Ketu :
Ketu (Sanskrit: केतु, IAST: Ketú) (☋) is the descending (i.e. 'south') lunar node in Vedic, or Hindu astrology.Personified as a deity, Rahu and Ketu are considered to be the two halves of the immortal asura (demon) Svarbhanu, who was beheaded by the god Vishnu. As per Vedic astrology, Rahu and Ketu have an orbital cycle of 18 years and are always 180 degrees from each other orbitally (as well as in the birth charts). This coincides with the precessional orbit of moon or the ~18-year rotational cycle of the lunar ascending and descending nodes on the earth's ecliptic plane. Ketu rules the Scorpio zodiac sign together with Mangala (traditional ruling planet).
Astronomically, Rahu and Ketu denote the points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and the Moon as they move on the celestial sphere, and do not correspond to a physical planet. Therefore, Rahu and Ketu are respectively called the north and the south lunar nodes. Eclipses occur when the Sun and the Moon are at one of these points, giving rise to the mythical understanding that the two are being swallowed by the snake. Hence, Ketu is believed to be responsible for causing the lunar eclipse.
Astrology A mural of Ketu. Depicted as the body without head. from Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur
In Hindu astrology, Ketu represents karmic collections both good and bad, as well as spirituality and supernatural influences. Ketu signifies the spiritual process of the refinement of materialisation to the spirit and is considered both malefic and benefic: this process causes sorrow and loss, and yet at the same time turns the individual to God. In other words, it causes material loss in order to force a more spiritual outlook in the person. Ketu is a karaka or indicator of intelligence, wisdom, non-attachment, fantasy, penetrating insight, derangement, and psychic abilities. Ketu is believed to bring prosperity to the devotee's family, and removes the effects of snakebite and illness arising out of poisons. He grants good health, wealth and cattle to his devotees. Ketu is the lord of three nakshatras or lunar mansions: Ashvini, Magha and Mula.
Ketu is considered responsible for moksha, sannyasa, self-realization, gnana, a wavering nature, restlessness, the endocrine system and slender physique. The people who come under the influence of Ketu can achieve great heights, most of them spiritual.
Rahu, being a karmic planet, shows the necessity and urge to work on a specific area of life where there had been ignorance in the past life. To balance the apparent dissatisfaction one has to go that extra mile to provide a satisfactory settlement in the present lifetime. Rahu can remove all negative qualities of every planet, while Ketu can emphasis every positive quality of the planet.
Ruler of Ketu: According to the most popular astrology text Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS), Ketu is related to Matsya.
Exaltation and Debilitation: This has been a debatable point in astrology, as per BPHS Ketu is exalted in the sign of Scorpio and debilitated in Taurus, however, many astrologers have disputed this and most modern astrologers now seem to agree that Ketu is exalted in Sagittarius and debilitated in Gemini[citation needed]. This stands to logic as Ketu is a torso and a prominent part of Sagittarius is a big horse torso attached to a male upper body. Negative Significations: While Ketu is considered malefic and has been mostly associated with negative things. Most people consider it a difficult planet as it brings lot of troubles on the material plane. It often brings a sense of complete detachment, losses, mindlessness, wandering, and confusion in one's life.
Positive Significations: There is a much deeper side to Ketu and it has been called the most spiritual of all planets. Ketu has been considered the planet of enlightenment and liberation. As the one who has “lost his head (worldly senses)” Being a personification of renunciation (torso without a head who needs nothing). Ketu the ascetic that wants to go beyond the mundane life and achieve the final liberation.
Shani:
Shani (Sanskrit: शनि, IAST: Sani), or Shanaishchara (Sanskrit: शनैश्चर, IAST: Sanaiscara), is the divine personification of the planet Saturn in Hinduism, and is one of the nine heavenly objects (Navagraha) in Hindu astrology. Shani is also a male Hindu deity in the Puranas, whose iconography consists of a figure with a dark complexion carrying a sword or danda (sceptre) and sitting on a crow.
He is the god of karma, justice, and retribution, and delivers results depending upon one's thoughts, speech, and deeds. Shani is the controller of longevity, misery, sorrow, old age, discipline, restriction, responsibility, delays, ambition, leadership, authority, humility, integrity, and wisdom born of experience. He also signifies spiritual asceticism, penance, discipline, and conscientious work. He is associated with two consorts: Neela, the personification of the gemstone sapphire, and Manda, a gandharva princess.
