Ketu­deva (Ketu)

Ketu is the descending lunar node. 'Ketu' is the body of Rahu, after the head of the asura
was cut off by Mohini Murti. In Vedic astrology, Ketu is generally referred to as a "shadow"
planet. It is believed to have a tremendous impact on human lives and also the whole
creation. In some special circumstances it helps someone achieve the zenith of fame.
Astronomically, Ketu and Rahu denote the points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and
the Moon as they move on the celestial sphere. Therefore, Rahu and Ketu are respectively
called the north and the south lunar nodes. The fact that eclipses occur when the Sun and
the Moon are at one of these points gives rise to the idea of the swallowing of the Sun and
the Moon by the demon snake.

In Vedic astrology Ketu represents karmic collections both good and bad, spirituality and
supernatural influences. Ketu signifies the spiritual process of the refinement of
materialization to spiritualism and is considered both malefic and benefic, as it causes
sorrow and loss, and yet at the same time turns the individual unto God. In other words, it
causes material loss in order to force a more spiritual outlook in the person. Ketu is an
indicator of intelligence, wisdom, non­attachment, fantasy, penetrating insight,
derangement, and psychic abilities. Ketu brings prosperity to the devotee's family, removes
the effects of snakebite and illness arising out of poisons. He grants good health, wealth and
cattle to his devotees. The people who come under the influence of Ketu can achieve great
heights, most of them spiritual.

From his wife Simhika (the sister of Shree Prahlada Maharaja), Vipracitti begot one
hundred and one sons, of whom the eldest is Rahu and the others are the one hundred
Ketus. Ketu is the dismembered body of which Rahu is the head. Rahu and Ketu were split
at the time of the Churning of the Milk Ocean, which came about as the result of a curse by
Durvasa Muni. This curse caused the glory, lustre and prosperity of the Celestials to wane,
as the Moon had waned when he was cursed by Daksha. Dejected and forlorn, the great
Celestials consulted Lord Brahma for help who in return asked the Supreme Lord Vishnu.
Lord Vishnu said to them “the present time is propitious for your foes ­ the asuras
(demon(s)), but not for you. You will have to bide your time until time turns in your favour.
In the meanwhile, make peace with your enemies, and cooperate with them to churn the
Milk Ocean, so that you may obtain amrita (the nectar of immortality) thereby”. This they
did and they added all kinds of medicinal herbs, bushes, creepers and other planets into the
ocean and using Mount Mandara for the churning rod and the great serpent Vasuki for the
churning stick, the devas and asuras industriously churned the Ocean of Milk. Lord Vishnu
also assisted the process by making Vasuki resistant to any pain. The egotistic demons
proud of their knowledge and glory, had insisted on holding Vasuki's head and Lord Vishnu
had advised the devas to agree. The devas therefore smugly clung onto Vasuki's tail as they
churned the watched the asuras being blasted by the fiery poison that the distressed snake
exhaled. Below is more information about the Churning of the Milk ocean.

In the Srimad Bhagavatam Maha Purana 8th canto chapters 5­10. The devas and the
demons assembled on the shore of the milk ocean that lies in the celestial region of the
cosmos. The devas and the demons devised a plan to churn the milk ocean to produce the
nectar of immortality. They then agreed to share the nectar equally once it was produced.
For the task of churning the milk ocean, the Mandara Mountain was used as the churning
rod, and Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the rope for churning. As the churning began,
the Mandara Mountain began to sink deep into the ocean, at which time Lord Vishnu
incarnated as a great tortoise called Lord Kurma and supported the mountain on His back.
With the devas at Vasuki’s tail and the demons at his head, they churned the milk ocean for
one thousand years.

