A Little Astronomy and Astrology

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Nov 24, 2021

A Very Brief Overview of the Solar System.

We all know that we live on a planet called Earth. But what is a planet? It is a round celestial body of considerable size that revolves around a star. Our star, around which our home planet revolves, is the Sun—one of billions upon billions of stars that we see in the night sky. All the other stars are simply very, very far away from us, which is why they appear as points of light. Even through powerful telescopes, they still appear to us as points—that is how distant they are!
Our star—the Sun—is much closer to us, so it appears to us to be the size of a disk, but it is enormous. It is a huge ball of fire, literally burning like a bonfire. It shines on us and warms us. Thanks to the Sun, everything grows on Earth. And various creatures live here (not all of them are visible to us). Without the Sun, there would be no life here at all.
And all stars are such balls of fire, with planets revolving around them as well. Eight planets revolve around our Sun.

The proportions of sizes and distances in the illustration are not to scale.

The closest to the Sun and the smallest is Mercury. It has almost no atmosphere; there is no “air” on it. Therefore, when one side faces the Sun, it heats up to +420 degrees, while the side facing away from the Sun cools down to −170 degrees. Earth is surrounded by an atmosphere, a layer of air that we breathe, and our atmosphere protects us from major temperature fluctuations. Mercury has no satellites (such as our Moon).

The second planet from the Sun, Venus, is surrounded by a thick, dense layer of poisonous gases, which makes it even hotter there than on Mercury. Venus is smaller than Earth. Venus also has no satellites.

The third planet is our Earth, and the fourth is the red Mars. It is smaller than Venus. It appears red in the sky because it has reddish-brown sands, and powerful sandstorms often occur there. Mars is clearly visible without a telescope. Mars has two satellites—Phobos (“fear” in Greek) and Deimos (“terror”).

The first four planets are relatively small; they are called terrestrial, or inner, planets. They have solid surfaces consisting of soil, mountains, rocks, and solid rock formations.

A comparison of the sizes of the four inner planets.

The fifth planet from the Sun is Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system and a gas giant. Jupiter has 79 satellites; the largest, Ganymede, is bigger than Mercury.

The sixth planet is Saturn, surrounded by its famous rings. The rings are clearly visible through a telescope and even through binoculars; they are very beautiful. Saturn is also a huge gas giant, slightly smaller than Jupiter. Saturn has 82 satellites; the largest is Titan.

The seventh and eighth planets, Uranus and Neptune, are also gas giants, smaller than Jupiter and Saturn. They are not visible to the naked eye, only through a telescope. Uranus has 27 satellites, and Neptune has 13. Astronomers are constantly discovering new satellites around all the gas giants. All these giant planets also have rings, but not as substantial as Saturn’s. The rings consist of dust, ice, and rocks.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called outer planets or giant planets, because they are much larger than the terrestrial planets. They consist mainly of gases.

By size: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury.

The four outer giant planets compared with the Sun, from left to right: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Besides the planets, many other celestial bodies orbit the Sun—dwarf planets, asteroids—shapeless fragments possibly left over from a planet that broke apart in ancient times—and comets—icy bodies that acquire a “tail” as they approach the Sun. That is, some of the comet’s material breaks away from it (under the influence of the Sun’s radiation) and stretches across enormous distances in the form of several tails. Moreover, a comet’s tail always points away from the Sun, so when a comet is moving away from the Sun, its tails are positioned in front of it: the tails come first, followed by the comet itself.

Hale–Bopp comet, 1997. It was clearly visible to the naked eye for many months, including in Yerevan.

The green ATLAS comet, 2019.

Удалённый пользователь 458 · Nov 24, 2021

021047 said:
A very brief overview of the Solar System.

We all know that we live on a planet called Earth. But what is a planet? It is a round celestial body of considerable size that revolves around a star. Our star, around which our home planet revolves, is the Sun—one of billions upon billions of stars that we see in the night sky. All the other stars are simply very, very far away from us, which is why they appear as points of light. Even through powerful telescopes, they still look like points to us—they are that distant!
Our star—the Sun—is much closer to us, so it appears to us as a disk in the sky, but it is enormous. It is a huge ball of fire, literally burning like a bonfire. It gives us light and warms us. Thanks to the Sun, everything grows on Earth. And various creatures live here (not all of them are visible to us). Without the Sun, there would be no life here at all.
And all stars are similar balls of fire, with planets revolving around them as well. Eight planets revolve around our Sun.

View attachment 1778
The proportions of sizes and distances in the illustration are not to scale.

The closest planet to the Sun, and the smallest, is Mercury. It has almost no atmosphere; there is no “air” on it. Therefore, when one side faces the Sun, it heats up to +420 degrees, while the side facing away from the Sun cools down to -170 degrees. Earth is surrounded by an atmosphere, a layer of air that we breathe, and our atmosphere protects us from large temperature fluctuations. Mercury has no moons (like our Moon).

The second planet from the Sun, Venus, is surrounded by a thick, dense layer of poisonous gases, which makes it even hotter there than on Mercury. Venus is smaller than Earth. Venus also has no moons.

The third planet is our Earth, and the fourth is the red Mars. It is smaller than Venus. It appears red in the sky because it has reddish-brown sands, and strong sandstorms often occur there. Mars is easily visible without a telescope; it looks reddish. In these months, it is particularly easy to see in the evening in the west. Mars has two moons—Phobos (“fear” in Greek) and Deimos (“terror”).

View attachment 1780

The first four planets are relatively small; they are called terrestrial planets, or inner planets. They have solid surfaces consisting of soil, mountains, rocks, and solid rock formations.

View attachment 1779
A comparison of the sizes of the four inner planets.

The fifth planet from the Sun is Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System and a gas giant. Jupiter has 79 moons; the largest, Ganymede, is larger than Mercury.

The sixth planet is Saturn, surrounded by its famous rings. The rings are clearly visible through a telescope and even through binoculars; they are very beautiful. Saturn is also a huge gas giant, slightly smaller than Jupiter. Saturn has 82 moons; the largest is Titan.

The seventh and eighth planets, Uranus and Neptune, are also gas giants, smaller than Jupiter and Saturn. They are not visible to the naked eye, only through a telescope. Uranus has 27 moons, and Neptune has 13. Astronomers are constantly discovering new moons around all the gas giants. All these giant planets have rings, too, though not as prominent as Saturn’s. The rings consist of dust, ice, and rocks.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called outer planets or giant planets, because they are much larger than the terrestrial planets. They consist mainly of gases.

View attachment 1781
By size: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury.

View attachment 1782
The four outer giant planets compared with the Sun, from left to right: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

In addition to the planets, many other celestial bodies orbit the Sun—dwarf planets; asteroids, shapeless fragments possibly left over from a planet that broke apart in ancient times; and comets—icy masses that acquire a “tail” as they approach the Sun. That is, some of the comet’s material breaks away from it (under the influence of the Sun’s radiation) and stretches across enormous distances in the form of several tails. Moreover, a comet’s tail always points away from the Sun, so when a comet is moving away from the Sun, its tails are positioned in front of it: the tails come first, followed by the comet itself.

View attachment 1783
Comet Hale–Bopp, 1997. It was clearly visible to the naked eye for many months, including in Yerevan.

View attachment 1784
The green ATLAS comet, 2019.

Thank you. Very informative and interesting.

231812 · Nov 25, 2021

I often think about Venus—is it really true that life there is impossible?
I copied a quote from the Book of Thoth:
"Having tasted the wisdom of the cosmos, he discovered that it was concentrated in the hearts or minds of people. There he found great mysteries, for it is through humanity that the cosmos expands into unexplored territories. Thoth was born approximately 20,000 years before the submergence of Atlantis. But because he had undertaken to perform a specific task, he did not leave, as did the others who had attained the First Enlightenment. Those who were with him during his youth went to Venus, and they were replaced by a wave of consciousness from Mars. This wave of consciousness could not be entrusted with the scientific knowledge and wisdom of their Atlantean predecessors, for they would have used it for evil."
Perhaps we could reflect on this topic?

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Nov 25, 2021

2 231812 , according to Vedic cosmology, there is no uninhabited place in the Universe; it is fully populated. The thing is that the lives of inhabitants of higher dimensions are inaccessible to us from our three-dimensional world; our sense organs and consciousness are not adapted to them. Both Venus and Jupiter are considered the most beautiful planets for habitation in our solar system. There is even life on the Sun. But we see only what we see.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Nov 27, 2021

A vrata-katha for Saturn about King Vikrama
(continued above – A Little Astronomy and Astrology)

Fear seized the oil merchant when he saw the cripple climbing out of the palanquin, and he said to his daughter-in-law:
— Daughter-in-law! Why have you brought this misfortune into our home? Our ruler ordered this thief’s hands and feet to be cut off and had him driven out of the city, strictly forbidding anyone to help him. If you shelter him here, the king will ruin our household and throw us into prison.

