Jyotish Maha Charts

Nakshatra Satabhisha

Shatabhisha, the apex of Rahu's functioning, is represented in the celestial firmament by a faint group of stars in the heart of the constellation of Aquarius. The ancients designated a hundred among these faint group of stars as belonging to this asterism. The brightest among this group with a visual magnitude of only 3.85, is a star known in modern astronomy as Gamma-Aquarii (Sadachbia). Despite its faintness, the general location of this asterism can be gauged by its neighbouring bright star, Alpha-Aquarii (Sadaimelik). Sadachbia lies slightly above on the left hand side of this bright star.

«Shatabhisha» (also spelt as «Shatabhishak») translates simply into — «the hundred physicians», «the hundred medicines», or «possessing a hundred healers». Though this bizarre name conveys a part of this asterism's functioning, it doesn't completely convey its vast connotations. Its alternative name is «Shatataraka» which translates into «possessing a hundred stars». This is in obvious reference to the fact that the vedic seers saw this asterism as a collection of a hundred stars, with each one of the stars representing one physician/medicine.

Its main symbol is an 'empty circle'. This circle can be seen either as a round magical charm or as a representation of the infinite void of creation. A circle can represent many things — the circle of life; the circle of the zodiac; the circle of creation, maintenance and dissolution.

The importance of the circle can be seen from the following words spoken by Black Elk, an Oglala Sioux Uo\y man — «You have noticed that everything an Indian (native American indian) does is in a circle, and that is because the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be round ... the sky is round, and I've heard that earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power whorls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours ... even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.»

Besides these universal ideas, the circle also suggests an idea of containment or circulation. There is an idea of protection and hiding related to this asterism. The circle can act as a boundary and protect one from the dangers outside its circumference. A circle can conceal and hide things just like an opaque jar hides the liquid inside. This nakshatra is thus related with secrets and the ability to conceal secrets.

A circle also carries the idea of identity through segregation. A shoreline separates the ocean from land and thus allows for its identity. This asterism thus relates to all enclosed water bodies like lakes and oceans. It however does not represent rivers, as rivers are not enclosed on all sides. In the same way the idea of containment can be seen in our own beings, as the physical body houses and offers protection to the soul or astral body.

This asterism has a lot to do with the idea of protection, which can operate on many levels of existence. The part in the Vedic epic, the Ramayana, where Lakshmana drew a line around the hut for Sita'sszfety and asked Sita not to cross it, is a wonderful example of the magical containment and protection connotation of this asterism.

Source: «The Book of Nakshatras» by Prash Trivedi

Source: «The Book of Nakshatras» by Prash Trivedi