Thread by @srivarahamihira

#Ashvini #Nakshatra - a discourse

Ācārya: Let us then discuss Aśvinī, the first Nakṣatra.
Kailaśa: Guruji, what does the name mean?
Jayanta: Aśva means horse, one being born from a horse. Do you know the story about the birth of the Aśvinīs?

Kailaśa: Yes, Gurubhrāta, I know. They were born when Saṅjñādevi went to a forest for Tapasyā. Realizing this, Sūryadeva went to bring her back and had love. From their union, the Aśvinīs were born.

Sunidhi: Guruji, are horses native to Bharat or were they brought from Arab? I read that Horses originated from Arab.
Kailaśa: Undoubtedly, Arabian horses are one of the most recognized breeds; it is not true that horses originated from Arab.

Wikipedia states that the Arabian horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the world’s most easily recognizable horse breeds.

It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses in the Middle East that resemble modern Arabians dating back 4,500 years.
However, newer studies find that horses and rhinos likely originated in the Indian subcontinent over 54 million years ago. ...

... It will help if you read more about that.
Jayanta: Kailāśa is right! Horses are native to Bhārata. The iconography of horses is embedded into our Purāṇas.

In Garuṛa Purāṇa, while describing the chariots of Navagrahas, Śrī Viṣṇu tells Rudra, “Seven horses pull the chariot of Sūrya. These horses symbolize the seven ‘Chandas’, Gayatri, Bṛhati, Ushnih, Jagati, Tristup, Anushtup and Paṅkti.”

Candra’s chariot has three wheels, and ten white horses pull it. The colour of Maṅgala’s chariot is golden and is pulled by horses of dark red colour. Budha’s chariot is brown in colour and is pulled by eight horses of the same colour.

Guru’s chariot is made of gold and is pulled by eight horses of yellowish complexion. Śukra’s chariot is escorted by his army. The chariot has a mast on its top and is pulled by horses found on earth. The horses pulling Śani’s chariot are varicoloured.

Rāhu’s chariot is pulled by eight horses, which are of the colour of smoke. Ketu’s chariot is pulled by eight horses, which are red.
Ācārya: Horses are undoubtedly native to Bhārata. As science develops, they will find more evidence for the claim.

Sunidhi: Guruji, now that we know that Aśvinī is ruled by Aśvinīkumar, what can we learn from it?
Ācārya: The traits of horses are seen in people born in Aśvinī. They are fond of fast driving and driving big vehicles – bus, train, and aeroplanes.

They like going on long drives and participating in adventure car racing sports. You will also see them car racing computer games often – more than other games.
One of the qualities of horses is hastiness. Aśvinī people also display haste, impulsiveness and hurriedness.

They always behave as if they are in a big rush.
Sunidhi: Guruji, what are the key characteristics of Aśvinī, like you mentioned for Rohiṇī?
Ācārya: They key words are priyabhūṣaṇaḥ, subhago, dakṣo, matimān, surūpa and aṅganāvallabha.

Jayanta: The meaning of these characteristics are priyabhūṣaṇaḥ: fond of good clothes and ornaments; surūpaḥ: handsome, subhago: fortunate, endearing, popular; dakṣo: skilful, clever; matimān: intelligent, surūpa: charming, aṅganāvallabha: dear to women.

Sunidhi: Guruji, why are such attributes assigned to Aśvinī?
Ācārya: Aśvinī is the Ucca Nakṣatra of Sūrya, the royal Graha, and the father of Aśvinīkumara. It shows the glory of Sūrya. Sūrya attains Ucca in Aśvinī4.

Sunidhi: Guruji, like that, what are the Ucca Nakṣatras of Grahas?
Jayanta: The Uccatārās of the Grahas are Sūrya – Aśvinī4, Candra – Kṛttikā2, Maṅgala – Dhaniṣṭhā2, Budha – Hastā2, Guru – Puṣya1, Śukra – Revatī4, Śani – Viśākhā1, Rāhu – Ārdrā4 and Ketu – Pūrvāṣāṛhā2.

