Krittika Nakshatra - The purifying fire
- Rajarshi Raychaudhuri
- Feb 6
- 6 min read
Vedic astrology has very high significance of all the nakshatras. There are total 27 nakshatras across all the zodiac signs. It is considered that the most impactful nakshatra in our birth chart play their mythological story through out our life time through various interpretations.
Know your birth nakshatra:
Even though birth nakshatra will give the overall idea but other nakshatras might have multifold impact when it gets activated during the planetary influenced timeframes(vimshottari dasha). To get an in depth understanding feel free to reach out for any personal queries by mailing at r.raychaudhuri@outlook.com.
We are going to talk about the third nakshatra today, Krittika.
Astronomical facts ✨:
The nakshatra is linked to Pleiades which is one of the most famous and easily recognisable open star clusters in the night sky.
📍 Location: Constellation Taurus ♉
🔭 Distance from Earth: ~444 light-years
🕰️ Age: ~100 million years
🌟 Number of Stars: Over 1,000 (but around 6 are visible to the naked eye)
🌌 Type: Open star cluster (a group of stars formed from the same molecular cloud)
💨 Surrounding Material: The cluster is currently passing through a reflection nebula, which scatters blue light, giving the stars their distinctive bluish glow.
Cultural reference from the rest of the world 🌍 :
The Maori of New Zealand call the Pleiades Matariki, which marks their New Year. Māori tradition identifies nine stars, each with its own meaning:
1. Matariki – The mother, a symbol of well-being and hope.
2. Pōhutukawa – Remembers those who have passed.
3. Tupuānuku – Associated with food grown in the earth.
4. Tupuārangi – Connected to food from the sky (birds, fruits).
5. Waitī – Governs freshwater bodies and their creatures.
6. Waitā – Represents the ocean and seafood.
7. Waipuna-ā-Rangi – Brings rain and water cycles.
8. Ururangi – Governs winds and the atmosphere.
9. Hiwa-i-te-Rangi – A wishing star, linked to hopes and dreams.
Greek Mythology 🏺
• In Greek mythology, the Pleiades were seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione.
• Their names: Maia, Electra, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope, and Merope.
• When Orion, the hunter, pursued them, Zeus transformed them into stars to protect them.
• One sister (often said to be Merope) is fainter, as she is said to have married a mortal instead of a god.
Subaru Logo and the Pleiades 🇯🇵
🚗 The Japanese car brand Subaru (昴) logo features six stars.
🔹 The brightest six stars of the Pleiades are represented.
🔹 The largest star symbolizes Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company.
🔹 The five smaller stars represent the five companies that merged to create Subaru.
Power:
Dahana Shakti - Power to burn and purify or refers to its power to sever ties.
Vedic mythology:
In Vedic mythology, deaity of this nakshatra Agni (the fire god) is closely linked to the wives of six of the Sapta Rishis (Seven Great Sages). This story speaks of desire, misunderstanding, transformation, and the celestial origins of Krittika Nakshatra.
Agni’s Longing for Divine Companionship
Agni, the god of fire, was an ever-burning force, consuming everything in his path. Despite being one of the most powerful deities, he often felt lonely and restless. His flames burned endlessly, and he longed for warmth—not the warmth he gave, but the warmth of companionship.
One day, as he wandered through the forests and hermitages, he saw the wives of the Six Rishis—women of exceptional grace, devotion, and radiance. These women, dedicated to their husbands, performed sacred rituals and tended to the yajna (sacrificial) fires, which made them glow with divine beauty.
Seeing them, Agni felt a deep admiration. Their brilliance reminded him of the flames he carried within, and his longing grew. However, he knew his feelings were improper and tried to suppress them.
The Six Wives and the Suspicion of the Rishis
The wives of the rishis, though pure and devoted, had a natural reverence for Agni. After all, he was a deity, the very essence of sacred fire. Their daily rituals involved invoking his presence, and in doing so, they unknowingly absorbed some of his energy.
Unfortunately, the Six Rishis began to suspect their wives of harboring improper thoughts about Agni. Despite their innocence, their husbands doubted their loyalty. Consumed by suspicion, the rishis abandoned their wives, casting them away from their homes and rejecting them from their ashrams.
