Article-1: Aśvinī Nakshatra Article Series

The Aśvini Nakshatra and The Aśvinī Kumāras: Origin Story

And so, as the first lunar mention, we will begin our series on the Aśvini Nakshatra with a story that can paint the picture of their origin story. It is primarily through the narratives and the symbolism of the deities that we can understand the deep meaning embedded within the nakshatras and what they are conveying in our realm of reality and existence, as our own existence.

And without further ado, let’s begin the first part of this series with the parents of the deities related to the Aśvini Nakshatra, the twin brothers Aśvinī Kumāras, sons of Sūrya, the sun god, and Sanjña, the goddess of dawn.

The Love Story of Sūrya and Sanjña

In the heart of the heavens, where light bathes all in its glorious golden glow, dwells Sūrya, the Sun God, the embodiment of life's vigor, the king and the guardian of the day. His brilliance is unmatched, a radiant beacon that illuminates the world and the heavens beyond. Yet, this same splendor is what makes proximity to him a challenge, a trial of endurance even for his beloved wife, Sanjña, the goddess of dawn and the daughter of Viśvakarmā, the divine architect of the gods.

Sanjña, whose beauty was as serene as the dawn and whose essence was interwoven with the delicate first light, had stood by Surya in a harmony and birthed three beings: Vaivasvata Manu, the wise progenitor of humanity; Yama, the just and stern deity of the afterlife; and Yami, the compassionate spirit later known to grace the earth as the sacred river Yamuna. These offspring, symbols of life, order and compassion, were conceived in moments when Sūrya’s warmth felt nurturing rather than overwhelming, a testament to the couple's profound union and love, as well as the ever growing power of the sun.

As the cycles of the cosmos turned, Sūrya’s radiance intensified, a reflection of the ever-increasing vitality and power at the core of existence. Sanjña found herself increasingly wilting under the relentless blaze of her husband, her strength diminishing in the face of his ever-growing heat and light. The same light that once nurtured life now overwhelmed her, highlighting the precarious balance of their divine roles.

In a moment of despair, yet filled with the wisdom of love and duty, Sanjña conceived a plan to preserve the harmony of their divine responsibilities while seeking respite for herself. With a heart heavy yet hopeful, she crafted a shadow clone, Chāyā, a mirror of herself, imbued with enough of her essence to stand beside Sūrya in her absence. This clone, a testament to Sanjña’s ingenuity and sacrifice, was to be a surrogate wife and mother in her absence, ensuring that the divine duties to the cosmos and their progeny were upheld.

With Chāyā by Sūrya’s side, Sanjña retreated to the cooling embrace of the forest on Earth, transforming herself into the guise of a mare to perform penance, meditate upon the essence of light and shadow, and to regain her strength. This act of retreat was not an abandonment but a deep sacrificial act of love, a pause in the eternal dance of light and life, allowing her to return rejuvenated, to, once again stand by Sūrya, embodying the dawn after the night's respite.

Chhaya's Legacy

As Chāyā, the shadow borne of necessity and maternal sacrifice, assumed her place beside Sūrya, the fabric of this divine family was subtly altered. She stood as a figure of both solace and separation, her presence a testament to Sanjña’s love, sacrifice and the complexities of divine duties she could not embody.

From her union with the radiant Sūrya, three new beings were born: Śani, also known as Saturn, whose gaze held the weight of justice and time; Sāvarṇi Manu, destined to guide humanity through future cycles; and Tapati, a deity whose warmth infused the very rivers and earth with life. Yet, beneath this semblance of continuity, a dissonance whispered through the halls of the Sūrya’s kingdom.

The first shadow of doubt crept into Sūrya’s heart when Chāyā, not bound by the deep unspoken bond of birth between a mother and a child, cast a harsh curse upon Yama, the god of death and justice, Sanjña’s son. This act, uncharacteristic of the nurturing love Sanjña held for her children, was a chink in the armor of illusion, revealing a truth that had been hidden by the guise of shadows. Sūrya, whose light pierced through the veils of deception, saw the unsettling change in maternal affection, a sign that the one he loved, the mother of his first children was no longer by his side.

