Twelve Aditya, the Sun Gods

The 33 koti devata are the 33 classes energy which make up your mind/body. The 12 types of Aditya, Indra, Prajapati, the 8 Vasus and the 11 Rudra. The 12 Adityas are the energies of the Sun placed in various signs. This is Vedic astrology and we use the correct mathematics. We use the correction factor called Ayanamsha, which ensures that the position of the celestial bodies is accurate. Thus the Sun changes his sign around the 15th date of the month (English months are 28, 29, 30 or 31 days in length!).

The Sun is your individual soul/Jivatma. The Jivatma is tied to Creation by the law of karma. Whenever you do an action with the label ‘I did this’, it is registered as karma. Thus karma is an expression of your ego. The apparent motion of the Sun around the earth, creates the zodiac and its 12 signs. The 12 signs are each ruled over an Aditya. Analysing the sign in which Sun is placed in your chart, tells more about your inner resource set which you then manifest in the outside world. Every month a different Aditya shines in the sky. Thus Adityas represent time, specifically the change that comes with time.

In Jyotish philosophy, the 12 Aditya describe the timing of the changes that occur in the human individual soul/Jivatma

Twelve Aditya, the Sun Gods

Sun enters Aries (Mesh Sankranti) around April 15th  Solar month – Madhu

Aries has the energy of Dhata Aditya. He has boundless creative energy and can use it too. He is intelligent and quite the idealist, he is blessed. He can become a good leader and perform excellently if placed well in the chart, Sun is exalted in Aries and is radiant and full of confidence. However if he is afflicted with malefics or gets placed in an unfavourable house can cause much damage with his misdirected energies.

Sun enters Taurus (Vrushabh Sankranti) around May 15th  Solar month Madhava

Taurus is the energy of Aryamaan Aditya. Aryaman means the Noble-one. He grants a good family, resources, lineage and traditions. A Sun in Taurus recognises the value of family culture and tradition and is quite well known and distinguished himself. He channelises the creative energy of Dhata to create a flow of ideas and abstract notions which can be potentially converted to reality. Aspirations, determination and perseverance. He is capable of taking the long view and putting aside personal concerns for the good of the family.

Sun enters Gemini (Mithun Sankranti) around Jun 15th Solar month Shukra

Gemini is linked to Mitra Aditya. He grants an easy going and comfortable attitude, quite friendly on the outside. But on the inside he quite firm on what he has decided on. He enforces his wishes. He acts. He is knowledgeable, fair and values contracts and agreements. He uses his practical knowledge  and converts the ideas of Aryaman to reality. Mitra is quite intelligent himself and values intelligence in others. He is quite liberal, inclusive and ready to mingle with other people and small groups. Can easily form alliances and has quite the bargaining power. Is quite easy going and appreciative of others.

Sun enters Cancer (Kark Sankranti) around July 15th Solar month Suchi

The sign Cancer is the energy of Varun Aditya. He rules the infinite ocean, very serious about moral behaviour and the laws of the Universe. He is quite tireless when the job appeals to him. Can hold positions of authority and work. But can get overbearing and overly attached to his way of thinking. Thus generally does not get along with people who think differently. Does not tolerate dissent and has the power to silence his detractors. But if he is upset or the ideas do not appeal to him, then it is like the energy of the Sun has drowned. He feels deeply.

Sun enters Leo (Simha Sankranti) around Aug 15th Solar month Nabha

Leo carries the energy of the Aditya named Indra. This is the sign he owns and this is linked to the Ultimate Reality itself. He likes showing off, is learned and holds power wherever he may be placed. A well placed Sun in Leo gives considerable power to control both the self or the surroundings. Can destroy enemies and take cruel but necessary decisions. Is not needlessly cruel! Has significant restraint if required. He is capable of dispassionately indulging in political manipulation to retain power.

