Ardra, the seed of Rahu's energy, consists of the bright star in the constellation of Orion, known in modern astronomy as Betelguese {Alpha-Orionis}. With a visual magnitude of 0.57, this red giant is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Betelguese is the bright star at the top left hand corner of Orion. It is revered in most ancient cultures as a very important star as it is supposed to have a strong influence on our planet. The ancient vedic seers saw this bright red star as being the abode of Rudra, the fierce red form of Shiva.
Ardra can have many varied English translations like — «green», «fresh», «the moist one». Its not hard to notice that all these translations are connected and carry a feeling of renewal. For example, the word «moist» may refer to the moisture in the air which forms the clouds, which in turn cause rain. The rain in turn brings life to the earthly vegetation and makes them «fresh» and «green».
Tears is one image which comes across instantly to one's mind when moisture is related with human feelings. A «teardrop» in fact is one of the most well-known symbols of this asterism. Sweat is another physical phenomenon which can be linked with moisture and the ancient texts associate this asterism with the oppressive heat of the Sun, which as we know is responsible for the sweating process.
Its main symbol is a Diamond, even though many scholars see a Teardrop as its primary symbol.
As we have already seen, the name of this nakshatra relates to moisture and wetness. The symbolism of the tear drop associates it with all kinds of sorrow. The tear drop symbolism also relates to water in all its droplet forms, like the early morning dew drops on the leaves or the thousands of drops left around after the rain has come and gone. These dew drops, as we can see, symbolise freshness and renewal. Even tear drops are part of a cleansing process and relate more to the dispersal of sorrow rather than the actual production of it. This cathartic process is similar to that of a baby, which can cry one minute and be smiling the next as if nothing happened.
This is a futuristic nakshatra, which tends to release one from the decaying past through a series of stormy events. It must be remembered though that all these storms are usually of a very short duration and don't last very long. If one does not try to cling to the past one can sail through this phase with ease and be rewarded with a renewal akin to the freshness of the leaves after the rain. For example, one feels disappointed when one loses a job, but this might provide a new opportunity for one to pursue one's favoured vocation and find success there in, This is the reason why 'a diamond' is the main symbol of this nakshatra.
A diamond, as we know, is formed after been acted upon by extreme heat and pressure for millions of years. In the same way, this asterism can produce a glowing personality after one has successfully gone through the storms that wash away the old. The diamond symbolism also relates to the hard work required to extract the shining and brilliant jewel of knowledge from the stormy vicissitudes of this nakshatra.
A diamond is mainly a mental and intellectual symbol, with its reflective multi-dimensional layers, signifying the multifarious aspects of Manomayakosha (mental/intellectual plane). Just as the brilliance of a diamond depends on the amount of light falling on it, the brilliance of the mind and intellect depends upon the amount of light the soul has. Ardra's alternative symbol, «a man's head», also conveys a similar idea of mind and mentality.
The diamond is also the hardest known substance on the material plane and this hardness in turn relates to the unyielding and determined aspect of this nakshatra. This nakshatra has a sharp, piercing quality to it and can cut through anything with ease in much the same way as a diamond can. Getting to the root of the matter is very important to this nakshatra. Ardra is therefore directly connected to one's depth of perception.
Its presiding deity is Rudra, which translates into the terrible', «the ruddy red', 'the transformer' or the the howler'. The reference to red colour gains significance from the fact that astronomers actually refer to Beteieguese (the primary star of this nakshatra) as «the Red Giant». Rudra represents the destructive and transformative aspect of Shiva (the destroyer among the Vedic trinity).
Rudra is also seen as the Storm God by some Vedic texts, which again points towards a sense of commotion and upheaval. Rudra relates to chaos, disorder, confusion, anarchy and havoc. However most wise men will agree, that in fact, it is these terrible things which more often than not turn people around. Very few embrace change unless put against the wall!
The primary essence of Ardra is 'change' and Rudra knows exactly what is required to bring it about. The period before the storm, where the dark clouds gather accompanied by lightning and thunder, is the atmosphere Rudra revels in and relates to (refer to the image). Ardra can be seen as an expert at producing these kinds of situations, bringing in such experiences into a person's life.
