Baal Kaand | Ayodhyaa Kaand | Aranya Kaand | Kishkindhaa Kaand | Sundar Kaand | Yuddh Kaand | Uttar Kaand
 

Home | V-Raamaayan

Names

Raahu and Ketu
[V-Raamaayan, 4/9/22]

According to Indian mythology there are two planets called Raahu and Ketu in Indian astrology. These two planets have no counterparts in western astrology. These two are neither gods, nor demons, nor even planets, that is why they are known as shadow planets.

At the time of churning Ksheer Saagar (Milky Ocean) one Raakshas named Raahu had a share of Amrit, the Divine nectar, but the Sun and Moon noticed him and reported that to Mohinee (Bhagavaan Vishnu) who was distributing Amrit at that time to Devtaa and liquor to Raakshas.

Vishnu immediately slit that Raakshas's throat with his disc. Since the Amrit had already gone down the throat of Raahu, he did not die, but he became immortal. But by slitting throat Rahu became a two-piece entity, one the head, named as Raahu and the other one his trunk (tail) named as Ketu (Ketu means tail) and both parts of his body also became immortal.

Because the Sun and the Moon reported Raahu's wrongdoing, he prays to subsist on eating away the Sun and the Moon. That prayer was granted subject to the condition, that this eating will be done only occasionally. Those are the occasions of eclipses of Sun or Moon - solar eclipse (when Raahu eats the Sun) and lunar eclipse (when Ketu eats the Moon). Recently these two have been given names in astrology as 'Dragon with Head' for Raahu and the 'Dragon with Tail' for Ketu.

Home | V-Raamaayan

Names