After patiently listening to the old man, the woman said in a gentle voice:
— O father of my husband! This is none other than King Vikramaditya, ruler of Ujjayini, and he has fallen into such a lamentable state solely because of his unfortunate fate. He ruled Ujjayini justly and skillfully, but because of the ill-starred alignment of the planets, a cruel destiny befell him. He is like a miraculous wish-fulfilling jewel that has fallen into a heap of rubbish. And today, this precious jewel has fallen into our hands.
Hearing this, the oil merchant was astonished and paid King Vikrama every possible honor. He took him into his home and began thinking about how to justify himself to the ruler of Tamalinda.

And so, the next day, the oil merchant went to the court of King Chandrasena and, bowing obsequiously before him, began to speakin an oily voice:
— O great king! Do you remember that thief whom you ordered to have his hands and feet cut off and then be thrown out of the city? I feel very sorry for him, and if you command it, I will give him shelter and feed him.

King Chandrasena pondered deeply and then nevertheless agreed to the oil merchant’s request.
From then on, the owner of the oil press was no longer afraid to help King Vikrama. When he returned home, the king said to him:
— Tell no one that I am Vikramaditya, and discuss what happened with no one.
The merchant agreed and replied to King Vikrama:
— From today onward, you will sit atop the oil press and watch over its operation, while I will feed and clothe you.
And Vikramaditya, who had once ruled Ujjain until cruel fate placed him under Saturn’s power, turning him into the lowest of mortals, accepted the merchant’s proposal. From that day on, he sat atop the press and squeezed oil. Behold the play of fate! Day and night, the maimed King Vikrama drove the oxen that turned the millstones, and he felt deeply indebted to the oil merchant for the food, clothing, and shelter he provided. Another five years passed in this way.

Anyone who wishes to learn what happened next must now listen with the utmost attention. Time passed, and King Vikrama developed a habit of singing while driving the oxen, which walked in circles all day, setting the millstones in motion. The king was a gifted musician and knew all musical ragas (modes and tonalities). And one day, sitting as usual atop the oil press, he began singing the beautiful Raga Dipaka. He poured his whole heart into the singing—and suddenly, moved by the power of the melody, multiplied many times over by the strength of his voice, all the lamps in the city lit up by themselves.

And it so happened that at that very moment, when lights flared up in every house, Chandrasena’s daughter, Princess Padmasena, was standing on the balcony of the royal palace. She watched in amazement as the city suddenly became as it was only during the festival of lights, Diwali.
“Who ordered the lamps to be lit throughout the city today?” she asked her maids. “It is not Diwali today, and there is neither a grand wedding nor any other celebration. Go and find out everything! Find out who ordered the lights to be lit.

And no sooner had she said this than King Vikrama finished singing Raga Dipaka, and every single lamp went out at the same moment, just as suddenly as it had lit up.

Then he began singing Raga Shri in a vocal arrangement. Hearing his singing, the princess exclaimed:
“Who is this great musician entertaining us without revealing his name? Is any of my servants nearby?” she called out. “Hurry and find out where this singer is. Quickly!”

The maids obediently rushed to carry out their mistress’s order. They searched the entire city and finally arrived at the house of an oil merchant, where they found Vikramaditya sitting atop the oil press. And they saw that This armless and legless cripple is the marvelous singer himself. At once, the maids hurried back to the palace and said to the princess:
— O my lady! Do you know the thief whose hands and feet were cut off, and who himself, by your father’s command, was cast out of the city? That happened more than seven years ago. Well, this cripple is sitting atop the oil press in the oil merchant’s house, pressing oil and singing this song.
Then the princess said to the maids:
— Go quickly and bring him here.

But one of the maids, plucking up her courage, objected:
— If we bring him, the king will fly into a rage, and his anger will fall upon our heads. Better first let him know of your wish, O my lady! What if your father considers himself insulted when he sees this cripple here in the palace?

To this the princess replied sharply:
— There is no need for that! I will tell my father everything myself later. For now, go and invite this singer to the palace, because all my thoughts are drawn toward him.

The maids rushed back to the oil merchant and, having obtained his permission, invited Vikramaditya to the princess. However much he tried to refuse, suspecting that Saturn had not yet abandoned his plans to destroy him, the girls insisted and led him to the palace.

Thus Vikramaditya met Princess Padmasena, who seated him in the place of honor and said:
— You are a connoisseur and a skilled performer of par; so delight my ears with one of them. You know everything about music, and Your voice is sweet. You must be one of the celestial musicians.

From that day onward, the maimed King Vikramaditya spent all his time in the palace, as the princess had wished, delighting the king’s daughter with his melodious voice as he performed ragas and raginis—each one suited to a particular time of day or night. Thus, entertaining the princess with his singing, King Vikrama lived until the end of the seven-and-a-half-year period.

Meanwhile, the princess firmly resolved that if she was destined to marry, she would marry only King Vikrama. And in order for this wish to come true, she began to fast. The maids reported this to the queen, who went to her daughter’s chambers and asked what had caused her distress. In response to her mother’s questions, the princess said:
— O Mother! I have firmly decided to marry the man who has recently begun singing for me in the palace. He is my chosen one, and I will marry no one else.

But the princess replied to her mother:
— I will not break my vow. This man alone will become my husband.
Then the queen realized that overcoming the mad notion that had taken hold of the princess would not be easy. Anxiously, she went straight to the chambers of her husband, King Chandrasena, to seek his advice. At that very moment, the king was questioning his courtiers:
— Why have the princess’s chambers recently been filled with wondrous ragas and raginis, reaching our ears both day and night? Who is singing these songs, and why does the princess listen to them incessantly?

The courtiers, fearing fortheir heads, they replied, respectfully folding their hands:
— O great king! We know nothing about this. Please deign to visit Princess Padmasena’s chambers—and you will learn everything you wish to know. As for us, we know nothing of the princess’s affairs. See for yourself, O lord, and do as you deem fit.

They had barely finished speaking when the queen entered the hall and told her husband, King Chandrasena, everything that had happened between her and their daughter.
At once, the king sprang to his feet and headed toward his daughter’s chambers with quick, firm strides. Appearing before Padmasena, he exclaimed:
— My daughter! Your intentions are unworthy of a king’s daughter! This man is a thief, and he was deprived of his limbs by my order, for he deserved it because of his crime! Passion has robbed you of your reason, but renounce it, and today I shall send messengers to every corner of the world to find a worthy, handsome, and gifted prince suitable as your bridegroom.

The princess calmly looked into her father’s eyes and replied confidently and firmly:
— Know this, my father: if you speak to me about this again, I shall part with my life, but I shall have no other husband.
The king studied her face intently and understood that her resolve was unshakable. Then, overcome with anger, he exclaimed:
— If such a lot is destined for you in life, it is not within my power to change it. For who can alter the decrees of fate?

Convinced that she had no choice He had no choice, and King Chandrasena agreed to his daughter’s marriage to her chosen one and returned to his chambers with a heavy heart. Beside himself with grief, he threw himself onto his bed and tossed and turned for a long time, unable to find rest. But eventually, deep sleep overcame him. And that night he dreamed of King Vikrama, who had regained the full strength of his limbs.

Meanwhile, unaware of what was happening in the palace, King Vikrama began to grow melancholy and anxious: “When will I return to Ujjaini and once again rule my kingdom? There is no misfortune left that I have not experienced, yet Lord Saturn remains merciless toward me. If only he would show me his mercy now!”

(to be continued)

https://www.youryoga.ru/school/en/attachments/1635587319495-png.1682/

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Nov 28, 2021

Planets in Astrology.
(On the News page of the TY website, there is a link to astrological information for the days of the week)

Jyotish considers 9 planets that influence our Earth, life, and events. The Sun and Moon are also considered planets, while Uranus and Neptune, on the contrary, are not included in this list. Two dark, invisible planets are also taken into account: Rahu (the dragon’s head) and Ketu (the dragon’s tail). From our perspective, these are the ascending (northern) and descending (southern) lunar nodes, that is, the two points where the orbits of the Sun and Moon intersect. They are believed to be responsible for eclipses,

These 9 planets, called Navagraha (nava—9, graha—a planet or its deity), have their own symbols—names, designations, numbers, stones, colors, etc. Seven of them are also closely associated with the days of the week.

Planets in order of their astrological numbers:
1.

Surya, Sun, Sunday. Golden.
2.

