Purva Bhadrapada : [20°0’ Aquarius – 3°20’ Pisces]

CONSTITUENTS OF THE NAKSHATRA

The twenty fifth nakshatra of the zodiac is known as Purva Bhadrapada which extends from 320°0’ to 333°20’ of the zodiac and consists of two stars. The nakshatra is associated with cosmic stability and imparts fearlessness. The first three quarters of the asterism fall within Aquarius sign ruled by Saturn which extends from 20°0’ to 30°0’ in Aquarius sign and the last quarter lies in Pisces sign ruled by Jupiter. The nakshatra itself is ruled by Jupiter. Its primary and secondary attributes are sattva, harmony while at tertiary level it is rajas, activities. The presiding deity of the asterism is Aja Ekapada, the one-footed goat. The astrological symbol of asterism is a sword. The primary motivational impulse of the asterism is arth or goal directed.

NAKSHATRA & ITS SHAPE

A lot of significance has been attached to the presiding deity of the asterism which is Aja Ekapada, the one-footed goat in the formation of cosmos. According to Vedic literature, deity Aja Ekapada denotes the unborn, transcendent cosmic energy. The goat is a docile, domesticated animal which gives milk and takes almost nothing for its own sustenance. However the role of Vedic deity is tremendous, he is infinite, an entity without motion and speech. Aja Ekapada is the unborn and worshiped as a form of Shiva and a transport vehicle of Agni, the god of fire.

According to Atharva Veda, Aja Ekapada is deeply connected with Rohit, another deity associated with cosmic evolution. The main job of Rohit was to produce heaven and earth where the thread of the sacrifice is extended. In this scheme of things Rohit was created and Aja Ekapada established himself as the Sun and made the heaven and earth firm with his strength. Aja Ekapada functions as the Sun which provides life and light and becomes a source which provides existence to the entire creation. In this scheme of things the role of Aja Ekapada is to cement this essence of manifestation. As a transport of Agni, fire which energizes all life forms Aja Ekapada takes the abstract image of Rohit, differentiates it, and then provides warmth and nourishment so that it can succeed in completing its journey.

Aja Ekapada, one of the early Vedic deities denotes the stage in cosmic evolution where fire has not taken an active role in creation, though the area of creation has been well-defined. The fire is still on the vehicle and has not been established as energy by itself. It is infinite and within it neither motion nor speech exists. The subject or objective attributes has not taken birth as yet. Manifestation cannot operate unless and until the polarization takes place and only then interplay of different forces start operating. Primarily Aja Ekapada is like a Sun which provides life and light to every form of creation but takes nothing itself. The same way the Lord Shiva in his cosmic dance arouses each and every cell and energizes the whole universe but within himself he is completely still and no activity is operating at any level.

NAKSHATRA TRAITS & PERSONALITY

Your Strengths: The Purva Bhadrapada – Jupiter – Saturn combination is connected with cosmic solidarity and teaches the person fearlessness. You are blessed with creative intelligence and it reflects in your nature early in life. There is an unchannelled latent creative force which starts creating an entirely different persona out of you. There is an ever-changing process of impulses which manifests but remains abstract for quite sometime. There is a live force within that is eager to start its journey to reach the ultimate as soon as possible. Once you gain momentum in your mission, you are unstoppable till you achieve your objectives. In your sojourn, you do not want to break the rhythm. You want to make it a continuum process.

The Purva Bhadrapada – Jupiter – Jupiter makes you extremely passionate, spontaneous and idealistic. You are shy and undemonstrative in the beginning but gradually come to terms with life. You are focused and committed and make sure that whatever task you have is not left undone. Your primary motivation is materialism as you firmly believe that worldly comforts are essential to do something meaningful in this life. You are future oriented and make the best use of the present. You are humane and want to work for the upliftment of humanity. You are non-interfering in others’ life and also make sure that nobody intrudes in your personal affairs. You are confident and follow your own ideology which is different from others. You believe in karma (efforts) and leave no stone unturned to achieve your target.

Success does not come easily and you have a share of failures in the beginning. Every failure fills you with a new resolve and you make sure that the same is not repeated. It takes quite long for you to understand your rare potential and once you have attuned yourself with the cosmic energy, you are unstoppable. You are quite a rebel and this helps you become a pathfinder for others. Your personality could be symbolized with a double-edged sword. When it is directed outwards, it can remove all sorts of obstacles which come in life. If it is the other way, it can be harmful. The real job of the sword is to ignite courage, provide perfect vision and help to unite all the disintegrated forces into a single unit. There is an inner urge in you to work with a missionary zeal to achieve your targets.

There is a desire to stand on your own, without any support and at times, it gives an impression of being eccentric and revolutionary. Perhaps you want to keep your originality intact which is why you do not heed the advice of others and adopt an attitude of ‘couldn’t care less’. There is a belief in you that you are already ahead and are fully capable of managing your show. The basis of this confidence is tat you feel strongly connected with the universal force giving you the needed energy to achieve your goals without any interference. The complete self-reliance of the inner and outer force energy synchronizes so beautifully that every dimension looks easy and possible. The motivational force is so strong that it makes you believe that nothing will come in your way once you are focused. This attitude enables you to transform life in this birth itself.