Planet :Shani as a planet appears in various Hindu astronomical texts in Sanskrit, such as the 5th-century Aryabhatiya by Aryabhatta, the 6th-century Romaka by Latadeva and Pancha Siddhantika by Varahamihira, the 7th-century Khandakhadyaka by Brahmagupta and the 8th-century Sisyadhivrddida by Lalla. These texts present Shani as one of the planets and estimate the characteristics of the respective planetary motion. Other texts such as Surya Siddhanta dated to have been complete sometime between the 5th century and 10th century present their chapters on various planets as divine knowledge linked to deities.
The manuscripts of these texts exist in slightly different versions, present Shani's motion in the skies, but vary in their data, suggesting that the text were open and revised over their lives. The texts slightly disagree in their data, in their measurements of Shani's revolutions, apogee, epicycles, nodal longitudes, orbital inclination, and other parameters. For example, both Khandakhadyaka and Surya Siddhanta of Varaha state that Shani completes 146,564 revolutions on its own axis every 4,320,000 earth years, an Epicycle of Apsis as 60 degrees, and had an apogee (aphelia) of 240 degrees in 499 CE; while another manuscript of Soorya Siddhantha revises the revolutions to 146,568, the apogee to 236 degrees and 37 seconds and the Epicycle to about 49 degrees.
The 1st-millennium-CE Hindu scholars had estimated the time it took for sidereal revolutions of each planet including Shani, from their astronomical studies, with slightly different results:
Iconography: Shani is depicted wearing blue or black robes, having dark complexion and riding a vulture or on an iron chariot drawn by eight horses. He holds in his hands a bow, an arrow, an axe and a trident. He is canonically represented riding on a large crow which follows him wherever he goes. Some astrologers believe he has more than one mount such as a horse, elephant, donkey, lion, dog, jackal, deer and vulture, although this is controversial.
Shani is believed to be the incarnation of Krishna according to Brahma Vaivarta Purana where Krishna said that he is "Shani among planets". He is also called Saneeswar meaning "Lord of Saturn" and is designated the task of granting the fruits of one's action, thus becoming the most feared amongst Hindu astrological gods. He is often the most misunderstood deity in the Hindu Pantheon as he is said to cause persistent chaos in one's life, and is known to be milder if worshipped.Shani is the root for name for the day Saturday in many other Indian languages. In modern Hindi, Odia, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Kannada and Gujarati, Saturday is called Shanivaar; Tamil: Sani kizhamai; Malayalam: Shaniyazhcha; Thai: Wan searr (วันเสาร์).
Calendar: Shani is the basis for Shanivara – one of the seven days that make a week in the Hindu calendar.This day corresponds to Saturday – after Saturn – in the Greco-Roman convention for naming the days of the week. Shani is considered to be the most malefic planet that brings restrictions and misfortunes.
Shani is part of the Navagraha in Hindu zodiac system, considered malefic, associated with spiritual asceticism, penance, discipline and conscientious work. The role and importance of the Navagraha developed over time with various influences. Deifying planetary bodies and their astrological significance occurred as early as the Vedic period and was recorded in the Vedas. The earliest work of astrology recorded in India is the Vedanga Jyotisha which began to be compiled in the 14th century BCE. It was possibly based on works from the Indus Valley Civilization as well as various foreign influences. Babylonian astrology which was the first astrology and calendar to develop, and was adopted by multiple civilizations including India. The classical planets, including Saturn.
The Navagraha developed from early works of astrology over time. Saturn and various classical planets were referenced in the Atharvaveda around 1000 BCE. The Navagraha was furthered by additional contributions from Western Asia, including Zoroastrian and Hellenistic influences. The Yavanajataka, or 'Science of the Yavanas', was written by the Indo-Greek named "Yavanesvara" ("Lord of the Greeks") under the rule of the Western Kshatrapa king Rudrakarman I. The Yavanajataka written in 120 CE is often attributed to standardizing Indian astrology. The Navagraha would further develop and culminate in the Shaka era with the Saka or Scythian, people. Additionally the contributions by the Saka people would be the basis of the Indian national calendar, which is also called the Saka calendar.
The Hindu calendar is a Lunisolar calendar which records both lunar and solar cycles. Like the Navagraha, it was developed with the successive contributions of various works.
Planet Shani rules over both zodiac signs, Capricorn and Aquarius, two of the twelve constellations in the zodiac system of Hindu astrology.If Shani rules over your zodiac sign, it is said you must wear a ring with a stone made of Blue Sapphire.
