Shukra
| Shukra | |
|---|---|
Guru of the Asuras God of Venus | |
| Member ofNavagraha | |
 Depiction of Shukra from the 1842 book The Complete Hindoo Pantheon by E. A. Rodrigues | |
| Devanagari | शुक्र |
| Affiliation | Asuras,Daityas,Devas,Grahas |
| Abode | Patala Loka |
| Planet | Venus |
| Mantra |
Om drāṃ drīṃ drauṃ saḥ śukrāya namaḥa
|
| Day | Friday |
| Color | White |
| Number | Six (6) |
| Mount | White Horse |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | |
| Consort | Jayanti,Urjjasvati, and Sataparva[2] |
| Children | Devayani,Arā, Shanda, Tvasthadhar, and Marka[1] |
Shukra(Sanskrit:शुक्र,IAST:Śukra) is a Sanskrit word that means "clear" or "bright". It also has other meanings, such as the name of a sage who was the preceptor of theasurasand taught them the Vedas.[3]In medieval mythology andHindu astrology,the word refers to the planetVenus,one of theNavagrahas.[4]
Hinduism
[edit]InHinduism,Shukra is one of the sons ofBhrigu,one of theSaptarshis.He was theguruof theasurasand is also referred to asShukracharyaorAsuracharyain variousHindu texts.In another account found in theMahabharata,Shukra divided himself into two, one half became the fount of knowledge for thedevas(gods) and the other half became the knowledge source of the asuras (demons).[4]Shukra, in thePuranas,is blessed byShivawithSanjeevini Vidhyaafter performingtapasto propitiate Shiva.Sanjeevini Vidhyais the knowledge of raising the dead back to life, which he used from time to time to restore life to the asuras. Later, this knowledge was sought by the devas and was ultimately gained by them.[4]
Vamana,the dwarfavatarofVishnu,requests the asura kingMahabalifor three steps of land. Mahabali acceded to the request and as was the practice, took up thekamandaluto pour water to symbolically signify the donation to Vamana. When Shukra, the asuras' guru, had realised Vamana's true identity, he tried to prevent the flow of water from thekamandaluby blocking the spout, Vamana pierced the spout with a stick, blinded Shukra.[5]
Shukra's mother wasKavyamata,whilst Shukra's wives were the goddesses Urjasvati,Jayanti,and Sataparva. Sometimes, Urjjasvati and Jayanti are considered to be one goddess.[6]With her, Shukra produced many children, including QueenDevayani.[7]Sataparva was childless.
In theMahabharata,Shukracharya is mentioned as one of the mentors ofBhishma,having taught him political science in his youth.[8]
Astrology
[edit]In classical Vedic astrology orJyotisha,Shukra is considered to be among the Navagrahas (Nine planets) that influence the pattern of life on earth. Shukra represents women, beauty, wealth, luxury, and sex. According to classical astrological texts, a powerfully placed Shukra, aspected by benefic planets such as Jupiter, and in favourable signs and houses in the birth chart, ensures material well-being. Itsbeej mantrais "Om Draam Dreem Draum Sah Shukraya Namaha". It is associated with Friday, and the gem diamond. The classicalshastrasordain that the best method to attain the blessings of Shukra is to respect the women in one’s life.
It is also popularly propitiated through Devi Aradhana or worshipping the goddessLakshmi.
Planet
[edit]Shukra as a planet appears in various Hindu astronomical texts inSanskrit,such as the 5th centuryAryabhatiyabyAryabhatta,the 6th centuryRomakaby Latadeva andPanca Siddhantikaby Varahamihira, the 7th centuryKhandakhadyakaby Brahmagupta and the 8th centurySisyadhivrddidaby Lalla.[9][10]These texts present Shukra as one of the planets and estimate the characteristics of the respective planetary motion.[9]Other texts such asSurya Siddhantadated to have been complete sometime between the 5th century and 10th century present their chapters on various planets with deity mythologies.[9]
The manuscripts of these texts exist in slightly different versions, present Shukra's motion in the skies, but vary in their data, suggesting that the text were open and revised over their lives.[11][12][13]
The 1st millennium CE Hindu scholars had estimated the time it took for sidereal revolutions of each planet including Shukra, from their astronomical studies, with slightly different results:[14]
| Source | Estimated time per sidereal revolution[14] |
| Surya Siddhanta | 224 days, 16 hours, 45 minutes, 56.2 seconds |
| Siddhanta Shiromani | 224 days, 16 hours, 45 minutes, 1.9 seconds |
| Ptolemy | 224 days, 16 hours, 51 minutes, 56.8 seconds |
| 20th century calculations | 224 days, 16 hours, 49 minutes, 8.0 seconds |
Calendar and zodiac
[edit]The weekdayShukravarain Hindu calendar, or Friday, has roots in Shukra (Venus).Shukravarais found in most Indian languages, andShukra Grahais driven by the planet Venus in Hindu astrology. The word "Friday" in the Greco-Roman and other Indo-European calendars is also based on the planet Venus.