Sun enters Virgo (Kanya Sankranti) around Sept 15th Solar month Nabhasya

Virgo is linked to the energy of the Aditya named Vivasvan. Bright and radiant, full of energy and fire. Sun in Virgo will desire perfection and purity. He is into service in a big way and can sacrifice his personal comforts for others. Spiritually inclined and learned. Can get interested in medical professions. He also likes to cook. If linked to the 5th house such a Sun can grant twin children. Can be susceptible to heat-related medical problems himself if he just sits without work.

Sun enters Libra (Tula Sankranti) around Oct 15th Solar month Isha

Libra has the energy of Tvashtha Aditya. The Sun is debilitated in this sign. Thus his divine intelligence is converted to superficial stuff. He thinks a lot but may not act on his ideas. If he acts, it will be in the realm of the material universe. He creates material possessions for the ego to get trapped in. He might be into agriculture, animal husbandry where living things are involved. He likes travelling and learning more about this material Universe we live in. He can take up causes against authority or against unsurmountable odds. Not interested in the occult or spiritual, even if he has the ability, he will simply ignore the ‘other’.

Sun enters Scorpio (Vruschik Sankranti) around Nov 15th solar month is Urja

Scorpio is linked to the energy of the Aditya named Vishnu. He purifies, gives secret knowledge and has infinite resources in his depths. If aspected well this Sun-Scorpio can be a defatigable researcher, explorer, surgeon, tantrik, healer, shaman etc. He is never scared of what he might open up. He has the skills and the will to transform himself and the situation and people around him. He is the change manager. Can get vengeful and wont stop till he utterly destroy his enemies.

Sun enters Sagittarius (Dhanu Sankranti) around Dec 15th Solar month is Sahas

Sagittarius has the energy of Anshuman Aditya. Anshuman is radiant, learned, religious, respected, spiritual and has the capacity to remove doubts and bring clarity. He has the power of discrimination, of that intelligence, where he can pick out a nugget of gold from mud. He has a liberal world-view and looks for the good in everyone. He has hope in every situation and can fight for justice and humanitarian causes. Sharp perception, clarity and intelligence coupled with the personal bravery and confidence.

Sun enters Capricorn (Makar sankranti) around Jan 15th Solar month Sahasya

Capricorn is linked to Bhaga Aditya. Bhaga is luck, fortune, prosperity. Sun in Capricorn is very hard working, reliable, strict and does not give up. He wants the luxuries of life and will work for them. He might benefit via legacies, inheritances, windfalls etc. Nothing under the table, he will earn the comforts he desires. He is intelligent, detail-oriented, can break down problems and deal with them. If well-placed he can be a leader of the masses and devoted to serving the public. But if afflicted he will be mean, stingy with others and unyielding in nature.

Sun enters Aquarius (Kumbh Sankranti) around Feb 15th Solar month Tapah

Aquarius is Pushya Aditya, the ‘nourisher’. He increases the supply of food, nourishes and increases everything. He can be a builder, or a designer of practical stuff. He can use tools and work with his hands, from making weapons to agriculture. He is very systematic and always has a grander design in his mind. May appear to be quite simple, but has drive and hidden ambitions. He is the perfect diplomat, willing and able to engage on various fronts with various people/groups.

Sun enters Pisces (Meen Sankranti) around Mar 15th solar month is Tapasya

Pisces has the energy of Parjanya Aditya. He is the ‘other-created’ one. He is not of this Universe. He allows the consciousness to enter the ‘other’ places, only when the time is right. He is the force that drives you to search for the Ultimate Reality. He is calmness and intelligence. If the Pisces-Sun gets placed in a good house and with benefic influences he can give good spiritual results. Else this can manifest as a dreamy personality, not completely in this Universe. He can take risks, gamble against odds or even practice deception to get what he wants, thus depending on aspects can even become a politician!