The churning of the milk ocean (Picture Below) first produced a deadly poison, which Lord
Shiva drank without being affected.
As Lord Shiva drank the poison, a few drops fell from his hands and were licked up by
scorpions, snakes, and similar other deadly creatures. After Lord Shiva drank the poison,
numerous opulent items were produced. First a Surabhi cow appeared who could yield
unlimited quantities of milk. A white horse named Uccaihsrava was then produced, as well
as a white elephant named Airavata. Then a valuable gem called the Kaustubha­mani
appeared. Next came the Apsaras, beautiful dancing girls and a host of other wonderful
things appeared from the milk ocean. At last the Lord came in a form called Dhanvantari
appeared carrying the pot of immortal nectar in His hands. Seeing Lord Dhanvantari with
the pot of nectar, both the devas and demons became anxious. The devas, being fearful of
what would happen if the demons drank their share of the nectar of immortality, forcibly
seized the pot. Wherever the devas went with the pot of nectar, fierce fighting ensued. In an
endeavour to keep the nectar from falling into the hands of the demons, the devas hid it in
four places on the earth (Bharat bhumi ­ India), Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain, and
Nashik. At each of the hiding places, a drop of immortal nectar spilled from the pot and
landed on the earth. These four places since then have acquired mystical powers.
Eventually, the demons overpowered the devas and took possession of the nectar of
immortality. To rescue the devas from the hands of fate, Lord Vishnu incarnated as a
beautiful woman, Mohini­murti (Pictured Below), and approached the demons. When the
demons saw the charming beauty of Mohini­murti, they lost all composure. Seeing Her
slender hips, raised breasts, and pleasing smile, the demons completely forgot about
drinking the nectar of immortality. While Her beauty thus bewildered the demons, Mohini­
murti seized the nectar and returned it to the devas, who drank it immediately. But Rahu
had disguised himself as a deva. The Sun (Suryadev) and the Moon (Chandradev) pointed
this out to Mohini Devi who immediately slashed off the demon’s head. Since the nectar had
by then already reached up to the neck, he did not die. Thus the head came to be known as
Rahu and the body as Ketu. To avenge this betrayal, Rahu and Ketu periodically eclipse the
sun and the moon.
Rahu's body was later revived and became Ketu. Garlic sprang up from wherever drops of
Rahu's blood fell to Earth; its medicinal qualities are like those of amrita, but has a Rahu
like effects on the minds of those who consume it.

In the Ramayana, Shree Hanumanji rescued Saturn (Shani­deva) from the clutches of
Ravana and in gratitude, Shani­dev promised Shree Hanumanji that anyone who prayed to
him (Shree Hanumanji), especially on Saturdays, would be rescued from the "malefic"
effects of himself (Saturn), or at the very least, the effects would be softened. All the
Navagrahas are friends of Shree Hanumanji, particularly Shanideva. There has been an
“MOU”(Memorandum of Understanding) between the Navagrahas and Shree Hanumanji.
While Shree Hanumanji was on his way to Shree Lanka to find Sita­Devi, he had seen
“Navagrahas” being captured and tied together by Ravana asura. The Navagrahas knew
that only Shree Anjaneya(Shree Hanumanji) had the power to release them from the
clutches of evil king Ravana. They worshipped Shree Hanumanji and requested him to free
them their distress. Shree Hanumanji, being the greatest superhero that he is, immediately
realised the presence of Shani­dev amongst the Navagrahas and asked Shani­dev “If I
release you O Shani­dev, you will gaze at me and I will be under your spell for 7.5 years”.
For this Shani­dev replied that he will not do that and even spare those who worship Shree
Anjaneya from the ill effects of his dosha (gaze/malefic effects). They, the Navagrahas then
blessed Shree Hanumanji, saying "Those who are devoted to you are blessed by us too." All
the Grahas blessed Shree Hanumanji individually. Thus, the 9 planets negative influences
are subdued when one worships Shree Hanumanji.

Ketu (Ketu­deva) in Vedic astrology.

