An article on Jyeshtha Nakshatra by a student

Jyeshtha- Symbolic representations and metaphorical interpretations


“With great power comes great responsibility”


Jyeshtha literally means the eldest, the senior most. It comes in on the 18th position, in the scheme of 27 nakshatras. It is made of 3 stars, of which Antares is the reddish coloured star that is called the heart of the Scorpio.


These people are usually found to be the eldest among the siblings. In the rare cases that they are not actually the elder most, they are usually the most responsible or the most successful in the family. People usually throng these natives for words of wisdom, guidance or for being the beacon of help in distressing times.


Extent - 16 degrees 40 minutes of Scorpio to 30 degrees of Scorpio


Nakshatra Lord- Mercury

With mercury ruling this nakshatra, they can use their intellect and engage in mercurial activities to earn good amounts of wealth and reach the pinnacle of material abundance.


Sign Lord- Mars and Ketu


Representations- Earrings, Round Talisman, Umbrella


Ruling Deity – Indra, the king of the Gods


Gana – Rakshasa Gana


People belonging to Rakshasa Gana are said to be fearless, courageous, intense and assertive; however, they can be impulsive and can get irritated at trifles


Guna- Sattvic

The essence of Jyeshta is to inspire and to uplift, to help the underdogs. These sattvic gunas can be further cultivated by meditation, staying mindful and consuming Sattvic foods.


Varna – Shudra

They almost consider it their duty to serve. They are usually not very enthusiastic to take up the roles of the Hero, but they do take the center stage when the need arises and do every job that is needed, that other people may be reluctant in doing.


Purpose – Artha

They are primarily motivated by wealth and social connections. They thrive well in positions of high authority which give them a platform to serve people. They are protective of their throne and can be very envious of others success


Shakti – Aarohan Shakti

It is the power to rise, conquer, and gain victory against the opponents, in battleground. It is also the power to conquer one’s subconscious, to rise above the base desires. It also helps to overcome any fears and insecurities. The upward rising of the energy that leads to activation of the Kundalini is also known as the Aarohan Shakti.


Animal association – Male Deer/Stag


1. When hunters come to catch deer, they beat loud drums, to scare the deer. In its petrified state, the deer freezes and is unable to react and hence gets caught. The lesson that the natives need to learn is not to fear the external noise, and not to succumb under pressure.


2. Deer are by nature, curious and shy. They are always watchful of their surroundings even when they are seemingly occupied. Their curious nature also leads them to have experience early sexuality. But they run to far away, secluded places to make love, they do not like to be seen when they are in the act, unlike some other animal species.


3. There’s a good amount of power struggle and a desire to show dominance between male deer to establish authority over does (females). This can lead to physical fights and aggressiveness wherein they can push attack and bite each other.


4. They are very family oriented, very territorial and protective of their clan. They are especially careful about their young ones.


5. Deer are very cautious of any new person/thing in their surroundings. They are creatures of habit. They’ll stay cautious as long as they don’t get to know the new person. However, once they realize that the new person is not to be feared, they can become quite bold, at times even brash.


So, they can oscillate between, being extremely cautious to being completely heedless.


It is rightly said that “To understand Astrology well, one must understand Mythology from the roots. Let’s look at the Mythological Stories associated with this Nakshatra -


The story of this nakshatra begins with the story of moon marrying the 27 daughters of King Daksha. However, among all his 27 wives, Rohini was his favourite. It is said that Rohini was the most beautiful of them all moon used to give majority of his time to Rohini. The other sisters felt a sense of injustice due to this inequality and approached Jyeshta who was the eldest. Jyeshta understood this unfairness and advised moon to be just and fair and to spend equal time, that is 1 day with all the 27 wives moon however paid no heed and so the sisters had to approach their father for a solution, he curses moon to lose all his charm and to suffer from a deadly disease, due to which the moon kept waning.  Worried, he went to lord Shiva for help.  Shiva said that although he cannot reverse the curse completely, but he modified it, so that now moon waxes for 14 days and then goes into the waning phase for the next 14 days, and remains in 1 nakshatra for 1 day each.


