The Myth of Chandra and His 27 Wives
- Nikita Ierisov
- Nov 30
- 8 min read
The Moon, Chandra, was married to the 27 daughters of Prajapati Daksha.These daughters were not ordinary women - they were cosmic beings, each one representing a star mansion (nakshatra) and holding a unique shakti (power).
Together they formed a celestial mandala around the sky -a circle of star-goddesses.
The Favorite Wife:
Although Chandra married all 27 equally, he became deeply enamored with one of them:
Rohini -
the reddish star Aldebaran, symbol of beauty, fertility, sensuality, and life-force.
Chandra spent more time in Rohini’s house, showering her with affection, neglecting the other sisters.
Jealousy & Complaint
The remaining 26 wives became upset.
They said:
“We are all your wives - why do you stay only with Rohini?”
Feeling ignored and dishonored, they went to their father, Daksha, and asked for justice.
Daksha’s Curse
Daksha, angry at Chandra’s partiality, cursed him:
“Because you do not treat all my daughters equally, you shall lose your brilliance!”
Immediately, Chandra began to fade.
His light waned.He began to wither, diminish, weaken.
This is the mythic explanation of the waning Moon.
The Moon Begins to Die
As Chandra’s light disappeared, the world fell into imbalance:
herbs lost potency
tides weakened
minds became dull
the calendar slipped
the devas suffered
night became lifeless
The cosmos needs the Moon, because the Moon rules:
soma (nectar)
mind
emotions
intuition
tides
life rhythms
Without his light, life itself suffered.
The Moon Seeks Salvation
Frightened, Chandra went to:
Shiva
Brahma
and the great rishis
He begged for mercy:
“Oh Great, I cannot shine without your grace. Restore my light.”
Shiva’s Compassion & the Waxing Moon
Shiva, moved by compassion, softened the curse:
“You will wane - but you shall also wax again.”
So the curse was not removed, but transformed.
Chandra now loses his light (waning)and regains it (waxing),moving through all 27 wives equally as part of divine law.
This is how the Vedic tradition explains the lunar cycle.
Astronomical Origin of Nakshatras: The Moon’s 27-day cycle
In the Vedic worldview, the sky was not divided first into 12 zodiac signs.
It was divided into 27 (sometimes 28) star realms - nakshatras.
The Moon takes about 27.3 days to orbit Earth. Ancient rishis noticed that each night, the Moon rises near a different cluster of stars. They marked 27 star clusters the Moon visits, each representing a lunar mansion.
Thus:
1 day = Moon in one star mansion→ 27 days = Moon completes the cycle
The rishis used fixed stars as reference points:
Aldebaran (Rohini)
Regulus (Magha)
Spica (Chitra)
Vega (Abhijit, the 28th)
Antares (Jyeshtha)
and others
They formed a precise astronomical grid for:
navigation
calendars
rituals
agriculture
Thousands of years before the Greeks created constellations.
Symbolic Origin: Energies & Archetypes
Every nakshatra has:
a shakti – specific power
a deity – its governing intelligence
a symbol – expressing its archetype
a guna – tamas / rajas / sattva combinations
yoni - for sexual compatibility
Each daughter of Daksha became the ruler of a star realm. She carries a unique shakti, myth, animal, and psychological archetype.
First Cycle of Nakshatra : " I am"
1.Ashwini
Shakti: Shidravyapani Shakti - the power to heal and reach quickly
Deity: Ashwini Kumaras (Divine Twin Healers)
Symbol: Horse’s head
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Horse (m)
Varna: Vaishya
World: Devata (Growth)
2.Bharani
Shakti: Apabharani Shakti - the power to carry and transform
Deity: Yama (God of Death )
Symbol: Womb / Yoni
Guna: Rajas
Yoni: Elephant (f)
Varna: Shudra
World: Manushya (Balance)
3. Krittika
Shakti: Dahana Shakti - the power to burn, purify, and cut (fire, cleansing)
Deity: Agni (Sacred Fire)
Symbol: Razor / Knife / Flame
Guna: Rajas
Yoni: Sheep or Goat (f)
Varna: Brahmin
World: Rakshasa (Conservancy )
4.Rohini
Shakti: Rohana Shakti - the power of growth
Deity: Brahma (Creator)
Symbol: Chariot / Cart / Growing Plant
Guna: Rajas
Yoni: Serpent (m)
Varna: Shudra
World: Manushya (Balance)
5. Mrigashira
Shakti: Pravartana Shakti - the power to seek and initiate (searching, curiosity)
Deity: Soma (Amrita, Moon Essence)
Symbol: Deer’s Head
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Female Serpent
Varna: Vaishya
World: Devata (Growth)
6. Ardra
Shakti:
Deity: Rudra (fierce form of Shiva)
Symbol: Diamond
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Dog (f)
Varna: Butcher (transformation, destruction)