Deity: Shani is a deity in medieval era texts, who is considered inauspicious and is feared for delivering misfortune and loss to those who deserve it.He is also capable of conferring boons and blessings to the worthy, depending upon their karma. In medieval Hindu literature, he is mainly referred to as the son of Surya and Chhaya, or in few accounts as the son of Balarama and Revati.His alternate names include Ara, Kona and Kroda.As per the Hindu texts, 'peepal' or fig tree is the abode of Shani (while other texts associate the same tree with Vasudeva).He is also believed to be the greatest teacher who rewards the righteous acts and punishes those who follow the path of evil, Adharma and betrayal.
Statue of Shani in Bannanje, Udupi, Karnataka In 2013, a 20-foot-tall statue of Lord Shani was established at Yerdanur in the mandal of Sangareddy, Medak district, Telangana, nearly 40 kilometers from Hyderabad city. It was carved from a Monolith and weighs about nine tonnes. hani is a deity in medieval era texts, who is considered inauspicious and is feared for delivering misfortune and loss to those who deserve it.He is also capable of conferring boons and blessings to the worthy, depending upon their karma. In medieval Hindu literature, he is mainly referred to as the son of Surya and Chhaya, or in few accounts as the son of Balarama and Revati.His alternate names include Ara, Kona and Kroda.As per the Hindu texts, 'peepal' or fig tree is the abode of Shani (while other texts associate the same tree with Vasudeva).He is also believed to be the greatest teacher who rewards the righteous acts and punishes those who follow the path of evil, Adharma and betrayal.
Statue of Shani in Bannanje, Udupi, Karnataka In 2013, a 20-foot-tall statue of Lord Shani was established at Yerdanur in the mandal of Sangareddy, Medak district, Telangana, nearly 40 kilometers from Hyderabad city. It was carved from a Monolith and weighs about nine tonnes.
Mantra translation: Shani's mantra is depicted here, in Sanskrit and English, with the translation:
Sanskrit: ॐ काकध्वजाय विद्महे खड्ग हस्ताय धीमहि तन्नो मंदः प्रचोदयात् ।
Transliteration: "Om kākadhvajāya vidmahe khaḍgahastāya dhīmahi tanno mandaḥ pracodayāt.''
Translation: Om, Let me meditate on him who has crow in his flag, Oh, He who has a sword in his hand, give me higher intellect, And let Saneeswara illuminate my mind.
Sanskrit: ॐ नीलांजन समाभासं रविपुत्रं यमाग्रजम् छाया मार्तांड संभूतं त्वां नमामि शनीश्वरम् ।
Transliteration: "Om nīlāñjana samābhāsaṁ raviputraṁ yamāgrajam chāyā mārtāṇḍa saṁbhūtaṁ tvāṁ namāmi sanīsvaram"
Translation: O Lord, You are like the Blue Sapphire and You admire the Blue Sapphire, You are the son of Lord Surya, and Brother of Lord Yama. You are the son of Lord Surya and Goddess Chhaya, I bow to you Lord of Planet Saturn,
Dedicated Day: On Saturdays, it is believed that one should worship Lord Shani to keep oneself away from evil and to reduce the hardships of life as he blesses those who willingly and voluntarily donate to the poor without seeking anything in return.
Shani statue at Naksaal Bhagwati TempleShani puja is usually done to keep one safe from Lord Shani's malefic effects. On Saturday, the devotee also fasts from dawn to dusk. Wake up early in the morning and take oil bath after applying sesame oil on your body. After bath, wear black clothes for the day. On the whole day, use Sesame oil for lighting lamp.
Saturn temples:Shani temples are found in more populated areas of India, such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana,Puducherry/Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Shani Shingnapur Dham in particular is a famous holy place associated with Lord Shani, the deity. Shani Shinganapur or Shingnapur is a village in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated in Nevasa taluka in Ahmednagar district, the village is known for its popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god associated with the planet Saturn. Shingnapur is 35 km from Ahmednagar city. More common than Shani temples are artwork related to himself, which are found in all types of temples of various traditions within Hinduism, mostly connected to Shaivism. Popularity for praying to Shani, especially on Saturdays, has increased gradually over the years.
Alakshmi:
Alakshmi (Devanāgari: अलक्ष्मी; from the roots अ (a): "not" and लक्ष्मी (Lakshmi): "goddess of fortune", figurative meaning "goddess of misfortune") meaning "not Lakshmi". She is described as being "cow-repelling, antelope-footed, and bull-toothed. Or she "has dry shriveled up body, sunken cheeks, thick lips, and beady eyes and that she rides a donkey."
