Makha Nakshatra
Nritya Ganapati is regarded as the 15th among the 32 different forms of Ganapati. The Sanskrit word ‘Nritya’ means ‘dance.’ Nritya Ganapati, as the name suggests, is a dancer or a happy dancer, and thus represents the relaxed and enjoyable form of the Lord. This Ganapati is depicted dancing under the divine, wish-fulfilling Kalpa Vriksha tree. With one foot placed on the ground and the other raised, as during a dance, he is shining in golden yellow color and has four hands. While he holds his own broken tusk in the principal right hand, an elephant goad, a battle axe, and a noose are there in his other hands. Rings are seen in his fingers and his trunk, curled in the end, is holding his favorite snack, Modak (dumpling). In some depictions, one of his hands is shown as holding the sweet meat.
This form of Ganesha can be seen as a painting in the Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram and also as a sculpture in Pazhavangadi Ganesha temple there. The sculptures showing this form of Ganesha can also be found in some temples in Mysore region, where all the 32 Ganapati forms are on display. Nritya Ganapati can also be worshipped in an idol form, in the Magudeshwarar temple in Kodumudi near Karur town, in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Magham Star, also known as Magha Nakshatra is said to be related to this aspect of Ganapati.
Blessings of Worshipping Nritya Ganapati
Nritya Ganapati is a happy and kind-hearted aspect of the Lord. This dancer form also shows Ganapati as a connoisseur of fine arts. Hence his worship is believed to bestow the devotees with an aptitude for learning fine arts, proficiency in them, and also success and fame in that field. Hence this Lord is widely worshipped by artists, and especially by dancers.
Mantra for Nritya Ganapati
The mantra, which reads as under in Sanskrit, sings the praise of this ‘dancing Lord,’ describes his appearance and prays for his blessings.
Paashamkushaa Poopakutaar Dhanta-
Chanchath Karamkluptha Varaanguleeyakam
Peethaprabham Kukshihikarastha Dhantam
Bhajaaminruththop Padham Ganesham
Chanting the Nritya Ganapati mantra with faith, can be an effective means of propitiating the powerful Lord.
Magha nakshatra - Tree
Magha nakshatra
Key words: Stout, big body, heavy, prominent cheeks, big face, protruding abdomen, wealthy, many servants, many comforts and pleasures in life, indulge in material pleasures, honour gods and elders, enterprising, energetic, initiative, drive, irascible temper, irritable, eloquent, leadership speech, influencing others, dignified speech, commanding, leadership qualities, chiefdom, full of splendour, tolerant, generous, look after others, guardian mentality.
Deity: Pitrs: The forefathers, departed ancestors, blessings of the forefathers, continuation of lineage, blessings of comforts in life, good health, offspring, success, blessings for power, position, authority, success, connectedness to the old traditions, revival of old customs and traditions, honour for the devas and Brahmanas and their blessings, connectedness to own origin i.e., gotra, maharishi, the ten prajapatis (manas putra of Brahma).
Symbol: Royal Throne: Power position, command, leadership qualities, generosity, enterprising, to lead others, to look after others, royal, kingly, guardian or people, many attendants and servants, luxuries and comforts, irascible.
Varahamihira: Many servants (bahu-bhrtya), wealthy (dhani), enjoying pleasures (bhogi), respect gods and elders (sura-pitr-bhakta), very enterprising (maha-udyami).
Horasara: Wise, modest, served by others, enjoy luxuries, respect Gods and father, highly industrious.
Hora Ratnam: Stout (stula), prominent cheeks (sthulahanu), protruding abdomen (kukshi), irascible temper (kopi), orator (vakta), (saha), chief (prabhu), honour gods and preceptors (sura-guru-vachanarata), splendorous (tejasvi).
The Pitrs
(Source: Wikipedia)
Refer to Vayu Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Matsya Purana and Padma Purana for complete accounts about the Pitṛs. Another excellent text on the Pitrs is the Harivamsha. According to these texts there are different classes of the Pitṛs and they have different origins, forms, grades and abodes. A broad distinction exists between the Deva Pitṛs and the Manushya Pitṛs.