Chandra, Moon, Monday. White, silvery.
3.

Brihaspati, Jupiter, Thursday. Yellow.
4.

Rahu
5.

Budha, Mercury, Wednesday. Green.
6.

Shukra, Venus, Friday. Light pink, lilac, turquoise, etc.
7.

Ketu
8

. Shani, Saturn, Saturday. Black, dark blue.
9.

Mangala, Mars, Tuesday. Red.

There are many names of the planetary deities. The 12 names of the Sun in Surya Namaskar are well known.
The Moon—Chandra, Soma, and somewhere I also have the "100 Names of the Moon."
Mars—Mangala, Angaraka, and others.
Jupiter—Brihaspati, Guru, and others.

Today is Sunday, the day of the Sun, Surya. On the Your Yoga website, you can learn about the astrological significance of the day.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 1, 2021

The brightest comet of 2021.

The long-awaited comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) will probably become the brightest comet by the end of the year.
Astronomer Greg Leonard discovered the comet at the beginning of 2021. The comet is currently approaching the Sun and Earth. It will reach perihelion (the point closest to the Sun) on January 3, 2022. Comets are generally more visible when they are near perihelion. The comet will be closest to Earth on December 12.
Comet Leonard was visible in the morning sky, but in December it will move into the evening sky in the southwest, close to the horizon. There is a chance of seeing it with the naked eye.

Savannah, Georgia. A 24-minute photograph of Comet Leonard taken on November 27, 2021, at around 5 a.m.

Nature gives us celestial events that can be seen only once in a lifetime. It takes Comet Leonard tens of thousands of years to complete one orbit around the Sun. Orbital calculations have shown that it spent the last 35,000 years heading toward the Sun.

The comet’s trajectory through our solar system, from left to right. First, the comet will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere, then in the Southern Hemisphere.

An amazing feature of this celestial visitor is that it is an ultra-fast comet. It is moving at a speed of 158,084 miles per hour (254,412 km/h or 70.67 km/s) relative to Earth.
Despite its incredible speed, in the vast expanse of our solar system, this comet will not streak rapidly across the sky. Its movement can be noticed by observing it at intervals.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 3, 2021

And so we are approaching the end of the current Eclipse Corridor.

Tomorrow, December 4, a total solar eclipse will occur at the new moon. In Universal Time (UT), the eclipse will begin at 5:29, reach its maximum phase at 7:33, and end at 9:37. (Moscow time = UT+3)

Diagram of the total solar eclipse.

The path of totality will pass over the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and across Antarctica. The maximum duration of totality will be less than 2 minutes.

Thus, the solar eclipse will close the Eclipse Corridor, but its influence will still be felt for approximately two more weeks.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 4, 2021

Today we conclude the katha (fairy tale-story) about Saturn.

Vrata-katha for Saturn about King Vikrama. Conclusion.
(beginning above - A Little Astronomy and Astrology)

And when he saw King Vikrama sitting there, absorbed in such thoughts, Lord Saturn was filled with sympathy and pity for him. He appeared before the king and said:
— O King Vikrama! Do you recognize me? I am Saturn. Have you felt the flames of my power? Tell me, how many misfortunes have you had to endure because you insulted me before your entire court?

Seeing mighty Saturn before him and hearing his words, King Vikrama tried to rise to his feet, but having no feet, he immediately fell to the ground. And having no hands, he could not steady himself and rolled toward Saturn’s feet to express his respect and submission to his will. Then mighty Lord Saturn said:
— O King Vikrama! I admire your patience. You have endured great suffering and survived. Ask me for whatever you wish. I shall fulfill your innermost desire.

And King Vikramaditya, breathless with emotion, said:
— O great Lord! You have sent great suffering upon me. Then promise that you will never again bring such misfortunes upon anyone—misfortunes like those I have endured. O generous Lord Saturn! This is the deepest wish of my heart. No one could have borne the grief and adversity I was forced to face. And I wish that what befell me may never happen to anyone else. Never!

Hearing these words, Saturn exclaimed:
— I am delighted! Well said, King Vikrama! You could have asked me to restore your hands and feet, but your heart is filled with compassion and sympathy for the suffering of others. Renouncing your own desires, you ask for a blessing for everyone. Truly, you are a savior and a righteous man, for you ask that all people be freed from suffering. I am immensely pleased by such generosity and truly admire it; therefore, here is my gift to you—your former strong hands and feet, as well as your former power in all its splendor!

And as soon as Lord Saturn spoke these words, the king’s limbs were restored and Vikrama’s former beauty returned.
Then Vikramaditya bowed his forehead to Lord Saturn’s feet and exclaimed:
— O mighty Saturn! I bow before you again and again for your generosity, and once more ask you for a blessing for all living beings. I beg you, do not subject any living creature, whatever it may be, to sufferings like those that befell me!

The princess was overcome with amazement the following morning when she saw that King Vikrama’s hands and feet, which he had lost seven and a half years earlier, were whole and unharmed. Seeing how deeply shaken she was, Vikrama revealed his name to her and told her all that had happened to him, filling the princess with indescribable delight. The princess recounted everything to her closest ladies-in-waiting, who hurried to the king and queen, intending to tell them this astonishing story.

Meanwhile, King Chandrasena, awakening from his prophetic dream, hurried to his daughter’s chambers and saw King Vikrama there, as handsome as the god of love himself.

— Who are you? — King Chandrasena asked him, and Vikrama replied:
— I am the very thief who stole the pearl necklace from the merchant’s daughter.
— Yes, I can see that, — said King Chandrasena. — But I can also see that you are now whole and unharmed, although by my order your hands and feet were cut off. Please reveal this mystery to me, so that my doubts may be dispelled and my confusion appeased.
— I am known as the valiant Vikramaditya, — Vikrama replied, — and I am the king of the city of Ujjain.

He then told King Chandrasena everything that had happened to him during the seven and a half years he had remained under Saturn’s influence. After hearing this astonishing story, Chandrasena fell at Vikramaditya’s feet, begging forgiveness for having treated such a great king so cruelly. But Vikramaditya said to him:
— It was not you who wronged me; my fate brought me the punishment I deserved. Enraged Saturn took possession of my body for seven and a half years, and I myself am to blame for my miserable fate, because I insulted Saturn. What power did you have, O Chandrasena, to change anything here? You merely carried out the destiny Saturn had prepared for me.

Then King Chandrasena offered Vikramaditya his daughter’s hand in marriage and ordered the merchant who had accused the great king of stealing the necklace to be brought before him.

Upon hearing that he was being summoned to the palace, the merchant hurried to the court of the ruler of Tamalinda, where he bowed submissively before King Chandrasena and humbly asked:
— What are your commands, O lord? King Chandrasena asked the merchant:
— Have you found the pearl necklace? The merchant replied:
— Yes, great king! The swan painted in the picture swallowed it. When it brought the necklace back, I was stunned by what I saw!

Then the king said:
— O merchant! Everything that happened was merely an illusion created by Lord Saturn. Taking it for the truth, you accused a stranger who was a guest in your house of theft. Your guest has now arrived here at the palace. Do you recognize him? Before you stands the valiant King Vikramaditya, ruler of the city of Ujjain, whom the intricate workings of fate, decreed for him by Lord Saturn in his anger, led along this path.

When the merchant saw King Vikrama standing before him, whole and unharmed, his eyes widened like saucers. Prostrating himself before Vikramaditya and pitifully clinging to his feet, he began pleading in a faltering voice for forgiveness for having falsely accused him.
With tears streaming down his face, he asked to be given any punishment. But King Vikrama said to him:
— O merchant! It was not your fault. Lord Saturn was angered with me, and all this happened to me at his command.
Hearing these words, the merchant immediately offered the king his beautiful daughter in marriage—the very one who had once tested him—and promised an entire mountain of gold coins as her dowry.

Meanwhile, King Chandrasena sent servants to bring the oil merchant to the palace. He arrived in great haste and, respectfully folding his hands, exclaimed:
— O king! What are your commands? The king asked him:
— Do you recognize the person sitting before you?

But Vikramaditya’s body now shone like the Sun, and the dazzled merchant could not make out his features properly. Then King Chandrasena said:
— This is the man who drove the oxen that turned the oil press in your house. Do you recognize him now?
The oil merchant said:
— Yes, he greatly resembles him in appearance, but how can I say for certain?
Then Chandrasena told the oil merchant the whole truth and added:
— Know, then, that you gave hospitality and assistance to the valiant Vikramaditya. And as a token of respect for your generosity, I grant a village to you and your descendants.
The oil merchant was indescribably happy upon hearing these words.