As seen in this story, Jyeshta people can be very justice loving, fair, and truthful. They can be self-sacrificing and do not desire any special privileges for themselves, they aim to uplift the weak and the downtrodden so that justice is served to all. However, this does not really come selflessly every time. They desire recognition. There might be a sense of superiority in these natives and they may feel that they are the “know-alls” Any pointing to their fault or the slightest of criticism may hurt their delicate ego. If they feel that they are not being given the due respect and recognition which they so rightfully deserve, they can come up with the other side of Jyeshta which is not very pleasant. “Hell, hath no fury like a Jyeshta scorned “Lol!!


They can be boiling inside, agitated, full of plans for seeking revenge. They can be angry and quarrelsome at any perceived slights. One very problematic trait of Jyeshta is that they usually act before they have really thought things through. They think it is okay for them to flout any rules, because they are exceptional, rules aren’t meant for someone as great as them *wink* Majority of the times whenever Jyeshta natives flout the rules it is indeed for some greater good, but it can most definitely irk the authorities who may feel overlooked, and this can lead to many power struggles with authority figures and bring many facepalm moments in their lives.


Let’s understand some things associated with Indra and therefore with Jyeshta:


Indra was the King of gods, the all-powerful and the dragon slayer. Despite being all that, there are many attributes of Indra that are not quite godly. He was non-compliant, immoral, lonely, hiding his face in humiliation and self-sacrificing. Many of these can be commonly seen in Jyeshta natives too.


1. The whole story of Indra revolves around jealousy. The Asuras always wanted what he had, but he always wanted what others had Lust Greed and Discontentment are the three important keywords for describing Indra’s dark side. Indra usurped Varuna’s position as the God of the heavens. Because he resorted to seizing his throne, he was always insecure that somebody else would abrogate his throne. This is how law of karma actually works. What you are, you see in others, what you do, will come back to you in due course of time. So, insecurity is a key trait of Jyeshta.


2. He was very secretive and manipulative. What went on in his mind was anybody’s guess. Fear of losing the position can make these natives suspicious, jealous and always on guard. They do not want anyone to get powerful because of a constant fear of losing their authority. Life lesson here to learn is-- do big to achieve big - not to resort to manipulative tactics of pulling others own to retain the power and authority.


3. The word Indra has actually come from the word – Indriya. It means the one who has conquered the senses. He is the controller of the senses rather than being controlled by them. By force of the will, Jyeshta natives can gain immense control of their senses by turning everything in ward. They can be natural ascetics capable of storing great amounts of energy internally before releasing it at the chosen time. 


4. Problem arises when instead of trying to control themselves they seek to control others and become Tyrants of the highest order. The predominant guna thus plays a very important role here. The highest mission that Jyeshta natives are called to do is to conquer themselves, establish control over their own senses and mind, and channel every bit of energy they have on self-reflection and self-mastery.


5. Because Indra was the chosen one, the ruler of all the Gods, they can also have a lot of jealousy directed at them. It’s just the atmosphere they often find themselves in. They can attract a lot of Evil eye energy, which they can be subtly aware of and this can make them very suspicious and paranoid.


6. Indra was the one because of whom the churning of the ocean began. Any planet placed in Jyeshta has to go through this constant churning. Therefore, moon here is weak. The constant business and over activity of the mind, leads to a state of no peace. When the churning began, the poison and Alakshmi were the first to come out, similarly, the churning of mind starts with releasing of toxic poisonous substances at first and then later more refined and valuable thoughts come out.

As cream is churned to make butter and butter is churned to make ghee, the eventual aim is to bring out the purest, most precious derivative. But the process must be allowed to be complete. It’s like sedimentation and consequent decantation and filtration. To let the muck settle, so that the purest pristine water floats on the surface and can be segregated for consumption. If the process is left incomplete, we might end up consuming muddy water that will again make us sick.


7. Indra and Virochana (son of Prahlad)

Indra, the king of the gods and Virochana, the leader of the demons, approached Prajapati with all humility and requested him to impart the knowledge of self to them. Prajapati accepted them as his disciples and asked them to stay with him for 32 years.