Your Drawbacks: The negative side of your personality is that you are temperamental, restless and anxious. Your eccentric behaviour and acidic tongue can leave people aghast. Sometimes you could be too self-opinionated and over-idealistic in your principles. You can be very nervous and fearful if confronted by adverse situations. You need to work on your wavering and unstable mind.

Sometimes you become too individualistic and follow the path of materialism which could be termed fanatic and anti-social. If greed sets in you can fall from the path of grace. You need to curb anger, aggression and being over-passionate about things of little consequence. Being too secretive, shrewd or irresponsible can cause a lot of pain and anxiety to you. Be wary of addiction and overindulgence in sex.

Rohini : [10°0’ – 23°20’ Taurus]

CONSTITUENTS OF THE NAKSHATRA

Rohini is the fourth constellation of the zodiac which extends 40°0’ to 53°20’ of the zodiac. The entire asterism resides on Taurus, the Bull. Five stars of the constellation make Rohini most beautiful in the sky, including the bright red giant Aldebaran Alpha Taurus. Rohini is ruled by Moon whereas the sign Taurus is governed by Venus which represents the creativity of the entire cosmos. The symbol of this nakshatra is a chariot that transports royalty from one destination to another. The primary motivation of Rohini is moksha i.e., liberation. Its basic attribute is rajas, tamas at secondary and rajas at the tertiary level. The presiding deity of the constellation is Brahma or Prajapati, the creator of the universe who works on a cosmic design given to him by superior gods.

NAKSHATRA & ITS SHAPE

We may find many reference points of Rohini in various ancient literatures. According to Atharva Ved, Rohini was the consort of Rohit, the reddish Sun. it has been mentioned in ancient literature that out of the relationship between Rohini and Rohit, the heaven and earth were produced. Rohit was a powerful deity who also made the earth and heaven strong. It is also believed that he established light in the heaven. He had the ability to measure the space and atmosphere and through his grace gods attained immorality. His colour is bright red and deeply connected with the Sun. he is responsible for the very life force which gives shape to the entire manifestation. This shows that Rohini has huge creative energy which is totally dedicated to total creativity. Rohini is a centre of feminine energy which attracts male energy towards her for the purpose of procreation. It is also believed that through this constellation the fruit of ones actions are also realized.

There is another puranic story connected with Rohini and Moon. Out of 10 Prajapatis Daksha was the one. The king Daksha fathered 60 daughters out of which 27 were wedded to the Moon. Rohini was the most beautiful and sensuous among all her sisters. The Moon was hugely attracted towards her and started living with her only and ignored his all other wives. The other sisters of Rohini did not like the hostile attitude of the Moon and became very jealous and angry. They all approached Prajapati who in turn cursed the Moon and he started becoming ill (black). After seeing the precarious condition of the Moon all the sisters felt very bad and approached the father once again to pardon Moon. Once the curse was cast it could not be taken back therefore some amendments were made and from that day onwards Moon started waxing and waning in the sky.

NAKSHATRA TRAITS & PERSONALITY

Your Strengths: Rohini – Moon – Venus all three are associated with huge reserves of creative power. The Moon – Venus combination is one of the best poetic combinations from where the poetry of life starts taking new shape. This is a unique configuration which creates most suitable conditions from where the fruit of ones efforts starts ripening. It does not take very long for people belonging to this combination to connect with the world. Rohini functions at a universal conscious level which is beyond all rationality and reasoning. The transcendental consciousness also starts flowing through Rohini for world manifestation. It is noted that Lord Krishna was born when the Moon and its ascendant were in Rohini.

You have tremendous confidence in your potential. You work religiously to create an environment from where you can gain strength. There is a strong belief deep inside you that your efforts will bear fruit. This belief helps you set very high standards and prove your worth. An element of divinity is rooted in your psyche which helps you to achieve a higher awareness of your being; this inspires you to help humanity at large.

Your Drawbacks: You need not get too indulgent with your possessions as well as pleasures. A deeper involvement in sexual relationships can lead you to cross all social limits. Getting intoxicated with your success and the use of chemical substances can lead to your downfall.

Pisces – Duality of Water

The last sign of the zodiac is Pisces and the element here is water. This is a dual sign. Water as an element is present in Cancer and Scorpio too. In Cancer, water means emotion. In Scorpio we imagined a huge pond and in Pisces it is water of the ocean, but with duality.

The lord of this sign is Jupiter. When the water is in dual form, what does it mean? How and why could water be dual? What is the psychic phenomenon implied here? Is there water or it isn’t? Water is a nectar as we know and when the water is dual, it refers to the emotions present in Cancer with tremendous force, because the sign is a moveable one; that tremendous force goes deep down in the system in Scorpio, but in Pisces it becomes dual, because all the emotions which get transformed in due course of time is very much related with Pisces. Pisces, being the last sign of the zodiac, also teaches us that nothing remains constant and we must not remain in one kind of situation or emotion because emotions are bound to change from time to time.