The Nīcatārās of the Grahas are Sūrya – Svati2, Candra – Viśākhā4, Maṅgala – Aśleṣā4, Budha – Uttarābhādra4, Guru – Uttarāṣāṛhā3, Śukra – Citrā2, Śani – Bharaṇī3, Rāhu – Pūrvāṣāṛhā2 and Ketu – Ārdrā4.
Kailāśa: Are there other qualities of Aśvas (horses) present in Aśvinīs?

Ācārya: Yes, they are quickly changing. They have an issue with sticking to commitments and shy away from long-term commitments. Their friendship and relationships are also short-term, and they quickly change their allegiances or alliances.

One should expect long-term commitments from them.
Jayanta: Guruji, how about the influence of Ucca Sūrya?
Ācārya: That is also there. They attain an authoritative position. We often see them in the top position.

They make successful rulers and governors, protecting the subjects and fighting against corruption. They are the followers of righteousness and, therefore, can also take up social activism, fighting against social injustice.

Kailāśa: How about the joint influence of Maṅgala, Sūrya and Ketu?
Sunidhi: Why did you mention those Grahas, Kailāśa?
Kailāśa: That is because Aśvinī is in Meṣa Rāśi, owned by Maṅgala, is the Uccakṣetra of Sūrya and is governed by Ketu as per Viñśottarī.

Ācārya: Good point Kailāśa. The joint influence of the 3 Grahas makes the person short-tempered. It shows aggressiveness. The native is also subjected to violent or aggressive circumstances.
Any Graha in this Tārā also suffers violence and aggressiveness.

That is one downside of this Nakṣatra.
The native himself or people ruled by the other Graha in the Nakṣatra can also become violent or aggressive towards others.
They must protect themselves by chanting the Aśvinī Nakṣatra Mantra.
Sunidhi: Guruji, what is the Mantra?

Ācārya: It is “oṃ aśvinau tejasācakṣuḥ prāṇena sarasvatī vīryyama vācendro balenendrāya dadhurindriyama।”
The Nakṣatra devatā mantra is oṃ aśvinī kumārābhyāṃ namaḥ
Sunidhi: How much to chant this Mantra, Guruji?
Ācārya: Normally 108 times.

Sunidhi: And when should one begin chanting it?
Ācārya: It is best when Candra is in that Nakṣatra and should be done for 40 days.
Sunidhi: Why 40 days, Guruji?

Ācārya: Normally, it is 40 days for most remedies. This ensures that you have covered all Tithis and Nakṣatras during this time.
Sunidhi: Dhanyavād Guruji, for explaining this.
Kailāśa: What else can we know about Nakṣatra?

Ācārya: They are always busy body – always doing something. You will never see them idle or relaxing. They suffer from overwork and fatigue. They are also prone to burnout.
Kailāśa: So, they must be advised to take breaks in between. Isn’t it?

Ācārya: They must take a break, play outside, or go trekking.
Kailāśa: Is it because they like adventure sports and outdoor games?
Ācārya: Yes, that is the reason!
Because of Ketu’s influence, they have functional intuition and psychic abilities.

They can easily connect with the invisible realm.
Jayanta: Isn’t it also because Ketu is the 8L from Candra when Candra is in Aśvinī, Meṣa Rāśi?
Ācārya: Yes, that is a valid point also. Ketu owns Vṛścika.

Sunidhi: Guruji, does Ketu truly own Vṛścika? Because different people have different opinions?
Ācārya: That is straightforward – Śanivat Rāhu Kujavat Ketu. Rāhu owns a Rāśi of Śani, and Ketu owns a Rāśi of Maṅgala (Kuja).

Rāhu is masculine and therefore owns an Ojarāśi, and Ketu is feminine and, therefore, owns a Yugmarāśi.
Sometimes, the influence of Ketu manifests differently in some people. Some live in an illusion, unaware of their surroundings or reality.

They live in a dreamy or imaginary world, disconnected from reality.
Such people escape from responsibilities, inability to take on challenges. They are in a bubble or cocoon, which eventually bursts, and they come face to face with reality – a sudden and painful experience.

Jayanta: I heard that they could not take others’ advice. Why is that so?
Ācārya: They think they know everything and don’t want to consult anyone or take their advice. They often ignore the advice of their well-wishers and suffer its consequences.

They realize this only when they are hurt.
They are also known for their stubbornness and strong opinions. They sway towards the extreme left or right easily. They need to learn how to balance their opinions.

