -celestial equator) which is an imaginary
line horizontally cutting through the ब्रह्माण्ड (brahmāṇḍa -
celestial sphere)
into two equal halves viz. northern & southern hemispheres, similar to the भुरेख (bhurekha - terrestrial equator). The क्रान्तिवृत्त (krāntivṛtta – ecliptic) touches the eastern and
western halves on the विषुवद्वृत्त/नाडिवृत्त (viṣuvadvṛtta
/ nāḍivṛtta - celestial equator) at
the उधय लग्न (udhaya lagna - ascendant) & मध्य लग्न (madhya lagna- meridian
cusp) respectively.
The अयन
(ayana - solstice) are two the points on the ecliptic plane
intersecting the circumference of the celestial sphere called उदगयन / उतररायन (udagayana / utararāyana – northern declination / Summer Solstice) in June when the सूर्य (sūrya - sun)
is over the Tropic of Cancer, where the tilt of भुवन (bhuvana - earth)s
access is closest to the सूर्य (sūrya - sun)
and दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana - souther declination / Winter Solstice) when the tilt is farthest from the Sun, which
would be above the Tropic of Capricorn sometime in December. Etymologically speaking,
the word solstice is derived from the
Latin words sol meaning Sun and sister that means ‘to stand still’.
Interestingly, the Orion belt has deep occult
astro-spiritual significance across many religious cultures even cutting across
ancient global civilizations viz. Chinese, Indian, Greek, Roman, Egyptian,
Zoroastrian etc. For example, Holy Christmas, celebrated as the birth date of
Jesus Christ on December 25th every year is related to the three
stars in the Orion’s Belt during the दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana - souther declination / Winter Solstice). It is widely believed that these three stars guided the
three Royal Magi astrologers (also called as the three kings or wise men who
brought the three treasures) who came from east searching for Lord Jesus Christ
to Bethlehem. Tracing the Orion Belt, they were able to
discover Sirius, the Christmas star,
esoterically related to Christmas.
Again, according esoteric astrology, Sirius along with आर्द्रा
नक्षत्र (ārdrā nakṣatra - Betelgeuse star) & Procyon form the sacred Winter Triangle which symbolizes the Holy Trinity. Similarly, in Egyptian mythology Orion Belt is closely related to their God Horus, who is also said to be born around
December 25th. His birth again was traced by three Kings who were
guided by the Orion Belt.
Again, another myth, Orion is also related to Egyptian God Osiris, the primordial father of rebirth and afterlife. Moreover,
according to Giza-Orion correlation theory proposed by
many subject matter experts, there is a close mathematical correlation between
the 3 famous Egyptian pyramids at Giza and alignment of the three
stars in the Orion Belt. Moreover, in ancient Greek
mythology, Gods like Attis & Dionysus,
and in Persian (Zoroastrian) mythology Mithra also have a similar legend
associated with Orion Belt
And finally talking
about Ancient Hindu Vedic mythology, the मार्गशीर्ष (mārgaśīrṣa - Orion) belt is closely
related with प्रजापति / ब्रह्म (prajāpati/brahma) while आर्द्रा (ārdrā -
Betelgeuse) is associated with Lord रुद्र शिव (rudra śiva). We have already seen (earlier post) that
according to Hinduism the spiritual significance of the மார்கழி / मार्गशिर (maargazhi
/ mārgaśira - mid nov
to mid dec) month in my earlier post
(refer link below)
तेषं वयं रुद्रं यज्ञसाधं वङ्कुं। कविमवसे नि
ह्नयामहे।
आरे अस्मद् द्वैयं हेळो अस्यतु। सुमतिमिद् बयम्स्या वृणीमहे
(
teṣaṁ vayaṁ rudraṁ yajñasādhaṁ vaṅkuṁ| kavimavase
ni hnayāmahe|
āre asmad
dvaiyaṁ heḻo asyatu| sumatimid bayamsyā vṛṇīmahe|
The
Luminous Rudra who performs yagna (kills) the crooked.