There are seven classes of the devāḥ pitaraḥ (divine Pitṛs), three of them are amurtayah (incorporeal) while the other four are samurtayah (corporeal).
The three amurtayah orders Pitṛs are Vairajas, Agnishvattas and Barhishadas. The four samurtayah orders of the Pitṛs are Somapas, Havishmanas, Ajyapas and Sukalins (or Manasas).
All seven classes of the divine Pitṛs had each one mānasī kanyā (mind-born daughter). Mena, the wife of Mount Himavat was the daughter of the Vairajas. Acchoda, the river was the daughter of the Agnishvattas. Pivari, the wife of the sage Śuka was the daughter of the Barhishadas. Narmada, the river was the daughter of the Somapas. Yashoda was the daughter of the Havishmanas was the wife of Vishvamahat and mother of Dilipa. Viraja, the wife of king Nahusha was the daughter of the Ajyapas and Go or Ekshringa, the wife of the sage Shukra was the daughter of the Manasas.
The Prajapatis
At the beginning Lord Brahma manifested 10 sons, called the Prajapatis to create and operate the world. They are the original Pitris as all creation originated from them. The 10 mind born sons or the Manasa Putra of lord Brahma are (1) Marichi, (2) Atri, (3) Angiras, (4) Pulastya, (5) Pulaha, (6) Kratu, (7) Daksha, (8) Vasishtha, (9) Bhrigu and (10) Narada.
Results of Magha Nakshatra
Magha is associated with the Sanskrit word “Maha” which signifies anything that is grand, generous and beyond the limits. Great personalities are often addressed as Mahatma which means Maha + Atma or great personality, someone who has immeasurable contributions to the world, mankind and the society at large. Magha means a gift or reward or something which is bountiful/ resourceful or powerful. It also stands for brightness, brilliance and light, something which eliminates all ignorance or poverty (of resources or knowledge). The devata for Magha nakshatra is Pitrigan or Pitris or the forefathers. As we have seen so far all the nakshatras imbibe the qualities of the devata, this nakshatra imbibe the qualities of the forefathers. Now what is meant by that? Forefathers represent the collective consciousness that has been carried forward from generations to generations, something which leads to the development of consciousness in each subsequent generation. What happens if each generation re-invents the knowledge again and again? This will lead to a vicious endless circle without much progress in the knowledge in the society. Thus the Pitris represent the unbroken chain of lineage in which knowledge flows and progresses with time. This is why this nakshatra is so important for the existence and development of our society, mankind and the world at large.
The symbol for this nakshatra is royal throne, which signifies the power and authority to rule over its subjects. This gels well with the fact that this nakshatra initiates the fifth sign of the zodiac which represents power and authority and ruled by Leo, the Lion who is the king of the jungle. The jungle represents something chaotic, unless otherwise governed by a strong king who maintains the order. The king of the jungle represents the forces which brings law and order to the chaos and make a place hospitable. Similarly this nakshatra has a strong bearing of law and order of the world and hence it is symbolised by the throne. We are aware that with power comes responsibility, thus this nakshatra also represent the tremendous burden of responsibility to maintain order. This also means that iron hand with which the king governs his kingdom and the punishment that is given when there are any deviations from the established code of governance.
The natives of this nakshatra are royal in bearing. They are both tough and generous like a king. Under benefic influences, they possess the noble qualities of a king and they are engaged in glorious deeds, which help in progress of the society and upliftment of the fallen ones. They are confident, self-assured, courageous, strong-willed and have a sharp intellect. They are capable of doing extra-ordinary acts with their sheer will power and determination. They have a good foresight and a keen ability to strategise and plan for the future. Like a king, they always protect their kingdom from external forces- which means that these natives are always protective of what they consider belonging to them. Thus friends, relatives and anyone who seek affiliations to these natives, they feel a strong protection and assurance. Hence, these natives end up earning a lot of respect from his peers and are naturally prone to be chosen for a leadership or advisor’s positions. They earn the trust of others with their deeds and try their best not to fail the trust placed on them by others. They are true to their words and try to fulfil their commitments to the best of their abilities. They are highly principles and idealistic in nature and at many times that amount to being a perfectionist. Thus they are intolerant towards those he considers as deviation from the norm or for that matter different ideology. It is akin to the fact that no two lions can live in a place or no two kings can occupy a throne. He has a strong self-identification and he believes that whatever he thinks or does is right; while this works in majority of the circumstances, this can also cause indifferences and enmity in some factions who do not support his beliefs and ideas. They often seek respect from others and recognition of their abilities in their communities- which can be frustrating if they do not get that.