Apart from the seven planets, Vedic astrology gives consideration to certain significant
points of planetary relationship as minor or secondary planets. The two most important of
these are the nodes of the Moon. The north node is called "Rahu" or the Dragon's Head; the
south node is called "Ketu" or the Dragon's Tail. We will refer to these two nodes throughout
the book as Rahu and Ketu, as it is a simpler nomenclature. These two nodes are considered
to be secondary or shadowy planets. Astronomically, they represent the points at which the
Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic or the celestial equator. These are the places at which the
Moon crosses the point of the Sun's orbit, at which eclipses can occur. The lunar nodes show
the times when the solar and lunar forces obstruct each other or cancel each other out. They
show the potential for short­circuiting, as it were, our solar or lunar energies. They are thus
very sensitive points that can cause repercussions in the entire field of planetary forces.

Rahu, the north or ascending node is the point at which the Moon crosses the ecliptic to the
north. Ketu, the south or descending node is where it crosses it to the south. The influence
of the north node is thus ascending, expanding, externalizing but of what is largely a
negative force. The south node is descending, contracting and internalizing. Hence in the
Vedic system the south node is less negative than the north.

Eclipses of the Sun and Moon can occur when in proximity of either of the nodes. The nodes
are regarded in Vedic Shastras as the demon which swallows the luminary and causes the
eclipse. As such, they have the power to overcome the Sun and the Moon, and in this sense
can be stronger than any of the planets. In Vedic astrology, therefore, the conjunction of any
planet with either of the lunar nodes is regarded as a kind of eclipse of that planet, wherein
its energy is in some way obstructed, negated or liberated.

While it's the practice of many modern/western astrologers of today to overlook or lightly
consider the lunar nodes, Vedic astrology regards them as among as one of the most
important factors in one's birth chart interpretation. They possess the power not only to
negate planetary influences, but as the eclipses are points of energy transformation, they
have additional special properties to transfer or to augment planetary influences, for good or ill.

The lunar nodes in Vedic astrology are a much more complex and studied phenomenon than
in Western astrology. Their meaning is usually quite different, though under certain
conditions it can be similar to that in the western system. The lunar nodes, by themselves,
are regarded as generally the most malefic forces in the chart. The north node, Rahu, is said
to be like Saturn, the greater malefic; the south node, Ketu, like Mars, the lesser malefic.
Yet the nodes have a subtler, more psychic and difficult to neutralize malefic force than
these two main malefics. Of the two, the north node, Rahu, is regarded as more malefic, as
usually the most malefic force in the chart. That the two nodes are malefic is quite logical,
as they indicate the factors which cause eclipses, which block out the light of the great
luminaries, the Sun and the Moon. For this reason they are more indicators of bad karma
than good.

Rahu is regarded as the main planetary factor behind insanity, neurosis, neurological
disorders, possession by negative entities and other such abnormal sensitivities of the mind
and nervous system. This is particularly true when it influences the Moon, especially a
conjunction, and other factors representing the mind (like Mercury and the fourth house in
one's birth chart). It can heighten our astral sensitivity which can be to weaken our soul's
grip upon the physical body. Rahu's manifestation is not always as severe, and may be
counteracted by other forces, as anything can be in astrology. The key to most nervous,
psychological and emotional disturbances, susceptibility to drugs and psychic influences,
mysterious diseases like cancer or neuro­muscular disorders, as well as most inexplicable
general mental unhappiness and malaise and unrest in life, can usually be traced to the
influence of these nodes, especially Rahu. This is particularly true when they combine with
and augment the negative force of other malefics like Saturn.

Ketu, though malefic, it is not regarded quite as malefic as it is in the Western system. Ketu
creates doubt, disturbance, anger, ambition, wilfulness, a critical and often narrow vision in
life, which may lead to conflict and argument. While Rahu shows an individual carried away
by mass trends, collective, unconscious or astral influences, Ketu shows the individual
caught more in their own contracted energies, isolated, alienated, obstinately separate and
on their own.

