Graha-s (Planets) & Skandha-s (layers of wind)

planetary chariots -- VuP 1:52: (variant horse-colors, SkP 1:2:38:27-31) (LP 1:55:81-1:57:5)

planet

Ravi sun

Candra-mas moon

Budha Mercury

Us`anas / S`ukra Venus

Bhauma Mars

Br.has-pati / Jiva Jupiter

S`ani / S`auri / Manda Saturn

Rahu (asc. node)

Ketu (desc. node)

# of wheels

:43 1

:50 3

             

semblance of chariot

 

:73 "cloud"

   

:76 golden

:77 golden

:79 "black iron"

:80 tamasic (dark)

:80 [horses] "like smoke from burning straw"

color of horses

:42 green

white

:72 tawny (reddish-brown, SkP)

:74 "various"

red

red (yellowish-white, SkP)

variegated (brindled, SkP; black, LP)

black (gray, SkP)

tawny "like donkeys"

origin of horses

 

:50 waters

 

earth

   

aether (akas`a)

   

# of horses

:44 7 [:45 Vaidik meters]

:51 10

8

:75 10

8

:78 8

(10, LP 1:57:4)

8

(8, LP 1:57:5)

1st horse

:45 Gayatri

:53 Yayu "going"

 

white

         

2nd horse

Br.hati

Tri-manas "3-mind"

 

[tawny]

         

3rd horse

Us.n.ij

Vr.s.a "rain"

 

brown

         

4th horse

Jagati

Raji-vala "dusty-cave"

 

blue

         

5th horse

Tri-s.t.ubh

Haya "moving"

 

yellow

         

6th horse

Anu-s.t.ubh

Vama "vomiting"

 

red

         

7th horse

Pan~c-ti

Turan.ya "accelerating"

 

black

         

8th horse

 

Hamsa "swan"

 

green

         

9th horse

 

Vyomin "skyey"

 

spotted

         

10th horse

 

Mr.ga "wild"

 

variegated

         

bodily organs of Gangetic porpoise as constellations -- VuP 1:52:

verse

organ

constellation-deity

:92

upper jaw

Uttana-pada

:93

lower jaw

Yajn~a

 

top of head

Dharma

 

heart

Nara-ayan.a

 

forelegs

As`vinau

:94

hind legs

Varun.a & Aryaman

 

tail

Agni, Maha-indra, Marici, Kas`yapa, Dhruva

rays of the sun -- VuP 1:53:

verses

color

#

generate __

names

:20

variegated

400

rain

Vanadana-s, Vandya-s, R.tana-s, Nu-tana-s ("modern-s"), A-mr.ta-s

:21-22

yellow

300

chilliness

Candra-s: Dr.s`ya-s ("conspicuous-es"), Medhya-s, Vahya-s ("to be performed-s"), Hradini-s

:23

white

300

heat

S`ukla-s, Kakubh-s ("peaks"), Gau-s, Vis`va-bhr.t-s

origins of the planets -- VuP 1:53:

verse

__ (deity) who is

origin of planet __

:30

Agni (fire)

Surya (sun)

 

(water)

(moon)

:31

Skanda

Angaraka (Mars)

 

Nara-ayan.a

Budha (Mercury)

:32

Rudra

S`anais`cara (Saturn)

:33

Praja-pati

S`ukra (Venus)

 

Praja-pati

Br.has-pati (Jupiter)

production out of solar rays -- VuP 1:53: [LP 1:60:21-24]

verse

#

sun's ray named __

is source of __

direction of propagation

:46

1st

Su-s.umna

"the declining Moon"

laterally and from above ["above, below and on the sides", LP 1:60:21]

:47

2nd

Hari-kes`a

the stars

forward ["in front", LP 1:60:22]

 

3rd

Vis`va-karman

Budha

towards the south

:48

4th

Vis`va-s`ravas [Vis`va-vyacas, LP]

S`ukra

 
 