Vikramaditya, in turn, gave the village to the oil merchant’s daughter-in-law, making her extremely happy. After this, he celebrated a magnificent wedding, marrying both the princess and the merchant’s daughter. The people of Tamalinda feasted and rejoiced for an entire month, after which the king set out for Ujjain with his young wives, accompanied by a multitude of servants, horses, elephants, and chariots. They entered Ujjain amid music and jubilation, and streams of people rushed to meet their sovereign. Crowds of townspeople greeted the king as he proceeded through the city streets. The entire following day, the city celebrated the great event. Meanwhile, the king sent heralds to every corner of his kingdom to proclaim in his name: “The god Saturn is the greatest of all the planets. May no one ever have to suffer as I suffered for insulting and humiliating him with my unworthy words.”

Then, when an auspicious day arrived, King Vikrama ordered a temple to be built in honor of Lord Saturn. The people of Ujjain began to worship Saturn diligently, glorifying his name and offering him prayers.

And anyone who listens to this account or reads it with a pure heart, attentively and devotedly, will be freed from all suffering.

This is only an excerpt from the complete book “The Greatness of Saturn”; the full story can be found there.
But if you practice reading even this excerpt, that will already be excellent for working through Saturn.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 4, 2021

Photographs of the total solar eclipse from Antarctica. December 4, 2021.

The phases of the eclipse.

108379 · Dec 4, 2021

, this topic is very interesting.
A very special thank-you to you for the katha (a fairy-tale story) about Saturn!

I had been eagerly awaiting your next post, and I am happy and pleased with how the story ended.

2909 · Dec 4, 2021

021047 said:
Today we are finishing the katha (fairy tale-story) about Saturn.

The vrata-katha for Saturn about King Vikrama. Conclusion.
(beginning above - A Little Astronomy and Astrology)

And seeing King Vikrama sitting there, immersed in such thoughts, Lord Saturn felt compassion and pity for him. He appeared before the king and said:
— O King Vikrama! Do you recognize me? I am Saturn. Have you felt the fire of my power? Tell me, how many misfortunes have you had to endure because you insulted me before your entire court?

Seeing almighty Saturn before him and hearing his words, King Vikrama tried to rise to his feet, but having no feet, he immediately fell to the ground. And having no hands, he could not support himself and rolled toward Saturn’s feet to express his respect and submission to his will. Then mighty Lord Saturn said:
— O King Vikrama! I am amazed by your patience. You have endured great suffering and survived. Ask me for whatever you wish. I will fulfill your most heartfelt desire.

And King Vikramaditya, gasping with emotion, said:
— O great Lord! You have visited great suffering upon me. So promise that never again will you bring such misfortunes upon anyone, like those I have had to endure. O generous Lord Saturn! This is the deepest desire of my heart. No one could have endured the sorrows and hardships I was forced to face. I wish that what happened to me would never happen to anyone else. Never!

Hearing these words, Saturn exclaimed:
— I am delighted! Excellent, King Vikrama! You could have asked me to restore your hands and feet, but your heart is filled with compassion and sympathy for the suffering of others. Renouncing your own desires, you ask for a blessing for everyone. Truly, you are a savior and a righteous man, for you ask that all people be freed from suffering. I am immensely pleased and truly moved by such generosity, and therefore here is my gift to you: your former strong hands and feet, as well as your former power in all its glory!

And as soon as Lord Saturn uttered these words, the king’s limbs were restored and Vikrama’s former beauty returned.
Then Vikramaditya bowed his forehead to Lord Saturn’s feet and exclaimed:
— O mighty Saturn! I bow before you again and again for your generosity, and once more I ask you for a blessing for all living beings. I beg you, do not subject any living creature, whatever it may be, to such torment as that which befell me!

The princess was overcome with great astonishment the following morning when she saw that King Vikrama’s hands and feet, which he had lost seven and a half years earlier, were whole and unharmed. Seeing how shaken she was, Vikrama revealed his name to her and told her everything that had happened to him, bringing the princess indescribable delight with his story. The princess recounted everything to her closest attendants, and they hurried to the king and queen, intending to tell them this astonishing tale.

Meanwhile, King Chandrasena, awakening from his prophetic dream, hurried to his daughter’s chambers and saw King Vikrama there, as handsome as the god of love himself.

— Who are you? — King Chandrasena asked him, and Vikrama replied:
— I am the very thief who stole the pearl necklace from the merchant’s daughter.
— Yes, I can see that, — said King Chandrasena. — But I can also see that you are now whole and unharmed, although I ordered your hands and feet to be cut off. Please reveal this mystery to me, so that my doubts may be dispelled and my confusion may subside.
— I am known as the valiant Vikramaditya, — Vikrama replied, — and I am the king of the city of Ujjain.

He then told King Chandrasena everything that had happened to him during the seven and a half years he had been under Saturn’s influence. After hearing this astonishing story, Chandrasena fell at Vikramaditya’s feet, begging forgiveness for treating such a great king so cruelly. But Vikramaditya said to him:
— It was not you who wronged me; my fate brought just punishment upon me. Angered, Saturn took possession of my body for seven and a half years, and I myself am to blame for my miserable fate, for I insulted Saturn. Could you, Chandrasena, have changed anything? You merely carried out the destiny Saturn had prepared for me.

Then King Chandrasena offered Vikramaditya his daughter’s hand in marriage and ordered the merchant who had accused the great king of stealing the necklace to be brought before him.

Upon hearing that he was being summoned to the palace, the merchant hurried to the court of the ruler of Tamalinda, where he humbly bowed before King Chandrasena and respectfully asked:
— What are your orders, O Lord? King Chandrasena asked the merchant:
— Have you found the pearl necklace? The merchant replied:
— Yes, great king! The swan painted in the picture swallowed it. When it brought the necklace back, I was stunned by what I saw!

Then the king said:
— O merchant! Everything that happened was merely an illusion created by Lord Saturn. Taking it for truth, you accused a stranger who was a guest in your house of theft. Your guest has now arrived here at the palace. Do you recognize him? Before you stands the valiant King Vikramaditya, ruler of the city of Ujjain, whom the intricate workings of fate, written for him by Lord Saturn in his anger, led along this path.

When the merchant saw King Vikrama standing before him, whole and unharmed, his eyes grew as round as saucers. Prostrating himself before Vikramaditya and pitifully clinging to his feet, he began pleading in a faltering voice for forgiveness for falsely accusing him.
With tears streaming down his face, he asked to be given any punishment. But King Vikrama said to him:
— O merchant! It was not your fault. Lord Saturn was angry with me, and all this happened to me at his command.
Hearing these words, the merchant immediately offered the king his beautiful daughter in marriage—the one who had once tested him—and promised an entire mountain of gold coins as her dowry.

Meanwhile, King Chandrasena sent servants to bring the oil merchant to the palace. He arrived in great haste and, respectfully folding his hands, exclaimed:
— O King! What are your orders? The king asked him:
— Do you recognize the person sitting before you?

But Vikramaditya’s body now shone like the Sun, and the dazzled merchant could not see him clearly. Then King Chandrasena said:
— This is the man who drove the oxen that turned the oil press in your house. Do you recognize him now?
The oil merchant said:
— Yes, he looks very much like him, but how can I say for certain?
Then Chandrasena told the oil merchant the whole truth and added:
— Know, then, that you offered hospitality and assistance to the valiant Vikramaditya. And as a token of respect for your generosity, I grant you and your descendants a village.
The oil merchant was indescribably happy to hear these words.

Vikramaditya, in turn, gave the village to the oil merchant’s daughter-in-law, making her very happy. After that, he held a lavish wedding, taking both the princess and the merchant’s daughter as his wives. For an entire month, the people of Tamalinda celebrated, feasting and rejoicing. Then the king set out for Ujjain with his young wives, accompanied by many servants, horses, elephants, and chariots. They entered Ujjain amid music and jubilation, and streams of people came out to meet their ruler. Crowds of townspeople greeted the king as he proceeded through the city streets. The entire following day, the city celebrated this great event. Meanwhile, the king sent heralds to every corner of his kingdom to proclaim in his name: “The god Saturn is the greatest of all the planets. May no one ever have to suffer as I suffered for insulting and humiliating him with my unworthy words.”

Then, when an auspicious day arrived, King Vikrama ordered a temple to be built in honor of Lord Saturn. The people of Ujjain began worshipping Saturn fervently, glorifying his name and offering him prayers.

And anyone who listens to this account or reads it with a pure heart, attentively and with devotion, will be freed from all suffering.

View attachment 1810

This is only an excerpt from the complete book “The Glory of Saturn”; the full version of this story can be found there.
But if you practice reading even the excerpt, that will already be excellent for working with Saturn.

