Ketu (mythology)

Ketu
Member of Navagraha
Ketu
Ketu upon his mount
Sanskrit transliterationकेतु
AffiliationGraha, Asura, Svarbhanu
AbodeKetuloka
MantraOṃ Viprachitti Putra Simhika Putra Om Navagraha Ketave Namaḥ
WeaponSpear
Number7,16 and 25
MountVulture
Genealogy
ParentsViprachitti (father), Simhika (mother)
SiblingsRahu
ConsortChitralekha[1]

Ketu (Sanskrit: केतु, IAST: Ketú) (☋) is the descending (i.e. 'south') lunar node in Vedic, or Hindu astrology.[2][3][4][5] Personified as a deity, Rahu and Ketu are considered to be the two halves of the immortal asura (demon) Svarbhanu, who was beheaded by the god Vishnu.

As per Vedic astrology, Rahu and Ketu have an orbital cycle of 18 years and are always 180 degrees from each other orbitally (as well as in the birth charts). This coincides with the precessional orbit of moon or the ~18-year rotational cycle of the lunar ascending and descending nodes on the earth's ecliptic plane. Ketu rules the Scorpio zodiac sign together with Mangala (traditional ruling planet; Mars in Western astrology).

Astronomically, Rahu and Ketu denote the points of intersection of the paths of Surya which is the Sun and Chandra which is the Moon as they move on the celestial sphere, and do not correspond to a physical planet.[6] Therefore, Rahu and Ketu are respectively called the north and the south lunar nodes. Eclipses occur when the Sun and the Moon are at one of these points, giving rise to the mythical understanding that the two are being swallowed by the snake. Hence, Ketu is believed to be responsible for causing the lunar eclipse.[6]

  1. ^ "Chitralekha (Deity)".
  2. ^ "Rise above the mundane...and material..says Ketu, the planet of detachment!". ganeshaspeaks.com.
  3. ^ "The less known story of Rahu and Ketu!". speakingtree.in.
  4. ^ "Role Of Ketu in Astrology". shrivinayakaastrology.com.
  5. ^ "Ketu Astrological significance". heerejawharat.com.
  6. ^ a b Santhanam, R. Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (vol. 1). p. 24.