World: Manushya (Balance)
7. Punarvasu
Shakti: Vastava Shakti - the power to restore, renew, and bring things back (light after the storm)
Deity: Aditi (Cosmic Mother, Infinite Space)
Symbol: Quiver of arrows / House
Guna: Sattva
Yoni: Cat (f)
Varna: Vaishya
World: Devata (Growth)
8. Pushya
Shakti: Brihat-Vriddhi Shakti - the power to nourish, grow, expand (milk, support)
Deity: Brihaspati (Guru of the Gods)
Symbol: Lotus
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Sheep or Goat (m)
Varna: Kshatriya
World: Devata (Growth)
9. Ashlesha
Shakti: Visasleshana Shakti - the power to bind, entwine, hypnotize (serpentine energy)
Deity: Nagas (Serpent Kings)
Symbol: Coiled serpent
Guna: Sattva
Yoni: Cat (m)
Varna: Shudra
World: Rakshasa (Conservancy )
Second Cycle of Nakshatra: "My Clan"
10. Magha
Shakti: Tyaga Shakti - the power to renounce, let go, and release (ancestral detachment)
Deity: Pitris (Ancestors)
Symbol: Royal Throne
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Rat (m)
Varna: Shudra
World: Rakshasa (Conservancy )
11. Purva Phalguni
Shakti: Pramodana Shakti - the power of delight, pleasure, enjoyment
Deity: Bhaga (God of Delight, Pleasure, Fortune)
Symbol: Hammock / Front legs of a bed
Guna: Rajas
Yoni: Rat (f)
Varna: Brahmin
World: Manushya (Balance)
12. Uttara Phalguni
Shakti: Chayana Shakti - the power of accumulation, gathering, building alliances
Deity: Aryaman (God of Contracts, Social Bonds, Agreements)
Symbol: Back legs of a bed
Guna: Rajas
Yoni: Bull (m)
Varna: Kshatriya
World: Manushya (Balance)
13. Hasta
Shakti: Hasta Sthapana Shakti - the power to manifest, place, and put into the hand (control, skill)
Deity: Savitar (Solar Creator, Giver of Skill & Light)
Symbol: Fist / Palm
Guna: Rajas
Yoni: Buffalo (f)
Varna: Vaishya
World: Devata (Growth)
14. Chitra
Shakti: Dhyana Shakti - the power of vision, imagination, and celestial brilliance (the divine architect)
Deity: Tvashtar / Vishvakarma (Cosmic Architect)
Symbol: Jewel
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Tiger (f)
Varna: Vaishya
World: Rakshasa (Conservancy )
15. Swati
Shakti: Pradhamna Shakti - the power to scatter and move like wind (independence, flexibility)
Deity: Vayu (Wind God)
Symbol: Young shoot blowing in the wind / Coral
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Buffalo (m)
Varna: Butcher (transformation, destruction)
World: Devata (Growth)
16. Vishakha
Shakti: Vyapana Shakti - the power to achieve goals by branching out (focus + expansion)
Deity: Indra–Agni (the combined force of Courage + Transformational Fire)
Symbol: Triumph arch
Guna: Sattva
Yoni: Tiger(m)
Varna: Shudra
World: Rakshasa (Conservancy )
17. Anuradha
Shakti: Radhana Shakti - the power of devotion, worship, and friendship (loyalty, bonding)
Deity: Mitra
Symbol: Lotus
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Deer (f)
Varna: Shudra (service archetype)
World: Devata (Growth)
18. Jyeshtha
Shakti: Arohana Shakti - the power to rise, conquer, and overcome adversity
Deity: Indra (King of the Gods)
Symbol: Earring / Umbrella
Guna: Sattva
Yoni: Deer (m)
Varna: Vaishya
World: Rakshasa (Conservancy )
Third Cycle Of the Nakshatras: " Higher Perspective"
19. Mula
Shakti: Barhana Shakti - the power to uproot, penetrate, dig to the root (deep truth, destruction of illusion)
Deity: Nirriti (Goddess of Dissolution, the Void)
Symbol: Roots tied in a bundle / Maze
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Dog (m)
Varna: Butcher (transformation, destruction)
World: Rakshasa (Conservancy )
20. Purva Ashadha
Shakti: Varcho Shakti - the power of invigoration, charisma, and invincibility
Deity: Apas (Cosmic Waters)
Symbol: Elephant tusk
Guna: Rajas
Yoni: Monkey (m)
Varna: Brahmin
World: Manushya (Balance)
21. Uttara Ashadha
Shakti: Aparajita Shakti - the power of unchallenged victory (enduring achievements)
Deity: Vishvadevas (The Universal Gods / Collective Divine Forces)
Symbol: Elephant tusk
Guna: Rajas
Yoni: Mongoose
Varna: Kshatriya
World: Manushya (Balance)
22. Shravana
Shakti: Sharavana Shakti - the power of hearing, absorption, and understanding (listening)
Deity: Vishnu (The Preserver, Cosmic Order)
Symbol: Ear
Guna: Rajas
Yoni: Male Monkey
Varna: Shudra
World: Devata (Growth)
23. Dhanishta
Shakti: Khyapana Shakti - the power to give abundance, fame, and rhythm (wealth, music)
Deity: Vasus (The 8 elemental gods of light, abundance & rhythm)
Symbol: Drum / Flute
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Lion (f)
Varna: Vaishya (wealth & community archetype)