Shukra is a part of theNavagrahain the Hindu zodiac system. The Navagraha developed from early works of astrology over time. Deifying planetary bodies and their astrological significance occurred as early as theVedic periodand was recorded in theVedas.Theclassical planets,including Venus, were referenced in theAtharvavedaaround 1000 BCE. The planet Venus was deified and referred to as Shukra in variousPuranas.
See also
[edit]- Varuna
- Ahura Mazda
- Venus (astrology)
- Venus (mythology)
- Navagraha
- Nakshatra
- List of Hindu deities
- Vishnu
References
[edit]- ^"Shukra, Śukrā, Śukra: 39 definitions".24 June 2012.
- ^Puranic Encyclopedia: a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature, Vettam Mani, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1975, p.760.
- ^Charles Russell Coulter; Patricia Turner (2013).Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities.Routledge.p. 108.ISBN978-1-135-96390-3.
- ^abcRoshen Dalal (2010).Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide.Penguin Books India. pp. 387–388.ISBN978-0-14-341421-6.
- ^https://web.archive.org/web/20050207221439/http:// pichu.info/nav.htm,Suryanar Koil
- ^Dikshitar, V. R. Ramachandra (31 January 1996).The Purana Index.Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.ISBN978-81-208-1273-4.
- ^Dikshitar, V. R. Ramachandra (31 January 1996).The Purana Index.Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.ISBN978-81-208-1273-4.
- ^Subramaniam, Kamala (2007). "Adi Parva".The Mahabharata.Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan India.ISBN978-81-7276-405-0.
- ^abcEbenezer Burgess (1989). P Ganguly, P Sengupta (ed.).Sûrya-Siddhânta: A Text-book of Hindu Astronomy.Motilal Banarsidass (Reprint), Original: Yale University Press, American Oriental Society. pp. vii–xi.ISBN978-81-208-0612-2.
- ^Bina Chatterjee (1970).The Khandakhadyaka (an astronomical treatise) of Brahmagupta: with the commentary of Bhattotpala(in Sanskrit). Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 72–74, 40, 69.OCLC463213346.
- ^Lionel D. Barnett (1994).Antiquities of India: An Account of the History and Culture of Ancient Hindustan.Asian Educational Services.pp. 190–192.ISBN978-81-206-0530-5.
- ^Ebenezer Burgess (1989). P Ganguly, P Sengupta (ed.).Sûrya-Siddhânta: A Text-book of Hindu Astronomy.Motilal Banarsidass (Reprint), Original: Yale University Press, American Oriental Society. pp. ix–xi, xxix.ISBN978-81-208-0612-2.
- ^J Fleet (1911)."Arbhatiya".Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.Cambridge University Press for the Royal Asiatic Society: 794–799.
- ^abEbenezer Burgess (1989). P Ganguly, P Sengupta (ed.).Sûrya-Siddhânta: A Text-book of Hindu Astronomy.Motilal Banarsidass (Reprint), Original: Yale University Press, American Oriental Society. pp. 26–27.ISBN978-81-208-0612-2.
Further reading
[edit]- Pingree, David(1973). "The Mesopotamian Origin of Early Indian Mathematical Astronomy".Journal for the History of Astronomy.4(1). SAGE: 1–12.Bibcode:1973JHA.....4....1P.doi:10.1177/002182867300400102.S2CID125228353.
- Pingree, David (1981).Jyotihśāstra: Astral and Mathematical Literature.Otto Harrassowitz.ISBN978-3447021654.
- Yukio Ohashi (1999). Johannes Andersen (ed.).Highlights of Astronomy, Volume 11B.Springer Science.ISBN978-0-7923-5556-4.
External links
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