Rahu

The story of Rahu begins in the cosmic ocean, during the legendary Samudra Manthana — the Churning of the Milk Ocean. The Devas and Asuras had agreed to churn the primordial ocean together to obtain Amṛta, the nectar of immortality. After ages of churning using Mount Mandara as the rod and Vāsuki the serpent as the rope, the divine physician Dhanvantari finally emerged bearing the golden pot of Amṛta. Immediately, a fierce dispute erupted. The Asuras seized the nectar, unwilling to share it with the Devas. To restore order, Lord Viṣṇu assumed the enchanting form of Mohinī, the most beautiful woman in all creation. Bewitched by her beauty, the Asuras agreed to let Mohinī distribute the nectar. She cleverly seated the Devas and Asuras in separate rows and began serving the Amṛta exclusively to the Devas, while distracting the Asuras with her charm. However, one Asura was not fooled. Svarbhānu, a powerful Daitya of immense cunning and ambition, disguised himself as a Deva and seated himself between Sūrya (the Sun god) and Chandra (the Moon god) in the divine row. When Mohinī poured the Amṛta into his mouth, the nectar touched his tongue and flowed down his throat. But before it could pass beyond his neck, Sūrya and Chandra recognized the imposter and cried out to Viṣṇu. In a flash, Viṣṇu hurled his Sudarśana Cakra — the invincible divine discus — and severed Svarbhānu's head from his body. But the Amṛta had already rendered the portions it had touched immortal. The head, now known as Rahu, and the severed body, now known as Ketu, could not die. Both were granted a place among the Navagrahas as shadow planets (Chāyā Grahas), forever orbiting the celestial sphere. Rahu, bearing an eternal grudge against Sūrya and Chandra for exposing him, periodically swallows them — creating solar and lunar eclipses. The Sun and Moon pass through his severed throat and emerge again from the open neck, which is why eclipses are temporary. This myth encodes deep astronomical knowledge of the lunar nodes: Rahu represents the ascending node where the Moon's orbital path crosses the ecliptic, and eclipses occur precisely at these intersections. The story teaches that even stolen immortality carries consequences — power gained through deception traps the soul in an endless cycle of hunger and grasping, symbolized by Rahu's head eternally consuming yet never retaining.