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In Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology

Hindu mythology is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas....
, Rahu is a snake
Snake

Snakes are elongate legless carnivore reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears....
 that swallows the sun
Sun

The Sun , a G V star, is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 98.6% of the Solar System's mass....
 or the moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
 causing eclipse
Eclipse

An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. The term is derived from the ancient Greek noun , from verb , "I cease to exist," a combination of prefix , from preposition , "out," and of verb , "I am absent"....
s. He is depicted in art as a dragon with no body riding a chariot
Chariot

The chariot is the earliest and simplest type of carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Chariots were built in Mesopotamia by the Mesopotamians as early as 3000 BC and in China during the 2nd millennium BC....
 drawn by eight black horses. Rahu is one of the navagraha
Navagraha

Graha is a 'cosmic influencer' on the living beings of mother Bhumidevi . In Hindu Astrology, the Navagraha are some of these major influencers....
s (nine planets) in Vedic astrology
Jyotisha

is the Hindu system of astrology .Traditionally, it has three branches:* 'Siddhanta': , which is traditional Indian astronomy.* 'Samhita': also known as Medini Jyotisha , predicting important events based on analysis of astrological dynamics in a country's horoscope or general transit events such as war, earthquakes, poli...
. The rahu kala is considered inauspicious.

According to legend, during the Samudra manthan
Samudra manthan

In Hinduism, Samudra manthan or The churning of the ocean of milk is one of the most famous episodes in the Puranas and is celebrated in a major way every twelve years in the festival known as Kumbha Mela....
, the asura
Asura

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 Rahu drank some of the divine nectar. But before the nectar could pass his throat, Mohini
Mohini

Mohini is one of the 25 avatars of Vishnu found in the Puranas. The main story, or lila, concerning Mohini is the Samudra manthan, a lila that includes: Indra, Lakshmi, Kurma, Dhanvantari, and numerous other Hindu divinities....
 (the female avatar of Vishnu
Vishnu

Vishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of panchadeva, and his supreme status is declared in the Hindu sacred texts like Yajurveda, the Rigveda and the Bhagavad Gita....
) cut off his head.






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In Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology

Hindu mythology is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas....
, Rahu is a snake
Snake

Snakes are elongate legless carnivore reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears....
 that swallows the sun
Sun

The Sun , a G V star, is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 98.6% of the Solar System's mass....
 or the moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
 causing eclipse
Eclipse

An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. The term is derived from the ancient Greek noun , from verb , "I cease to exist," a combination of prefix , from preposition , "out," and of verb , "I am absent"....
s. He is depicted in art as a dragon with no body riding a chariot
Chariot

The chariot is the earliest and simplest type of carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Chariots were built in Mesopotamia by the Mesopotamians as early as 3000 BC and in China during the 2nd millennium BC....
 drawn by eight black horses. Rahu is one of the navagraha
Navagraha

Graha is a 'cosmic influencer' on the living beings of mother Bhumidevi . In Hindu Astrology, the Navagraha are some of these major influencers....
s (nine planets) in Vedic astrology
Jyotisha

is the Hindu system of astrology .Traditionally, it has three branches:* 'Siddhanta': , which is traditional Indian astronomy.* 'Samhita': also known as Medini Jyotisha , predicting important events based on analysis of astrological dynamics in a country's horoscope or general transit events such as war, earthquakes, poli...
. The rahu kala is considered inauspicious.

According to legend, during the Samudra manthan
Samudra manthan

In Hinduism, Samudra manthan or The churning of the ocean of milk is one of the most famous episodes in the Puranas and is celebrated in a major way every twelve years in the festival known as Kumbha Mela....
, the asura
Asura

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 Rahu drank some of the divine nectar. But before the nectar could pass his throat, Mohini
Mohini

Mohini is one of the 25 avatars of Vishnu found in the Puranas. The main story, or lila, concerning Mohini is the Samudra manthan, a lila that includes: Indra, Lakshmi, Kurma, Dhanvantari, and numerous other Hindu divinities....
 (the female avatar of Vishnu
Vishnu

Vishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of panchadeva, and his supreme status is declared in the Hindu sacred texts like Yajurveda, the Rigveda and the Bhagavad Gita....
) cut off his head. The head, however, remained immortal. It is believed that this immortal head occasionally swallows the sun or the moon, causing eclipses. Then, the sun or moon passes through the opening at the neck, ending the eclipse.

