Mangala
Mangala | |
---|---|
God of the planet Mars Graha, Deva, Vaishnavism | |
Abode | Mangalaloka |
Planet | Mars |
Mantra | Om Mangala Devaya Namah |
Day | Tuesday |
Colour | Red |
Mount | Ram |
Personal information | |
Parents | (mother) |
Mangala (
Nomenclature
Mars (Mangala) is also called:
- Raktavarna (रक्तवर्ण) - whose color is like blood.[5]
- Bhauma (भौम) - son of Bhumi.
- Lohitānga (लोहिताङ्ग) - red bodied (Loha also means Iron, so could also mean Iron Bodied).
- Kuja (कुज) - he who is born from Earth.
- Bha (भ) - shining.[6]
- Dharāputra (धरापुत्र) - son of Dharā.
Iconography
He is painted red or flame colour, four-armed, carrying a trident (Sanskrit:
Legend
Mangala appears in the narrative of the Varaha avatar of Vishnu. When the king of the asuras, Hiranyaksha, abducts the goddess of the earth, Bhumi, Vishnu assumes his third avatar, and descends upon the earth to rescue her. Observing that the asura had dragged her deep within the primordial waters, he catches the goddess with his tusks, and successfully slays the asura, restoring her to her rightful place in the cosmos. As she rises, Vishnu realises that Bhumi is, in fact, an aspect of his consort, Lakshmi,[8] and proceeds to sport with her, and from this union is born Mangala, meaning the auspicious one.[9]
Literature
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Vaishnavism |
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The word Mangala is ancient, first appearing in the
The Markandeya Purana contains the astrological Mangala Kavacha Stotram, which includes a prayer to be recited to Mangala for seeking protection.[12]
Astrology and worship
Planet
Mangala, as a planet, appears in various Hindu astronomical texts in Sanskrit, such as the 5th century Aryabhatiya by Aryabhata, the 6th century Romaka by Latadeva and Panca Siddhantika by Varahamihira, the 7th century Khandakhadyaka by Brahmagupta and the 8th century Sisyadhivrddida by Lalla.[13] These texts present Mangala as one of the planets and estimate the characteristics of the respective planetary motion.[13] Other texts such as Surya Siddhanta dated to have been complete sometime between the 5th century and 10th century present their chapters on various planets with deity mythologies.[13]
The manuscripts of these texts exist in slightly different versions, present Mangala's motion in the skies, but vary in their data, suggesting that the text were open and revised over their lives.[14][15][16]
The 1st millennium CE Hindu scholars had estimated the time it took for sidereal revolutions of each planet including Mangala, from their astronomical studies, with slightly different results:[17]
Source | Estimated time per sidereal revolution[17] |
Surya Siddhanta | 686 days, 23 hours, 56 minutes, 23.5 seconds |
Siddhanta Shiromani | 686 days, 23 hours, 57 minutes, 1.5 seconds |
Ptolemy | 686 days, 23 hours, 31 minutes, 56.1 seconds |
20th century calculations | 686 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes, 41.4 seconds |
Calendar and zodiac
Mangala is the root of the word 'Mangalavara' or Tuesday in the Hindu calendar.[2] The word मंगल also means "auspicious" but the planet मंगल is considered malefic.
Similarly, the names of Tuesday in other Indo-European languages are often derived from the Roman god
Mangala is part of the Navagraha in Hindu zodiac system. The role and importance of the Navagraha developed over time with various influences. The earliest work of astrology recorded in India is the Vedanga Jyotisha which began to be compiled in the 14th century BCE.
Deifying planetary bodies and their astrological significance occurred as early as the
See also
- Jyotisha
- Navagraha
- Nakshatra
- List of Natchathara temples
- Saptarishi
- List of Hindu deities
- List of Hindu temples
- List of Hindu pilgrimage sites
References
- ^ "Mangala, Maṅgalā, Maṅgala, Mamgala: 45 definitions". 27 September 2008.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
- ^ Ancient Indian Tradition & Mythology: The Nārada-Purāṇa. Motilal Banarsidass. 1982. p. 984.
- ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.
- ^ Turner, Sir Ralph Lilley (1962). "aṅgāraka 126". A comparative dictionary of the Indo-Aryan languages. London: Oxford University Press. Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. p. 7. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
aṅgāraka 126 aṅgāraka '(hypothetical) red like embers', masculine 'charcoal'. 2. masculine 'the planet Mars'. [áṅgāra -- ]1. Pali aṅgāraka -- 'red like charcoal'; Sanskrit aṅārī 2. Pali aṅgāraka -- masculine 'Mars'; Sanskrit aṅāro masculine Tuesday.
- ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 75.
- ^ Mythology of the Hindus, Charles Coleman, p. 132
- ISBN 978-2-7659-1672-7.
- ISBN 978-1-5437-6002-6.
- ISBN 978-3-447-05645-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-447-05645-8.
- ^ adawal, Shanker. Encyclopedia of Vedic Astrology : Relationship: Marriage, Love & Sex. Sagar Publications. p. 589.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-208-0612-2.
- ISBN 978-81-206-0530-5.
- ISBN 978-81-208-0612-2.
- ^ J Fleet (1911). "Arbhatiya". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Cambridge University Press for the Royal Asiatic Society: 794–799.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-208-0612-2.
- ISBN 978-81-208-1954-2.
- ISBN 978-1-4381-0726-4.
Further reading
- Pingree, David (1973). "The Mesopotamian Origin of Early Indian Mathematical Astronomy". Journal for the History of Astronomy. 4 (1). SAGE. .
- Pingree, David (1981). Jyotihśāstra : Astral and Mathematical Literature. Otto Harrassowitz. ISBN 978-3447021654.
- Yukio Ohashi (1999). Johannes Andersen (ed.). Highlights of Astronomy, Volume 11B. Springer Science. ISBN 978-0-7923-5556-4.
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dallapiccola