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| Chandra |
Chandra Yantra |
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- This article is about the Hindu moon deity. For other uses, see Chandra (disambiguation).
In Hinduism, Chandra is a lunar deity. Chandra is sometimes identified with Soma. He is white and rides his chariot (the moon) across the sky every night, pulled by ten white horses. He is connected with dew, and as such, is one of the gods of fertility. He is the father of Budha, (planet Mercury) the mother being either Tara or Rohini. He is also married to Anuradha and Bharani, both daughters of Daksha.
Legend has it that Daksha was livid with Chandra for dating his daughters and hence cursed him to lose all his lustre. Chandra then invoked Lord Shiva who abated the effect of the curse to the extent that Chandra's powers would wane and wax periodically every 14 days.
In another story, Chandra is said to have married Twenty Seven of Daksha's daughters, but favored one (Rohini) in particular, neglecting his other wives. This angered Daksha who cursed Chandra to wither away and die. The daughters of Daksha intervened and made Chandra's death periodic.
[edit] Other meanings
Chandra is also the word in Sanskrit, Hindi and other Indian languages for moon. It is the middle name of the Hindu god Rama. This word is named after Nisha Chandra. Chandra Shekara literally refers to the 'Person who wears the moon' which links to Lord Shiva in Hindu Mythology. It is directed as both evil and good, as it could mean 'Queen of the Moon' or 'Demon of the moon'. It is also a common Indian name, both male and female.
[edit] See also