5th

Sampad-vasu [Sannaddha, LP]

Lohita

 

:49

6th

Arva-vasu [Sarva-vasu, LP]

Br.has-pati

 
 

7th

Sva-raj

S`anais`cara

 

abodes of the planets -- VuP 1:53:

verse

planet

abode (LP 1:61:9-11)

natures of planetary abodes (LP 1:61:)

:59

Surya

:9 Saura

:22a fiery

 

Soma

Saumya

:22b snowy: white

:60

S`ukra

:10 S`aukra

:23b watery white

 

Br.has-pati

Br.had

:24b yellow

 

Lohita [Bhauma, LP]

Lauhita [Lohita, LP]

:24a reddish

 

S`anais`cara

:11 S`anais`cara

:25a black

--

[Budha

Baudha

:23a watery dark

--

 

Svarbhanu

:25b gloomy]

:61 "The planets are brightly illuminated due to their contact with the rays of the Sun."

{The distinction betwen watery dark & watery white is similar to that in Bon between "Black Water" & "White Water"}

diameters of the planets -- VuP 1:53:

verse

planet

diameter * , relative to the foregoing planet

diameter * , relative to the sun

viz., __ yojana-s

:61

sun

 

1

9,000

:62

moon

2

2

18,000

:66

Bhargava (Venus)

1/16

1/8

1,125

:67

Br.has-pati

3/4

3/32

851 1/4

 

Ku-ja (Mars)

3/4

9/128

638 7/16

 

Saura (Saturn)

1

9/128

638 7/16

 

Budha

3/4

27/512

478 15/16

:68

stars

1

27/512

478 15/16

[LP 1:57:14-15 & 1:61: 32-34 Bhauma & Manda are aequal-sized, each 3/4 Jiva; Budha is 3/4 of that]

vimana-s (:79 ae:rial cars = flying saucers) of the lords-praeceptors of the planets -- VuP 1:53:

verse

planetary deity

father

mother

:79

Vivas-vant

 

A-diti "unlimited"

:80

Tvis.i-mant ("impetuous")

Dharma Vasu

 
 

S`ukra, king of the Asura-s

Bhr.gu

 

:81

Br.has-pati, praeceptor of the Deva-s

Angiras

 
 

Budha

Tvis.i

 

:82

Lohita (= Agni re-born)

   
 

stars & constellations

Daks.a

 

:83

Svar-bhanu

 

Simhika "little lioness"

LP 1:59: the 1000 solar rays

verse

:24-25

:26-27a

:27b-28a

emitting

rain

snow

heat

#

400

300

300?

collective name

A-mr.ta

Candra-bha

S`ukla

color

variegated

yellow

[white]

1st group

Bhajana-s

Res`a-s

S`ukla-s

2nd group

Malya-s

Megha-s

Kakubha-s

3rd group

Ketana-s

Vatsya-s

Vis`va-bhr.t-s

4th group

Patana-s

Hladini-s

 

LP 1:59:35b-38 rays of the 12 suns in the 12 months

sun

1000s of rays

Varun.a

5

Pus.an

6

Ams`u

7

Dhatr.

8

Indra

9

Vivasvant

10

Bhaga

11

Mitra

7

Tvas.t.r.

8

Aryaman

10

Parjanya

9

Vis.n.u

6

LP 1:59:39-40 colors of sun in the 6 seasons

season (named in 1:55:24)

color of sun

vasantika spring

tawny

grais.ma summer

golden

vars.ika rainy-season

white

s`arad autumn

gray

hima early-winter

copper-colored

s`is`ira late-winter

red

colors of sets of rays proceeding forth out of planets

VuP 1:53:

LP 1:61:

verses

__-rayed

planet

color

 

__-rayed

:84

1,000

sun

sparkling fiery

   

:85

1,000

moon

sparkling white

   

:86

16

Venus

red

:23b

16

 

?

