Candra (Moon) in Vedic Astrology — Meaning & Mantra

Significations (karakatva)

The Moon (Chandra or Soma) signifies the mind (manas), emotions, memory, the mother, nourishment, fluids and public popularity. In Vedic astrology the Moon's sign at birth is the janma rashi, and its nakshatra, the janma nakshatra, decides the starting point of the Vimshottari dasha, the naming syllable and compatibility in marriage matching. It is a feminine, watery, sattvic graha; a waxing Moon is treated as a benefic and a waning Moon, especially near new moon, as weak or malefic. It gains directional strength in the fourth house of home and happiness. The Moon is linked with silver, pearls, rice, milk, water travel, nursing, agriculture and hospitality. Gochara (transit) results in the panchanga are read from the janma rashi, and the Moon's daily nakshatra and tithi form the core of every panchanga.

Astronomy of Moon

The Moon is the Earth's only natural satellite, about 3,474 km in diameter and on average about 384,400 km away. It orbits the Earth once in a sidereal month of about 27.32 days, moving through roughly 13°10′ of the zodiac per day; this is why the ecliptic is divided into 27 nakshatras of 13°20′, each corresponding to roughly one day of lunar motion. The cycle of phases, the synodic month, lasts about 29.53 days, and its division into 30 parts of 12° of Sun-Moon elongation defines the tithis of the panchanga. Its orbit is inclined about 5.1° to the ecliptic; the two crossing points are the lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu. Eclipses occur only when a new or full moon falls close to a node.

Mythology

Chandra was born, according to the Puranas, from the churning of the ocean of milk, or as the son of the sage Atri and Anasuya. He married the 27 daughters of Daksha, who are the nakshatras, but favoured Rohini; Daksha's curse made him waste away, and Shiva's intervention allowed him to wax again, which explains the lunar phases. Shiva wears the crescent Moon on his head as Chandrashekhara, and the Somnath temple in Gujarat commemorates this story. Chandra's son Budha (Mercury) was born from his union with Tara, wife of Brihaspati. Monday (Somavara) is named after the Moon.