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Astrology / Vedic Jyotish
Regulus
Leo the lion that has long been associated with the arrival of spring dominates the spring skies in the northern hemisphere and autumn skies in the southern hemisphere. It is the only constellation that signals the arrival of the mild weather in the northern hemisphere. Leo clears the eastern horizon at the end of evening twilight and by the end of the month it is high in the east as darkness comes. It is said that March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb. True, March comes in with a lion, the constellation Leo, and with it comes the breath of spring.
The Great Dipper, rising upward with its handle downward toward the northeast during March, one can go directly through the bottom of the dipper bowl to find the Lion, go about three times the length of the Dipper handle from the bottom of the bowl. Leo can be located with its brightest star Regulus, in Leo. Regulus is said to be 100 times as luminous as the Sun. Most visible of the constellations during spring in the northern hemisphere, Regulus is often called the “heart of the lion.” Marking the heart of the great lion in the sky, it gave the celestial creature life. Leo has always been associated with the Sun, moving through the zodiac was thought to regulate the seasons. From this, many have supposed that it regulated affairs on earth as well as ruling the heavens. Regulus, the luminary star of Leo, has been called the “regulator” of heaven. No wonder in Latin Regulus means “little king”. Around the time of 2300 BC, Regulus was called the “flame star” or “red fire.” This was because of the Sun being near the area of the sky which Regulus occupied. It was thought that Regulus teamed up with the Sun and the combined heat was responsible for the hot weather during this time of the year. Much later, Sirius, the brightest star in our sky, earned the same reputation when precession of the Earth’s axis shifted the Sun to be near Sirius during the hot part of summer. Regulus forms one part of the Spring Triangle. Facing south, and looking about halfway between the horizon and zenith, is a bright bluish star called Spica, in the constellation Virgo, the Virgin. Magha meaning the mighty one or the great is located near the forehead of the Lion. Its symbol is a palanquin, the royal seat upon which the king was carried through the towns he ruled. Ruled by Ketu, Magha’s yoni (source) is Rat. Its motivation is Artha. Its ruling deities are Pitris, the great fathers of humanity. They function as guardian angels giving protection in the event of major calamities on earth. The original progenitors of the human race, as the Pitris are considered; they are still worshipped in traditional Hindu families even today. They help to maintain traditional cultural purity. The Pitris represent ancestral pride and personal power. The words pitru, pritutheertham relate to father. The star makam also is known by this nomenclature- it is the day of the tenth star-suited to perform duties to “the father.” Magh (a), the eleventh month of the Hindu calendar, corresponds to January in the Gregorian calendar. Hindu calendar is the lunisolar calendar governing the religious life of the Hindus. An extra month is inserted after every month in which there are two new moons (once every three years). Any lunisolar month in the Hindu calendar is known as the Hindu calendar month. Vaivaswatha Manu’s astronomical calendar is based on the Ursa Major Cycle. The constellation of Ursa Major stays in a constellation for 100 years. It is that of the Seven Rishies (Seers), moving along the Zodiac in retrograde motion taken 2700 years to complete one circuit. Ursa Major, the Great Bear, was in Regulus (Magha) at the start of the Mahabharatha War. In Malayalam the tenth constellation maka is known as nennol (nangol). ConstellationA constellation is an apparent configuration of stars when seen from Earth, formed in a pattern. They are fortuitously associated in mythological or pictorial grounds. There are eighty-eight recognized constellations. There are also asterisms, smaller apparent star patterns within a constellation, like the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and the Pleiades (in Taurus). Asterism is a cluster of stars that constitutes a small constellation and is easily recognized groups of stars.Either one of the Bears is called Ursa in astronomy. They brightly illuminate the night sky and are known as Ursa Major, Big Dipper, the Great Bear, Charle’s wane, Plough, Wagon; and the Ursa Minor, Little Dipper, Little Bear and the like in different countries.The Akshamala seen in the northern hemisphere like a string of pearls was known as Arundhathi. According to Puranas Vasishta had three births and Arundhathi was his wife in all the three births. In the second birth Arundhathi was known as Akshamala.The Saptarshi MandalamUrsa Major is one of the most conspicuous of the northern constellations, outside the Zodiac that rotates around the North Star. Situated near the pole, it contains 53 visible stars, seven of which form a group of seven bright stars, which form the Big