Nakshatra Devata V

10. Magha Nakshatra

Magha is associated with the Sanskrit word “Maha” which signifies anything that is grand, generous and beyond the limits. Great personalities are often addressed as Mahatma which means Maha + Atma or great personality, someone who has immensurable contributions to the world, mankind and the society at large. Magha means a gift or reward or something which is bountiful/ resourceful or powerful. It also stands for brightness, brilliance and light, something which eliminates all ignorance or poverty (of resources or knowledge). The devata for Magha nakshatra is Pitrigan or Pitris or the forefathers. As we have seen so far all the nakshatras imbibe the qualities of the devata, this nakshatra imbibe the qualities of the forefathers. Now what is meant by that? Forefathers represent the collective consciousness that has been carried forward from generations to generations, something which leads to the development of consciousness in each subsequent generation. What happens if each generation re-invents the knowledge again and again? This will lead to a vicious endless circle without much progress in the knowledge in the society. Thus the Pitris represent the unbroken chain of lineage in which knowledge flows and progresses with time. This is why this nakshatra is so important for the existence and development of our society, mankind and the world at large.

The symbol for this nakshatra is royal throne, which signifies the power and authority to rule over its subjects. This gels well with the fact that this nakshatra initiates the fifth sign of the zodiac which represents power and authority and ruled by Leo, the Lion who is the king of the jungle. The jungle represents something chaotic, unless otherwise governed by a strong king who maintains the order. The king of the jungle represents the forces which brings law and order to the chaos and make a place hospitable. Similarly this nakshatra has a strong bearing of law and order of the world and hence it is symbolized by the throne. We are aware that with power comes responsibility, thus this nakshatra also represent the tremendous burden of responsibility to maintain order. This also means that iron hand with which the king governs his kingdom and the punishment that is given when there are any deviations from the established code of governance.

The natives of this nakshatra are royal in bearing. They are both tough and generous like a king. Under benefic influences, they possess the noble qualities of a king and they are engaged in glorious deeds, which help in progress of the society and upliftment of the fallen ones. They are confident, self-assured, courageous, strong-willed and have a sharp intellect. They are capable of doing extra-ordinary acts with their sheer will power and determination. They have a good foresight and a keen ability to strategize and plan for the future. Like a king, they always protect their kingdom from external forces- which means that these natives are always protective of what they consider belonging to them. Thus friends, relatives and anyone who seek affiliations to these natives, they feel a strong protection and assurance. Hence, these natives end up earning a lot of respect from his peers and are naturally prone to be chosen for a leadership or advisor’s positions. They earn the trust of others with their deeds and try their best not to fail the trust placed on them by others. They are true to their words and try to fulfil their commitments to the best of their abilities. They are highly principles and idealistic in nature and at many times that amount to being a perfectionist. Thus they are intolerant towards those he considers as deviation from the norm or for that matter different ideology. It is akin to the fact that no two lions can live in a place or no two kings can occupy a throne. He has a strong self-identification and he believes that whatever he thinks or does is right; while this works in majority of the circumstances, this can also cause indifferences and enmity in some factions who do not support his beliefs and ideas. They often seek respect from others and recognition of their abilities in their communities- which can be frustrating if they do not get that.

They are naturally drawn to various forms of knowledge and they like to absorb whatever they can. They are both intelligent and wise. With age they become even wiser and naturally people flock around them to seek their wise insights and advise. They respect their tradition and all those belonging to his tradition such as father, elders, gurus and their experiences. Being guided invisibly by the Pitris, they get guidance for the father and gurus who are the representatives of the Pitris in this life. They are attached to their heritage and ancestry and seek their origins. At a broader level they are interested in subjects such as history and anthropology and at various levels attached to the heritage of their community, group, race, country etc. They have a strong identification and attachment which they consider as their own. Their identification with a specific group of class can make them narrow minded and snobbish, which may overshadow their other good qualities. Thus, they must be aware of this weakness and improve to get wider acceptance among diverse groups. They should also open up their mind to ideas and perspectives different from their own, which will enhance their world view and their ability to contribute positively.

They are dignified in their behaviour and talk only when it’s necessary. They do not believe in casual talks and unnecessary squabbles and would rather talk when they think that it’s worth contributing their point of view. Thus many consider them as reserved, arrogant and egoistic, which is another perception to their worldly image. Being the wielder of iron hand, they are often perceived as cruel and at times rude, belligerent and are valorous. They know how to defend their ideas, people and their belongings and crush any opposition. However, they are usually not offensive in nature and fight only to defend their people and kingdom. They are so generous that even in war; they would spare the life of their enemies if they accept their mistakes and apologies- this is calls for very strong ideals and mind.

On a different side Agni which is predominant in this nakshatra also represent the creative forces. It is said that the Sun represent the creative forces and propitiated there are pro-creation issues in an individual horoscopes. The creative potential can however manifest in various ways depending on the spiritual and psychological progression of the native. This can be seen in the famous Sun temple of Konark in Puri, India. While the base portion of the temple marked with various sexual acts, the upper portion of the temple and place where the statue of the Sun god sits is pristine and pure. This shows the rise of creative potential from the base of the spine representing excessive sexuality to the top of the cranium showing the spiritual union with the almighty. The creative forces show union in different ways, physical sexual union at a basic level and spiritual union at the highest level. Depending on the spiritual progress of the native this nakshatra can represent excessive sexuality or higher spirituality. However, it is important to note that since they are highly principled, thus, even with excessive sexuality, they like express their sexual desires only with acceptable societal norms. In cultures, where it is not acceptable to have sexual acts outside marital boundaries, such natives limit themselves to their spouses. Regarding the males, this can also indicate multiple marriages. It is not a coincidence that from ancient times, the kings had a huge harem and many concubines. It’s only the righteous and the spiritual ones who limited themselves only to one wife. This is also interesting to note that the Pitris whose interest is to propagate their lineage can do it only through the means of procreation. Thus the excessive sexual urges of the natives of this nakshatra can also be attributed to that. While that is true, one must not forget that the final goal of creation to realize the spiritual nature of the self which is also called the self-realisation. Thus the Pitris and the natives of this nakshatra always seek spiritual progress and self-realisation as their goal. They are highly ambitious and are always eager to contribute to the society, get recognized for their abilities and effort and seek positions of power and authority from where they can influence and control his surroundings and community in which they thrive. They are enterprising and can often be seen as restless people ever eager to control their environment and at many times frustrated if they fail to do so. Although they are driven by selfless motives in their endeavours and not business minded, they seek recognition, power and status. They do not get complacent which may come as a barrier to their spiritual progress. As a spiritual aspirant one must know how to balance between their drive to achieve something and to let go.

Om Tat Sat