Driven by confusion and concern, Sūrya sought the truth behind the change in the maternal tide. The Sun, in all its blazing glory, could not be deceived for long. The warmth of genuine love was missing, replaced by a shadow that although loyal, could not replicate the profound bond between them, or between all her offspring. The totality of these realizations propelled Sūrya on a quest, a pursuit fueled by love and the yearning for reunion with his true wife.

And so Sūrya embarked upon his journey to find Sanjña.

Sūrya Quest in His Love for Sanjña

The divinity of existence, vast and mysterious, whispers secrets to those willing to listen. Sūrya listened. It led him to the tranquil forests of earth where Sanjña had transformed to seek solace in the guise of a female horse, a mare. It was here, in the quietude of nature, away from the relentless gaze of the Sun, that Sanjña found her peace and could perform her penance.

The reunion of Sūrya and Sanjña finally took place beneath the canopy of ancient trees and the watchful eyes of the cosmos, a moment marked by both revelation and transformation. In humility and love, Sūrya turned down his brilliance and heat, and adopted the form of a horse, mirroring Sanjña earthly guise to reconcile and manifest their union anew, in an act of creation that echoed the first rays of dawn, heralding the end of darkness with the promise of light and life renewed.

From this union, born of love's enduring flame and the willingness to traverse the distances between light and shadow, came the Aśvinī Kumāras, the twins, harbingers of healing and hope.

The Birth of Aśvinī Kumāras

To state the obvious, the birth of the twins was no ordinary event but a divine symphony that wove together the essences of the Sun's brilliance, the Dawn, and Earth's nurturing bounty. Aśvinī Kumāras were born from Sanjña, in her equine form, signifying the blend of celestial fire and terrestrial grace.

Their miraculous emergence from the nostrils of their horse-mother is an image steeped in the mysticism of creation myths, symbolizing the life-affirming energies and the breath of the universe coalescing into forms of divine healing and protection for the Aśvinī Kumāras..

Thus, the story of the Aśvinī Kumāras unfolds as a tale of love's resilience, sacrifice, the pursuit of truth, and the sacred bonds that even the gods must honor. It speaks of the lengths to which the heart will go to reclaim what is lost and the transformative power of understanding and compassion. The Aśvinī Kumāras embody the dance of light and shadow, finding harmony within it.

And so, with their birth, the dawn greeted the world not just with the light of day but with the promise of healing and rejuvenation, embodied in the divine twins. Emerging from the quietude of the forest, they illuminated the cosmos’s passion with their benevolence.

In this way, the Aśvinī Kumāras embody the duality of existence: the brilliance of the Sun combined with the resilience of the Earth, bridging the ethereal with the tangible. They are the progeny of reconciliation, epitomizing the power of love and healing to bridge the divides of form and essence, manifesting in new beginnings and symbolizing the perpetual cycle of renewal. Their arrival serves as a reminder of the unity underlying apparent contradictions, where light meets shadow, and the cosmic intertwines with the earthly to forge something entirely new and essential.

In the continuum of creation, where day melds into night and seasons cycle through their eternal dance, the Aśvinī Kumāras emerge as luminous threads weaving the fabric of divine intent with the tangible reality of the world. Radiant with the brilliance of their father, Sūrya, and imbued with the compassionate nurturance of their mother, Sanjña, these twin deities heralded a realm where healing was both an art and a divine mandate. Their very existence was a bridge between the abode of gods and the earthly realm of mortals, a testament to the seamless integration of light and life, emblematic of an undying hope and the perpetual renewal inherent in the cosmos.

The Eternal Cycles : The Healing Light of The Aśvinī Kumāras

And as they traversed the vast expanses of heaven and earth, the Aśvinī Kumāras became synonymous with healing light, their presence a balm to the ailing and the blind, guiding those lost in darkness and renowned for many stories of curing blindness. With hands that could mend the breach between life and death, they dispensed the elixir of health, Soma. Their stories show us how all of their remedies were steeped in the wisdom of the ages and the deep, flowing currents of divine knowledge. Their chariot, swift as the wind and bright as the first light of dawn, was a sight heralding deliverance and liberation, cutting through shadows and suffering to bring relief to gods and mortals alike.