Dipper in the Northern Hemisphere. The constellation Ursa Major and its two brightest stars, Kratu (Dhubhe) and Pulahan (Merak) point to the North (Dhruva) Star, Polaris and are known as pointers. Pointer is a mark to indicate a direction or relation. Look along the handle of the Dipper for the next to last star. This pair star Mizar with its companion star called Alcor, has long been used as a test for eyesight. Seeing Alcor with the unaided eye is considered as having good eyesight. The Big Dipper high overhead in the northern sky is upside down, pouring its celestial contents in the night sky. Seven stars in the constellation Ursa Major is also known as Septentrion (Sep‘ten´tri‘o). Here septem is seven and the triones plural of trio is, a plow or ox according to Funk and Wagnalls, International Dictionary. In India this group of seven very bright stars is known as Saptarshi. In Tamil it is known as ezhumeen. They are visible when the sky is not overcast. The plough as it is known in England rises from the North Pole and sets in the northwest. For the Americans they are the big dipper. It is necessary to study these concepts in the puranas to learn about the perception prevalent in those days. Nancil/ nangol means a plough. Nanchinadu means the land of the plough. The Indians who called it a plough saw Marichi at the handles’ end and the sixth star is Vasishta besides Arundhathi. On the northeast side are Pulasthya and Pulahan. This line ends in Dhruva that is the plough’s sharp end points to the Dhruva star. Nangol, a Dravidian word, implies a group of stars in the shape of the plough. It rises in the Dhanu rasi, one hour after sun set. As a part of the beginning for the preparation for sowing paddy seeds, it marks time to empty the paddy field by pumping out water with the help of water wheel, known as chakrapathayam. A dipper is a long handled bowl shaped utensil used principally for dipping liquid. It is also referred as a ladle, a spoon-shaped vessel with a long handle; used to transfer liquids. Dipper is known for tekkotta, a vessel used for bailing out water. The stone vessel or bucket to collect water is known in Malayalam as thotti. The suite meant for the women in the taiveedu is called as thottikkakam. During rainy seasons, from the roof of the four talams, slanting towards the thotti, rain pours down heavily. The water, collected in the bucket like structure, empties automatically, trickling down to earth reinforcing the well and the tank in the vicinity of the house. This part of the house resembles the dipper in the Big Dipper formation. Dhruva Mandalam A star that is located almost due north or due south and is useful for navigation is known as pole star. Polaris is the pole star of the Northern Hemisphere and is the brightest star in Ursa Minor. Also called the Lodestar or the Cynosure, Polaris is the guiding star, a star that is used as a reference point in navigation. Tara means that which helps a boatman. Tharaka indicates the course of the night Dhruvatara is believed to be an old name of taraka. For our ancestors, taraka was a guiding light. Tara also means footprints. We may even know more about our ancestors foot prints by looking afresh at Dhruvathara. The shape of the Dipper is so distinctive that it cannot be overlooked and is extremely useful as a guide for locating other stars and constellations. Ursa Minor is usually found and it resembles a faint and distorted version of the Ursa Major. As the earth rotates the celestial pole remains stationary while all other objects appear to circle it slowly. At its brightest, Polairs is about 6,000 to 10,000 times brighter than the Sun. Only in the north, pole star could be seen directly overhead. It is the larger star at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor). Riksha is that which covers up darkness. It also means bear in the sense, one that kills. The end of an aksha is known as Dhruva. The Polaris/pole star is one such. This is one and a half degrees in a slanting position. Mahabalu and Balu are identical. In size Balu is one third of Mahabalu. Ursa minor starts from Polaris. Dhruva is known as Pole, because of its immobile nature. But even that moves on close observation. Dhruva can be seen moving from the north to west while the earth moves east circling the sun, Dhruva moves to the west. Dhruva shining bright has been guide to travelers and so mentioned in puranas. The line Dhruva- dhruvam- Marichi starting from the Marichi star, the edge of the handle of the plough points to the north towards Dhruva. These two stars of the plough are also known as Dhruvadarshi. It is easy to draw the plough Dhruva line. The pole, which is used to tie the cow, is known as the methi. Methi is also known for the yard for storing paddy grains. The word Dhruva is used to in the sense of a permanent, firm one in Bhagavatha Puranam, preparing the paddy by using bulls is compared to the Dhruva star. On the north western corner of the house a small building is constructed for preparing rice from paddy, known as kalappura. Kalappura takes the place of Ursa Minor of the Balu group of stars. Saptarshis in Indian Thoughts According