The ocean of Pisces enables all humanity to submerge in water everything that is ruled by the heart. The heart is the ultimate destination of all relationships, achievement, research of evolvement. However, with emotion, the difficulty is that it is governed by the Moon, which is constantly changing; that is what we understood in Cancer. The Moon is the lord of Cancer. In the second water sign, Scorpio, the emotion goes deep down. Bad feelings, good feelings, these are very intense in Scorpio whose ruler is Mars which gives very deep-rooted feelings, whether of hurt or of triumph. The Mars of Scorpio makes a person an extremist. But in Pisces, the water is dual and the lord of this sign is Jupiter. Jupiter is a planet of wisdom. Here the element water teaches that whatever the feelings may be, they need to be synchronized. In Scorpio, the emotions can get dangerous and very complicated too, but when we come to Pisces, judgment is clear. There is honesty in situations and one understands the meaning of ‘forgiving and forgetting’.

Libra – Balance in Air

The seventh sign of the zodiac is Libra; its element is air. It is a cardinal or movable sign, its primary characteristic being balanced in nature. Air is always moving; it represents thought, imagination and to some extent fantasy. Here the thought process, finds a balance because Libra is a balanced sign and the thought process is on the perfect plane not getting motivated, not getting inspired by its negative or positive overtones. Therefore, perfection is being created and maintained. The importance of the element air comes here, in Libra, which gives expansion and growth to a rational mind and provides it with a new, hitherto unknown world. The cardinal air of Libra also has a tremendous force in it and this kind of lauded thought process needs the support of air to reach out. Like Taurus the lord of Libra is Venus.

In astrology, Venus is considered the planet of love. It is also considered to be a planet of abundance. However, this abundance is achieved only through hard work, which is the significance of Taurus when tremendous efforts are made. People who are born under Libra are organized, know their target and are decisive, calculative, and intelligent. Once they make up their mind, it is difficult to shake them from their path. Nothing on the whole earth can stop them, but, sometimes they get overcharged by worldly pleasures; they make mistakes and start falling from grace.

SAGITTARIUS

The Sagittarius geometrical symbol is the simplest one. The glyph of this sign, consisting of an arrow with a cross attached to its lower part, makes it essentially special in the parlance of the symbols of the twelve signs.

The arrow of Sagittarius indicates a basic conflict between the mental and physical powers and the dilemma of wanting to aim perfectly. The glyph of Sagittarius denotes that there is an immense inherent force which can either be used for construction or destruction, depending upon the situation.

Sagittarians are often at a loss, because the inner battle of positive and negative forces is so intense that it seldom leaves them with energy to target the bull’s eye. Sagittarius also indicates the state of human development in which man has learnt to utilize his inner strength to optimum. Sagittarius is ever-ready to impregnate others (society) with his thought and imagination because he is a habitual shooter.

There is an inner desire of a strong self-statement which is so intense that the mind and body work in perfect co-ordination to explore the unknown. The direction of the arrow is towards a higher destination. Man is willing to use his latent energy to achieve the greater aim. At this stage of evolution, man is not willing to leave any stone unturned to achieve the target. The cross attached to the arrow is an indication that if he puts all energy on the bow and directs the arrow to the target with tremendous force, there is every possibility that the cross will enter the target and make the job complete. This cross also provides the arrow with extra force, enabling it to penetrate into the deeper layers of the target. However, at times there seems to be a great urgency to prove a point without achieving any perfection. If somehow or the other, inner harmony can be achieved, then it is not difficult to achieve the target without encountering any problem.

The pictorial emblem of this sign is quite interesting and provides a new meaning to the entire glyph of the arrow. The lower portion of the archer is not visible from the trunk downwards; it has been covered by a half-horse whose legs are visible. In other words, this sign beautifully depicts half-animal, half-man. The archer is made of two energies – one of an animal and the other of a human being. The legs of the horse are firmly grounded and the archer is using his total force to achieve the target. The raw energy of the animal suggests that man has travelled down the ages and has had various experiences while achieving difficult targets in his life. There is a long association between the horse and man and without the help of the horse, man could have never progressed or emerged as a conqueror. In this emblem, we also notice that the hind part of the animal provides a solid base on the ground. The front part, which depicts a man with an arrow, is clearly indicative that man is capable as well as free to decide and achieve the target. To be a perfect archer, one needs a lot of energy, a composed mind, and thoughtful and steady action.

On the surface, it looks like the archer works for himself but when we observe minutely, we notice that he has an inner desire to serve mankind. Perhaps this is the reason that Sagittarius stands for knowledge and wisdom, which ultimately man wants to share with others. To achieve great heights in life, one needs to sacrifice personal needs and perform deeds for others.