World: Rakshasa (Conservancy )
24. Shatabhisha
Shakti: Bheshaja Shakti - the power of healing, especially mysterious/energetic healing
Deity: Varuna (god of oceans, medicines, cosmic law)
Symbol: a circle
Guna: tamas
Yoni: Horse (f)
Varna: Butcher (transformation, destruction)
World: Rakshasa (Conservancy )
25. Purva Bhadrapada
Shakti: Yajamana Udyamana Shakti - the power to elevate through disciplined effort (fire, austerity)
Deity: Aja Ekapada ( "A fierce, mystical form of Shiva " )
Symbol: "Front legs of a funeral cot (bier)"
Guna: Rajas
Yoni: Lion (m)
Varna: Bramin
World: Manushya (Balance)
26. Uttara Bhadrapada
Shakti: Varshodyamana Shakti - the power to bring steady rain (stability, depth, nourishment)
Deity: Ahirbudhnya (“The Serpent of the Deep”)
Symbol: Back legs of a funeral cot
Guna: Tamas
Yoni: Cow (f)
Varna: Kshatriya
World: Manushya (Balance)
27. Revati
Shakti: Kshiradyapani Shakti - the power to nourish, protect, and guide safely (shepherd energy)
Deity: Pushan (Guide of travelers and the shepherd of the cosmos )
Symbol: A fish
Guna: Sattva
Yoni: Elephant (f)
Varna: Vaishya
World: Devata
Star-Fixed Zodiac
The sidereal zodiac (Nirayana Chakra) is the ancient Indian system that anchors the zodiac to the fixed stars, not to the seasons.
While Western (Tropical) astrology ties the zodiac to the seasons (equinox = 0° Aries), Vedic astrology ties it to fixed stars, making it sidereal.
The earliest rishis were sky-watchers.
They noticed that: the stars in the background never change and the Moon moves against these stars. The Sun enters certain star zones at predictable annual times. By mapping these unchanging star fields, they gradually created a fixed celestial grid. This is the birth of the sidereal perspective.
To create a stable reference grid, the rishis used two bright fixed stars:
-Chitra (Spica)
Used as a central reference (0° Libra in many calculations)
Rohini (Aldebaran)
Referenced frequently in Rig Vedic hymns
These stars do not drift with Earth’s tilt - so the rishis anchored the zodiac to them, not the seasons.
Discovery of Precession (Long Before Western Astronomy):
The rishis noticed something extraordinary:
The tropical equinox (Western zero point) drifts over time.
The fixed stars stay where they are.
The difference increases ~1° every 72 years.
This is ayana-chalan or ayanāṁśa.
It proved to them:
“The Sun’s seasonal zero point is not reliable. Only the stars are permanent.”
Interesting that classical Vedic astronomy clearly understood that the Earth is spherical (or, in their language, “globular”) long before Greek or medieval European sources.
Earth As a Sphere in Vedic Astronomy:
1. Ancient Vedic Texts Literally Describe Earth as Round
a) Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa
Describes the Earth as a “parimandala” (परिमण्डल) - meaning spherical, circular, globular.
b) Surya Siddhānta (~4th century CE but based on older sources)
One of the most important astronomy texts, states:
Earth is a sphere
Shadows change with latitude
The horizon changes with height
Circumference of Earth is calculable
It says:
“The Earth, being a sphere, people at different latitudes see different stars.”
This clearly rejects a flat Earth model.
2. Knowledge of Latitude Proves Earth’s Curvature
Vedic astronomers understood:
Uttarayana / Dakshinayana (Sun’s movement north-south)
Different shadows at different latitudes
Polaris rising height changes with location
3. Precession of the Equinox is Impossible on a Flat Earth
The rishis discovered the ayana-chalan (precession).This only makes sense if:
Earth spins
Earth is tilted
Earth moves through space
Eclipses Explained by Vedic Astronomers Prove a Spherical Earth
Texts like the Aryabhatiya (5th century CE but based on older Siddhantic ideas) explain:
Solar eclipse = Moon’s shadow on Earth
Lunar eclipse = Earth’s shadow on the Moon
And they specifically describe the Earth’s round shadow falling on the Moon.
Vedic Cosmology Uses Spherical Geometry
Even the oldest calendrical structures - like the Vedanga Jyotisha use:
angular measurement
arc lengths
spherical sky-dome concepts
The sky was treated as a 360° sphere.
You do not divide a flat surface into 360 degrees - you do that with circles/spheres.
The Rishis Modeled Earth Rotation
Aryabhata writes:
“The Earth rotates, causing the appearance of the stars moving.”
This is long before Copernicus.
If Earth rotates, it cannot be flat.
(c) Nikita Ierisov - Jyotish Astrologer
Dharma Station, Vancouver Island
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