Now the 12 Aditya, in the energy sense. There are 12 chakras in the body, the 6 Shatchakras in the spine till the third eye and the 6 secret ones in the skull. These 12 are ruled by the 12 Aditya. Om is also the sound of the 12 Aditya combined produced at the dwadashant (end of the 12 ones). Devi is called Aditya-Varnaa in the Shri Sukta. Varna has so many meanings – color, tint, measure, quality, covering, type, outward appearance, cloak, form, shaped by, sound, praise, doorway, fame, gold, beauty, covering, lock, letters, glory, the one who wards etc. Thus the Light/Creation is linked to the energies of the 12 Adityas who together comprise our individual soul/Jivatma. (The Ultimate is Paramatma- the Ultimate Soul)

Twelve Aditya, the Sun Gods

Maa and Sanskrit

I am from coastal India, used to live right next to the sea but now I live in the Himalaya, I look outside the window now and I see oak forests. Here people speak Hindi and the word that they use for their mother is ‘maa’. Having learnt Sanskrit since I was a child, ‘maa’ for me is negation, ‘no’. ‘Maa kuru’ is ‘do not do it’. ‘Maa gaccha’ is ‘do not go’. It sounds very strange to hear children addressing their mothers ‘maa’. Why would an entire population call their mothers ‘No’? I asked a local pandit and he said ‘we call the Devi maa so the mother is maa’ or something quite confusing, he was not sure himself.

All languages are derived from Sanskrit. Devbhasha Sanskritam is in-built, its sounds and the way its letters are written are created by the perfect movement of pran/vital energy/kundalini along the Brahamnadi around the energy vertices/Chakra of your body. To those who can see, it is so visible, for those who cannot see it yet, best try to see your aura as the beginning step.

In Sanskrit, the mother is called Mata.

  • ‘Ma’ sound means the act of Creation, creating Illusions, hiding something and also the knowledge related to the Hidden.
  • ‘Aa’ means the one who directs, heals, removes sorrow etc linked to Ma.
  • ‘Ta’ means the depths of hidden darkness, that which is not illuminated as yet and the strength and power of flowing energy.
  • ‘Aa’ is again the one who directs, heals, removes sorrow etc now linked to Ta.

So a mother/mata in Sanskrit means so much more, which cannot be fully described. But the terrible intensity of Maa is tempered by the Taa sound. The intensity of ‘maa’ is in fact kept hidden by the ‘taa’ sound. Thus for the human mother, Mata is better.

Now ‘Maa’ is actually a name for the Devi. She hides, creates illusions and later grants its knowledge too. It is mentioned in the Shri Sukta, shlok/verse 3, one of the attributes of Devi is ‘Maa’. (Laxmi tantra has a very extensive chapter on Shri Sukta.) Devi is the energy of the Ultimate Consciousness/Parabrahma which is used to create the Universes. We all are the Ultimate ourselves, temporarily here to enjoy the fun-fair of Creation. This Devi/Illumination, energy is considered feminine as it creates, the cosmic mother. She has used the Maa attribute of Herself to conceal the true nature of every soul/Jivatma here. The energy of Maa is negation, and it negates our true nature, temporarily. She is Maa in all possible ways,

  • मिमी – The action of formation or creation using precise measures.
  • मीया – The act where Creation is fixed
  • मिति – The one who pervades everything. Everything that we see is produced from Her, the creative power of the Ultimate.

Now when you are done playing and want to remember your reality, re-experience yourself, what happens? The power of Creation, Devi, uses her attribute of negation, ‘Maa’, now to negate the bindings of karma and her own initial binding of Kundalini to release the Jivatma. Thus you realise your true self. Here is two negations making a positive.

The energy of the sound Maa is so vast and indescribable, it was used to make you forget your true nature. Now when you start your spiritual practice and want to realise yourself again, Maa then negates your human existence, it disconnects you from the manifested. (Addressing the human mother as ‘maa’, though very prevalent in North India, is not a good idea from the energy of the sound/intention point of view.)

‘Om Maayai namah’ is a mantra from the Shri sukta which grants all that you desire.

Maa is Devi, magnificent in Her power of Negation.

Maa and Sanskrit