Astronomically
Astronomy

Astronomy is the science of Astronomical object and Phenomenon that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere . It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the physical cosmology....
, Rahu and Ketu
Ketu (mythology)

Ketu is the descending lunar node.In Hindu mythology, Ketu is generally referred to as a "shadow" planet. It is believed to have a tremendous impact on human lives and also the whole creation....
 denotes the two points of intersection of the paths of the Sun
Sun

The Sun , a G V star, is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 98.6% of the Solar System's mass....
 and the Moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
 as they move on the celestial sphere
Celestial sphere

In astronomy and navigation, the celestial sphere is an imagination rotation sphere of "gigantic radius", concentric spheres and coaxial with the Earth....
. Therefore, Rahu and Ketu are respectively called the north and the south lunar node
Lunar node

The lunar nodes are the orbital nodes of the Moon, that is, the points where the Planetary orbit of the Moon crosses the ecliptic . The ascending node is where the moon crosses to the north of the ecliptic....
s. The fact that Eclipse
Eclipse

An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. The term is derived from the ancient Greek noun , from verb , "I cease to exist," a combination of prefix , from preposition , "out," and of verb , "I am absent"....
s occur when Sun and Moon are at one of these points gives rise to the myth of the swallowing of the Sun.

In Buddhism
Buddhism

Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religionand is based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as "The Buddha" , who was born in what is today Nepal....
 Rahu is one of the krodhadevatas (terror-inspiring gods).

Myth of Shiva and Rahu

There is another lila
Lila

Lila , or Leela is a concept within Hinduism literally meaning "pastime", "sport" or "play". It is common to both monistic and dualistic Hindu philosophy schools, but has a markedly different significance in each....
 of Shiva
Shiva

Shiva: is a major Hinduism god, and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is one of panchadeva....
 and Rahu probably taken from Shiva Purana
Shiva Purana

The Shiva Purana is one of the s dedicated to the Hinduism deity Shiva. According to a tradition which is stated in the of this text, the original text was known as the ....
 which is paraphrased by Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell

Joseph John Campbell was an United States mythologist, writer, and lecturer best known for his work in the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religion....
 in his book The Power of Myth. Ganna Chakra also paraphrases this myth:
In the myth of the Daitya king Jalandhara
Jalandhara

Jalandhara is a figure in Hindu mythology. He is sometimes included in lists of aspects of Shiva.Jalandhara was a demon king, born out of the union of the lightning from Shiva?s third eye and the Ocean....
, Jalandhara sends Rahu with a message to Shiva, demanding that he surrender Parvati
Parvati

Parvati , sometimes spelled Parvathi or Parvathy, is a Hinduism Devi. Parvati is also regarded as a representation of Shakti, albeit the gentle aspect of that goddess because she is a mother goddess....
 to Jalandhara. Shiva was angry at this message, and this anger took the form of a terrible creature which sprang from his brow. It had the face of a lion, flaming eyes, a body which was dry and rough to the touch, long arms and a tongue which lolled with anger. The creature rushed at Rahu, ready to devour him. Shiva apparently said something along the lines of "we don't shoot the messenger" whereon the gana
Gana

The word , in Sanskrit, means "flock, troop, multitude, number, tribe, series, class" . It can also be used to refer to a "body of attendants" and can refer to "a company, any assemblage or association of men formed for the attainment of the same aims"....
 pleaded to Shiva that it was tortured by hunger. Shiva told the gana that if it were so hungry, it should eat its own flesh. This the gana did, until only its head was left. Shiva, pleased with such devotion, appointed the gana as his door-keeper, ordering that it create terror for all wicked people. Shiva also ordained that the gana be worshipped along with his worship, and gave it the name Kirtimukha.