Thank you! I read this book some time ago and practiced reading the chapters on Saturdays, Saturn’s day! Thank you for the reminder!

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 5, 2021

Today is Sunday, the day of the Sun, Surya. Here is a katha for the Sun, in which the events may differ somewhat from those familiar to us from other sources.

Vrata katha for the Sun.
An excerpt from the book "The Greatness of Saturn".

The first to enter the contest was a devotee of the Sun, for the Sun is the brightest of the planets...
The Sun is the foremost of the planets, and he favors all who serve him with constancy and devotion. He is the God among the planets, embodied in the form of the Sun.
Everything comes from the Sun because he is the soul of all things. He is the king of the heavens and of everything that dwells between the earth and the divine spheres.

— How did it happen that Vivasvat (one of the names of the Sun, "the Radiant One") first had children by one wife, then by a second, and then again by the first? — King Vikramaditya asked naively. — Tell us how it happened?

— Sanjna, — the pandit began his story, — the wife of Vivasvat, was the daughter of Tvashtri, the celestial architect, who was also called Vishvakarman — “the creator of all that exists.” Sanjna, whose name means “mutual understanding” and “harmony,” lived with her radiant husband for many years, and during that time gave birth to their first three children — Vaivasvata, Yama, and Yami. When the intense heat emanating from her husband became unbearable, Sanjna created a substitute wife by breathing life into her shadow (chhaya) and giving it her exact appearance. Then she went to her father and complained that life with the Sun was unbearable because of his scorching rays. Tvashtri, filled with a sense of duty, advised his daughter to return to her husband.
But Sanjna chose to descend from heaven to Earth and become a mare. In this equine form, she subjected herself to a severe trial, feeding only on dry grass in the hope that this would teach her to withstand the heat of Vivasvat’s rays.

Meanwhile, Chhaya — Sanjna’s shadow, endowed with a life of her own — gave birth to three children by Vivasvat: first Savarni, then Saturn, and after him Tapati. Though born from a shadow, these children were not ghostly at all. Savarni was destined to become the progenitor of the Eighth Age, Tapati became a river on Earth, and the story of Saturn and his greatness is still to come.

Chhaya loved her own children more than Sanjna’s, which enraged Yama. One day, driven to the limit by this, he was ready to kick her. Although he restrained himself, Chhaya flared up and cursed the boy. She foretold that his legs would fall from his body.
Terrified, Yama rushed to his father, crying, “Save me! Save me!” After hearing his son’s account, the Sun hastened to soften the curse and declared that worms would eat only a little flesh from Yama’s feet, after which they would fall to the ground. “Thus the curse will be fulfilled, but your legs will be saved,” he gently reassured the boy.
But from that day on, Vivasvat began to suspect that the woman with whom he lived was not his wife Sanjna at all. What kind of mother would curse her own child?! Summoning Chhaya before him, he sternly demanded that she explain why she did not treat all the children equally. Receiving no satisfactory answer, the Sun grew angry and was already preparing to curse his wife’s shadow, but, frightened by his fury, she told him everything. Vivasvat immediately renounced Chhaya and banished her from his domain, after which he went angrily to Tvashtri. Tvashtri calmed him, explaining why it had been so difficult for Sanjna to live with him, and proposed a solution.

When the magnificent luminary agreed to the plan, Tvashtri tied the Sun to his millstone, which ground away part of his heat. From this portion of the solar radiance, Tvashtri forged a discus for Vishnu the Preserver, a trident for Shiva the Destroyer, an aerial chariot for Kubera, the god of wealth, and a spear for Kartikeya — commander of the army of the gods.

Now that his heat had been moderated, Vivasvat set out in search of Sanjna. Finding her on Earth in the form of a mare, he transformed himself into a stallion and tried to approach her. Not recognizing him, she recoiled and galloped away. But Vivasvat pursued her, driven by great desire, and, catching up with her, ejaculated his semen into her mouth. Frightened that it was not her husband’s semen, she expelled it through her nose. From this mighty seed were born the twins Ashvins, whom the Vedas praise as the “Ever-Truthful.”

It is Yama, Sanjna’s son, who takes away the souls of those whose life journey has come to an end. He is the Guardian of the South. Once, Yama turned into a crow, frightened by the demon king Ravana. Since then, all crows have been revered as servants of Yama. Nachiketas and Markandeya offered propitiatory sacrifices to Yama and attained immortality, triumphing over death. Through devoted service, Savitri compelled Yama to bring her husband Satyavan back from the dead. I bow before Yama, the god of death, — the pandit concluded in an unexpectedly timid voice, hoping that these words would postpone his meeting with the formidable god of death for as long as possible.

— It seems, — said the all-knowing king, — Karna was also a son of the Sun?
— Yes, my lord, — the Sun’s servant replied approvingly. — The great warrior Karna (whose name means “ear”) was the offspring of the Sun god and an earthly maiden, Kunti. He was born with earrings in his ears and wearing a shining cuirass. These earrings and cuirass were part of his flesh and made him invulnerable to any weapon. The lord of the gods, Indra, feared that Karna would kill his son Arjuna during the great war recounted in the “Mahabharata.” Appearing before Karna, Indra asked him to give him these tokens of divine power. And Karna tore the cuirass and earrings from his own body, heedless of the pain, and gave them to the petitioner, without even considering that he was surrendering his invulnerability. For such unprecedented selflessness, Indra glorified Karna, calling him a god among givers.

(to be continued)

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 11, 2021

Today is Saturday, Saturn’s day.
Saturn’s Hexagon and Multicolored Bands

Saturn’s famous north polar hexagon (hexagon) is one of the most remarkable sights in the Solar System. The hexagon is an astonishing feature that seems out of place with its sharply defined, almost artificial-looking edges. The Voyager 2 spacecraft discovered the hexagon in 1981.
At the center of the hexagon is a gigantic cyclone. This cyclone is 1,240 miles (2,000 km) across, with cloud speeds of up to 330 miles per hour (150 meters per second). The sides of the hexagon itself are an incredible 8,600 miles (13,800 km) long.

This colorful view from NASA’s Cassini mission is the highest-resolution image of the unique six-sided jet stream at Saturn’s north pole, known as the “hexagon.” This is the first video in color filters.
Small vortices appear as reddish ovals. Some rotate clockwise, while the hexagon and the central hurricane rotate counterclockwise. Some of these smaller vortices race along with the hexagon’s jet stream, like cars on a racetrack. The largest of these vortices, visible near the lower-right corner and appearing whitish, extends approximately 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers), about twice the size of the largest hurricane on Earth. Hurricanes on Earth usually last for a week, but this one has been here for decades—and who knows—perhaps for centuries.

The colors of Saturn’s bands, as well as those of the hexagon, depend on the season on the planet.

These natural color images from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft compare the appearance of Saturn’s northern polar region in June 2013 and April 2017.
The comparison shows how clearly the colors of the region changed during this period.
In 2013, the entire interior of the hexagon turned blue. By 2017, most of the hexagon’s interior was covered by a yellowish haze, and only the center of the polar vortex retained its blue color. The overall yellowing of the polar region is believed to have been caused by smog particles formed as a result of increased solar radiation reaching the polar region as Saturn approached the northern summer solstice on May 24, 2017.

Images from this year also show rapid and striking changes in the color of the planet’s atmospheric bands in the Northern Hemisphere. It is currently winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and the south pole has a bluish tint.
Several of Saturn’s moons are visible in the image: from top to bottom—Tethys, Mimas, Enceladus, and Dione.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 12, 2021

Sunday—the day of the Sun.

The vrata-katha for the Sun.
An excerpt from the book "The Greatness of Saturn".
(End. Beginning - A Little Astronomy and Astrology)

Like his son Karna, the lord Sun himself was also a great giver. When Arjuna and his brothers went into exile and lived in the forest, they had nothing but deerskins and palm bark to cover their nakedness. They did not even have enough vessels for drinking water. Then Yudhishthira, the eldest of the brothers, following the priest's instructions, performed the prescribed worship of the Sun and honored the radiant god with offerings. For this, he was given the Akshayapatra—the “inexhaustible pot,” which fulfilled every desire of his heart. Whatever Yudhishthira wished for, the magic pot immediately provided.

During his student years, Hanuman, the monkey-god who helped Lord Ramachandra in his battle with Ravana (“the Roaring One”), wished to master the Vedas and all the teachings associated with them.
First, he approached Jupiter, the preceptor of the gods, but Jupiter refused to teach a monkey that constantly leaped from place to place. In distress, Hanuman went to the Sun, who asked him, “How can I teach you when I myself am in perpetual motion?” Hanuman replied, “I too will move ceaselessly before you.” Thus, thanks to the Sun's generosity, Hanuman was able to study the Vedas.