She is not mentioned by name in the Vedic, Upanishadic or early Puranic literature, but all aspects of Alakshmi match those of the Rig Vedic goddess Nirṛti. She is also said to be the shadow of Lakshmi. In Padma Purana, the cosmology includes her where the Samudra Manthana creates both good and bad of everything that emerges.That which is inauspicious and bad emerges first, more effort creates the auspicious and good, according to Padma Purana.First Alakshmi emerges, then Lakshmi appears during the Samudra Manthana. Gods send Alakshmi to go dwell amongst pernicious persons, give them poverty and grief.She as the asura of inauspiciousness and grief is the opposite of Lakshmi who is the goddess of auspiciousness and joy. Alakshmi is sometimes referred to be another name of Jyestha. Alakshmi is also known as Kalahapriya and Daridara, and the shadow opposite of Lakshmi.
According to Chakrabarty, “It was said that when she entered a household, Alakshmi brought jealousy and malice in her trail. Brothers fell out with each other, families and their male lineages (kula) faced ruin and destruction."
Nirrti :
Nirṛti (Sanskrit: निरृति, romanized: Nirrti ) sometimes spelled Nirruti or Nirriti, is a Hindu deity, personifying death, decay, and sorrow. In early Hindu scriptures, Nirrti is a goddess who is lives in the kingdom of the dead. In later Hinduism, Nirrti and Nirrti is also a male god, who is regarded as a dikapala ("guardian of the directions") of the southwest. Etymology The Sanskrit word Nirṛti means 'decay' and is derived from Nirrti (lit. 'to separate'). It can be interpreted as meaning "devoid of ṛta/i", a state of disorder or chaos.
The name nirṛti has the meaning of "absence of ṛta", meaning 'disorder', or 'lawlessness', specifically the guardian to the absence of divine or cosmic disorder.
This term was used in Vedic texts to indicate a realm of non-existence and absolute darkness, which threatened to consume those who failed in their duties to sacrifice and procreate. In nirṛti, there was no light, no food, and no children: none of the necessary elements of Vedic life and ritual
Goddes Nirrti is mentioned in the hymns of the Rigveda, mostly to seek protection from her or imploring for her during a possible departure. In one hymn , she is mentioned several times. This hymn, after summing up her nature, also asks for her in departure from the sacrificial site. In the Atharvaveda she is described as having golden locks. In the Taittiriya Brahmana , Nirrti is described as dark, dressed in dark clothes and her sacrificial shares are dark husks. In the sacred Shatapatha Brahmana , she is associated with the southwest quarter as her region. But elsewhere in the same text she is mentioned as living in the kingdom of the dead.
In later Hindu texts, Nirrti was re-conceptualized as a deity. According to some texts, she is the wife of Adharma (not-dharma) that signifies an important component of Prakriti (nature) for the Purusha (human -beings) who dwell in forests and the mother of three rakshasas—Mrityu (death), Bhaya (fear) and Mahabhaya (terror)—who were collectively referred to as Nairrita. Other texts portray her as the daughter of Adharma and Himsa (violence, the opposite of Ahimsa); she married her brother—Arita (not rta) and became the mother of Naraka (personification of the hell) and Bhaya. In the Bhagavata Purana, he is presented as a-prajaḥ (one without children) who takes Adharma and Mrsa (untruth), two of Brahma's sons or creations, as adopted sons. Some texts identify Nirrti with other inauspicious goddess, Jyeshtha or Alakshmi. In this context, she is described to have emerged from the Samudra Manthana (the churning of the ocean).
Dikpala
A painting of Nirrti riding a man and accompanied by servants, c. 1820. According to some scholars and authors, the goddess Nirrti transformed into a male in later Hindu mythology and became a dikpala. Nirrtiis regarded as the guardian of the southwest direction.
Nirrti is sometimes included as one of the rudras and described as the son of Sthanu. Varying descriptions of the god Nirrti are found in different scriptures. According to the Agamas, Nirrti is dark-skinned with a large body and draped in yellow garments. His vahana is either a man or a lion. The Vishnudharmottara Purana states that Nirrti has a terrific appearance with ill-looking eyes, gaping mouth, and exposed teeth. The same scripture also gives a varying account that Nirrti 's vahana is a donkey and he holds a danda in his hands. The Vishnudharmottara Purana also mentions that Nirrti has four consorts named Devi, Krishnangi, Krishavandana and Krishnapasha.According to the scripture Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Nirrti resides in a city named Krishnajana, which is located in the southwestern part of Mount Meru. The city is said to have an area of 2500 yojanas.