| Shukra | |
|---|---|
Guru of the Asuras God of Venus | |
| Member ofNavagraha | |
 Depiction of Shukra from the 1842 bookThe Complete Hindoo Pantheon by E. A. Rodrigues | |
| Devanagari | शुक्र |
| Affiliation | Asuras,Daityas,Devas,Grahas |
| Abode | Patala Loka |
| Planet | Venus |
| Mantra |
Om drāṃ drīṃ drauṃ saḥ śukrāya namaḥa
|
| Day | Friday |
| Color | White |
| Number | Six (6) |
| Mount | White Horse |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | |
| Consort | Jayanti, Urjjasvati, and Sataparva[2] |
| Children | Devayani, Arā, Shanda, Tvasthadhar, and Marka[1] |
Shukra (Sanskrit:शुक्र,IAST:Śukra) is a Sanskrit word that means "clear" or "bright". It also has other meanings, such as the name of a sage who was the preceptor of theasuras and taught them the Vedas.[3] In medieval mythology andHindu astrology, the word refers to the planetVenus, one of theNavagrahas.[4]
InHinduism, Shukra is one of the sons ofBhrigu, one of theSaptarshis. He was theguru of theasuras and is also referred to asShukracharya orAsuracharya in variousHindu texts. In another account found in theMahabharata, Shukra divided himself into two, one half became the fount of knowledge for thedevas (gods) and the other half became the knowledge source of the asuras (demons).[4] Shukra, in thePuranas, is blessed byShiva withSanjeevini Vidhya after performingtapas to propitiate Shiva.Sanjeevini Vidhya is the knowledge of raising the dead back to life, which he used from time to time to restore life to the asuras. Later, this knowledge was sought by the devas and was ultimately gained by them.[4]
Vamana, the dwarfavatar ofVishnu, requests the asura kingMahabali for three steps of land. Mahabali acceded to the request and as was the practice, took up thekamandalu to pour water to symbolically signify the donation to Vamana. When Shukra, the asuras' guru, had realised Vamana's true identity, he tried to prevent the flow of water from thekamandalu by blocking the spout, Vamana pierced the spout with a stick, blinded Shukra.[5]
Shukra's mother wasKavyamata, whilst Shukra's wives were the goddesses Urjasvati,Jayanti, and Sataparva. Sometimes, Urjjasvati and Jayanti are considered to be one goddess.[6] With her, Shukra produced many children, including QueenDevayani.[7] Sataparva was childless.
In theMahabharata, Shukracharya is mentioned as one of the mentors ofBhishma, having taught him political science in his youth.[8]
In classical Vedic astrology orJyotisha, Shukra is considered to be among the Navagrahas (Nine planets) that influence the pattern of life on earth. Shukra represents women, beauty, wealth, luxury, and sex. According to classical astrological texts, a powerfully placed Shukra, aspected by benefic planets such as Jupiter, and in favourable signs and houses in the birth chart, ensures material well-being. Itsbeej mantra is "Om Draam Dreem Draum Sah Shukraya Namaha". It is associated with Friday, and the gem diamond. The classicalshastras ordain that the best method to attain the blessings of Shukra is to respect the women in one’s life.
It is also popularly propitiated through Devi Aradhana or worshipping the goddessLakshmi.
Shukra as a planet appears in various Hindu astronomical texts inSanskrit, such as the 5th centuryAryabhatiya byAryabhatta, the 6th centuryRomaka by Latadeva andPanca Siddhantika by Varahamihira, the 7th centuryKhandakhadyaka by Brahmagupta and the 8th centurySisyadhivrddida by Lalla.[9][10] These texts present Shukra as one of the planets and estimate the characteristics of the respective planetary motion.[9] Other texts such asSurya Siddhanta dated to have been complete sometime between the 5th century and 10th century present their chapters on various planets with deity mythologies.[9]
The manuscripts of these texts exist in slightly different versions, present Shukra's motion in the skies, but vary in their data, suggesting that the text were open and revised over their lives.[11][12][13]
The 1st millennium CE Hindu scholars had estimated the time it took for sidereal revolutions of each planet including Shukra, from their astronomical studies, with slightly different results:[14]
| Source | Estimated time per sidereal revolution[14] |
| Surya Siddhanta | 224 days, 16 hours, 45 minutes, 56.2 seconds |
| Siddhanta Shiromani | 224 days, 16 hours, 45 minutes, 1.9 seconds |
| Ptolemy | 224 days, 16 hours, 51 minutes, 56.8 seconds |
| 20th century calculations | 224 days, 16 hours, 49 minutes, 8.0 seconds |
The weekdayShukravara in Hindu calendar, or Friday, has roots in Shukra (Venus).Shukravara is found in most Indian languages, andShukra Graha is driven by the planet Venus in Hindu astrology. The word "Friday" in the Greco-Roman and other Indo-European calendars is also based on the planet Venus.
Shukra is a part of theNavagraha in the Hindu zodiac system. The Navagraha developed from early works of astrology over time. Deifying planetary bodies and their astrological significance occurred as early as theVedic period and was recorded in theVedas. Theclassical planets, including Venus, were referenced in theAtharvaveda around 1000 BCE. The planet Venus was deified and referred to as Shukra in variousPuranas.
Media related toShukra at Wikimedia Commons | ||
