More on Ketu.....

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Dear Members,

I find it interesting that there is no mention of Ketu in the Brihat Jataka of

Varaha Mihira. Ketu is however mentioned in his Brihat Samitha, not as the

'tail' of Rahu ,but as one of the "thousand Ketu's" or comets. Varamira's works

are dated to the 6th century AD (or CE).

Rahu's connection to eclipes goes back as far as the Rig Veda, where he

is known as the eclipse demon called Svarbhanu. Stories describing Rahu's

beheading from the Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana mention only that Rahu's

severed head fell to the ground--no tail.

So how exactly did Ketu the comet, become the south Node or the 'tail' of the

demon? Not only this, but how exactly did Ketu acheive the status (if you want

to call it that) as the star lord of Asvini?

Dr. Anthony Stone in his "Hindu Astrology, Myths, Symbols and Realities" points out: ..

"There is also archaeological evidence reflecting the change in concept

of Ketu from comet to node. Jitendra Nath Banerjea tells us that among the

Siva temples at Bhuvanesvara, the earlier ones carry representations of

8 grahas, omitting Ketu, while the latter ones have the 9 grahas. This

change took place near the end of the first millenium A.D. The same author

gives a photograph of a 6th century A.D. relief from Sarnath, now in the

Indian Museum, Calcutta, showing Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Rahu. This

relief was probably placed on the right hand side of a door lintel, with

the first four planets in a corresponding position on the left. Rahu is

clearly the last in line."

It seems that Ketu gradually achieved it's status as the south Node sometime

after the 6th century AD....or not? Of course Ketu is discussed in the

Brihat Parashara Hora--did this classical text come after Varahamira?

Dr Stone suggests that Ketu's origins as the descending node may have arisen

as part of Tantric astrology. Is there anyone on the list knowledgeable

in such things?

Best wishes,

Steve