The nine grahas
Meet the nine grahas, and Rahu and Ketu, the two points.
- 5-minute lesson
- Basic course: Jyotish Shishya
- Vedic astrology
- Nine grahas
- Rahu and Ketu are points
- Short names
A first look at the lesson
The word graha comes from the Sanskrit root ग्रह् (grah), to seize or to hold. Jyotish counts nine grahas: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu.
You cannot see Rahu and Ketu in the sky. They are the two points where the Moon's path crosses the Sun's path, so they always sit exactly opposite each other: Ketu is always the 7th sign from Rahu, as you counted in "Counting from a sign".
Words in this lesson
More lessons on this subject
- The Sun (Surya)The king among the grahas: the soul, the father and authority. Rules Leo; its day is Sunday.
- The Moon (Chandra)The queen: the mind, the mother and feelings. Rules Cancer; its day is Monday.
- Mars (Mangal)The commander: courage, energy, siblings and land. Rules Aries and Scorpio; its day is Tuesday.
- Mercury (Budha)The prince: speech, intellect, trade and learning. Rules Gemini and Virgo; its day is Wednesday.
Your first lesson takes about five minutes
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