At the end of the 32 years, Virochana went back, content with his partial knowledge, however, Indra, desired to learn more and decided to stay longer. He eventually stayed for 101 years with Prajapati and due to his intense efforts and persistent inquisitiveness he was granted the knowledge of the highest truth. He went back and imparted his knowledge to the gods.

The gods received the true knowledge and therefore live in the full knowledge of their highest Self.

And because Virochana was satisfied with the half knowledge of the body as the self, the demons, even today live in the ignorance taking body as Self.

Eventually in the 5th Dev Asur Sangram (war between the demons and the Gods)- The Tarakamaya War- Indra killed Virochana using deceit and trickery (by asking him for a boon, and in that boon, he asked him to cut off his own head)


a. Jyeshta Natives can therefore be very cunning and deceitful when dealing with their enemies. They can live in the moment and follow no rules when it comes to saving their own self or their close ones (Rakshasa Gana trait)

b. Jyeshta natives can also be very perseverant when it comes to learning the higher and deeper knowledge, of the mystical sciences and the occult. They can be perfectionists, who are not content until they’ve done their very best.


8. Indra was known to be a womanizer and had multiple illicit relationships. In one such act, he was involved with Gautama Rishi’s wife, Ahalya. Ahalya was not happy in her marriage with Rishi Gautam, who refused to satisfy her carnal desires because she was not in her fertile period where she could procreate. Indra used deceit, changed himself into Gautama Rishi’s form and approached Ahalya to make love. Ahalya, could see through his deceit but she was overcome by her desires and allowed herself to get carried away. While in the act, they were caught red handed by Rishi Gautama. He cursed Indra to be covered with a thousand vaginas and for his testicles to be removed.


This can be interpreted as-


a. These people can have marital relationships that are sexually not fulfilling.

b. That may lead these people to behave in sexually promiscuous ways and have illicit affairs

c. In males, this can lead to problems of the testicles- hernia, impotency, erectile dysfunction, low sperm count etc

d. In Females, this can lead to frigidity (Ahalya was turned into a stone). Frigidity is condition of not becoming sexually excited or enjoying the love making. There may be guilt and shame associated with the idea of sexuality

e. They may be caught in their affairs that can lead them to face social embarrassment and humiliation


9. Indra prayed intensely to Lord Shiva (some texts mention Lord Brahma) to get rid of this curse. Lord Shiva said that though he could not reverse the curse completely, he changed those one thousand vaginas into one thousand eyes. Indra is therefore known as the one thousand eyed God or Sahastraaksha. It’s is believed that he can see in all directions at once.


This can be interpreted as the ability of the Jyeshta natives to be extremely vigilant and watchful. This can manifest as them being ever protective and at guard looking for perils.


10. Indra Jaal - Indra is known as the first creator of Maya. He uses his magic, deception, fraud, illusion and sorcery to create something in people’s minds that does not really exist in order to manipulate and deceive them. This can manifest as Jyeshta natives being extremely diplomatic and manipulative to turn any situation in their favour and to use their cunning means to get better of their enemies.


11. Protective Talisman and Umbrella

If we observe through the various tales associated with Lord Indra, we will see that he always managed to get himself in some sort of trouble, due to his lack of far sightedness, and impulsive actions and erratic behaviour. However, there was always someone to hold his back, especially Lord Vishnu. Therefore, praying Lord Vishnu is said to help Jyeshta natives in distressing times.


Similarly, Jyeshta natives seem to have divine protection. Either there is someone who comes up at the right time, to pull them out of the chaos or they themselves have some sort of mental preparedness. There is always a plan B in the back of their minds. One cannot really stop the clouds from raining, but one can always be prepared with an umbrella to protect oneself.


Additionally, it is seen that whenever some dignitaries are being taken to the venue, their head is covered using an umbrella by the escorts. This can indicate that these people are usually well respected and reach a position where they command respect and authority.


The talisman can be seen as the object that is either prepared through prayers or something that has been given, to protect one from darker energies. These are considered special, for they are believed to have special blessings, healing or mystical powers. Jyeshta natives therefore are quite commonly seen to be interested in mystical areas of life.