In this way, the narrative of the Aśvinī Kumāras unfolds as a grand story of existence, where the threads of the divine and the mortal are interwoven to depict the eternal cycle of existence. They embody the cycle of life itself, from the darkness before creation to the first spark of light, and the hope of every dawn that dispels the night. In their journey and deeds, the twins encapsulate the essence of this duality, representing the balance of light and shadow, and the harmony between celestial decree and terrestrial longing.

The Vedas, ancient and revered, chronicle this tale not merely as a recounting of divine lineage and deeds but as a profound allegory of the interconnectedness of all existence. It is a narrative that celebrates the cycle of sacrifice and rebirth, the endless dance of creation and dissolution, and the omnipresence of the divine thread in the fabric of life. The Aśvinī Kumāras stand as enduring symbols of this cycle, their legacy a reminder of the indomitable spirit of renewal and the healing grace that follows the trials of darkness.

In their grace and vitality, the Aśvinī Kumāras inspire us to embody the eternal truth that after every night comes a dawn, after every storm, a calm, and after every trial, a renewal. They remind us of the light that invariably follows darkness, the promise of healing after pain, and the dawn of every new beginning that rises on the horizon of existence. In this way, their story is a beacon of hope, a light that pierces through the veil of night to awaken the world to the beauty of a new day, a new chance for life to flourish with zeal, zest, and passion under the watchful eyes of the divine.

Coming Up Next

As this chapter on the Aśvinī Kumāras comes to a close, our journey through the cosmos is far from over. In the upcoming articles, we will take a deep dive into the symbols associated with the Aśvinī Nakshatra and the Aśvinī Kumāras, unraveling what it means for this nakshatra to be related to 'transportation'. This concept essentially refers not just to how horses transport us from one place to the next, but to an existential process, one that touches upon the very nature of existence. With that said, much love and until the next article.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Related Mantras

ॐ सूर्याय नम : Om Sūryāya namaḥ

ॐ संज्ञायै नम : Om Saṃjñāyai namaḥ

ॐ अश्विनीकुमाराभ्यां नम : Om Aśvinīkumārābhyāṃ namaḥ

ॐ अश्विनी नक्षत्राय नम : Om Aśvinī Nakṣatrāya namaḥ

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Research and Reference Materials: On the Aśvinī Kumāras and Aśvinī Nakshatra

The specific stories of Sūrya (the Sun God) and Sanjña (his wife), including the various transformations, the birth of their children, and the narratives involving Chāyā, are primarily found in ancient Vedic texts and Purāṇas. These texts, written in Sanskrit, form a significant part of Hindu mythology and religious literature. Here’s a breakdown of where these stories can be found:

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa): This is one of the eighteen major Purāṇas, a genre of ancient Indian scriptures. The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is renowned for its detailed narratives of the avatars of Vishnu and the stories of their devotees. It also contains stories about the Sun God, Sūrya, and his progeny, although the story of Sanjña and Sūrya is more elaborately mentioned in other texts.

Mahābhārata: While primarily known as an epic narrative of the Kurukṣetra war and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava princes, the Mahābhārata also includes numerous stories, philosophical discourses, and teachings. It touches upon the tales of gods and goddesses, including the story of Sūrya, Sanjña, and their children.

Matsya Purāṇa: This is another important Purāṇa that discusses the creation of the universe, genealogies of gods, goddesses and heroes, as well as the structure of the universe. It provides accounts of various deities, including the story of Sūrya, Sanjña, Chāyā and their offspring.

The Brahma Purāṇa: As one of the earliest Purāṇas, it offers a wealth of stories about the creation of the universe, Sūrya's lineage and tales of the solar dynasty. The intricate relationships between deities, including the story of Sūrya, Sanjña and Chāyā are also mentioned here.

The Markandeya Purāṇa: Known for its detailed account of the Devi Mahatmya, the Markandeya Purāṇa also contains narratives about the gods, creation stories and the exploits of sages and kings. It provides insights into the lives of deities like Sūrya and narratives involving his family.

These stories are not only significant for their religious and mythological aspects but also offer deep insights into the cultural and philosophical understanding of the nature of existence, the cosmos, ethics, and relationships in ancient Indian tradition.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________