One wife, Arundhati, remained untouched by this fate. She was the wife of Sage Vashistha, and her devotion and loyalty were so strong that her purity was never questioned. She continued to stay with her husband, while the other six were left to fend for themselves.After being cast out by their husbands, the six celestial women ascended to the heavens, where they were transformed into the six bright stars of Krittika Nakshatra. Their radiance and divine essence remained, but now they shone from the night sky, forever distant from their earthly past.
The Birth of Kartikeya (Skanda, Murugan) 🔥⚔️
Kartikeya, also known as Skanda, Murugan, Subramanya, or Kumara, is the Hindu god of war and the son of Shiva and Parvati. His birth is one of the most fascinating stories in Hindu mythology, involving divine intervention, celestial beings, and a great battle against evil.
The gods were suffering under the tyranny of the demon Tarakasura, who had gained a boon that only Shiva’s soncould kill him. However, Shiva was deep in meditation and had no interest in worldly matters. The gods had to find a way to awaken Shiva and bring forth his divine offspring.
The Story of Kartikeya’s Birth
1. The Role of Kamadeva (God of Love)
• The gods sent Kamadeva, the god of love, to awaken Shiva from his meditation.
• Kamadeva shot his flower arrow at Shiva, but instead of being charmed, Shiva burned Kamadeva to ashes with his third eye.
• However, this act also awakened Shiva’s desire, leading to the events that would result in Kartikeya’s birth.
2. The Divine Seed of Shiva
• Shiva’s fiery seed (Tejas) was too powerful for any being to handle.
• The gods entrusted Agni (the fire god) to carry the divine seed.
• The seed burned so intensely that even Agni could not bear it.
• He transferred it to Ganga (the celestial river), but she too was overwhelmed.
3. Birth from the Six Krittika Stars
• The divine seed was eventually placed in a forest of reeds (Sharavana), where it took form as six babies.
• The six Krittika stars (Pleiades), celestial mothers, nurtured the six divine children.
• When Parvati saw them, she lovingly embraced them together, merging them into one being with six faces—thus, Kartikeya was born.
• This is why he is also called Shanmukha (Six-Faced One) and Kartikeya (Son of the Krittikas).
The Burning of Khandava Forest by Agni 🔥🌳
Agni’s Weakness Due to Overeating Ghee
• Agni had been consuming excessive offerings of ghee (clarified butter) from sacrifices performed by sages.
• This made him weak and sick, and he needed to burn something massive to restore his power.
• The divine physician Ashwini Kumaras advised him to consume the Khandava Forest, an ancient and dense woodland near the Yamuna River.
Indra’s Protection of the Forest
• Indra, the king of the gods, opposed the burning because his close friend, Takshaka, the Naga (serpent) king, lived there.
• Every time Agni tried to ignite the forest, Indra sent heavy rains to extinguish the flames.
This depicts a cosmic balance of water and fire, destruction and protection.
Rigveda (Mandala 10, Hymn 140) :
" With brilliant, purifying sheen, with perfect sheen thou liftest up thyself in light"
This key verse highlights as below:
🔥 Agni’s Radiance – He shines brightly, illuminating the world.
🔥 Purifying Power – He cleanses impurities, both physical and spiritual.
🔥 Divine Energy – Agni is not just fire but a cosmic force that uplifts and transforms.
Generic interpretation:
Severance of ties: The word krit means "to cut" so there is a very strong theme of separation that might be experienced by the natives strongly influenced by the nakshatra. The core theme of separation can play out in multiple ways like getting separated from family,relationship,job place of birth etc. Based on other planetary influence on the life.
Growth and upliftment(the harsh way): The natives might experience multiple tough events(especially separation) and obstacles that eventually cause upliftment and growth of the individual. Metaphorically the purifying fire causes burning sensation inside to burn out all negativities within and around but pushes towards glory.
Ethically questionable relationship: Being strongly associated with the mythological reference natives might get involved in such relationship sometime in their lives which they may not be able to socially accept in the long run.
Insatiable hunger: The associated natives might relentlessly pursuit their area of interest. It is mostly the craving towards the knowledge what they want to know in this lifetime.
Foster parent: Due to certain circumstances the native might land themselves in a situation where they are unable to get the care and nourishment from biological parents but instead get emotionally nourished by another motherly person.
Please share your feedback on however the story has unfolded in your life if you are a Krittika born individual.
You can mail at r.raychaudhuri@outlook.com .
Hari Om tat sat!
Visvadeva healastro
Comments