Storm is an important phenomenon through which nature finds its release. Ardra can be seen as marking the period just before, during and after a rainstorm. Rudra is intimately connected with the constellation of Orion, 'The Hunter'. Orion is supposed to be the most important constellation in terms of its effect on earth and humanity. It is revered in all the Vedic texts as the gateway from where the souls descend to begin their earthly life and is thus called the «Giver of Life». It aids in the evolutionary process of humanity through triggering important changes. Some of these changes may appear destructive on an individual or collective level like a violent storm, but they are always auspicious in the sense that they always trigger new growth.
Rudra has many legends attached to him in the ancient Vedic texts. We will deal with the most famous amongst these and other aspects of Orion's importance in the Esoteric Section.
The nature of Ardra is like the nature of a child. Natives under its influence have an ability to flit from intense joy to intense sorrow, to somewhere in between within a matter of minutes. Ardra is always involved in a churning process. This makes the natives under its strong influence to be undergoing constant transformation. In some cases, this process produces good things like gems of knowledge and in some cases it produces negative things like poisonous thoughts and confusion.
Ardra is the first nakshatra where an attempt is made on a mental / intellectual plane to understand the functionings of тауа. This is the place where intellect is born. In the previous nakshatra, Mrigashira, mind develops its capacity to roam and wander. In Ardra an intellect is developed to synthesize the experience gained through these wanderings. Ardra is still pretty much as curious as Mrigashira, the only difference being that Ardra likes to know the cause behind the effect, while Mrigashira is mostly content with observing and enjoying the effect.
It can be said that Mrigashira «enjoys» and Ardra «dissects». This is probably the reason why all natives born under its influence have research orientated and probing intellects. When an Ardra native enters a room one can immediately recognise their probing quality. Even seven year old children like to observe and understand people around them. This observing is usually without any regards for courtesy and they can be quite upfront about voicing their findings.
In the universal scheme of things, Ardra relates to «yatna shakti» — the power to make efforts. Its main theme is searching and reaching the desired goal. Ardra thus finishes off the searching that began in Mrigshira. Achievement is the result of Ardra's energy.
It is easy to see that that the english words like — «arduous» and «ardent» have been derived from «Ardra» and thus relate to its functionings. In fact, English as a language has a lot to do with the energies of Ardra.
Ardra is the nakshatra where mental sensitivity and impressionability develops as the stormy vicissitudes of this nakshatra make the mind active and reactive. This sensitivity makes Ardra natives susceptible to all kinds of hurts and in some cases gives a strong desire to help those who are suffering or hurt. The underlying emotional thirst of Ardra is based upon empathy. Even Rudra, its ruling deity, came into being to protect Rohini from Brahma.
Even a thunderstorm is nothing but nature's way of relieving Earth's vegetation of its misery. Ardra is the first nakshatra where emotions are encountered by the mind. There is a constant need for balancing the mental and emotional impulses in this nakshatra.
Natives born with Ardra rising on the Ascendant usually have large faces, curly hair and sullen expression. The eyes have a particular piercing quality about them and the expression, «going red with anger», literally applies to Ardra natives. The mad, absentminded professor archetype is an Ardra character. They have good memory and are quick to respond to facts and figures. It must be noted that Ardra natives don't usually verify the facts before they speak. Although they may appear calm outside there is usually some raging storm going on in their heads. Their lives are full of extreme changes and complete tum-arounds.
Ardra natives are intense and unrelenting observers of both themselves and others. This quality, coupled with the fact that they usually put their thoughts into speech, makes them appear impolite and critical. In some cases their sarcasm can cause much pain or agony to others. In lesser evolved souls, Ardra displays its childlike tendency to serve selfish ends through lying, unscrupulousness etc. They are, however, courageous like Rudra and don't mind any type of confrontation.
Ardra people are like storms running around and the reactions they get from other people is as varied. They are good at scaring people, especially the softer types. Their physical constitution is usually quite strong, which makes them good at physically oriented jobs. On the material prosperity scale, they tend to fluctuate between extremes. They are, however, usually not good with finances, as they are likely to spend all of their earnings. Just like a seven year old child, Ardra is not very concerned about money.