to Vishnupurana, Rudra originated from the forehead of Lord Brahma. At the same time Dharma concept, the basis of all creations also originated. If the samkalpa came from Brahma’s will power, dharma came from his satwa. From his breath came Daksha. From both of his eyes came Marichi, Bhrigu. Angiras came from his forehead, Atri from the ear, Pulasthya from the udanan, Pulaha from vyanam, Vasishta from saman, Krathu from apana. All the twelve are born of Brahma. The seven organic holes in the head of man that is the ear, nose, eyes and mouth were considered saptarshis in the Vedas. Brahma created them from his breath. One can attain salvation by realizing the seven pranas. These pranas are doors leading to immortality. On death, when the body perishes, the breath joins the Brahman. Like a bull tied to the yoke is pranas tied to the human body. The Mundakopanishad compares prana to the nucleus of a wheel. According to the Sathapatha Brahmana, the saptharshi are seated in the eyes, ears, mind and breath. Application in House construction Our ancestors who viewed the North Pole as the seven stars and plough as the seven organs of the human body, and also as saptaprana, they did not write about the application of the saptarshi concept in their own dwelling houses. However the taiveedu that survived centuries remains as an outline of what they had about saptarshis in their mind. Varahamihira, the author of Brihatsamhita (AD 550) and one of the nine gems of the court of Vikramaditya mentions saptarshis. They are in the following order, from east to west- Marichi (Alkaid), Vasishta (Mizar), Angiras (Alioth), Atri (Megrez), Pulastya (Phecda), Pulaha (Merak), Krathu (DuBhe), Arundhati (Alcor), Dhruva (Polaris). We have seen that taiveedu is an arrangement of thekkepura, valiyapura, chityapura, cellar and four verandas around a courtyard within a house. If these puras can be named as Marici, Vasishta, Angiras, Arundhati, Athri, Pulasthya, Pulaha, Krathu respectively, the emerging picture is that the taiveedu embody the plough or saptarshis. Let us remember that the word Salini means paddy and also Arundhati. After all the nilavara is the original place for storing rice paddy, and it represents Arundhati. The tekkathu is an embodiment of Makam (nennol). As for as the kalappura or the threshing yard is concerned it represents Ursa Minor. So the units of taiveedu, tekkathu, and kalappura are a replica of the north polar constellations of Ursa Major, Regulus and Ursa Minor respectively.
The architectural style incorporating a full swastika form is an ancient concept. In the early days of agriculture when technology was not fully developed, such conceptions were enough. The seven star mansions were adequate to understand seasons and organize agricultural activities and the style based on agriculture was suitable for those periods. The ancients considered man as a miniature universe. They linked the pattern of the human body with the scheme of the universe. The sushumna is one of the seven nerve centers. When a yogi dies, the breath goes out rupturing the center. The top of the head is considered the North Pole. The heavenly journey is a rise from the kundalini to the sahasram. The sushumna is invisible connected with the aksharekha, which is invisible to the naked eye. The essence of the universe that has been comprehended in this pattern of house construction has also evolved in it a social order appropriate to that understanding. Grihasthasrama is the second of four ashramas (stages) in one’s life. Here the householder, along with his family forms the basic unit of the Indian social order. This social organisation is peculiar to India similar to the larger Indian views of the universe.
–
Dr. V. Sankaran Nair
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The bitter cold
winter nights disappear giving way to warmer spring nights to gaze at the
sky. The Big Dipper appears as an impressive and easy to recognize
constellation and serves as an aid to locate other constellations. Regulus,
one of the brightest spring stars, with a sparkling blue color, lies south
of the pointer stars in the Big Dipper and to the northwest of Virgo. The
rest of Leo’s body, legs, and tail extend to the east. Brightest star in
Leo, Regulus is a zodiacal constellation in the northern hemisphere
between Cancer and Virgo. Zodiac is a belt-shaped region in the heavens on
either side to the ecliptic and Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac. It is
divided into 12 constellations or signs for astrological purposes. The sun
is in this sign from about July 23 to August 22. 
Leo’s midnight
culmination is around March 1 and the constellation is close to overhead
as darkness falls. Leo is a star formation, a crouching lion facing
westward. It has a distinctive head and mane formed by a sickle-shaped set
of stars with bright Regulus, marking the handle of the sickle. The sickle
of stars looks like a reverse question mark and the Regulus serves as the
period of the question mark. Behind the sickle, toward the horizon in the
east, three stars form a small triangle that marks the rear of the Lion.
In the Saptarshi mandiram 