Astrology

In Vedic astrology
Jyotisha

is the Hindu system of astrology .Traditionally, it has three branches:* 'Siddhanta': , which is traditional Indian astronomy.* 'Samhita': also known as Medini Jyotisha , predicting important events based on analysis of astrological dynamics in a country's horoscope or general transit events such as war, earthquakes, poli...
 Rahu is seen as an asura
Asura

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 or demon who does his best to plunge any area of life he controls into chaos, mystery and cruelty. He is associated with the world of material manifestation and worldy desire; and random, uncontrolled growth without wisdom or understanding. Rahu is a karaka or indicator of worldly fame, greed, high intelligence, manipulation, obsessive behaviour, foreigners, mass disease, dementia and inertia. However, if used the right way, Rahu can be instrumental in strengthening a person's power and converting even the strongest enemy into a friend.

Rahu is lord of three nakshatra
Nakshatra

A nakshatra or lunar mansion is one of the 27 or 28 divisions of the sky, identified by the prominent star in them, that the Moon passes through during its monthly cycle, as used in Hindu astronomy and Jyotisha....
s or lunar mansions: Ardra
Ardra

* Ardra is the goddess of good luck and fortune in Hindu mythology.* Ardra is a nakshatra associated with the star Betelgeuse in Indian astronomy....
, Svati
Svati

Svati is a Nakshatra in Hindu astronomy, that corresponds to the star Arcturus. According to Hindu myths it is a nakshatra or star which converts dew drops into diamonds....
 and Shatabhisha
Shatabhisha

Shatabhisha is the 24th nakshatra in Hindu astronomy. The ruling planet of this nakshatra is Saturn.According to Hindu planetary Rules the first name of the person starts with the following letters...
 or Shatataraka. Rahu is associated with the following: its color is smoky, metal is lead and gemstone is honey colored hessonite. Its element is air and direction is south-west.

In the science of astrology Rahu and ketu are the two intersection points of paths of Earth and Moons travel.

Buddhism

Rahu is mentioned explicitly in a pair of scriptures from the Samyutta Nikaya
Samyutta Nikaya

The Samyutta Nikaya is a Buddhist scripture, the third of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism....
 of the Pali Canon
Pali Canon

The Pali Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhism tradition, as preserved in the Pali. It is the only completely surviving Early Buddhist schools canon, and one of the first to be written down....
. In the Candima Sutta and the Suriya Sutta, Rahu attacks Chandra
Chandra

In Hinduism, Chandra is a lunar deity and a Graha. Chandra is also identified with the Veda Lunar deity Soma . The Soma name refers particularly to the juice of sap in the plants and thus makes the Moon the lord of plants and vegetation....
, the moon deity and Suriya, the sun deity, before being compelled to release them by their recitation of a brief stanza conveying their reverence for the Buddha
Gautama Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama was a Spirituality teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. He is generally seen by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddhahood of our age....
. The Buddha responds by enjoining Rahu to release them, which Rahu does rather than have his "head split into seven pieces". The verses recited by the two celestial deities and the Buddha have since been incorporated into Buddhist liturgy as protective verses (paritta
Paritta

Paritta , generally translated as "protection" or "safeguard," refers to the Buddhist practice of reciting certain verses and scriptures in order to ward off evil fortune or dangerous conditions, as well as to the specific verses and discourses recited as paritta texts....
) recited by monks as prayers of protection.

See also

  • Ketu
    Ketu (mythology)

    Ketu is the descending lunar node.In Hindu mythology, Ketu is generally referred to as a "shadow" planet. It is believed to have a tremendous impact on human lives and also the whole creation....
  • Navagraha
    Navagraha

    Graha is a 'cosmic influencer' on the living beings of mother Bhumidevi . In Hindu Astrology, the Navagraha are some of these major influencers....
  • Apep
    Apep

    In Egyptian mythology, Apep was an evil demon, the deification of darkness and chaos , and thus opponent of light and Ma'at , whose existence was believed from the Middle Kingdom of Egypt onwards....


External links