Vedic stories of Planets : Sn

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Dear All

 

Following Solai Guru's advise on Vedic/ Puranic stories of the planets, I

start with the Sun.

 

Names: Most names are to do with light & related adjectives, etc. Except

Loka Chakshu (eye of the world) & Martanda (son of a dead egg).

 

Loka Chakshu: Eye is creative (creates emotions), preservative (observing,

to make it happen), & destructive (as in Shiva's 3rd eye, destroys germs/

diseases)

 

Martanda: Born the 8th of 12 children (Adityas) of Aditi (the mother

Goddess) & Kashyapa (one of the first sages, also Prajapati, the father of

all the Gods thru Aditi= original unsplit, & Demons thru Diti= splitting).

The 1st 7 refused to create the material world, as then they would lose

their freedom, having to then become embedded (elsewhere in the texts: most

of the Prajapatis, ie creators also had refused, for the same reason).

Aditi wanted to create death, as without BOTH life & death, there could not

be any manifestation. Aditi abandoned him, as he was thought to be dead in

the womb (dead egg).

 

He married Twashtri/ Sanja, the daughter of Vishwakarma, the celestial

architect/ carpenter, who cut the Sun on his lathe, to 1/12 his effulgence,

so that she (the worlds) could bear his heat/ light. These cut parts were

used to make various weapons for the various Gods, eg Vishnu's discus. She

went to her father's place, leaving her shadow, Chhaya behind in

attendance, to serve him in her absence. On returning, she found that Sun,

unaware of the switch, had conceived Saturn (the dark one) out of Chhaya.

In distress, she went off to the forests as a mare, to do penance. Later,

the Sun realised all this, and went after her as a horse, found her, &

conceived the Ashwins, ie the 1st nakshatra (constellation), who are the

twin doctors, having the Sun's power to heal, the Sun's urge to manifest,

splendour, & sensation-seeking, & the speed/ quickness of horses. On

return, & becoming themselves again, the Sun & Sanja conceived Manu (father

of ONE lineage of mankind in particular, ie the righteous Solar dynasty, &

law-maker for human society), Yama (Death) & Yamuna (river, Vishnu's

companion= preservation). That is, the trinity of creation, preservation &

destruction, all in 1, as 3 sides of the same thing required for

manifestation of this Universe.

 

The Sun also fathered illegally, Sugriva (the monkey-King who knew the

demons, but sided with the Gods), Karna (originally & unknowingly a

Pandava, but sided with the Kauravas, as te knowledge of his birth to him,

was too late by then, to switch his loyalties), Savarni, etc.

 

Symbolism: The Sun rides on a 1-wheel (perfect balance & independence)

chariot, pulled by 7 horses. The wheel has 5 spokes & 3 naves. The wheel is

8-fold, & drawn by Naga (the great serpent). Each of these numbers have the

usual correspondences, eg 3= the 3 gunas, etc.

 

I haven't fully fathomed the meaning of most of the above Martanda story.

So, IF some learned person, can translate the story for us more fully in

this List, I could probably understand more, & then provide the next story

about the Moon, when I read it up. And then, about the other planets, in

time.

 

Maybe, these stories are actually just memory-guides, eg so that people can

remember that Saturn is dark, as born out of Chhaya, & that it is the son

of Sun (used in Vedhas in transits), & have no deeper significance beyond

that. But obviously, there must be a reason why Saturn is the only planet

which is a son of the Sun. I can't guess.

 

Best wishes

 

Nandan