Chandra

Chandra

"sparkling"

The Moon, one of the Navagrahas: naturally auspicious (सौम्य, saumya) and sattvic in nature. However, it is worth noting that Chandra is truly beneficial only in the bright half of the month (from the 1st to the 15th tithi).

Chandra is responsible for the mind (manas), emotions, memory, intuition, childhood, motherhood, care, water and other fluids, human and social relations. Chandra is a karaka (significator), first of all, of a mother, but can also denote a woman in general.

On the physical level, Chandra is associated with the lungs and throat, and to some extent with the sexual sphere, reproductive functions. Chandra's afflictions in the horoscope can indicate problems with both kapha and vata doshas.

• Zodiac sign – Cancer.
• Deity – Mahadevi, Mahashakti, Goddess in her various incarnations. Associated with Chandra, Shiva, Krishna. For example, in yoga, Chandra (Moon) symbolises consciousness, Shiva, and the Sun – energy, power, that is, Shakti.
• The day of the week – Monday (somvar).
• The number – 2.
• Color – milky white, pearl, silver. In general, Chandra prefers light opaque shades.
• Precious stone – natural sea pearls weighing 2 carats or more (as a substitute, cultured pearls or moonstone weighing 3 carats or more).
• Metal – silver, white gold.

The legend of Chandra and 27 nakshatras.

Some time after the story with Tara ended with the birth of Budha, Chandra married twenty-seven nakshatras – the daughters of Prajapati Daksha - promising that he would treat all sisters equally well. However, the beautiful Rohini turned Chandra's head so much that he began to spend his time only with her.

The other twenty-six wives, of course, were unhappy with this. They begged their spouse to visit them too, but Chandra, intoxicated with feelings, did not pay attention to requests. Eventually the nakshatras went to complain to their father. Outraged, Daksha demanded that Chandra behave properly, and he even obeyed, but soon the nakshatras had to go to their father again ...

The third complaint of the daughters overwhelmed Prajapati's patience: he cursed Chandra by sending phthisis on him. Day by day Chandra became weaker and melted, losing shine and soma. No amount of sacrifice could heal him. All over the world, plants began to wither – a terrible famine began.
The devas, alarmed by what was happening, stood up for Chandra, and Prajapati, heeding their pleas, agreed to soften the punishment. Since then, Chandra comes and goes and spends time with each of his wives in turn.

Chandra Mantras

Vaidika mantra

om imaṁ devāasapatna suhavaghvaṁ mahate kṣatrāya mahate jyaiṣṭhyāya mahate jānarājyendrasyendriyāya |
imamamuṣya | putramamuṣyai putramuṣyai viśa eṣa vo'mī rājā somo'smākambrahmaṇanāṁ rājā |

1. om aiṁ klīṁ somāya namaḥ |
2. om śrāṁ śrīṁ śrauṁ saḥ candramase namaḥ |
3. om śrīṁ śrīṁ candramase namaḥ |
4. oṁ śrāṁ śrīṁ śrauṁ saḥ candrāya namaḥ |

om soṁ somāya namaḥ |

om dadhiśaṅkhatuṣārābhaṁ kṣīrodārṇavasaṁbhavam |
namāmi śaśinaṁ somaṁ śaṁbhormukuṭabhūṣaṇam ||

The number of repetitions of the mantra is 11,000 times.

In the scriptures, Chandra is represented as Soma, full of life-giving juice (rasa). The food that is taken from the outside world is first transformed into rasa (liquid substance), and rasa is gradually transformed into rakta (blood), meda (fat), mamsa (flesh), asthi (bones), majja (nerve substance) and shukra (seed). In Ayurveda, they are called sapta-dhatu (seven components of the body). All organs are formed from them in accordance with the nature of the biological species to which people belong.

It is worth considering that the Moon, Sun and Fire are of great symbolic significance in Tantrism, they are often associated with the three bindus, from which the entire universe manifests. Sun, Moon and Fire have a metaphysical relationship with different forces as manifestations and aspects of the Absolute, for example, icchha-jnana-kriya, sattva-tamas-rajas, etc. Therefore, these are three interdependent forces that are relevant at all levels - both physical, as well as metaphysical ones.