They must learn how to heed their well-wishers’ advice and not sway away with the notion that they are all-knowing!
Sunidhi: Guruji, some people are good at cooking also. Isn’t it?
Ācārya: Yes, some Aśvinīs are good cooks, and that is because of the power of Agni.

Maṅgala, Sūrya and Ketu are all Agni Grahas. They are also fond of home-cooked food and do not like eating outside. But they can open a chain of restaurants to feed others. They can become a good chef! Hotel management could be a good field of study for them.

Kailāśa: What can we learn from Sūrya’s Ucca in this Tārā, Guruji?
Ācārya: We have already discussed that. Besides, they like to show off. They are moved by admiration, adoration and praise.
Aśvinīs are driven by acquiring fame;...

... they are attention-grabbing and like remaining in the spotlight. They are often seen as active on social media and among celebrities. They are not shy about boasting about their accomplishments!

Another ability of Aśvinīs is their hearing abilities. They are known for their immense hearing ability; they can detect feeble sounds. This is inherited from Horses.
Horses can hear low to very high-frequency sound, in the range of 14 Hz to 25 kHz (human range = 20 Hz to 20 kHz)

Horses’ ears can move 180 degrees using 10 different muscles (compared to three muscles for the human ear) and single out a specific area to listen to.
Kailāśa: I have read somewhere that they are overly passionate and have a powerful sexual drive. Is that right?

Ācārya: Yes, that is right. Hypersexuality or strong libido is called Agni Doṣa. Too much fire in the system ignites sexual fire or libido. This is truer in Aśvinī males than females because males are naturally fiery (Maṅgala/Sūrya).

Not only are they overly passionate, but some also suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. They must do something to keep them busy. They cannot get satisfaction from the status quo.
Sometimes this is reflected in their relationships.

Frequent change in their mates or partners is common among Aśvinī males. They also frequently change their friends.
Jayanta: Guruji! Isn’t Aśvinīkumāras good healers?
Ācārya: Indeed they are. They are masters in Āyurveda, the Vedic sciences of healing.

They can make good healers, physical or spiritual. They are masters of all kinds of yogic practices, naturopathy, aroma healing and other kinds of healing.
Kailāśa: Guruji, what makes them distinct from Revatī and Bharaṇī?
Ācārya: They are driven by heroism.

Due to the Ucca of Sūrya, they like to behave like a royal fellow trying to prove their worthiness. They try to perform something unique in life – something not done by others.
They are innovators and often set an example by undertaking an untreaded path.

They dislike worn-out traditions and break away from the legacy and do something different due to the influence of Ketu (severance).
But they need to manage their expectations of themselves. They often get disappointed when their high expectations that are not fulfilled.

Sunidhi: Are they perfectionists?
Ācārya: Yes, they are!
Kailāśa: I heard they are keen animal lovers.
Ācārya: Yes, the animal symbol indicates that they are fond of horses and other such animals, including cattle, deer and herbivores!

They also indicate the birth of twins because Aśvinīkumāras are twins. They themselves could be twin born or beget twin children. Their friendship can also be with twins, or they befriend people in twos.
Now, you must remember a few other things.

Aśvinī is a Kṣipra Nakṣatra; therefore, it is propitious for putting ornamentation, pleasures, and sports, administering medicine, starting industries, and undertaking travels.

Their life or livelihood is often associated with horse, stable, horse trainer, horse rider, and jockey. They can be good in sports, and their livelihood may be related to a sportsman, high agility, athlete, gymnast, hunting, hunting as sports, attendant to a hunter.

They can be in the army or military and become army generals, commanders, security, security police, and guardsman.
They are also associated with healing, medicine, therapy, physician, psychologist, therapist and mystical healing.

Some other professions associated with them are musician, metaphysician, psychic, motion, mobility, movement, travel, travel agency, transportation industry, trucks, trains, and other vehicles used for carrying goods, salesperson and trading.

Ācārya Varāhamihira states that Aśvinī, Punarvasu, Hastā and Abhijīt are Vaṇiks (vaiśyas, traders). In Bṛhatsaṅhitā 15.26, he states that the Aśvinīs are the keeper of horses, army commanders, physicians, servants, dealers of horses, riders, tradesmen and masters of horses.