POSITIVE SIDES OF RAHU AND KETU:­ On the positive side, the influence of Rahu can
put us in harmony with collective trends and give popularity, prestige, fame and power. It
imparts an almost psychic sensitivity to mass trends and a capacity to use them. Ketu, in
the positive sense, can create great powers of concentration, powerful perception,
independence, the capacity to transcend external influences, psychic and spiritual insight.
In terms of yoga and the spiritual life it ultimately becomes the significator of liberation
itself. Aligned with Mercury it gives good insight and is helpful in the pursuit of such subtle
subjects as astrology. The positive influence of the nodes, however, is less common than the
negative and both tend to have a debasing effect upon us. Both nodes represent very
difficult forces to handle, and their positive side may only come out through overcoming
great obstacles in life and may have side­effects.

IN YOUR CHART, KETU CONTROLS (IN YOUR LIFE):­ ending of bondage, spiritual
authority, ascetics, astrology, assassinations, breaking through limitations, internal mental
changes, clairvoyance, dissatisfactions, philosophers, separations, breaks, final
emancipation, liberation, enlightening results, acts, low and mean, artistic taste,
assimilates experience, bankruptcy, bestows riches, careers too low for one, cataclysm,
cheating, trouble through enemies, feelings of helplessness, negative habits, smoking etc.

WHEN KETU IS BENEFIC IN YOUR LIFE CURRENTLY THEN ONE SHOULD FEEL
THESE EFFECTS:­ gives sudden and unexpected results for good or ill, depending upon its
placement, makes the individual strong but not necessarily sensitive to others, perception,
liberation, wisdom, psychic sensitivity in a more genuine way...

WHEN KETU IS MALEFIC IN YOUR LIFE CURRENTLY THEN ONE SHOULD FEEL
THESE EFFECTS:­ an afflicted Ketu in your birth chart will make the benefics given above
negative in your life making one too limiting and thus having a critical view of things that
gets us stuck in some corner of our minds, diseases of the spleen, gas troubles, skin diseases,
pimples, colic pains, dropsy, abscesses, paralysis, heart diseases, hunger, ring worms, burns,
injuries from accidents and fire, apoplexy (a sudden neurological impairment), smallpox,
imprisonment, drowning, fear complex, insanity, allergy, leprosy, injuries, fire accident,
punishment from the government, renunciation, wisdom after suffering and bitter
experiences and weakness after having pleasures with other persons...

Kindly note:­ Some the information above may portray the Celestials (like Ketu­deva or
Durvasa Muni) as adharmic, but you should know that much of the information that one
reads in our Shastras is totally inconceivable to us mere mortals. To truly understand our
Vedic Scriptures can be quite an effort indeed hence It requires a Guru to explain the
intricacies and the secrets it has in It. Every event conveys some noble secrets in some
direct or indirect way. You have to understand It with one's inner self and not like a novel.
The characters we come across in a novel aren't ­ in the slightest ­ worthy of comparison to
personalities in our Vedic Scriptures. In each personality in our Vedic Scriptures, they have
messages to convey to us.

Do note:­ But let me state here categorically, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Shree Krishna and His devotees like Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, Mother Durga, Lord Indra,
the 9 planets, and so forth performs an act, it should NEVER be questioned. Yes, this will
not go down well with many so called “new­aged” “I want the truth” people out there, but
honestly what right does one have to question the Lord and his elevated servants? God can
do what ever He pleases and He is not accountable to (any)no being... BUT His servants are.
The Lord has a reason for everything He does, and who gives one the right to question our
Dear Lord... His Lila (pastime) is beyond human comprehension but we humbly tried to
explain a little (with my minuscule intelligence) above as to why the Lord or His devotee
acted in this regard.

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advice. We appreciate that there are variances between organisations and humbly
request that if our views differ from yours that you respect our decision not to
conform to the prescripts of your particular organisation. We remain committed to
spiritual advice which is based on scripture.
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Compiled for the upliftment of Sanathan Dharma
Narottam das & Arjun Nandlal
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