Because of the illusionary energies of Rahu, Ardra can create a whole lot of confusion and make Ardra natives scatter away their intellectual and mental energies in meaningless pursuits. It can also make them stubborn, arrogant and reckless, In the present day and age, where science and technology have a strong hold over the mass consciousness, Ardra natives usually waste their potential on these material sciences, which in most cases don't bring about any evolution on the soul level. It is seen that a lot of physicists make the shift from physics to metaphysics late in their lives, after exhausting all its possibilities. This shows how people can waste their whole lives before coming to any meaningful conclusion. All Ardra natives get a chance to transform their lives for the better, but in today's hyper materialistic age, where all types of illusions abound, it is no easy task.
In the case of highly evolved souls, Ardra functions in a different way. In such cases, the universal mind tests them through stormy conditions and situations, in order to test their resolve and understanding. History is the proof that all great personalities have undergone many storms in their lives. Besides testing our faith, these storms clear away the dust of negative karmas from previous lives. Ardra is the storm which wakes us from our stagnating slumber and makes us howl and cry out the most important question «Why!»
Ardra is considered to be a Balanced nakshatra. Its balanced nature stems from its mental and intellectual acumen. Those who think, analyze and contemplate, don't usually go to extremes. All of Ardra's diffusion, chaos and storminess is nothing but nature's way of restoring balance. If we are facing some tormenting situation in the present life, its only purpose is to dissolve and balance out our karmas from previous lives. The thunderstorm is also a typical manifestation of nature's way of restoring balance.
It belongs to the Butcher caste. It is Ardra's job to remove or put an end to whatever has outlived its usefulness. Ardra's presiding deity Rudra, is well known for getting the universe rid of unwanted demonic forces. As we will see in the Esoteric section, Rudra didn't think twice about a very serious issue like cuffing off one of Brahma's heads.
Ardra is a Female nakshatra. Even though its presiding deity, Rudra is male, all of this nakshatra's background and Rudra's functioning, relate to the chaotic, wrathful state of nature. The terms associated with Ardra like 'tenderness', 'moistness' and 'freshness' can only be regarded as being feminine. The renewal which the earth's vegetation experiences after rainfall is also one of nature's feminine phenomenas.
The body organs it relates to, the Eyes and the Back and Front of the Head, highlight its perceptive and analyzing quality. As neurologists are now discovering, most of the brain's controlling mechanisms are located in the front and back of the head.
It belongs to the Vata (airy) humor. This is clear from the fact that all of this nakshatra lies within the vata sign of Gemini. Its planetary ruler Rahu is also a primarily vata planet. There can be no storm without air!
It js related primarily to southwest, west and north.
The first pada or quarter of this asterism falls in Sagittarius Navamsa and is ruled by Jupiter. This pada relates to the exploratory and curious side of Ardra. Planets placed here have a happy go lucky disposition, but are prone to material excesses. This is the beginning of the storm and thus conditions here are not very unfavourable.
The second pada or quarter of this asterism falls in Capricorn Navamsa ruled by Saturn. This pada gives a strong interest in all types of materialistic pursuits and frustration therein. Most of the negative qualities of this nakshatra are manifested through this pada. The storm has gained momentum here and thus the planets placed here give constant troubles and misfortunes.
The third pada or quarter of this asterism falls in Aquarius Navamsa ruled by Saturn. This pada relates to the electrical, scientific and research oriented part of Ardra's functioning. The storm here is at its peak lightning stage and thus the planets posited here can give short sudden bursts of inspiration. Mental activity is at its peak in this pada.
The fourth pada or quarter of this asterism falls in Pisces Navamsa ruled by Jupiter. This is the Pushkara Navamsa pada of Ardra. It relates to the sensitive and compassionate aspect of Ardra. It has a strong desire to help those less fortunate than itself in the process of evolution. The storm is ending here and so the conditions are mild and peaceful in comparison to the two previous padas. Planets posited usually give benefic expansive results.