Through the grace of the lord Sun, the sage Yajnavalkya obtained the White Yajurveda. The great rishi Vyasa divided the Vedas into four parts and gave them to four disciples. The Yajus—a text written predominantly in prose—was entrusted to Vaishampayana, who was Yajnavalkya's guru. One day, angered by Yajnavalkya's arrogant words, Vaishampayana said to his disciple: “I am tired of you, disciple who insults his guru! Leave! But before you go, give back all the knowledge you received from me!”

Yajnavalkya obediently regurgitated all the Yajus mantras he had learned and departed. Seeing the mantras scattered on the floor, the other disciples transformed themselves into partridges and eagerly pecked them up. Through this unusual feast, the Yajus mantras formed a branch of the Yajurveda called “Taittiriya” (“Born from the partridge”).
Yajnavalkya then began searching for Vedic hymns unknown even to his guru. To gain inspiration and achieve his goal, he offered prayers and performed rituals in honor of the Sun in the form of Surya Narayana (“the Sun as the supreme lord”). Through his prayers, Yajnavalkya pleased Lord Surya Narayana, who appeared before him in the form of a horse (vaji) and gave him Yajus mantras previously unknown to anyone. Yajnavalkya divided this vast multitude of hymns into fifteen cycles, known as “Vajasanis” (“drawn from the horse's mane” or “received from the swift-footed one”). They formed the branch of the Yajurveda called “Vajasaneya.”

“The Sun's unfavorable position in the horoscope, O King,” continued the Sun's servant, “can lead to all kinds of ailments—first and foremost, skin diseases such as ‘white leprosy.’ Service to the lord Sun, however, helps cure all illnesses and makes the skin bright, shining like the Sun itself.
One day, the rishi Durvasas, known for being demanding and quarrelsome, came to visit Lord Krishna in his capital, Dvaraka. Lord Krishna received the sage with great warmth. However, Krishna's son Samba began mocking the hot-tempered rishi. The first time, Durvasas restrained himself, wishing Krishna to continue thinking well of him. But when Samba began teasing him again, the rishi could no longer endure it and cursed the boy, afflicting him with white leprosy. Hearing of the curse, Lord Krishna hastened to apologize to the irascible sage for the offense caused by his son and to learn of a remedy that could free him from the affliction. Durvasas replied: “Let the boy vow to honor Sunday as a sacred day and become a devoted servant of the Sun.” Samba did so and, after being healed, built a magnificent temple to the Sun in gratitude.

That is why one should offer prayers and worship the almighty Lord Surya Narayana. By reciting the Gayatri, brahmins gain clarity of mind and insight, while the Sun-salutation ritual grants yogis health, strength, and supreme knowledge. Whoever constantly repeats the sacred hymn “Aditya Hridaya” conquers all enemies as confidently as Lord Ramachandra destroyed Ravana in battle.
The light emanating from the lord Sun and his radiance are so immense that whoever meditates on Surya Narayana as the soul and supreme deity of all existence is cleansed of all sins, recovers from physical blindness, and is freed from ignorance—the blindness of the spirit. Such is the lord Sun, before whom I bow, greeting his sunrise each morning.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 14, 2021

Comet Leonard.
(For information about the comet, see above - Some astronomy and astrology)

Comet Leonard passed its closest point to Earth on December 12. But, contrary to expectations, its brightness did not increase enough for it to be observed with the naked eye. Here is a comparison with last year's bright comet NEOWISE.

On the right is Comet Leonard in December 2021; on the left is Comet NEOWISE in July 2020.

The brightness of Comet Leonard is just above the threshold of naked-eye visibility. "You can see that it exists with the naked eye," reports Yasushi Aoshima from Ishikawa, Japan, who photographed the comet above rushing snow clouds on December 8.:

As it approached Earth, the comet's tail split in two: an ion tail (above) and a dust tail.

In fact, all comets have these two tails. The ion tail consists of gas and is carried directly away from the Sun by the solar wind. The heavier dust tail is curved and follows the comet's orbit more closely.
When comets are far away, the two tails are difficult to distinguish from each other. But as they approach Earth, they become separately visible.
On December 18, Comet Leonard will pass by Venus at a distance of less than 4.3 million kilometers. This will be the closest pass of any comet near Venus in the entire history of observations. On December 19, Leonard's dust tail will brush Venus, possibly causing a meteor shower in the peaks of Venus's clouds visible from Earth.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 16, 2021

Thursday, the day of Jupiter, Guru.

Vrata katha for Jupiter.
(An excerpt from the book "The Greatness of Saturn")

The pandit—the servant of Jupiter—was a tall, corpulent man. He looked like a good-natured jolly fellow, but his wisdom was truly profound, and his judgments equally fair. And however insulting it was for him to hear the reproaches that had just been heaped upon Jupiter here, he calmly said:
— The main reason why Jupiter should be considered greater than Mercury is that Mercury is two-faced. Like a true courtier, Mercury reveals his favorable aspects when joined with favorable planets. In the company of malefic planets, however, he displays harmful qualities. Jupiter far surpasses him, for he is the most benefic of the Nine Planets. Only extraordinary circumstances can induce him to commit an unworthy act. Indra and all the celestial beings submit to his authority, honor him as their teacher and mentor, and follow his advice. Whoever devotedly serves Jupiter and constantly offers him prayers is freed from all sorrows, and all their cherished wishes come true. Truly, Jupiter is worthy of worship, for he is filled with compassion and his wisdom is exceptionally profound.

He has a broad, prominent chest and an impressive belly. His voice is like a lion’s roar, his skin is dark, his eyes are golden-brown, and his hair shines like pure gold. The kapha dosha predominates in his constitution. He loves sweets, wears yellow garments, and adorns himself with garlands of yellow flowers. As a Brahmin, Jupiter knows all the Vedas perfectly and is versed in every science. He is modest, compassionate, and happy; he knows how to control his senses and mind, and his intellect is truly refined. He follows the path of righteousness, observing the rituals. His metal is gold, and his gemstone is topaz. In the human body, he governs fatty tissue.

He is the Guardian of the northeast; his day of the week is Thursday, and among the constellations, Sagittarius and Pisces are under his dominion. Jupiter is revered as the patron of worship and the great Guru. He is called the Teacher of the immortal gods; the Soul, the Counselor, the Lord of Eloquence, the Golden Lord, the Creator, the Irresistible One, the Wearer of Yellow Garments, the Youthful One, Worthy of the Worship of the Entire World, the Compassionate One, the Creator of the State, the Liberator from Oppression, and the Peaceful One.

Jupiter’s father was Angiras, the son of Brahma. One day, upon seeing the beautiful apsaras (divine dancers), passionate desire arose in Brahma, and his seed was released. From the fire into which the seed fell were born Marichi, Bhrigu, Angiras, and other rishis. Angiras received his name because he was born from glowing embers (angara).

