Planetary Deities Who Represent Lord Krishna
in the Shrimad Bhagavad-gita As It Is
in the Shrimad Bhagavad-gita As It Is
Lord Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, discusses four planets—or rather the planetary deities—in Bhagavad-gita that He points out represent Him.
These are the Sun (who Krishna calls variously as Aditya, Surya, Ravi or Arka);
the Moon (who Krishna calls variously as Soma, Shashi or Chandra);
Jupiter (Brihaspati) and
Venus or Shukracharya (described by the name of Ushana or Kavi).
The point is simple. Krishna tells Arjuna (Bg.15.15) vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo: “Of all the Vedas I am to be known.” Astrology is the Jyotir Veda—so only one who is a Vaishnava—that person who is on the path of Krishna consciousness—can be a genuine astrologer. Astrology is a divine science given by Krishna for lighting the path—or giving His jyotisha—to the world. This becomes evident even Lord Krishna’s words in the Bhagavad-gita
Of the four planetary deities who Lord Krishna mentions in Bhagavad-gita, three—the Moon, Jupiter and Venus—are considered brahmana planets in Vedic astrology. Naturally, Lord Krishna mentions the Sun—he is the leader and thus represents Him. But Krishna does not mention Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Rahu or Ketu. Jupiter and Venus—the gurus of the devatas and the demons respectively— are both mentioned in the 10th chapter entitled “The Opulence of the Absolute.” In verse 10.24 Krishna declares purodhasāṁ ca mukhyaṁ māṁ viddhi pārtha bṛhaspatim: “Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Brihashpati, the lord of devotion.” The word mukhyam—which also means “mouth”— is significant. The job of the priest or brahmana is to preach and instruct. Goddess Saraswati resides in astrology’s 2nd house which rules not only the physical mouth, but also speech. As Srila Prabhupada has stated, “No one can become great unless he is a good speaker.” Just as Brihaspati or Jupiter is the priest of the devatas, one who is born with a strong Jupiter in his horoscope can become a teacher or even a guru, other factors considered, Shukracharya, the deity of Venus and the guru of the demons, is mentioned by the name of Ushana in 10.37. Krishna says kavīnām uśanā kaviḥ. Shukracharya represents yet another opulence of the Supreme Lord. Krishna honors him as a kavi—a learned poet or “thinker.” A kavi is “one who can speak wisely on any subject.” In astrology generally Venus is considered the planet of sensual pleasures, wealth, fine domicile and all sorts of enjoyment. Generally astrologers do not know this higher aspect of Venus that Lord Krishna praises here. In the charts of devotees Venus accelerates devotional service and inspires renunciation even amidst wealth.