Electrical Engineers and Electricians; Electronic and Computer Industry; Computer Software Developers; Sound Engineers and Technicians; Musicians, especially those involved in Electronic Music; English Language Experts; Weapon Experts; Photographers; Special Effects people in the Film Industry; Computer Game Designers and Sci Fi Buffs; 3D and Virtual Reality Experts; Manual Labourers of all types; Physicists, Mathematicians and. Researchers; Scientists; Profound Thinkers and Philosophers; Writers and Novelists, especially of the science fiction genre; Surgeons; Physicians who administer poisons in small amounts as remedies like Homeopaths; Allopathic doctors; Those involved in mental sports like Chess, Scrabble, Bridge etc.; Morticians; Chemical and Fertilizer industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Professions involving handling poisons of any type; Those working in Nuclear Power Plants; Eye and brain Specialists and Surgeons; Psychoanalysts and Psychotherapists; Those specializing in healing or curing Brain and Head disorders; Investigators, Detectives and Mystery Solvers; Analysts of all types; Lighting experts; Xray Specialists and Radar Personnel; Food Processing Places which produce canned, frozen and junkfood; Thieves; Legal and Illegal Drug Dealers; Sales people adept at lying and double talk; Biotechnologists; Chemotherapists; Politicians and Manipulators; Snipers and Hitmen.
Geographical places where natural phenomena like thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes are common; Research laboratories of all types; High tech studios and shops; Hospitals; Communication centres like radar facilities, radio stations, television studios, telegraph offices; Nuclear power plants; All factories dealing with poisonous chemical processes; Escalators; Military bases where weapons are stored and maintained; All places connected with the above mentioned professions.
In today's day and age every home has its share of Ardra because of electrical wirings and appliances.
It is a Tamasic nakshatra. Its tamasic quality arises due to its association with the tamasic graha, Rahu. Its tamasic quality manifests itself as chaos, diffusion, disturbance and fuzziness.
It belongs to the Water element. Its wateriness is evident from its symbolism and imagery. This shows that there are strong underlying emotions involved within the intellectualism of Ardra.
It is a Manusha or human nakshatra. Its association with Mercury, the planet which forms a bridge between the lower and higher worlds, relates it to the plane of humanity which lies right in the middle of the fourteen planes (realms) of existence. This asterism carries the illusory aspect of its ruler Rahu, which is very involved with humanity and its struggle on the material plane on the planet earth.
Ardra is an Upward nakshatra. Just like Rudra aims his arrow towards the sky (refer to image), Ardra sets its goals high. It seeks intellectual challenges and higher knowledge in all its forms. Whenever we encounter troublesome situations in our life, we are often forced to question the why behind it all. This is usually the time when many among us turn our gaze upwards towards the sky, where all the answers lie.
It is a Tikshna or sharp and forceful nakshatra. This is evident from its ruling deity, the Storm God. It functions in a sudden sharp manner akin to a snake bite. Rahu as we know is a harsh planet. Biting sarcasm and distressful events are associated with this asterism. Even when giving good results it gives them in a sudden sharp manner.
It relates to the second half (the middle 9 days) of the lunar month of Margashirsha. This period usually corresponds to the month of December in the solar calendar.
Ardra is also related to the Ekadashi (11th tithi or day) of the waxing and waning phases of the Moon's monthly cycle.
Only auspicious for activities related to its profession and places; Favourable for destructive activities like demolishing old buildings; Discarding old and wornout habits and objects; Good for confronting underlying issues and difficult problems which have been lurking around; Good for research and creative activities within its domain; Good for propitiating fierce deities like Rudra and Kali.
Unfavourable for any type of beginning; Generally inauspicious for all auspicious activities like marriage, travel, giving and receiving honours, religious ceremonies and the like.
Even though Rahu is the main planetary ruler of Ardra, it can be seen as a combination of the energies of Mercury and Rahu. Mercury and Rahu are both intellectual planets dealing with the duality of life and nature. Rahu's Mercurial side is relayed through this nakshatra. This heightens the intellectual and thinking capacity of Ardra natives, and involvement in activities which emphasize communication, thinking or use of the hands. It ensures abundant mental and nervous energy and mercurial qualities like wit, versatility, quickness of thought and communication ability. Just like a diamond, Ardra's intellectualism is usually piercing and multifaceted.
In its negative aspect the Rahu-Mercury influence of this nakshatra will make one misuse their skills for selfish ends or harming others. In some cases the intellect is distorted to an extent that the native doesn't think twice about indulging in criminal actions. However one must be careful regarding what one does under the influence of Ardra, because the consequences usually have to be faced within this lifetime, This is also a good thing in the sense that we don't have to carry our baggage into future lives and possibility of redemption within the present life itself cannot be ruled out. Rahu and Mercury's energy can also get one caught up in the present day information boom, which has very little to do with real knowledge. In its higher aspect, it can give true knowledge and the ability to look through illusions. It can also connect one's intellect to the unseen realms and as a result give intuitive or psychic perception.