None other than he, He subsequently cast a spell that led to the birth of the mighty Hanuman. Angiras’s wife, Shraddha, bore him eight sons, among them Jupiter. This is why some call Jupiter the son of the fire god: they mean the fire embodied in Angiras.
Having endured severe trials, Jupiter won a place as guru among the gods and, in this exalted position, devoted all his strength to the welfare of the celestials, thwarting the plans of the asuras. Once, Venus, the guru of the asuras, withdrew to the Himalayas and spent a thousand years practicing austerities in honor of Lord Shiva, so that Shiva would reveal to him a way to destroy the devas. Indra, however, sent his daughter Jayanti to discover this secret by deception. Jayanti became Venus’s disciple and attendant and lived with him for many years, until he learned the necessary incantations. Seeing that he was preparing to return to the asuras, Jayanti asked him to marry her. After so many years of living together, Venus could not resist her request. He agreed to become Jayanti’s husband for ten years and declared that until that period had ended, the two of them would be invisible to the world.
Jupiter decided to take advantage of this. Assuming Venus’s form, he went to the asuras, who greeted him with genuine delight, believing that he had returned after his arduous trials. For ten years, Jupiter was the asuras’ teacher and mentor, eradicating hatred and hostility from their hearts.
When those ten years had passed, Venus parted from Jayanti and returned home. Seeing The asuras were bewildered by the two Venuses. In their confusion, they proclaimed the one who had been their teacher for ten years to be the real one. The true one, horrified by their ingratitude, became enraged and cursed them, foretelling their imminent destruction. Soon afterward, Jupiter assumed his true form and returned to heaven. Left like sheep without a shepherd, the asuras went to Venus and began begging for forgiveness. In the end, he relented and once again became their guru. However, his curse took effect, and for many more centuries the asuras remained powerless before the gods.
On another occasion, fate decreed otherwise, and this time Indra failed to show Jupiter the proper respect. Offended, Jupiter left Indra’s court and vanished without a trace. When Venus learned what had happened, he immediately led the asuras into battle against the gods. The wounded gods had no choice but to fall at the Creator’s feet and humbly plead for help. Brahma said to them: “The asuras grew weak after renouncing their guru, Venus. But now, having won his favor with sacrifices, they have once again become strong and wealthy. Do not even attempt to defeat them without a guru! Entrust this task to Vishvarupa.”
Vishvarupa was the son of the celestial architect Tvashtar and his wife Rachana, who came from the race of asuras. Vishvarupa had three heads: one for tasting Soma, the second for drinking, and the third for eating. Out of respect for his mother, Vishvarupa secretly made offerings for the benefit of the asura tribe. For this, he used the head that consumed beverages. Upon learning of this, Indra grew angry and cut off all three of his heads, which turned into birds.
Vishvarupa was Indra’s guru. Thus, Indra committed the great sin of killing his guru, generating bad karma that prompted Tvashtar, Vishvarupa’s grief-stricken father, to create the gigantic demon Vritra. Tvashtar ordered Vritra to avenge Vishvarupa’s death, and only with immense difficulty did Indra manage to kill the demon. And since Vritra was the son of a Seer, his killing generated evil karma once again, to eradicate which Indra had to undertake great austerities. For a thousand years, he remained imprisoned in a lotus stem in the middle of a secluded pond. Having endured all these hardships, Indra finally appeased Jupiter, who once again began helping the gods with his counsel. Indra’s star rose again, and he was able to overcome his enemies.
So is it really worth wasting words? Can anyone deny that none of the planets compares with Jupiter? I bow reverently before Jupiter, who destroys all the enemies in the path of one who properly honors him and deprives of prosperity anyone who dares to disregard him”—thus the pandit concluded his speech.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 18, 2021

The Lunar Nodes Rahu and Ketu.

Rahu and Ketu can ruin one's life just as much as Saturn.

Rahu and Ketu (symbols of maya and illusion, as well as significators of all intoxicants and mind-altering substances) can eclipse the Sun. Rahu and Ketu—two shadow planets—can eclipse sunlight and human consciousness, distorting reality. They can cast something important in a person's life or spiritual development into the shadows and, conversely, illuminate what is secondary or even harmful. For example, a person may begin to believe that money and material possessions are the most important things in life, while family, children, health, and moral principles are merely secondary, without even realizing it. The opposite can also happen: as a result of a serious illness, a person's body continues to exist but no longer lives a full life, while the soul continues to live and develop.

Vrata-katha for Rahu and Ketu.
(Excerpt from the book "The Glory of Saturn")

When Saturn's servant suddenly fell silent, the listeners, shaken, froze in silence. Then the eighth pandit found his voice again and said: “Rahu and Ketu, the two Lunar Nodes, are the two most formidable celestial bodies, born of the asura tribe. The Sun and Moon tremble in fear as they approach them, for an eclipse occurs whenever these demons unite with the luminaries. It is said that Rahu is especially harmful to the Moon, while Ketu is harmful to the Sun. They bring sorrow and grief into the lives of all living beings; however, one who honors them and performs sacrifices in their name may live peacefully and happily. Among the planets they are particularly cruel, and therefore it is very important to worship them constantly. When he receives offerings, Rahu becomes merciful, fills the soul with compassion and sympathy, and protects against illness and fear of snakes. Ketu, when pleased, grants his devotees supreme wisdom.

Rahu, possessed of many thoughts, has a vata constitution. He is the head severed from the body of the mighty Vikprachitti, son of Vikprachitti and his wife Simhika, sister of Prahlada, who, as is known, attained immortality as a reward for his devoted service to Lord Vishnu. Ketu, meanwhile, is the beheaded and dismembered body whose head was Rahu. It is said that a comet is Ketu's tail—the only part of his body that can be seen. Rahu appears as bluish-black smoke. He dwells in forests and strikes terror into all living beings. Hideous in appearance and dreadful, Ketu, chief among the planets and stars, resembles Rahu but is multicolored. Images of Rahu in temples are adorned with a half-moon on the head severed from the body. The image of Ketu holds a sword and a lamp in its hands.

Rahu's metal is lead, and his stone is agate. Ketu rules the earth, and his stone is turquoise. Both are lords of the northwest direction. Rahu is also called Svarbhanu, Counselor of the Asuras, Half-Bodied, Ever-Wrathful, the Serpent, Persecutor of the Celestial Luminaries, the Terrible, the Fearsome, the Black One, Lord of Terror, the Mighty, the Fanged, the Bloodshot-Eyed, the Idle, and the Big-Bellied. Ketu also bears many names: Crest-Adorned, Banner-Bearer, One Who Stands at the Head, Smoke-Headed, and Repulsive.

Rahu and Ketu were separated from each other in those distant times when the gods and asuras churned the Ocean of Milk. Durvasas, the Moon's brother, excessively quick-tempered, cast a curse that caused the glory, radiance, and prosperity of the devas to fade. Distressed and bewildered, the gods went to Brahma for advice, and he, in turn, sought counsel from Lord Vishnu. Vishnu replied: “Time now favors the asuras, your enemies, but not you. You will have to wait until Time becomes favorable toward you. For now, make peace with your enemies and join forces with them to churn the Ocean of Milk and obtain amrita (the drink of immortality).”

And so they did. Adding every kind of medicinal herb, shrub, vine, and other plant to the Ocean, and constructing a churning device from Mount Mandara and the serpent Vasuki, the devas and asuras set to work together. The blessed Lord Vishnu, assuming the form of the primordial Tortoise and descending to the bottom of the Ocean, helped them churn it, raising and lowering the sacred mountain Mandara, which rested on his back. The tides we observe today were formed by the wave raised by the breath of the Divine Tortoise. The measured turning and scraping of the sacred instruments with which the gods and asuras churned the Ocean lulled the Tortoise to sleep, and it sank into slumber.

Lord Vishnu saw to it that the serpent Vasuki, who served as the rope, felt no pain. He gave courage and strength to the hearts of the asuras and devas. The “Shrimad Bhagavatam” describes these events as follows: “With the furious frenzy of drunkards, they churned the ocean, throwing its inhabitants into stupor and terror.” The self-satisfied asuras, intoxicated by their knowledge and grandeur, declared that they should be the ones to hold the head of the serpent Vasuki. Lord Vishnu advised the gods to agree. Thus, while churning the Ocean, the devas held the serpent firmly by the tail, while the asuras were blasted by the searing poison issuing from Vasuki's mouth.

The first substance to arise from the churning of the Ocean of Milk was the deadly poison Halahala, capable of destroying the entire Universe. The devas and asuras rushed in terror to seek the protection of Lord Shiva. Shiva drank this terrible poison but did not swallow it, instead holding it in his throat, which turned blue. Drops of the poison that fell from Shiva's hand were absorbed by scorpions, snakes, and deadly plants.

The next creation of the Ocean was Kamadhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow. The rishis took her for themselves. Then the divine horse Ucchaihshravas (“He Who Has Upright Ears”) arose. Bali, king of the asuras, wanted to possess it. The fourth precious creation of the Ocean was Airavata, the celestial elephant, which went to Indra. The fifth was the precious Kaustubha gem, which Lord Vishnu placed upon his chest. The sixth treasure was the wish-fulfilling Parijataka tree, which was planted in the celestial garden. Next came the wondrous apsaras (celestial dancers), whose beauty captivated all the heavenly beings. The eighth was the appearance of enchanting Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, who chose Lord Vishnu as her husband. Lakshmi's gracious glance perfected all the virtues of the heavenly beings, immersing the devas in a state of complete bliss. The asuras, who were not blessed with Lakshmi's glance, lost all their finest qualities, losing their valor, self-control, restraint, and ability to help others. Instead, all vices blossomed in their hearts and thoughts. After Lakshmi, Varuni, goddess of intoxicating drinks, emerged from the Ocean; the asuras took her for themselves, while Lakshmi was taken by Vishnu.