Him
we incessantly we invoke for protection
He
throws far away those who show anger (or disregard) for the Gods.
We pray for his grace.
)
ऋग् वेद मन् (ṛg veda
mantra) (1.114.4)
In fact, according to शिव महा पुराण (śiva mahā purāṇa) it was on this day of திருவாதிரை நட்சத்திரம் / आरुद्र नक्षत्र (thiruvaathirai natchaththiram / ārudra nakṣatra - Betelgeuse asterism)
during the month of மார்கழி / मार्गशिर (maargazhi
/ mārgaśira - mid nov to mid dec), परब्रह्म (parabrahma – supreme divinity) theologized here as Lord रुद्र शिव (rudra śiva) manifested Himself as the cosmic स्वयंभु अग्नि लिङ्ग (svayaṁbhu agni liṅga – natural fire pillar) in order to resolve the ego conflicts between
the सगुण ब्रह्म देवत (saguṇa brahma devata) viz. ब्रह्म (brahma) & विष्णू (viṣṇū) and re-establish the transcendence and omnipotence of the
Absolute.
Thus, this day மார்கழி ஆருத்திரா நட்சத்திரம் (maargazhi
aarudra natchathiram) is considered the birth star of
रुद्र शिव (rudra śiva) and hence, as the name ஆருத்ரா தரிசனம் (aarudhraa dharisanam) indicates, this event is
closely associated with the former i.e. रुद्र शिव (rudra śiva) and is considered a very sacred
event, as testified in the following verse from शिव महा पुराण (śiva mahā purāṇa)
यत्पुनः स्तम्भरूपेण स्वाविरासमहं पुरा।
स कालो मार्गशीर्ष तु स्यादाद्रतृशर्म्भकौ॥
आद्रार्यां मार्गशीर्षे तु यः पश्येन्मामुमासखम्।
मद्वेरमपि वा लिङ्गं स गृहादपि मे पित्रयः॥
अलं दर्शनमात्रेण फलं तस्मिन्दिने शुभे।
अभ्यर्चनं चेदधिकं फलं वाचामगोचरम्॥
(
yatpunaḥ stambharūpeṇa svāvirāsamahaṁ purā|
sa kālo mārgaśīrṣa tu syādādratṛśarmbhakau||
ādrāryāṁ mārgaśīrṣe tu yaḥ paśyenmāmumāsakham|
madveramapi vā liṅgaṁ sa gṛhādapi me pitrayaḥ||
alaṁ darśanamātreṇa phalaṁ tasmindine śubhe|
abhyarcanaṁ cedadhikaṁ phalaṁ vācāmagocaram||
O boys,
I had earlier appeared in the form of a pillair,, it was in the month of mārgaśīrṣa, and the constellation
was ādrā.
In the
month of Mārgaśīrṣa,
during ādrā., whosoever has an audience with me (Umapathi) or the one who
adores my image or Shiva-linga , he becomes dearer to me than Karthikeya even
On that auspicious day one achieves sufficient
of merit even by looking at me, but in case Lord Shiva is appropriately
worshipped during that day then the reward for the same is beyond the
description from the epeech.
Translation
byShanti Lal Nagar
) शिव महा पुराण (śiva mahā purāṇa)
(2.9.15-17)
Astrologically
रुद्र शिव (rudra śiva) is
the अधिकार देवत (adhikāra
devata – presiding deity) associated with आरुद्र नक्षत्र (ārudra nakṣatra - Betelgeuse asterism). Etymologically, रुद्र (rudra) is
associated with “redness’ and interestingly ,even
according to modern astronomy the Betelgeuse star is considered to be a massive RED-SUPERGIANT star
Moreover,
according to NASA’s observations this supergiant star is likely on its way of a
spectacular supernova explosion. Incidentally, according to Hindu theology, रुद्र (rudra) is the संहार देवत (saṁhāra
devata – god of destruction/dissolution). In fact, श्री सायनाचार्य (śrī
sāyanācārya) in his famous भाष्य (bhāṣya
- commentary) on ऋग् वेद मन् (ṛg veda
mantra) (1.114)
रुत् संसारख्यम् दुःखम् तद् द्रावयति
अपागमयति विनाश्यति इति रुद्रः।
(
rut saṁsārakhyam duḥkham tad
drāvayati
apāgamayati
vināśyati iti rudraḥ|
'rut'
means the suffering called the world.
