For centuries, people have been intrigued by Rahu and Ketu. They are the shadow planets of Hindu legends and astrology without a physical existence. The mythology of Rahu and Ketu tells the story of their birth, their function during eclipses, and their symbolic values in life. Unlike the other Navagrahas, Rahu and Ketu are not planets but represent hidden cosmic points and carry significant spiritual significance.
Rahu and Ketu are known as shadow planets because they are not physical bodies like the Sun or Moon and other planets. In Jyotisha, they symbolize the Moon’s ascending and descending nodes. In actuality, these are points where the Moon intersects the apparent path of the Sun and causes the phenomenon of solar and lunar eclipses.
In Hindu mythology, the demon’s head was attributed to Rahu and the demon’s body to Ketu. The absence of their physical forms highlights their mysterious ways of affecting earthly happenings and the events in our lives.
Rahu's and Ketu's origin stems from the renowned Samudra Manthan or churning of the ocean itself. According to the Hindu scriptures, gods and Asuras came together to obtain the Amrita, or the nectar of immortality.
During the distribution of the nectar, Svarbhanu took on the appearance of a Deva and consumed some Amrita. However, Surya and Chandra identified Svarbhanu and told Lord Vishnu. Thus, Vishnu unleashed his Sudarshan Chakra and split Svarbhanu in two pieces. Nevertheless, since Svarbhanu had swallowed some of the nectar, he could not die. One part of the body was named Rahu, and the rest was called Ketu. Lord Shiva is considered their God.
As per Hindu mythology, Rahu and Ketu started an unending enmity with Surya and Chandra because they revealed Svarbhanu’s trickery. Rahu is known to devour the Sun at the time of a solar eclipse, whereas Ketu is linked to the Moon at the time of a lunar eclipse.
In modern astronomy, both Rahu and Ketu are not real planets. These names refer to the two nodes of the Moon. The significance of these positions lies in the occurrence of eclipses when the Moon, Sun, and Earth align at these points.
According to Vedic astrology, Rahu and Ketu are believed to have powerful effects. Rahu is associated with ambition, desire, and success, while Ketu represents detachment, spirituality, and freedom. Thus, they symbolize balancing material objectives with spiritual objectives.
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