Ardra is the birthplace of Rahu's mysterious energy. Here nature deliberately introduces chaos and diffusion, in order to facilitate the process of creation and manifestation. We can see that the creative process has been quite ordered in the previous nakshatras. Ardra is thus related to that random x-factor in the universe which can never be grasped. In the language of physics, this is best exemplified by the «uncertainty principle» and «quantum theory», both of which broadly state that nothing is certain and everything is just a probability. In other words, Maya is unfathomable. It however reveals itself through true enlightenment — a process which involves all the 27 nakshatras.
The first pada or quarter of this asterism corresponds to «Ku» as in Kubrick.
The second pada or quarter of this asterism corresponds to «Kha» as in Khalsa.
The third pada or quarter of this asterism corresponds to «Nga» as in Nancy.
The fourth pada or quarter of this asterism corresponds to «Chha» as in Chhatri (hindu for umbrella).
In the Sanskrit alphabet Ardra corresponds to «Aee» and consequently its mantra is «Om Aeem».
Its sexual animal is a Dog. As is clear from the image, the dog is an aggressive howling hound and not a friendly Scottish terrier! Dogs are supposed to be sexually active animals and thus Ardra can be excessively indulgent in regards to sexual matters. It is most compatible with Mula, the other dog asterism.
Recent findings have shown that the constellation presently known as Orion, or the hunter, was of special interest to the ancient Egyptians. It has been assigned special status in Vedic mythology as well. This constellation houses two asterisms, Mrigashira and Ardra. Mrigashira is represented by the front three stars which form the bow of the hunter. Ardra, as we have discussed earlier, is represented by the bright star of Betelguese, which is situated at the top left part of Orion. We also know that Ardra is ruled by Rahu, which connects Rahu with Orion.
According to some Vedic scholars, Betelguese is supposed to be the abode of Shiva. Orion was supposed to come into being when Shiva assumed the form of a hunter and took out one of Brahma's heads with his arrow. This makes sense when one sees that Brahma is the ruling deity of the neighbouring constellation Rohini. We have already seen that Vedic seers think of Mrigashira, the neighbouring nakshatra, as Parvati's(consort of Shiva) abode. Though not well recognized by scholars, the fact is that Mrigashira and Ardra form a sort of a pair like Purva Phalguni (11th nakshatra) and Uttara Phalguni nakshatra).
As we have already discussed, Rudra, the fierce form of Shiva, is the presiding deity of Ardra. This establishes a relation between Rahu and Shiva, the destroyer among the Trinity. Some Vedic texts have gone to the extent of saying that Rahu resides in the heart of Neelkantha, another name for Shiva. We can see that Rahu and Shiva are relatives, as Shiva is the husband of the sister of the mother of Rahu. His closeness with Shiva is one of the reasons why Rahu co-rules Aquarius, the sign most related to Shiva. They even share the same electric blue complexion, a colour associated with Aquarius.
The significance of Orion lies in the fact that it stands right in the middle of the galactic gateway between Taurus and Gemini. It is said that all the souls incarnating on planet Earth come through this galactic gateway. We can understand this astronomically in the sense that the gateway points away from the centre of our galaxy and can thus be seen as a doorway into our galaxy.
This is why Vedic texts relate Orion with the Prajapati, the progenitor of human race. Even ancient Egyptians saw Orion as Osiris, the father of all humanity. Orion is also situated very close in the night sky to Sirius, the star around which our Sun is supposed to revolve, but a detailed discussion on the importance of Sirius lies beyond the scope of this book.
In the universal scheme of things, Ardra relates to «yatna shakti» — the power to make effort. The effort is exemplified by the shooting of the arrow. Its symbolism has hunting above, and the goal below.
This nakshatra is related to the Sage Pulahu, one of the seven celestial sages looking after the affairs of our galaxy. The name of this sage translates into «connector of space». Ardra as we have discussed before, gives a fascination for space and all spacey things like sci-fi adventures. It makes sense therefore that this spacey nakshatra would relate to this sage, who is known to connect space.