Khagola

Khagola means “the sphere of the sky”. It is the Purāṇic picture of the sky and how they are arranged, as described in Chapters 123 to 126 of the Matsya Purāṇa.

It covers the size of the discs of Sūrya (the sun) and Candra (the moon); the nine vīthīs (lanes) of the nakṣatras (lunar mansions, star groups along the moon’s path), arranged in three mārgas (paths); the way Dhruva, the pole star, controls the movement of all the celestial bodies through cords of wind; the Śiśumāra Cakra, a star figure shaped like a dolphin; the chariot of Sūrya and its seven horses; the companions of the sun in each of the six seasons; the chariots of all the planets; and the nature of Sūrya’s thousand rays. The whole working of the sky is described as the cosmic body of Bhagavān Viṣṇu in motion, with Dhruva as the pivot and Nārāyaṇa as the heart.

The Size of the Celestial Bodies

The Matsya Purāṇa gives these measurements for the main celestial bodies (a yojana is a measure of distance of several miles):

• Sūrya maṇḍala (disc of the sun): 9,000 yojanas across (vyāsa)
• Candra maṇḍala (disc of the moon): twice the width of the sun, 18,000 yojanas
• The earth (bhū-vyāsa): about 50 lakh (5 million) yojanas, as an average measure

The Lanes of the Nakṣatras

The twenty-seven nakṣatras are arranged in three mārgas (paths across the sky). Each path holds three vīthīs (lanes). This division reflects the three zones of the sun’s path through the sky.

Uttara-mārga (northern path)

1. Nāga-vīthī, the northernmost lane
2. Gaja-vīthī
3. Airāvata-vīthī

Madhyama-mārga (middle path)

1. Vṛṣabha-vīthī
2. Go-vīthī
3. Jaradgava-vīthī

Dakṣiṇa-mārga (southern path)

1. Aja-vīthī
2. Mṛga-vīthī
3. Vaiśvānara-vīthī, the southernmost lane

Dhruva and the Movement of the Sky

All the jyotis (lights of the sky) are tied to Dhruva, the pole star, by unseen vāyu-pāśas (cords of wind). Through these cords Dhruva controls all movement in the sky. The stars, planets, moon and sun are all bound to Dhruva and turn around him. This is how the Purāṇa explains why the sky seems to turn around the pole. Dhruva is therefore the axle of the whole sphere of the sky.

The Śiśumāra Cakra

The Śiśumāra Cakra is the great figure in the sky of a śiśumāra (a dolphin or porpoise), formed by the stars around Dhruva. The Matsya Purāṇa names the divine beings who make up each part of this figure:

So the Śiśumāra Cakra shows the whole universe as one living body, with Nārāyaṇa at its heart and Dhruva at its outermost point.

The Sphere of Clouds and Dhruva’s Place

The Matsya Purāṇa also describes how the zones of the sky are layered. Below the jyotir-maṇḍala (the sphere of the celestial lights) lies the megha-maṇḍala (the sphere of clouds), the zone through which rain comes down to earth. Dhruva’s place at the pole of the sky keeps the whole jyotir-maṇḍala turning in good order.

Sūrya’s Companions in the Six Seasons

Sūrya travels through the year with a changing group of companions. For each of the six ṛtus (seasons), a different group of divine beings rides with the sun in his ratha (chariot). Each season’s group has:

• 2 Ādityas (sun devas)
• 2 ṛṣis
• 2 nāgas (serpent beings)
• 2 gandharvas (celestial musicians)
• 2 apsarases (celestial dancers)
• 2 grāmaṇīs (leaders of the gaṇas, or attendant groups)
• 2 rākṣasas

Across all six seasons, these groups make up the full number of Ādityas (12), ṛṣis (12), nāgas (12), gandharvas (12), apsarases (12), grāmaṇīs (12) and rākṣasas (12) who form the divine order of the solar year.

The Chariot of the Moon

The moon’s chariot (Candra-ratha) has three cakras (wheels) and is drawn by ten white horses. The whiteness of the horses shows the pure, cool nature of Candra’s light, which gives amṛta (the nectar of life).

The Chariots of the Planets

Each planet moves in its own ratha, with its own kind of horses:

How Agni and Sūrya Share Their Light

At sunset, three-quarters of Sūrya’s tejas (radiant energy) enters Agni (fire). This is why fire shines brighter at night than by day. At sunrise the process is reversed: the tejas that Agni has gathered goes back into Sūrya and adds to the morning sun. This explains the daily rise and fall in the brightness of both fire and sunlight.

The Thousand Rays of Sūrya

Sūrya has one thousand kiraṇas (rays), divided into three groups by the work they do:

The Planets as Devatās

The Matsya Purāṇa links each planet with the devatā who presides over it. In this way it joins the watching of the sky with sacred understanding. The planets are not just physical objects. They are themselves divine beings, or divine powers, moving through the sky in keeping with the dharma of the universe.

Sources

• Matsya Purāṇa, Chapters 123–126