They are naturally drawn to various forms of knowledge and they like to absorb whatever they can. They are both intelligent and wise. With age they become even wiser and naturally people flock around them to seek their wise insights and advise. They respect their tradition and all those belonging to his tradition such as father, elders, gurus and their experiences. Being guided invisibly by the Pitris, they get guidance for the father and gurus who are the representatives of the Pitris in this life. They are attached to their heritage and ancestry and seek their origins. At a broader level they are interested in subjects such as history and anthropology and at various levels attached to the heritage of their community, group, race, country etc. They have a strong identification and attachment which they consider as their own. Their identification with a specific group of class can make them narrow minded and snobbish, which may overshadow their other good qualities. Thus, they must be aware of this weakness and improve to get wider acceptance among diverse groups. They should also open up their mind to ideas and perspectives different from their own, which will enhance their world view and their ability to contribute positively.
They are dignified in their behaviour and talk only when it’s necessary. They do not believe in casual talks and unnecessary squabbles and would rather talk when they think that it’s worth contributing their point of view. Thus many consider them as reserved, arrogant and egoistic, which is another perception to their worldly image. Being the wielder of iron hand, they are often perceived as cruel and at times rude, belligerent and are valorous. They know how to defend their ideas, people and their belongings and crush any opposition. However, they are usually not offensive in nature and fight only to defend their people and kingdom. They are so generous that even in war; they would spare the life of their enemies if they accept their mistakes and apologies- this is calls for very strong ideals and mind.
On a different side Agni which is predominant in this nakshatra also represent the creative forces. It is said that the Sun represent the creative forces and propitiated there are pro-creation issues in an individual horoscopes. The creative potential can however manifest in various ways depending on the spiritual and psychological progression of the native. This can be seen in the famous Sun temple of Konark in Puri, India. While the base portion of the temple marked with various sexual acts, the upper portion of the temple and place where the statue of the Sun god sits is pristine and pure. This shows the rise of creative potential from the base of the spine representing excessive sexuality to the top of the cranium showing the spiritual union with the almighty. The creative forces show union in different ways, physical sexual union at a basic level and spiritual union at the highest level. Depending on the spiritual progress of the native this nakshatra can represent excessive sexuality or higher spirituality. However, it is important to note that since they are highly principled, thus, even with excessive sexuality, they like express their sexual desires only with acceptable societal norms. In cultures, where it is not acceptable to have sexual acts outside marital boundaries, such natives limit themselves to their spouses. Regarding the males, this can also indicate multiple marriages. It is not a coincidence that from ancient times, the kings had a huge harem and many concubines. It’s only the righteous and the spiritual ones who limited themselves only to one wife. This is also interesting to note that the Pitris whose interest is to propagate their lineage can do it only through the means of procreation. Thus the excessive sexual urges of the natives of this nakshatra can also be attributed to that. While that is true, one must not forget that the final goal of creation to realise the spiritual nature of the self which is also called the self-realisation. Thus the Pitris and the natives of this nakshatra always seek spiritual progress and self-realisation as their goal. They are highly ambitious and are always eager to contribute to the society, get recognised for their abilities and effort and seek positions of power and authority from where they can influence and control his surroundings and community in which they thrive. They are enterprising and can often be seen as restless people ever eager to control their environment and at many times frustrated if they fail to do so. Although they are driven by selfless motives in their endeavours and not business minded, they seek recognition, power and status. They do not get complacent which may come as a barrier to their spiritual progress. As a spiritual aspirant one must know how to balance between their drive to achieve something and to let go.
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