Ketu among the Nava-grahas

Navagraha

Sastry and Sarma, the learned editors of the Pa?casiddhāntika of Varāha-mihira (5th cent.), point out that the Pauli?a-siddhānta denotes the two lunar nodes as rāhu’s-head and rāhu’s-tail, both being rāhu, the eclipse causer as per the older tradition of the purā?as[1] . In the astronomical texts pāta was the standard word for the nodes. Gradually the science of eclipses as it diffused to the lay public got overlapped with the mystical concepts of rāhu the dark planet to be equated with the ascending node of moon. Since there are two nodes and eclipses are possible near either of them the confusing practice of naming the descending node as ketu arose. Since the nodes are 180 degrees apart, in recent centuries due to popularity of horoscope astrology, the above nomenclature has been accepted as valid by several sections of the society that derive inspiration from Sanskrit literature. This has gone to the extent of using the ancient realistic synonyms of ketu, such as ?ikhī (one with a tuft) and ke?ī (hairy) with the invisible lunar node. Sastry and Sarma rightly point out that in ancient Indian eclipse calculations and discussions “…there is no authority in astronomical works or purā?as to bring in ketu here.” ?

Nīlaka??ha (18th Cent.) in his famous gloss on the Mahābhārata, interprets almost all the astronomical verses of the epic as being astrological. In one place where a white object is said to be near star Citrā (Spica) he interprets this object as ketu[2] . Further, surprisingly he explains the original statements as indicating that rāhu and ketu, who, according to him, should be always 180 degrees apart, were stationed in the same sign during the Great War[3] . This implies that the ascending and descending nodes had coalesced, which by no stretch of imagination can be taken as a rational interpretation of the original verse of the Great Epic.?

Max Mueller while translating the Maitraya?ī āra?yaka Upaniad (MAU 7.6) of the K???a Yajurveda takes rāhu and ketu as the ascending and descending lunar nodes[4] . This wrong translation alleges existence of the knowledge of lunar nodes in MAU pre-empting proper dating of its contents since the concept of the moon’s orbit intersecting the ecliptic at two imaginary points in space is evidenced in Hindu astronomy texts appearing after the Common Era.

The Atharva Veda has a prayer for the celestial objects sun, the moon, the planets, rāhu, the dhūmaketu and meteors[5] . But Macdonell and Keith describe the word dhūmaketu as ‘smoke bannered’ an epithet of death[6] . This meaning perhaps influenced by Whitney’s arrogance in misinterpreting texts of Hinduism, has to be rejected in the overall context of the particular ?ānti Mantra (peace hymn) to transient celestial objects.

?Neugebauer, a renowned historian of astronomy, in a short note investigated the background of the Islamic pseudo-planet or comet Al-kaid for which an ancient table of motion from Byzantine literature is available in the Vatican library[7] .?He points out how the word kaid (qaid) has been correctly traced back to the Hindu ketu on linguistic grounds by Hartner, but mistakenly translated as the descending lunar node. The table actually refers to a comet, with a stated period of 144 years, observed in India probably in 722 CE near about the vernal equinox. This object has not been yet identified by modern astronomy, but there is no basis to treat this as the invisible descending lunar node.

The above examples should suffice to demonstrate that the historical roots of Indian Astronomy cannot be understood without investigating ancient concepts and theories about the eclipse causer rāhu and the comet ketu. Sadly enough, traditional pundits, neo-Sanskritists, self styled Vedic astrologers and historians of science have generally ignored Indian comet observations as non-existent. Blind interpretation of ketu as the descending node leads to conclusions that are glaringly absurd.

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[1] Pan?ca-siddhāntika of Varāha-mihira (Ed. & Transl.) T.S.K.Sastry and K.V.Sarma, PPST Foundn., Madras 1993.

[2] ?veto graha? tathā citrām samatikramya ti??hhati|| (MB. Bhī.P. 3.11)

[3] Kārtikyā? param hi sangrāmārambha? tatra tulāstham arkam rāhurupaiti| tadeva ?veto graha? ketu? citrām atikrāmati svātyādau vartate| nityam samasaptakasthau rāhu-ketū?idānīm eka-rā?igatau mahā ani??a sūcakau iti bhāva?||?(Nīlaka??ha in his commentary on Bhī. P. 3.11.?MB. Gita Press Edition)

[4] “Sani (Saturn), Rahu and Ketu (the ascending and descending nodes), the serpents, Rakshas, Yakshas, men, birds, sarabhas, elephants, &c.? these rise below;…”?Sacred Books of the East; The Upanishads Vol.2, (Transl) Max Mueller. 1888.

[5] ?amno grahā? candramasa? ?amāditya?ca rāhu?ā| ?amno mrtyurdhūmaketu?….Atharva-Veda (XIX 9.7-10)

[6] A.A. Mcdonell and A.B.Keith, Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, Vol.1, 1912, London, p 402.

[7] O.Neugebauer, Notes on Al-kaid, J Am Oriental Soc. V.77, 3, 1957 pp.211-215.