Things like occult, astrology, numerology, knowing the truer higher selves interest them a lot.


However, one should keep in mind that these powers are not given to anyone and everyone, one needs to make himself capable, through years of efforts, and then too, after receiving the
divine grace, these powers need to used wisely.


For example, there were times, when Lord Indra, intoxicated with his powers, dishonoured even his own Guru, Brihaspati, the one who had given him the strong protective armour, that made him invincible. But then he had to bear the consequences. The Armor’s powers were reduced by Brihaspati to teach him a lesson and consequently, he was defeated by the demons and all his
material opulence was snatched away from him.


12. Earrings

The hoop earrings as shown in the representative image of Jyeshta are made of precious metal, mostly gold, and it points towards material opulence. This indicates material prosperity that one may be blessed with.

Also, in Mahabharat, if we remember, Karan, the son of Lord sun was born with special earrings and an Armor that made him an invincible warrior. However, at the time of the war,

Indra took those away from him, because Indra’s son Arjuna was in the battle against Karan.

Because Indra, snatched Karn’s earrings to protect his own son, this may indicate a tendency to favouritism. Jyeshta natives may act in a partial way, when it comes to saving their own clan. In this lifetime, they need to learn to remain impartial and stand with the truth,
Irrespective of who is in the battle field.


The Narakasur episode

There’s another interpretation of the umbrella and earrings associated with the Narakasur story. So, the story starts with the demon Narakasur sneaking into Indra’s kingdom and stealing his special umbrella that had protective and magical powers. He also took with him Indra’s mother’s earrings that had come out of the churning of the ocean along with other jewels and gems.

Indra sought the help of Lord Krishna to help him get the stolen stuff back. When Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama, came to Indra’s Kingdom to return him his possessions, Satyabhama’s eyes fell on Parijaat Tree. She found it very beautiful and said that, because it came out of churning of the ocean, it should remain for equal times on earth as well as in the heavens. It should not be the sole property of the heaven.

This agitated Lord Indra and he refused to give it away. Satyabhama humiliated him and called him for an open fight, and that was when Indra attacked Lord Krishna with his Vajra. Krishna broke his weapon which led to Indra conceding defeat and giving away the parijaat tree to Satyabhama. Krishna also made him apologize to Satyabhama in front of all the other gods.

This story indicates that Jyeshta prominent natives can be extremely ungrateful. They can be hoarders and can find it difficult to share their possessions.

It can also cause public humiliation, defame and bring ego thrashing incidences in life.

Indra in trouble with Lord Krishna

The Farmers of Vrindavan used to worship Indra, the Lord of rains, so that he stays happy and send good rains that may lead to a bountiful produce. For that, they used to segregate a good amount of food and other offerings and burn it in the sacrificial altar (hawan) as a prayer to Indra. Lord Krishna, when he was still a child, convinced farmers that it was Indra’s duty as the God of Rain to send rains. He doesn’t need to be bribed for that. However, Indra felt insulted and slightest at not being given importance and he decided to seek a revenge by sending huge floods to Vrindavan, which aimed at damaging the crops and putting the lives of people and cattle in peril. However, Lord Krishna, lifted the Govardhan mountain on his little finger and saved everyone’s lives. When Indra realized that the young child was no ordinary boy but an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, he was extremely apologetic about his behaviour and asked for forgiveness.


This can indicate the need for appreciation in Jyeshta natives. They love being flattered. And when they feel they being slighted, they can be extremely revengeful and full of malice.


Gandanta Point


The 4th pada of this nakshatra comes under the Gandanta degrees because the deepest Scorpio waters are merging with the flaming Sagittarius fire energy.


Gandanta literally means the end of a knot. Planets placed here in the gandanta degrees are believed to carry spiritual and karmic weight, often associated with transformative experiences. They encourage individuals to confront their past, embrace catharsis, and seek deeper understanding in their lives.


The Moon in Jyeshta in the Gandanta degrees can enhance the native’s intuitive abilities and sensitivity to the emotions of others. This can lead to extreme levels of empathy and it can also make individuals overwhelmed with emotions. Also, there may be significant karmic ties with family or close relationships that require resolution, leading to transformative experiences that shape the individual's emotional landscape.


