5

Navagraha (nine graha) include the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu.

But interestingly, the Sun is not a planet and it is a star, Moon (astronomical body),Rahu (Northern lunar node) and Ketu (Southern lunar node). Technically those are not planets right?

Can any Scriptures describe about why Sun, Moon, Rahu and Kethu are called Navagraha?

Edit: We have 9 planets in our solar system in which why only 5 are planets? Why Earth not consider a part of it in Navagraha? still why Hindu astrologers draw the birth charts of individuals based upon the graha position at the time of their birth.

CR241
  • 3,097
  • 2
  • 26
  • 56
  • 4
    Who said Graha means "Planet". None of english word has any equivalent meaning for "Graha", so we just for convention say "Planets". But Graha and Planets have no equivalence between them. –  Dec 24 '17 at 08:57
  • @AnuragSingh, check this answer: https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/22831/what-are-graha-and-nakshatras/22840#22840. I think Graha means Planet, if not help me to find the answer? – CR241 Dec 24 '17 at 09:00
  • 6
    Graha in Sanskrit means something which moves (hence Sun and moon are Grahas). Planet in English means a celestial object which revolves around nearest Star. Both are different things. – The Destroyer Dec 24 '17 at 09:23
  • Yes @CR241 we just take the word "Planets" for translation. But actually "Graha" means "an object which takes over another object". If you see the motion of the NavaGrahas (the 5 planets, 1 satellite, 1 star, and 2 shadows) relative to earth, then you will find sometimes Venus comes in front of sun, at times Jupiter is covered by Saturn, other times Rahu goes ahead of Mercury et cetera. So Graha take over other grahas. –  Dec 24 '17 at 09:29
  • 1
    Planet word is an english word propounded by the scientists to denote an object moving around sun. In fact we can also call the Planets "satellites of sun". We do not have some word in english for Grahas so we call them Planets for translation. In fact, some people even translate "Lokas"(like BhuLoka , bhuvarLoka, SvarLoka et cetera), as planets some times. But we know Lokas are not Planets. –  Dec 24 '17 at 09:33
  • @AnuragSingh, so you are trying to say Graha meaning different than translation. then Astrology is an assumption/imaginary (unreal) which created for? – CR241 Dec 24 '17 at 09:51
  • 1
    "Technicality those are not planets right?" scientific questions are not endorsed here. – Pandya Dec 24 '17 at 09:54
  • 1
    @CR241 Yes Graha is a different thing. Now just think we call earth, mars, Jupiter et cetera as "Planets". But we can also call these planets as "satellites " of sun. So now can we say "It is all assumptions." No. Today we call the big massive objects revolving around the sun as planets. Tomorrow we can also give another term saying "A massive object which is solid and revolving around sun is planet". Then Uranus, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune won't be called a planet. –  Dec 24 '17 at 10:03
  • 2
    Just like today's people assumed to give the name "Planet" to massive objects moving around sun. There is no Tag on those planets "We are planets". We ourselves have named them as "planets". Tomorrow we may call them any thing else. Same way, earlier people just called those stars which also move as "Grahas". And those objects which do not move as "Taaraa". If you see sky, the stars are static they do not move. But only these 9 things change their position in sky, so since they move they are called "Grahas". –  Dec 24 '17 at 10:09
  • I guess It's because Hindu have a penchant for using number 9 but it's definitely not because Hindus overlooked the existence of Pluto Neptune and Uranus, they are considered as planets major influence in Vedic astrology also Rahu and Ketu are grouped as chaya grahas. To say that earth is not utilized in astrology would be irrational because the house in the chart are based on point of observation on earth, for example assigning a house for a Rashi is not done arbitrarily, the rising sign in east is always taken as first House. – Steam punk Dec 24 '17 at 11:42

1 Answers1

5

The term Planet is misleading as Hart De Fouw points out in his book:

'Planet' is the best of a poor crop of English synonyms for the Sanskrit word graha. A graha is literally a Seizer

The term Graha is essentially related to Grahan, which means to seize or hold. Hence, Grahas are energies that take hold of you or dominate at different points of time.

Amit Saxena
  • 10,435
  • 6
  • 61
  • 104