Rahu ketu

Rahu and Ketu are the two shadow planets that are used in Vedic astrology which developed in ancient India. These two planets were originally ignored in the Western astrology, but later were incorporated as the Lunar North Node (Rahu) and Lunar South Node (Ketu). All the seven main planets move directly whereas these two always move in a retrograde manner (opposite in direction to the other planets).

Their retrograde movement depicts their peculiar nature as compared to any other planets.Now let us see what Rahu and Ketu are, and why do they move backwards? Rahu and Ketu are the two mathematically determined points in space where the ecliptic of the planet Moon crosses the ecliptic of the planet Sun as seen from Earth. The northern point of intersection is called Rahu (Lunar North Node) and the southern point is called Ketu (Lunar South Node).

So, these are two shadow planets, and do not have a real body as the other seven planets of Vedic Astrology. Being shadow planets, their energies are very subtle and difficult to grasp. Rahu represents the desires that are insatiable, addictions, confusion, delusion, arrogance, jealousy, pride and the like. It represents all the demonic qualities which take a soul downward in its journey, deeper and deeper into ‘tamas’ or ‘spiritual ignorance’. If a soul is strongly in the grip of Rahu energy, it feels completely separated from the Divine, and lives only for self-aggrandizement. If he attains a lot of worldly success, he may even develop the delusion of grandeur. For example, the demon Hiranyakashipu from our Hindu mythology who demanded that all his subjects stop worshipping Lord Vishnu (the Supreme God), and instead worship him, as he is the greatest in the Universe.Such delusions are the handiwork of Rahu.

The genesis of these shadow planets is explained beautifully in the myth of the churning of the ocean by the gods and the demons in the Srimad Bhagavatam written by Maharishi Veda Vyasa. In this story, they are represented originally as a demon called Swarbhanu who had participated in the churning of the ocean. Many things came out of the ocean one after the other. In the end, 'amritam' or nectar came out. According to mythology, anyone who drinks this nectar becomes immortal. The churning of the ocean was done by the gods and the demons together. The gods were worried that if the demons too drank the nectar, they would become unconquerable, and that would be too bad for the regulation of the Universe. So, they requested Lord Vishnu for help.Vishnu took the form of a lovely lady called Mohini and started to distribute the nectar.

The gods and the demons were sitting in two rows facing each other. Mohini was so beautiful that all the demons forgot themselves and started fantasizing about a life together with her. She was dancing tantalizingly and giving the nectar only to the gods, swaying seductively and passing by the demons, without giving them a drop.

This demon Swarbhanu was very smart. He understood the entire plot. He took the form of a god and sat between the Sun and the Moon - the two luminous gods. Mohini could not recognize the demon in time and as a result, Swarbhanu got a gulp of the nectar of immortality. The Sun and the Moon immediately shouted out in unison that Vishnu had given the nectar to a demon by mistake. Vishnu immediately cut the demon's head with his divine disc. He threw the head of the demon towards the north and the rest of the body to the south. It is believed that ever since these two separated parts of the demon are circling the sky chasing each other so that they can unite but in vain. No matter how much they try, they remain 180 degrees apart from one another. In every birth chart, these two, Rahu or the demon's head, and Ketu or the demon's tail, sit 180 degrees away from each other.

So, Rahu is the serpent’s or the demon’s head that drank the nectar or ‘amritam’ that came out at the time of the churning of the ocean, but could not assimilate it as his head and body were separated by Lord Vishnu before he could gulp it down. As a result of this lack of assimilation of the ‘amritam’, the head (intellect) still lives under it’s self-created demonic delusions.

On the other hand, the demon’s body (Ketu) hungers for the ‘amritam’ more than anything in the Universe. While Rahu (the demon’s head) craves the worldly pleasures more and more insatiably, the demon’s tail (Ketu) craves the elixir of spiritual immortality which it was deprived of by Lord Vishnu at the time of churning of the ocean.

This dynamic or tussle between these two cosmic forces is compared by our ancient Seer (Rishis) astrologers to the restless writhing of a snake or a serpent, which has gripped the ‘soul’ and tosses it around caught as it is between the two equally powerful waves generated by Rahu and Ketu respectively, that take it in opposing directions. Rahu represents ‘pravritti’ or worldliness and materialistic tendencies, while Ketu represents ‘nivritti’ or spirituality. The only way out of the worldly Maya for the immortal ‘soul’ in order to realize its true ‘Self’ is to break the grip of this snake.

Rahu’s influence makes this demonic grip stronger, while Ketu’s influence helps us to weaken this grip and ultimately to liberate ourselves from all our delusions, which cover our soul-vision. How this process happens is depicted brilliantly in another myth which explains the birth story of Lord Ganesha. Ganesha is the child of Goddess Parvati who created him out of the turmeric paste that she had applied to her body before going to take bath. Shiva (the Supreme Spirit) had been away for a while. She commanded Ganesha to guard the door of the house while she went to take bath. In the meanwhile Shiva came but Ganesha could not recognize him. He stopped Shiva at the door. A ferocious battle ensued between them in which ultimately Shiva had to sever his head.

Hearing all this commotion the Devi Parvati came out only to see her son killed in battle with Shiva. She became mad with fury and threatened to burn down the entire creation if her son is not revived. To pacify her, and also realizing that being his wife’s child, Ganesha was his son too, Shiva restored him to life with a new head, that of an elephant grafted on his torso. Ever since, he has been worshipped as the first God to be invoked in any Vedic worship by Shiva’s blessings.

Now, let us understand the deeper significance of this mythological story. The Ganesha who was created only by the Devi’s (the kundalini Shakti) energy, without any contribution from Shiva, the transcendental Spirit, was an unenlightened ‘being’ as a result. So, when the Lord came (Spirit was first experienced in meditation), he could not recognize Him. So, he resisted the Spirit from entering his house (refused the process of Spiritual transformation). So, his head was severed by the Lord. This is similar to the demon Svarbhanu (the demon whose cut off head is Rahu, and the cut off body or the tail is Ketu) getting his head severed at the time of the churning of the ocean by Lord Vishnu.

The appeasing of the Devi in this story represents the awakening and maturation of the kundalini shakti. Restoring Ganesha with a giant elephant head signifies complete enlightenment, where the baby soul (the child Ganesha) has become the fully Self-realized Master or Sadguru by Shiva’s grace. This fully Self-realized God Ganesha is our eternal friend (Ketu as a Deity) if we seek only Self-realization and nothing else. In that case, the benevolent Lord Ganesha ensures that all the obstacles in our path are removed and we progress quickly on the spiritual path. Even the material needs of the ardent devotee is met by Lord Ketu or Ganesha.

That is why he is also called the ‘Vighneswara’ (the God who removes all the obstacles). Normally, Ketu is a feared planet, whose dasha is going to cause havoc with our worldly life. It is very true because only thing which Ketu seeks is the spiritual elixir of enlightenment and nothing else. All the worldly desires (Rahu) that stand in the way are trampled upon by it ruthlessly. But on the other hand, if we have been on the path before Ketu comes in our life as the dasha lord, it removes all the obstacles, even material ones, which may be causing us to get distracted from our spiritual practices. It may provide us a secure job, peaceful family life, an enlightened teacher etc. to support our journey. There is nothing to fear if we are a devotee of the Lord. May Lord Ganesha’s grace be on all of us. God bless.