Some common Jyeshtha traits

a. They love to be in a self-sacrificing role, helping the needy, just appreciate their work and you’ll get the best out of them

b. They tend to have a very powerful foresight and an excellent intuitive ability

c. It’s a pleasure to see a Jyeshta at work. They can be inspiring and can teach others by doing

d. They make a fool of themselves when they are in love, they can be so possessive and protective that they can harm themselves in the process.

e. They are very bad at taking advices. They think they are the know alls and hence will learn the hard way themselves.

f. Any form of perceived criticism or slight against them will keep their minds churning until they’ve successfully avenged it.

g. They never forget, nor do they ever forgive. Never make a Jyeshta native your enemy.

h. Jyeshta natives often in their later lives master the art of facing their fears. They are experts in psychology, manipulation and playing mind games.

i. They can be extremely self-controlling and can have extreme level of will power than can help them tap into their higher selves.


Padas of Jyeshtha Nakshtra

Jyeshta Pada 1: Sagittarius Navamsa:

Their mission in life often relates with gaining higher knowledge, deeper faith, more inclusive humanism or a global reach. The might initiate some kind of faith-based revolution, and gain a cult like following. They usually have some knowledge of psychology and philosophy. They are liked by all, interested in the discussion of the scriptures and are of happy disposition. They will work hard for acquiring knowledge and to do things right; they will sacrifice everything for their principles.

Jyeshta Pada 2, Capricorn Navamsa:

Authority figures are seen from this pada, the ones who accept responsibility. They can be controlling and confrontational but are usually trying to do the right thing. They can also be protective and jealous, selfish and vengeful. They can often be relied on to do the forbidden jobs, or the work that nobody else wants to do. On the other hand, they can also be lazy, sick, cruel, fickle, stingy, and hated by people for the trouble they create. 

Jyeshta Pada 3, Aquarius Navamsa:

They might have an interest in helping others and, hence, will take an active part in community activities. They can be very knowledgeable and have a strong justice-loving nature 

Jyeshta Pada 4, Pisces Navamsa:

They are typically learned in scriptures, respectful of the gods, and live a pious life. They are knowledgeable, peaceful, wealthy, kind and generous. They can be self-sacrificing, taking on many miseries. Experiencing intimacy is very important for them and they continually seek to satisfy their desire for it. They might live a kind of fantasy life, with no boundaries and may be disconnected from reality. They are often hyper emotional and suffer much in love and sacrifice for their beloved. Their certain actions can also lead to self-destruction.


Conclusion

Life lessons for Jyeshta Natives -

1. Atharveda says an interesting line — “Indra sam Jeevan” which translates to life like an Indra.

Indra does not show any mercy on his enemies as he is the one who makes all the rules of the battleground. “Saam Daam Dand Bhed” is a quote that is very apt when describing Indra’s way of functioning.

When not at work, he keeps himself relaxed with music, dance and Som and all of these things help him think and plan his master moves.

2. Because Indra was the first one to get access to the Som, the amrit, the elixir, it can make Jyeshta natives (and some echoing effect can be seen in Vishakha too) – ‘Chir Yuva’ which literally means forever young. They can remain youthful for longer than their counterparts.

3. One might wonder why someone who was so full of flaws was made the King. Did he even deserve to be a God? It is to be understood that he was basically a good person, who was trying to efficiently manage the heavens. Just that he was so full of pride that he couldn’t see himself clearly. Good people can halve flaws, after all everything in this universe is a different shade of grey. Being aware of one’s flaws can help one to overcome them with will, courage and humility. It is only when they accept humility as their mantra can they tap into the higher significations of Jyeshta. One should be grateful to those who make one aware of their shortcomings; as self-awareness is the first step to self-improvement.

4. With the hell lot of enemies and jealous rivals that these natives attract, it is very important for them to stay calm and unaffected. At least not to appear agitated, because people tend to remember the reaction, but tend to forget the instigator. The best one can do is to remain calm and let universe take its own course. And believe me, the talisman and the umbrella really works 😊

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Very good and detailed work. Keep it up. Thanks for sharing.