Bhauma

 

:24a

9

:87

12

Br.has-pati

green

:24b

16

 

?

Saturn

dark

:25a

8

:88

?

Svar-bhanu

dark

   

:88-89

1

stars

bright white

   

:89 stars are "solid water" [= tritium]

natal naks.atra-s of planets [born (:104) in Caks.usa Manu-antara] -- VuP 1:53:

verses

__-rayed

planet

planet-god

son of __

naks.atra as birth-place

:104

 

sun

Vivas-vant

+A-diti

Vi-s`akha

:105

 

moon

Vis`va-vasu

Dharma

Kr.ttika

:106

16

Venus

S`ukra

Bhr.gu

Tis.ya

:107

12

Jupiter

Br.has-pati

Angiras

Phal-guni (Purva-Phalguni, BAP)

:108

9

Mars

 

Praja-pati

Purva-as.ad.ha

:109

7

Saturn

[S`anais`cara]

Surya

Revati

planetary associations (MW, p. 89 = Figure 6c)

graha "planet"

loha "metal"

ratna "gem"

samittu "fuel"

dhanya "grain"

"deity"

surya "sun"

copper

ruby

ekka Calotropis gigantea

wheat Triticum sativum

+Brahmani

candra "moon"

"white metal"

pearl

muttiga Butea monosperma

rice Oryza sativa

+Maha-is`vari

mangala "Mars"

bronze

coral

kaggali Acacia catechu

dal Cajanus indicus

+Kumari

budha "Mercury"

brass

"green gem"

uttarani Achyranthes aspera

green gram Phaseolus mungo

+Vais.n.avi

guru "Jupiter"

gold

topaz

arali Ficus religiosa

Bengal gram Cicer arietinum

+Varahi

s`ukra "Venus"

silver

diamond

atti Ficus glomerata

cow gram Dolichus lablab

+Indrani

s`ani "Saturn"

iron

sapphire

banni Acacia ferruginea

sesame Sesamum indicum

+Camundi

rahu

lead

gomedha

garike Sesale Myrtina

horse gram Dolichus biflorus

+Vira-bhadra

ketu

zinc

vaid.urya ["beryl"]

Darbhe bipinnata

Black gram Phaseolus mungo

+Gana-pati

SkP 1:2:38: the 7 Skandha-s fastened to, and impelling, the Graha-s etc.

verse

ord. #

skandha "__-vaha"

graha impelled

ord. #s of these 7 "wheels of the wind" in Bhuvar-loka (according to LP 1:53:36-37)

:53

1st

Pra-

the clouds

2nd Pra-

:55

2nd

A-

the Sun

1st A-

:56

3rd

Ud-

the Moon

3rd Anu-

:57

4th

Sam-

the stars

4th Sam-

:58

5th

Vi-

the Graha-s

5th Vi-

:59

6th

Pari-

the 7 R.s.i-s

7th Pari-

:60

7th

Para-

the Dhrauvya Cakra (wheel of Dhruva)

6th Para-

(the wind-circle Pra-vaha motivateth the graha-s, etc.: LP 1:57:7)

references:-

VuP = ANCIENT INDIAN TRADITION AND MYTHOLOGY SERIES, Vol. 37 -- The Vayu Puran.a, Part I: "Purva-ardha", translated by G. V. Tagare -- Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1987.

BAP = ANCIENT INDIAN TRADITION AND MYTHOLOGY SERIES. The Brahman.d.a Puran.a

LP = ANCIENT INDIAN TRADITION AND MYTHOLOGY SERIES, Vol. 5 -- The Linga Puran.a, Part I. Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1973.

SkP = ANCIENT INDIAN TRADITION AND MYTHOLOGY SERIES, Vol. 50 -- The Skanda-Puran.a, Part II: "Kaumarika-khan.d.a", translated by G. V. Tagare -- Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1993.

MW = Jan Brouwer: The Makers of the World. Oxford U. Pr, 1995.