Finally, Dhanvantari appeared, the god of healing, holding a cup of amrita in his hand. The asuras instantly seized the cup, and had Mohini (“The Enchantress”) not appeared before them, the demons would have swallowed all the amrita. At the sight of this most beautiful woman in the Universe, the asuras were filled with unbearable desire. They had no idea that before them stood Lord Vishnu himself, who had assumed a female form. Mohini undertook to settle the dispute and divide the drink of immortality equally between the asuras and the gods—but only if the asuras would do everything she commanded. Blinded by passion, the asuras agreed.
All day long, Mohini flitted lightly between the asuras exhausted by churning and the devas, distributing the amrita. Again and again her clothing slipped teasingly, revealing her marvelous breasts. Her soft speech murmured like a brook, lulling the asuras' vigilance. And all the drink of immortality went to the gods. Only the demon Rahu, having changed his appearance, sat between the Sun and Moon and received a drop of amrita. Noticing the deception, the radiant luminaries informed Vishnu. He hurled his discus and severed Rahu's head. Since the drop of amrita that Rahu managed to drink reached only his throat, his body fell dead, while his head remained alive and has tormented the Moon and Sun ever since, taking revenge for their betrayal. Whenever possible, Rahu swallows them with immense pleasure. But now only his head remains, and therefore the luminaries pass through him and become visible again as soon as the eclipse ends. Where drops of Rahu's blood fell to earth, garlic grew, whose healing properties resemble those of amrita. However, it affects the minds of those who consume it in a manner characteristic of Rahu's nature.

I respectfully bow before Rahu and Ketu, the two celestial bodies that, like shadows, eclipse the minds of those they seek to afflict.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 20, 2021

Winter Solstice 2021.

The solstices (summer and winter) are the points of seasonal turning on Earth from winter to summer and vice versa. That is why these days are also called the Turning of the Sun.

Tomorrow, on December 21, 2021, at 15:59 UTC (18:59 Moscow time), the winter solstice will occur. It will happen simultaneously across the entire globe, according to each location’s local time. The Northern Hemisphere will have the shortest day and the longest night, while in the Southern Hemisphere it will be the opposite.
For several days before and after the solstice, the Sun remains at its minimum height above the horizon. Its lowest position of the year can be observed at noon on December 21. The shadows cast will be the longest.

This is the day of Light’s victory over darkness..
I usually told the children: winter is over! But the cold arrives several weeks later (just as the heat comes after June 21–22), because our vast expanses of water—the oceans, seas, and lakes—warm up (and cool down) later.

The days of the solstices and equinoxes are mystical days governed by cosmic laws. Portals open, wishes are made, and, of course, there are greetings to the Sun.

On the day of the winter solstice, it is important to use the opportunity granted by the Universe to change for the better. Programming the mind for success will help us act decisively and not miss promising opportunities.
Spiritual practices will help us find harmony with the world around us, direct our energy toward attracting positive changes and happiness.

For the first time in history, a spacecraft touched the Sun.

NASA’s Parker solar probe flew through the upper layers of the Sun’s atmosphere—the corona—and collected samples of particles, magnetic-field data, and solar wind.

Удалённый пользователь 19 · Dec 24, 2021

Friday is the day of Venus. The colors are soft and light.

Gate-katha for Venus
(Excerpt from the book "The Glory of Saturn")

And then it was the turn of Venus's servant.
— Jupiter —is a mighty planet, —he began, —and there is no doubt about that. But Venus possesses a gift,which even Jupiter does not have:he can revive the dead through the secret knowledge of Sanjivana-vidya. That is why Venus is the most powerful of the planets. He —is the teacher and preceptor of the asuras,who serve him day and night. For through Sanjivana-vidya, Venus brings back to life those among them, who fell in battles with the gods. No one is able to enumerate all the wondrous gifts, with which Lord Venus is endowed. All three worlds pay homage to him, for his power is astonishing and his valor unparalleled.

Venus frees from all obstacles, anxieties, and ailments those, who worship him, for this mighty lord is capable of destroying bad karma. His insight is remarkable; being a true Brahmin, he is versed in every kind of knowledge. The most cherished wishes of his devotees are fulfilled, and anyone, who observes the Night Vow given to him for a year, becomes both strong, and happy, and fertile, good fortune accompanies him, obstacles disappear from his path, and after death he enters the realm of Venus.

The lord Venus is fortunate and charming, with a beautiful, well-built, medium-height body, long arms, broad shoulders, a powerful chest, and dark, short, curly hair. His masculine strength is unequaled; he is intelligent, attractive, and handsome. He has a mixed kapha-vata constitution. His skin is the color of snow, a white jasmine flower or fragrant oleander, or a lotus stem. He enjoys juicy fruits, and music, and women. Its metal — silver, and its precious stone — diamond. Although Venus himself, the lord, has only one eye, it is he who governs a person's eyes and vision: those who have a strong Venus in their horoscope, will have beautiful eyes.

Ruling the semen and ova in the human body, Venus also governs the southeast, Friday, and the constellations of Taurus and Libra. He has many names: Ushanas, Magnificent, Poet, Snow-White, Pure, One Who Has Reached the Far Shore of the Wisdom of the Vedas and Vedangas.

Possessor of great wisdom. A master of politics and Guru of the asuras. Venus — the son of the rishi Bhrigu and his wife Puloma. The rishi Bhrigu, like the rishi Angiras, was born from Brahma’s very seed, which means, that Venus and Jupiter, these two irreconcilable enemies, are cousins.

Once, the rishi Bhrigu was engaged in severe austerities on Mount Mandara, while Venus, who was still a child at the time, served his father. And one day it happened, that Bhrigu was immersed in deep meditation, while Venus, alone, admired the beauty of the sky stretching above him. And suddenly, before his eyes appeared the apsara Vishvachi, more beautiful than words can express. Her appearance filled the boy’s heart with delight. Venara stood motionless, captivated by her enchanting beauty, and all his thoughts turned toward her alone. Finally, to distract himself from her, he directed his thoughts toward Indra and was received with honors in his world. But even here, in the heavens, he encountered that same apsara, whose beauty had brought him there.
Thus they fell in love with each other. Venara built a hut from dense fallen branches in a secluded corner of the heavenly garden and shrouded it in darkness. Sheltering in this dwelling, Venara and Vishvachi indulged in amorous pleasures and did not part for a moment for eight cycles of four yugas. When Venus’s good karma was exhausted, he fell from heaven to the Moon. Then his soul reached the Earth with the rains, which fell on the rice fields. It entered the seed of a Brahmin, who ate that rice, and then entered the Brahmin’s wife’s womb through his seed, and thus Venus was reborn in the family of that priest.

Having reached maturity again, he withdrew to Mount Meru for severe austerities and lived there for as long, as the Progenitor of that Age, until his path once again crossed that of Vishvachi, who now lived on that mountain in the form of a doe. Once again, Venus fell in love with her and took her as his wife. A child was born from this union, which distracted Venus from his meditation. And soon Vena died from a snakebite, and then, being reborn as a prince in the land of Madra, ruled that land for many years. He was reborn on Earth many more times. In one of his incarnations, he became a bamboo grove, and in another —a python. Finally, he was born as the son of a Seer, who lived on the banks of the sacred Ganges River.

His first body, which had fallen to the ground long ago, was exposed to every wind, as well as the sun, and rain. But Bhrigu, who was still in meditation, preserved it from decay and wild animals through his austerities. A thousand divine years passed, and Bhrigu opened his eyes. But beside him he saw not a living son, but an emaciated, decrepit body. Small birds had built nests in the folds of his skin, and frogs had taken shelter on his sunken belly. Bhrigu flew into a rage at the thought, that his son had met an untimely death, and was already ready to unleash a curse upon Yama, the god of death. But then Yama appeared before him and said: «I beg you, do not squander on curses the spiritual power, that you have accumulated with such difficulty! All creatures — are my food, and there is no counting the worlds, that I have already devoured. Moreover, your son brought this fate upon himself.” And Yama told the grief-stricken father everything, that Vena had done, and added: “Now he is atoning for his deeds, observing a vow on the banks of the Ganges. Open your third eye and see for yourself!”

With these words, Yama breathed life into Vena’s body. He rose and respectfully greeted his father.

Bhrigu then told the boy about all his past lives and showed him the path to spiritual victories. Vena embarked upon this righteous path, seeking to win the favor of Lord Shiva, but even after five thousand years of devoted service and prayer, he achieved nothing. Then he firmly resolved to live in seclusion and subsist solely on smoke for a thousand years, until Shiva appeared before him. And finally, Lord Shiva appeared to him and, blessing Venus, promised, that in the end he would become his son.

Shiva also imparted to him the secret knowledge of Sanjivana Vidya, which had previously been known only to Shiva himself, his wife Parvati, and his two sons — Ganesha and Skanda. And to top it all off, Shiva named Venus the best of the planets and declared, that from then on, all auspicious rituals would begin with the rising of Venus. That is why the wedding ceremony begins only when Venus rises into the sky, . Venus himself had several wives, who gave him both sons, and daughters.

(to be continued)

A Little Astronomy and Astrology

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