He
drives away ('drdvayati'), removes, destroys that:
therefore he is named Rudra;
) ऋग्
वेद सायन भाष्य (ṛg
veda sāyana bhāṣya) (1.114)
But of
course, संहार (saṁhāra – destruction) is only one among the ஐம்பெருந்தொழில் /
पञ्चमहा कृत्य (aimperunthozhil / pañcamahā kṛtya – five-fold cosmic
act) of रुद्र शिव (rudra śiva) who is none other than the परमेश्वर (parameśvara). Again, to quote श्वेताश्वतर उपनिषद् (śvetāśvatara
upaniṣad)
य एको जालवानौशत ईशनीभिः सर्वाल्लोकानीशत इशनीभिः।
य एवैक उद्भवे सम्बवे च य एतद् विद्रुरमृतास्ते
भवन्ति॥
एको हि रुद्रो न द्वितीयाय तस्थुर्य इमौल्लिकानीशत
ईशानीभिः।
प्रत्यङ् ज्नांस्त्ष्टाति सञ्चान्त काले संसृजय विश्वा भुवनानि
गोपाः॥
(
ya eko
jālavānauśata īśanībhiḥ sarvāllokānīśata iśanībhiḥ|
ya evaika
udbhave sambave ca ya etad vidruramṛtāste bhavanti||
eko hi
rudro na dvitīyāya tasthurya imaulliokānīśata īśānībhiḥ|
pratyaṅ
jnāṁstṣṭāti sañcānta kale saṁsṛjaya viśvā bhuvanāni gopāḥ||
The
non-dual One, who being the possessor of the Net (Maya), rules through His
(divine) powers, rules over all the worlds through His powers of rulership, who
is verily alone when in association with the divine powers and when manifested,
- those who know this become immortal
-translation by Swami Gambhirananda
) श्वेताश्वतर उपनिषद् (śvetāśvatara upaniṣad)
Moreover, at the same time, रुद्र शिव (rudra śiva) is also the परम शिव (parama
śiva – most benevolent) God as அன்பே சிவம் (anbE sivam – Siva is Love) and is the most blissful deity, as reiterated in the श्वेताश्वतर उपनिषद् (śvetāśvatara upaniṣad)
य ते रुद्र तनुरधोराऽपापकाशिनी।
तया नस्तनुवा शन्तमया गिरिशन्ताभिचाकाशीहि॥
(
ya te rudra tanuradhorā'pāpakāśinī|
tayā nastanuvā
śantamayā giriśantābhicākāśīhi||
O Rudra, through that holy form which
You have which is not terrifying, and which reveals virtue, through that most
joyous form of Yours, O Girishanta, please look at us.
-translation by Swami Gambhirananda
) श्वेताश्वतर उपनिषद् (śvetāśvatara upaniṣad)
Thus, the seemingly
contradictory aspects of रुद्र (rudra - ferocious) & शिव (śiva - bliss) are essentially the two sides (poles) of the same Divinity रुद्र शिव (rudra śiva – ferocious
bliss).
Again, from an astrological point of view, even the etymological
meaning of the आर्द्रा नक्षत्र (ārdrā nakṣatra) is derived from the root आर्द्र (ārdra – green/moist/soft). However, ironically its अधिकार
देवत (adhikāra devata – presiding deity) is Lord श्री रुद्र देव (śrī rudra deva) and as already mentioned, the name means “रुद्र (rudra – ferocious / red)”.
Continued....
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