Navagraha

Navagrahas, a Raja Ravi Varma painting.

Navagraha means "nine planets" in Sanskrit and are nine astronomical bodies as well as mythical deities in Hinduism and Hindu astrology.[1] These are the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, and the ascending and descending lunar nodes.

Planets, celestial bodies and lunar nodes

The term is derived from nava (nine) and graha (Sanskrit: graha "planet, seizing, laying hold of, holding").[2]

The Navagraha are:[1]

  1. Surya (a.k.a. Ravi), the Sun
  2. Chandra (a.k.a. Soma), the Moon
  3. Mangala, Mars
  4. Budha (Budh), Mercury
  5. Guru, Jupiter
  6. Shukra, Venus
  7. Shani, Saturn
  8. Rahu, Lunar ascending node
  9. Ketu, Lunar descending node

Temples

Temples that incorporate or are dedicated to one or all nine of the Navagraha are found in different parts of India, such as in Tamil Nadu.[3]

Navagraha sculpture from Bihar, India, 10th century, now at the San Diego Museum of Art.
Navagraha statues from Konark, Odisha at British Museum.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Roshen Dalal (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books. p. 280. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
  2. ↑ Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier-Williams, 1899
  3. ↑ Anantharaman, Ambjuam (2006). Temples of South India (second ed.). East West. pp. x–xxi, 302–304. ISBN 978-81-88661-42-8.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.